Honest work – honest wage

Someone claiming to represent an international organization tried to invite me on a 5-day road show to Roxas City, Guiuan- Samar, Ormoc City and Tacloban City to observe and write about what their organization has achieved and done so far for the communities affected by typhoon Yolanda. Unfortunately the representative never got back to me presumably because I asked if they had a budget that would compensate me for 5 days being out in the field. I don’t know if they were turned off by that question or the other question where I asked if their “Roadshow” was part of a fund raising program or to promote their organization’s efforts in order to raise money? Whatever caused it, the person never got back to me. Maybe they were embarrassed or alarmed, but the encounter has raised an issue I have long been concerned with.

First of all, there are still many people who seem to miss the point or fact that unlike reporters or regular employees of networks or media outfits, people like me are not full time employees. Yes, we have been bestowed the privilege to express and be paid to write our opinion or observations for the newspaper. BUT many of us are not full-time employees. We are as one would put it “Glorified piece meal workers” who often risk being outcast, threatened or abused for expressing our opinions on behalf of the silent majority.  Having said this, we are also normal human beings who have a family to feed, bills to pay and earn a living through honest means. I for one, give lectures, conduct seminars and trainings as well as do consultancy work on business process, resort development as well as management.

So if I, or any of my colleagues were to ask about “per diem” “travelling allowance,” “talent fee” or “professional fee,” we are merely inquiring what one party is willing to offer or give in return for asking us to travel, leave our family and the comfort of our home as well as prioritize the need of an organization or a group over all other opportunities or activities we may have planned or could engage in. We make distinctions for what is “PRO DEO,” PRO BONO,” and what must be “PRO-FIT”. The compensation is not for what we write, it is for the inconvenience and the time required from us.  At the very least discuss the matter; don’t just drop out because it leaves a very bad impression if not a lingering misunderstanding.

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When customers and the public complain about the quality or quantity of government service, we normally take it all in stride. It is as if it is to be expected. But when employees of the government agency such as the LTO are the ones complaining about their Low Turn Out of service you know there is a serious problem. When the President of the Philippines has to apologize to the public because the air conditioners at the airport are out of order because they are out of parts, one has to wonder what is really going on.

For starters, employees of the LTO have shared with me their utter frustration in trying to serve the public:

“Araw araw off line kami dito at laging mahaba ang pila ever since they pulled out one of our servers. We are constantly stressed; the sticker supplies have not been delivered. All this has been reported (to DOTC) but we have no advice when the problem will be addressed. What used to take 30 minutes now takes an average of one hour for renewal. The absence of sticker is really stressful because everyday of the week people are shouting and cursing us. We are all affected because we are at the frontlines. The stickers delivered to offices are not even enough to meet the requirements of vehicles with plate numbers ending in 1 or 2.

The server we used for renewal of drivers licenses and student permits was pulled out a month ago along with a cashier for licenses. So now transactions for motor vehicle license also go through one and the same unit as other transactions and we are left with one cashier resulting in payment transactions stretching out up to 6 pm.”

From a distance one would think that perhaps someone at the LTO is trying to be efficient or following cost saving rules from the DOTC, but who ever is behind this not so bright idea of pairing down equipment and personnel by 50% has to be too smart for the public good or simply an irresponsible manager who does not directly observe or monitor what’s going on down on the ground. I won’t even bother calling the attention of the DOTC officials on the matter because somehow it seems they are the ones responsible for the EXTREME inconvenience experienced by customers of the LTO as well as the harassment that LTO employees are being subjected to. It is also noteworthy to learn that in spite of the claims of the DOTC officials, the vehicle stickers problem remains unsolved.

This leads me to a suspicion that someone raised concerning the constant problems that seems to be common with agencies or offices connected with the DOTC. If it’s not a shortage, absence of a credible supplier, the problems of the agencies always involve emergency breakdowns that emergency repairs, that require emergency purchases, which are exempt from standard biddings. In the words of my friend “Baka naman sinasadya na or someone is sabotaging facilities so they can skip the requirements for accountability and integrity?”

Unfortunately because DOTC officials choose to be like the 3 Monkeys who don’t see evil, speak no evil, hear no evil, it is hard to tell if anyone is even looking deep into the problem or are they part of the problem. In the meantime, people at the LTO and the NAIA have to suffer the results of their indifference and their incompetence.

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