To one of the most outstanding barangays in Manila, with love.

One of the requirements for my new job is a photocopy of two valid IDs. I already have my passport at hand that’s why I just need to get another valid ID. Since getting a barangay clearance is pro bono and just takes about a few hours, I opted to apply for that.

I went to the barangay hall yesterday, met the barangay secretary, and got my clearance signed by the chairman. I can say that the process was really fast. I didn’t even wait for 5 minutes to have it signed.  I headed straight to the HR office of the company that afternoon. However, they told me that they couldn’t accept the clearance since the stated purpose was “for whatever legal purposes it may serve”. They wanted it to be more specific like “for bank requirements” or  “for local employment”. They asked me to go back to the barangay hall to have the purpose changed.

And so I came back to the hall and met with one of the kagawads who turned out to be one of our neighbors. He was very accommodating. He got my barangay clearance and even offered to deliver it to our house as soon as it was edited. I thought I was going to get the clearance soon until I haven’t heard from him since last night.

So after my 10pm-6am shift and 2-hour rest,  I went directly to the barangay hall to see if my clearance was already done. For some reason that I do not know, there was no one present in the barangay hall. I asked  the people around for the whereabouts of the secretary and one of the tricycle drivers answered, “Ah… Pumunta lang sa SM” That was fine with me since I know that these people have their own personal lives to attend to. I went home and returned again around 1pm but still, there was no sign of any barangay official.

I returned around 3:30pm that same day and saw the barangay secretary. I approached him and explained why the company didn’t accept the clearance. After much explaining, we tried to make a resolution and here’s how the conversation went:

R: Sir, baka pwede po i-edit yung sa last part na “for whatever legal purposes”

S: Ay…yan lang kasi binibigay namin dito eh…

R: Baka pwede po palitan kasi hindi po tinatangap nung kumpanya kung hindi “for bank requirements”

S: Anong gusto mo palitan natin yan para lang sayo? (They have pre-printed clearances in the hall.  Ironically, the barangay clearance I got from the province seems to be better since it has blanks where they can type individualized purposes)

R:  Hindi naman po sa ganun. Siguro po pwede i-dagdag na lang dun sa huli na naka parenthesis yung “for bank requirements” pagkatapos nung “for whatever legal purposes” para mas specific

S: Eh ayaw nga ni Chairman eh! Sinong masusunod ikaw… o si Chairman? (his voice escalating)

I was really upset that time. This incident might show any of these three things: the barangay is doing a trabahong tamad by giving out these generic clearances,  the secretary didn’t really want to put up with much hassle, the chairman doesn’t understand the need of his people, and/or I was asking a lot from these officials . Being a nuisance is last thing I would want to be although I do think that these officials should’ve been more accommodating. Besides, typing “for local employment” in a barangay clearance doesn’t require more effort than Anabelle Rama mouthing public insults over another person.

As a public servant, I believe that they should respond to the needs of the community. To succumb to the paternalistic idea that the leader’s  words are unquestionable may reflect the authoritarian style of leadership that officials implement and passiveness of the people who are not willing to question and reason out.

If I don’t get the clearance by today, I guess I have to shell out 300 pesos and get that postal ID instead.

Pro-noun-shayshon and its Effects (Part 3)

Pro-noun-shayshon and its Effects (Part 1)

Pro-noun-shayshon and its Effects (Part 2)

I went to their branch near SM San Lazaro this morning. After passing the initial interview I took the online exam. The exam was pretty challenging since there are some technical questions like which cable suits this or that device or some nitty gritty parts of web browsing. Iam a nursing graduate and how do they expect me to know about these things?! Thank heavens that they allowed us to use Google!

After passing the online exam, I was scheduled for the final interview. The interviewer was a nice lady who happened to be the senior recruiting officer of the company. The interview lasted for about 15-30 mins. After which, she informed me that she’s thinking of placing me in a tech support account and that I needed to undergo a call simulation exam. I was told to review a handout about how to install a DVD player. I didn’t feel really comfortable with the topic since I’m no techie but I tried my best to understand the different ports, outlets, and cables. A script was provided and I was allowed to read it during the entire simulation. 

As soon as we finished she told me that I did quite well in the simulation. She said that she had no question with regard to my command of the language and that she thinks that I’d do pretty well in the call center industry. That was an ego boost for me. Monitor my ICP magkaka-hydrocephalus na ako neto.

Generally, I liked the working environment there. With no bias, I think the people seem to be nicer compared to the other one where I applied first. They smile as needed and do not exude that inglisera-ako-so-deal-with-it type. I was really happy that I got my first job offer from this company. I still find everything surreal. I will have to return tomorrow for the contract signing and I shall start training on July 23rd at Makati.

Pro-noun-shayshon and its Effects (Part 2)

Pro-noun-shayshon and its Effects (Part 1) 

 After passing the initial interview, the recruitment agency shuttled us to the Pasay branch of the company where I was applying. It was already 5 o’ clock so they immediately told us to go back the next day for the online exam.

And so I went back the next day, took it, and guess what? I flunked it. I was asked to return again the next day. (Where is the one day processing they were telling us about?) It was kinda frustrating on my part because I found the exam totally easy. In the first part, you just have to answer questions like, “What’s the capital of Zimbabwe?” or “Who was the first blah blah blah”. The best part was you can use Google to search for the answer. The second part was a typing exam where I was rated as expert in both speed and accuracy.

I don’t really understand why I wasn’t qualified to the final interview. And up to now I still wonder why.

Just like any heartache (may ganun talaga?), I have to move on and try out my other options.My close friend, Reg, recently qualified for another company (Congrats Reg!). Back in the recruitment firm, they’ve already been telling us that it was tough to enter that company because they’re so critical about the pronunciation and everything. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a shot the next day. 

13 Ways to Solve the Traffic Problem in Manila

Photo from here

If there is one problem in Manila that haven’t been solved yet it would be the traffic.  Everyday people have to battle it out with the traffic, pollution, and heat as they go on commutes. They allot two hours just to arrive on time on their work places which is just about 2 kilometers away, bring a facial wash to remove all the dirt from their pores, and ingest extra fluids to prevent dehydration.

Clearly, there is exists a need for one thing: a more effective transportation system.

 While I am completely clueless about the traffic system and the different measures currently implemented to solve the problem, I would like to give my take on this problem, counting only on my experience as a commuter in the last four years.

Let me start by saying that the main problem of a traffic jam is that the cars move slowly, or hardly move at all. That’s not really rocket science. So now I shift my focus first to solving the different causes why these cars move so slow. Here are some ideas that could help:

• Ban street vendors who sell cigarette, candies, drinks, newspapers to drivers
• Ensure an adequate supply of coin denominations so that drives would not have to do small talk to another driver, asking for a change
• Utilize the pedestrian lanes and arrest the jaywalkers!

The secondary problem is caused by the people themselves. They alight and board whenever they want to. Some are just plainly lazy that they want their butts to move only when on the exact spot where they are going.

• There should be designated loading points like the ones in train stations. Nothing causes traffic more than a greedy jeepney driver who wants all the passengers for himself.
• If the place where you’re alighting to is just a street or two away from where a passenger is about to go down. Please do the whole Philippines a favor by alighting as well. It gives you good exercise and prevents unnecessary stopping of the jeep from one street to the next.
• People should start sitting from the place nearest the driver to allow the people to board the jeepney faster. Faster boarding time equals less time spent idle in the middle of the road waiting for someone to be seated.

The next problem that needs to be addressed to have a better transportation system is the legislation regarding the use of the roads.

• Buses must not be allowed to switch from one lane or another. They’re too long and causes much traffic if always done.
• There must be a strict demarcation on the lanes. I suggest that in a three lane road, the innermost would contain the private vehicles, the middle lane having the freely moving PUV, while those at the outermost are for the ones who pick up passengers.

Traffic cannot be attributed to a lone entity. It needs a multi-factorial approach which do not only aim to address the ways which people ought to follow but more so how these ways will be implemented by the government.

• Train the traffic enforcers better. I’ve seen Vito Cruz at around noon on times with/without traffic enforcers and the situation is just the same
• Have wider roads and if needed, more flyovers to avoid traffic prone areas

The last problem I think is the road-vehicle proportion mismatch. We have too many cars and few good roads. Here are some suggested solutions:

• Increase the prices of cars so that only few will be on the road (This sounds elitist but it might just work)
• Implement a more selective coding scheme
• Strongly implement the provisions stated in the Clean Air Act which includes the banning of smoke-belching cars

Do you still have ideas in mind to solve the traffic problem?

Pro-noun-shayshon and its Effects (Part 1)

Walking along the streets of Makati, wearing a business attire, and looking busy with a cellphone at hand and a briefcase on the other looked so posh to me. It’s like the ultimate picture of what a young professional should look like – one who is earning for his own keep and supporting the family in one way or another.

Today, I found myself wearing a semi formal attire walking along Tordesillas and Dela Costa St., equipped with my resume and self-confidence that flickers like a candle as a gust of anxiety passes by.

I was headed to Finman building. The scheduled appointment was at 8am. I was there at around 10. Expecting a tormenting lecture on Punctuality 101 from the interviewer, I reached the company’s office with a heightened level of anxiety. But instead, all I endured was filling up a personal information sheet. We were oriented by an account manager about the interview processes of different call center companies. From this I learned two basic things in an interview:

• You have to gratify the interviewer even if you know for a fact that what you’re saying would give you an A+ in a Dale Carnegie exercise with the theme “The Most Shitty Things I Said”
• You have to abandon all pride and resist the urge to disagree – even if you believe that the pronunciation (pronounced as pro-nun-si-ay-shun, not pro-noun-si-ay-shun or pro-noun-shayshon) of the interviewer, who keeps on telling everyone to be mindful about their pronunciation, is kinda…uhm…not perfect.

I didn’t want that to sound arrogant. And I completely have nothing against mispronunciation but I just find it sad whenever I see applicants who fail after having just said something about themselves. Nakakalungkot lang. It’s even harder when an interviewer already says the names of those who passed while those who did not remain clueless and were told to wait for the call. God knows if there would even be one.

In defense to some interviewers, some of them are fair enough to say directly if you passed or not. Probably that’s how it goes in the BPO industry where the manner of speaking matters more than your educational attainment or previous employments. It’s a call center company they’re applying for, after all.

Btw, I’m going for an online exam on Thursday in one of the companies on which I passed the initial interview. I hope I get my first job soon. Kelangan ko na ng pera, at ng magagawa!  :)

P.S. Ngayon ko lang narealize na ang hirap ng walang ginagawa lalo na kung sanay ka na may ginagawa

GlaxoSmithKline partners with LGUs to fight Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Philippines. Although the statistics are saddening, the current management, which shifted focus to prevention and early detection, is very encouraging.

  

Yes! This type of cancer can be prevented through giving immunizations against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the most common causative agent of cervical cancer. Let me make clear that the immunization does not directly provide immunity to the cancer but gives protection against HPV, a virus transmitted by sexual intercourse, which leads to cancer. However, one setback of acquiring this immunization is the cost that ranges from 5,000 to 7,000 pesos per dose. You need three doses to be fully immunized. Now, do the math.

With this concern in mind, GlaxoSmithKline and the Philippine Obstetric and Gynecologic Society along with the support from the local government unit of Pasig, Rizal Medical Center (RMC), and the Social Service Ministry of the Immaculate Help Parish organized a cervical cancer awareness and immunization program held at the Rizal Medical Center Auditorium on July 6, 2012. The beneficiaries were young women, aged 13-15 years, and their mothers. They were given free immunizations by GlaxoSmithKline and were given a lecture by the doctors from RMC on the causation and ways to prevent cervical cancer.

One good point of this program is that the holistic development was given due consideration by the Social Service Ministry which would also include regular counseling programs to the teenagers that would tackle on issues such as teenage relationships, handling peer pressure, etc.

Cong. Romulo expressed his support to this project, hoping that the immunizations can be given at the community level. Although I think this may not be feasible in the near future due to the cost of each vaccine.  If done so, this would definitely occupy a large portion of the budget if shouldered by the local government unit alone. However, if the government would instead subsidize, the cost – even at the minimum – would definitely be a deterrent for the poorer sectors to acquire the immunization. Probably the best way to implement this is through active public-private partnerships and intra- and inter-sectoral linkages, like the one with GlaxoSmithKline and the Rizal Medical Center in this project, which may help in procuring the resources.

Board Exam Aftermath

After months of intensive review with bouts of caffeine tolerance, I, along with approximately 70 thousand other nursing graduates, took the Nurse Licensure Examinations last June 30 and July 1,2012. I was assigned to take the test in J.Zamora Elementary School in Pandacan, just a few blocks past Nagtahan bridge.

It was quite a unfair for us who were assigned in a classroom where the ventilation is au naturale,.assisted only by a lone electric fan which hung on the opposite side from where I sat. I don't know if anxiety went into play but I think the humid atmosphere actually worked on my advantage since I have this tendency to spend almost 15 mins of the time allotted to take a quick nap. The wooden chairs, which seemed to have withstood the test of time and countless vandals, were all we had as our desks. Basically, it's like one of those classrooms that you see in most elementary schools.

As I entered the examination room, I can't help but notice the different uniforms of the people form various schools. More so, the age range of the examinees which was highly variable. Some of them looked young enough to pass as my batchmates while a few seemed to be in their 30's or 40's. Seeing them made me smile though, it made me realize how some people give importance to education even in their latter years.

The entire exam was generally okay. One thing about the nursing board exams is that it doesn't seem to measure what you know per se but more of how you should think as a nurse. There were a handful of challenging questions, particularly in the third part of the test which I think was the most difficult of the five parts. But I think the exam was pass-able.

My classmates and I meet up every break time. To an extent of weird humor, instead of reviewing for the next set, we rather amused ourselves with the bizzare questions that situations that appeared in the exams. I do not know why we still afford to be a merry bunch while everyone is either staring blankly or walking aimlessly along the hallways.Probably, UST had instilled in us the value of finding humor in the most difficult situations. Or maybe it was just reaction formation.

Me, Patrick and Kariza. Photo taken as soon as we went out of our examination room.  :)

It'll take a month before the results are out so I can't help but feel anxious about it every now and then. I'm very optimistic about the results though. Please pray for me and all the deserving people who took the test :)