Manila Times interview about the Hating Kapatid Project

Sharing the transcript from my interview with Manila Times' Red Mendoza about the Hating Kapatid Project--an initiative I started last April 9, 2020, to raise money for low-middle-income wage-earners who are no-work no-pay during the Covid19 Pandemic. As of May 20, 2020, we've raised more than One Million Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P1,500,000.00) for 400 Hating Kapatids and their families.

Red: Why did you start the Hating Kapatid Project, what is the reason behind this? 

Kris: I started the Hating Kapatid Project because I felt guilty for continuing to receive my salary as a government worker, while friends in the private sector were no-work no-pay. The imposition of ECQ caught everyone off guard, and many were not prepared financially. Unfortunately, these middle-income wage-earners (earning anywhere between 15,000 to 40,000 a month) weren’t qualified for SAP, CAMP or any other social protection program of government because they were not poor. I thought, we in government who are still earning our salaries could help our counterparts in the private sector by sharing a portion of our income—share it hating kapatid.

Red: So far, how many people have been helped by the project? 

Kris: As of today, 5 May 2020, 263 Filipino families have been helped by HKP.

Red: How do you vet those who would be given the assistance? , how do you determine if the person to be given assistance is 'deserving'? 

Kris: I interview applicants on FB messenger. I ask them if they were working prior to ECQ; if yes, what did they do, and how much did they earn. I also ask them if they applied for and/or received from SAP, CAMP or any other social protection program of government. If they haven’t, then they qualify for HKP. That’s it. I ask for their bank details or their Gcash numbers and add them to the list of HKP recipients.

I believe that people who earn an honest living are a very proud people. The mere fact that they swallowed their pride and reached out to the project means that they really need financial aid. Hindi lang naman ang mga mahihirap ang nahihirapan sa ganitong panahon, di ba? 

I vet by asking for their work ID and reviewing the FB profile. That’s how I verify their identity. Other than that, it’s honesty system.

Red: When you started this project, did you realize the magnitude of the people asking for help? 

Kris: I expected a lot of people would apply. There’s just so many professionals and workers that fall between the gaps of the system. 

What I did not expect was them sharing their socio-economic situation and me reading their accounts. It’s heartbreaking. Many lower middle income wage earners are dependent on their monthly salaries, not only to pay their bills, but also to support their children, their siblings, and their parents. Take away their monthly income, and they are immediately paralyzed. You try to advice them about the new Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) program, and they respond to you that they are still not qualified because either their employer failed to pay their SSS contribution, or the company is considered a large taxpayer.   

It’s their stories. I did not realize I would be affected by their stories.

Red: How did your circle (family, friends and co-workers) help you in this project?, If you may sir, mayroon po bang mga nagdonate na high profile or cabinet level? 

Kris: Relatives, my co-workers in PCOO, friends, friends of friends, and even strangers who read my FB posts or saw the page, helped out in this project by donating amounts ranging from P500 to P30,000. 

No cabinet level donors. But many fellow assistant secretaries.

Red: When someone whom you given the aid thanks you and tells you that the money helped them in a big way to sustain in their needs, how did you feel about it?

Kris: You don’t know how many times I’ve cried after reading their messages. I knew 5,000 was a relatively substantial donation, but I didn’t realize its big impact on families in financial distress. 

I would screencap the recipients’ messages and share them with the donors, so that they also know the impact of their acts of kindness and generosity.

Red: Of course sir, hindi po maalis sa isipan na, being from the government, some people would say na 'dapat lang magbigay sya ng tulong' and all that because it came from taxpayers' money, what is your reaction on that sir,. 

Kris: Well, I still do my work as an assistant secretary of PCOO. I head the Freedom of Information program, and we have been very active in promoting the transparency initiatives of government. So you can be assured that taxpayers money is put to good use with my continued service. 

HKP is outside my scope of work in PCOO. HKP is a donation platform I created so that fellow government workers could help others in need. 

Red: Have you changed your outlook in life after doing the project? 

Kris: Yes. I have a better understanding and appreciation of our middle income sector. Many of my biases regarding the middle class have been blown away by the personal accounts and sharing of requestors.

I am eternally grateful to the more than 180 donors who contributed to the project. Some even donating multiple times. And many even coming from the private sector. I’ve also had a couple of recipients who became donors themselves. 

I started the project more than 3 weeks after ECQ was imposed, and so I knew that people were suffering from donor fatigue already. But still, they came out and supported the project. 

Red: Being a part of the government, what do you think is the most important solution para mabigyan po ng ayuda yung middle class. And this comes despite na may DOLE-CAMP and SBWS na pong inannounce (and i also saw po na yung mga nabigyang ng CAMP na humingi earlier po ng ayuda sa inyo is also "giving back", so to speak, what is your reaction po?)

Kris: I understand that due to limited resources, government’s priority should be the most vulnerable sector, which is the poorest of the poor. But we should not ignore the middle class because they are in distress too. Government should find a way to include the middle class in its social amelioration programs. SBWS was a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done.

I’d like to propose that HKP be institutionalized and adopted government-wide. On our next payday, 5% of every government worker’s salary should be donated to a counterpart middle-income wage-earner suffering from no-work no-pay. 

Red: Ano po yung mga challenges in doing this project, especially that some of your donees did not have bank accounts and only rely on remittance services or electronic money transfer, like Gcash. 

Kris: You are right. I did not know that a lot of middle-income Filipinos still don’t have bank accounts. I thought that was presumed. Hindi pala. A lot of recipients wanted to receive the donations through remittance, but donors were hesitant. One, they didn’t want or couldn’t go to a remittance center. Two, they didn’t want to expose their names, address and number, which remittance required. Our compromise was to create Gcash accounts, but even that was a challenge. There were (are) still many recipients who could not or did not know how to.

Red: And lastly sir, what is your message to everyone who helped/donated, and also to those whom you helped, what would you say to them, and is the Hating Kapatid project still open for donors and those who still need help? 

Kris: I am eternally grateful to the more than 180 donors who contributed to the project. Government workers from PCOO, DOH, DOJ, DFA, HOR, Senate, SC, RTC, MTC, COA, Ombusdman, OSG, PAO, IC, GSIS, BSP, SEC, NTC, PLLO, CCC, TIEZA, BOC, UP, CHED, TESDA, NHA, UCPB, LGU-QC and LGU-Pasig. Some donors even donated multiple times.

And there were a lot of donors coming from the private sector. I won’t mention their names because they wanted to remain anonymous.

I started the project more than 3 weeks after ECQ was imposed, and so I knew that people were suffering from donor fatigue already. But still, they came out and supported the project. 

Thank you so much for your donation. God bless your generous hearts.

---end of interview---

Here is the link to Red's article, which came out on May 17, 2020: PCOO Executive helps those beyond SAP reach.

To donate to a Kapatid, please visit: www.facebook.com/hatingkapatidproject

Kris Ablan's 13 Tips for Managing in Government

Well, hello there, blogworld! Long time no see! It's nice to visit this blog after a while. Anyway, I've been a manager in the public sector for more than 10 years now, and I've learned a thing or two (or thirteen) on how to lead a team. Sharing it with you guys!

1. The Buddy-Buddy System

I advocate the buddy-buddy system at the office. This means a task or assignment cannot be owned by just one person. There has to be another person (a buddy) who shadows the focal and knows everything about the task. This way, when the focal is absent (on leave or on assignment), the buddy can take over. The task is not held hostage, and the task can be completed. 

2. Learn an admin skill. Do admin work. 

Apart from their primary tasks, let your employees learn an administrative skill and do administrative work. Not all organizations need policy, legal, monitoring, comms, etc. staff, but they always need admin work. Whether it’s HR related, finance, procurement, or secretariat duties, let them do it. Exposure to admin tasks widens their skillset, allows them to appreciate their work, and makes them more valuable and employable. 

At the FOI office, our policy/legal guys do bids-and-awards-committee (BAC) work; our compliance staff is the secretariat of the personnel selection board (PSB) and adjudication committee; and our IT/comms people do records management and business continuity planning. After their stint in FOI, their admin skills will be their ticket to advance in their careers. 

3. All of your co-workers are your office’s ambassador. Make sure they know what’s happening. 

Everyone at your office is an ambassador of your office when they are out. They are the face, the focal, and the point-of-contact, who will leave an impression of your office to others. So you have to make sure that everyone knows whats happening in the office, and will be able to inform strangers or acquaintances about what all of you do. No exemptions—from most senior rank down to entry-level staff, dapat may alam. 

This applies most especially to small offices with 30 staff or less. Don’t compartmentalize or pigeonhole your staff! Dapat alam ng capacity building kung ano ginagawa ng policy, at alam ng monitoring ano ginagawa ng strategic partnerships. 

This is good for your staff, and it’ll be good for the office. 

4. Be results oriented. Not time bound. 

Unless you run a restaurant, a security agency, or any business that largely depends on physical presence, focus on your employees' output. Focus on being results oriented.

I've heard of managers who counted the lates--down to the minutes of time-in and time-out, of their legal staff, as if their work solely depended on being physically in the office for eight hours. For positions concerning legal, policy, creatives, communications, or other similar work, don't bind them to a strict 8 to 5 schedule, especially when they even have to stay behind after office hours. Score them based on the outputs they produce. Are they able to draft that memo, that policy paper, that legal opinion? Give premium to results. 

To impose the same assessment criteria for all employees is unfair, and will result to counter-productivity.

5. Work life balance. Plan personal leaves.

Life is short. And a huge chunk of our life is taken by work. So every chance society gives us a break, you take it. (In government, it’s 15 days a year) I told my co-workers to maximize their annual vacation leaves. Get some rest or enjoy the outdoors. Go on vacation or visit family. It doesn’t matter, just use your VL. 

My only requirement is that you plan ahead. Inform me in advance, and make sure that when you’re away, the work is not held up—that is, there is a colleague who will take over. That’s all there is to it. 

6. Respect the private/personal life of your staff.

People are social beings. It’s in our nature. And it’s actually nice for managers to become friends with staff because it strengthens the bond of the team. But know your boundaries. Be conscious of your actions and know when to respect the private or personal life of your staff.

7. Limit the number of meetings.

I hate unnecessary meetings. I once worked at a place where we had meetings more than once a week. They were a complete waste of time because our projects and tasks did not move as fast to justify weekly reporting. We’d give the same update meeting after meeting, it was useless. Time spent listening to another division’s report (which I already heard of from the previous week) could’ve been used to work on my actual task. I hated it. 

My strategy is to meet with everyone on a quarterly basis. Set the tone and direction of the office for the next three months. Make time for an open forum so that co-workers can clarify or ask questions. Then meet the deputy heads (or division chiefs) once a month for updates. Schedule smaller group meetings only when necessary. 

Remember, time is precious in the public service. Time spent in a meeting could be used more productively at the work station or out on the field. 

8. Avoid paralysis by analysis. Experiment, implement, learn, adjust, then repeat. 

I subscribe to the quote attributed to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He said,

“The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold persistent experimentation. 

It is common sense to take a method and try it; if it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

We practice this in the office. While it’s nice to plan, if that’s all that you do, nothing will happen. You have to implement. It’s okay to commit mistakes. Don’t be afraid to fail. That’s all part of the learning and improvement process. Pag nagkamali, identify what it was and correct it. Ganun lang. 

I also subscribe to the Japanese work ethic of Kaizen or continuous incremental improvement. The principles of Kaizen are: 1. There is always room for improvement. 2. Everyone’s opinion is valued and considered. This way, workers are confident offering suggestions, and there is quality team work. 

9. Don’t bring staff to events or activities where they are not needed. 

In other words, pag hindi mo kelangan ng alalay, wag ka magdala. As I already mentioned, time is precious in the public service. Time spent by your staff accompanying you to an event he/she has no contribution to, could be be used more productively at the office.

10. Put premium in trust

I believe in and have experienced the speed of trust. I learned this from Stephen Covey, and it’s 100% true. When there is trust and confidence between co-workers, tasks are done faster, sometimes even better. When there is trust, there is no need to constantly check or micro manage each other; there are no layers of approval; and paperwork is lessened.

From a personal point of view, I worry less and am able to do other important tasks. From an employee’s point of view, he or she enjoys a level of freedom, and gets to use creativity—as long as the job gets done. 

When working with a new hire, you have to assume there is trust between each other. And in the course of the work relationship, you have to strengthen that trust—that is, make sure you have each other’s back. 

When trust is broken, you’ll observe that work slows down, and co-workers become suspicious of each other. So try to address it immediately, patch things up, and rebuild. Otherwise, if mistrust persists, the relationships and the work are both doomed. 

11. The IPCR is your OKR

I support John Doerr’s advocacy of having Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in his book Measure What Matters (2018). I think it’s good to have direction in the work that you do, and you’re not going around in circles, or worse, running in place. If you’re the leader or manager, try to set an Objective for your team. What is it that you’re trying to do? Then identify the team’s key results—how will you reach your objective. Once that is set, then you meet with your staff individually and set their respective OKRs. Annual OKRs is good, but semestral would be better. 

In government, OKRs are called Individual Performance Commitment and Review (IPCR) and Division Performance Contract and Review (DPCR)—I know, OKRs sound better. But they perform the same function of setting objectives and identifying key results. 

It takes time to develop and finalize OKRs, but I believe it’s worth it. 

12. Talk to your staff and always do expectations setting.

Don’t limit your interaction with staff to meetings, team buildings, and IPCR settings. Adopt the mindset of continuous performance management (CPM). 

Regularly talk to your staff. Ask them how they are doing with their work—and mean it when you ask. They will know if you’re just paying lip service. Give them feedback, set expectations, and do it vice versa. Listen to what they have to say. Lastly, don’t forget to give credit when it is due. Recognize and give expressions of appreciation for good work.  

13. Conduct Debriefing after activity. 

Every activity is a learning opportunity. And a good way to ensure learning is to hold a quick sharing and debriefing immediately after an activity, so that insights and observations are shared while they are still fresh in the memory.

Hope you learned a thing or two from me! Do you have your own management principles you follow? Share it and comment down below. Thank you and God bless!

8888 Hotline Segment 27 November 2016

Pinched hit for Sec. Panelo in his 8888 Hotline Segment in PTV News on 27 November 2016.

Malacanang Press Briefing 24 November 2016

Press Briefing as Assistant Secretary of PCOO on 24 November 2016 at the Malacanang Press Briefing Room.

Malacanang Press Briefing 5 September 2016

Here is my press briefing as Assistant Secretary of the PCOO held on 5 September 2016 at the Malacanang Press Briefing Room.

I Explain the New Features of the Vote Counting Machines to be Used in the 2016 National and Local Elections

Explainer | Mga bagong features ng Vote Counting Machines na gagamitin ngayong 2016 elections.Watch the livestream now at www.bilangpilipino.com and www.news5.com.ph #BILANGPILIPINO
Posted by News5 Everywhere on Sunday, March 20, 2016

iHub

Wow, I haven't written on my personal blog for quite a while. Been busy with work, family, and my other blog (on bike commuting). But I have time now, and this thing I want to write about is worth blogging. So here it goes.

Back in 2011, when I first heard about Governor Imee Marcos' plan of converting the Ilocano Heroes Hall into an SM Hypermart, I thought it was a bad idea and was strongly against it. One of the reasons for my opposition was the eventual displacement of the building's tenants, especially the government offices. The Ilocano Heroes Hall used to be the one-stop shop for government agencies. The electric cooperative was there, so was the Department of Tourism, Bureau of Treasury and the Commission on Elections. Another to be kicked out was the Provincial Library. The library was a great concern for me because I had always supported it, and in fact, the 2007-2010 provincial government had already planned to build a legislative building that would house a bigger and better library. Now it had no permanent address.

I later learned that the library transferred to a small corner of the Centennial Arena, far away from its student-clientele in the city center. For a long time, the Provincial Library just stood there, gathering dust.

I thought the library would ultimately die a natural death.

I was wrong.

Earlier today I passed by the Centennial Arena and noticed that the library looked much bigger than the last time I saw it, and was now renamed iHub (short for Information Hub). Curious, I paid my favorite librarian, Mrs. Abad, a visit.

When I entered, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with what I saw. 

And all I could say was, "Wow!"

Governor Imee expanded iHub by converting the entire south basement of the arena into a library. She then installed two hundred computers to complement the existing ones. 

Two Hundred. That's a lot of computers.

Last Friday, Governor Imee inaugurated the Sirib Mile along Ablan Ave., stretching from Marcos Stadium and MMSU to INNHS and INCAT. The "mile" of course includes the Centennial Arena and the library. I learned that Governor Imee's master plan is to transform that area into the educational hub of the north.

And it made perfect sense. 

Sure, the library lost its visitors from Laoag Central Elementary School, Holy Spirit Academy and Data Center, but it gained the multitude of students from Mariano Marcos State University, Ilocos Norte National High School and Ilocos Norte College of Arts and Trade, which is definitely a bigger base.

For a small fee, the students from these schools can continue their research and study after their classes. I heard Governor Imee plans to "close" that section of Ablan Ave. and convert it into a public plaza, making it exclusive for pedestrians, which is good for the library because then it will be even more accessible.

It's a brilliant project and I regret doubting the governor's decision to move the library into that section of the city. I now think it was the best thing that happened to the library.

Having said that, this doesn't mean I agree with all her projects. I still think it was a bad idea to convert the Heroes Hall into an SM. But that's for another time and place.

Today, I tip my hat to Governor Imee for the Sirib Mile and iHub projects. Congrats, ma'am!

PS: Though the library now has a lot of computers, it still lacks books. If you or your organization have books and any reading materials to spare, please donate to iHub Ilocos Norte, c/o Provincial Librarian Matilde M. Nery.

Power Play

Posting an article written by Elizabeth Angsioco for the Manila Standard Today, dated 17 December 2011, regarding the President's actions in the impeachment of the Chief Justice. Good read. I agree with her observations.

"On any issue, the most difficult position is the “nuanced position” because it is not a straightforward yes or no to something. Many see things as either black or white. In real life, it is not that simple. There are many colors and shades of colors as there are many things to consider in making one’s stand on a given issue.
On the Chief Justice Renato Corona impeachment case, for instance, the easiest thing is to agree with what the House of Representatives did. Doing so is equated with being pro-Noynoy, which is the popular positioning. After all, even Speaker Sonny Belmonte admitted (despite initial Malacañang denials), that the House merely followed what President Aquino asked them to do.
Consequently, those of us who ask questions are labelled as anti-Noynoy, anti-impeachment, pro-former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, or pro-CJ Corona. I beg to disagree. Many are not any of these, myself included.
Through decades of activism, I have learned to use certain principles in weighing my take on issues. I am not fond of criticizing people, I make my positions based on careful and thorough analysis of issues, not partisanship or affiliation. Thus, I am neither for nor against any specific politician but I can be for or against specific actions of specific politicians.
Questioning what transpired at the House is not necessarily an anti-impeachment position. Impeachment is a crucial Constitutional process to make accountable and remove from office abusive government officials. Ultimately, its purpose is to make sure that the country is governed only by those worthy of the positions they hold and able to fulfil their mandates. How can anyone be against a process that protects the people from abuse?
I have been critical of various actions and decisions of former President Arroyo even during those times when my former political group chose to side with her. I have been most critical of Arroyo’s anti-reproductive health position as well as her meddling with the House on this.
Of the high government officials, Chief Justice Corona is the most unknown to me. My political work revolves around Congress and some executive departments. My only dealing with the Judiciary is at the trial court level during times when we assist specific cases. Thus, I do not have any strong opinions on Corona.
I guess this is the same with most Filipinos because the justices are not ordinarily seen or heard of. Of the three government branches, members of the Judiciary are mostly quiet. We only hear about their decisions but rarely get to know them. At least not in the same way as we know the President, Speaker of the House, the Senators, even Department Secretaries.
Sure, I know about allegations that Corona is a midnight appointee of Mrs. Arroyo. But in the same way that I will not question technicalities about the House meeting constitutional conditions for an impeachment vote, lawyers have also said that the so-called midnight appointments are technically valid.
I am familiar with Supreme Court decisions on various cases including those in relation with Mrs. Arroyo and President Aquino. But as media reports always say, these are Supreme Court decisions, not Corona’s alone. I have always regarded the Supreme Court as a collegial body.
My concerns about the House impeachment proceedings are not about technicalities. I understand that the House has met all conditions set forth by the Constitution on this.
However, the manner by which the House met these Constitutional requirements is, for me, hard to accept as moral.
I am concerned with the power play being displayed by this issue. Blatantly, Malacañang is showcasing how it uses its immense powers to the extent of disrespecting co-equal branches of government.
I am concerned that the principal impeachment lobbyist is the most powerful official of the land—the President, who is known to dislike Corona from day one. Given the balance of power in our politics, the impeachment was a given. The overriding perception that this is a Pnoy-versus-SC issue instead of HOR-versus-Corona is disturbing.
I am concerned that the House members were not given time to study the impeachment complaint. Representatives signed on the basis of power point presentations, not the actual document they were affixing their signatures to. On this particular occasion, the House became a rubber-stamp institution. This sets a very dangerous precedent.
Even if some political parties held caucuses on the case, none of them discussed the very crucial actual document they were deciding on. It was like approving a bill in essence without knowing the actual bill’s contents.
My familiarity with how the House works leads me to believe that even IF there were no threats of withholding the representatives’ pork barrel, they themselves felt the threat—as how Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco put it. In short, many need not be threatened, they already were and are.
I am concerned with how the House leadership put it when the representatives were asked to sign, “Just sign and if you want to ask questions, do so during the plenary,” and “sign if you are an ally of the President.” I talked with several House members and they were actually not happy with how things were done.
I am concerned, no, disappointed with how many of the 188 lawmakers made their decision. I can respect those who studied their options and there were those. However, many just gave in to the House leadership. No matter what the leadership said or did, if more insisted on studying the document first, the leadership would not have easily prevailed.
I am concerned with the attempt to shield the President’s role in this. On the evening of the impeachment, Malacañang and allies went on national television and said that what the House did was purely its business, that PNoy had no hand in it, and that nothing was hidden as it was an open process. If these were not lies, I don’t know what are.
I am concerned with the divisions this issue is creating in our country. The Judiciary is fighting back. Legal minds are divided. Even some who used to be allies of Malacañang are joining the fray and criticizing the President. These divisions could have been prevented if House was not in a big hurry to impeach.
I am very concerned with the implications of the impeachment case on the country, on our people. Can a chief justice who is hand-picked by PNoy become truly independent?
Now that the House has proven itself to be an extension of Malacañang, will the Senate be able to resist the Presidential lobby? I am fervently hoping that the senators, for once, will decide based solely on evidence. The country needs nothing less from them."

Original text at:
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion.htm?f=2011/december/17/elizabethangsioco.isx&d=2011/december/17

Possibly the most congested street for a pedestrian to walk in Pasay/Manila

Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street (formerly Vito-Cruz), specifically that section between Taft Ave. and Arellano Ave. is probably the most congested street for a pedestrian to walk in the Pasay/Manila area.

I teach business law in CSB and I have to walk that length from the SDA campus, where I park my car, to the Taft campus, where I have class, every time I'm there.

First things first, I cannot believe that the local government still allows big 18-wheeler trucks to pass through that street! It's not a highway, for godsakes! Let those road beasts traverse Quirino or Buendia.

Second, why do they still allow pedicabs on that street?! It's enough that those drivers are rude to all commuters, but to be reckless and undisciplined as well?! Oh, my god! Vito-Cruz is obviously a one way street and yet pedicab drivers think that just because they're on bikes the law does not apply to them! They counterflow like it's their birth right! Pag nasagi ka, sila pa galit! Aaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhh! I hate pedicabs!

Third, the jeepneys that ply that route use Leon Guinto and a strip of Vito-Cruz as their terminal! Dun lang sila pumaparada at naghihintay ng mga pasahero. Ano ba?! Ang laki laki ng sign na "No Loading and Unloading!"

Fourth, there are street vendors who obviously do not have any EQ because if they did they would know they are not helping the free flow of traffic when they display their pineapples, pomelos, fishballs, kwek-kwek and other goods in the middle of the road! At mabuti sana kung malinis sila; No! Kinakalat lang nila yung mga used barbeque sticks at balat ng pinya at suha sa daan!

Last, but definitely not the least, the local government REMOVED the SIDEWALK! There's no sidewalk! We have to walk ON the road and play patintero with street vendors, pedicabs, tricycles, cars, jeepneys and 18 wheeler trucks!

Hay, diyoskoporsanto!

There's St. Scholastica's College in the center; Angelo King Campus up north; CSB-Taft on the west; and SDA sa south; why can't they just close that area from motor vehicles and convert the existing roads to one big pedestrian walkway like they do in other college towns? Why endanger the lives of all these students and teachers?

Get rid of cars and trucks. Divert them to other roads. Replace the asphalt with red bricks. Keep the pedicabs (but redesign the chassis) and street vendors. And then we're talking. Pedestrian heaven!

But until our local government get its act together, it's continuous suffering for everyone.

Becoming a Mediator

I've always believed that alternative modes of dispute resolution are what this country needs to declog our courts and restore the public's trust in the judicial system. The different modes I learned of in law school include negotiation, mediation and arbitration. (For more information about ADR, you can read RA 9285)

Last week, I attended a 4-day seminar on basic mediation to place me one step closer to becoming an accredited mediator of the Supreme Court. There is no mediation office in my province of Ilocos Norte and I hope to be the one to organize it in the near future.

The seminar, organized by the Philippine Judicial Academy, was held in Cauayan, Isabela (PhilJA plans to establish a mediation office there).

At the seminar venue

35 professionals participated in the course. 2 from Metro Manila, 1 from Laoag City (that's me), 1 from Baguio City, another from Nueva Ecija, and the remaining 31 from the cities of Ilagan, Cauayan and Santiago in Isabela province.

8 of us were lawyers, some were court personnel and the rest were from the private sector. (Yes, anyone can become a mediator, as long as you are at least 30 years old, a college graduate and of good moral character. For more information about becoming a mediator, log on to the Philippine Mediation Center website) 

DCA Raul Villanueva

We had a total of 9 speakers who discussed various subjects on mediation. On our first day, Atty. Manny Caparas gave the most lectures. He talked about ADR mechanisms and the role of lawyers in mediation; Deputy Court Administrator Raul Villanueva discussed conflict management; and Fr. Raffy Cruz shared wth us his thoughts on social and cultural context in negotiation.

Fr. Raffy Cruz 

I stayed in Hotel Andrea, the only boutique hotel in the city. My room was kind of small and had no windows, but it was okay for the price (P1,050.00). May aircon, flat screen TV, hot shower and free wifi naman.

I did not know anyone in Cauayan. The only friend I knew in Isabela was Mayor Jeng Reyes, but she lives in Alicia town, which is a good 45 minutes away. Luckily, my fraternity batchmate, Allen Cortez, who works for URC, was doing his rounds in the area and we had a drink one night.

On Day 2, Justice Tess Dy-Liacco Flores taught us the fundamentals of communication. That as mediators, we should listen to both parties and be aware of verbal, as well as non-verbal forms of communication. Mediation is less rigid than court litigation. Mediators can be flexible when negotiating with the parties. There are no strict rules of procedure. In fact, lawyer participation is optional, if not discouraged! 

Also, mediators are not judges or arbiters. They don't decide cases. Instead, mediators act as facilitators. They provide an opportunity for both parties to voice out their concerns.

The seminar was held in the compound of UPHS-Isabela Campus

Later on, the class was introduced to the 6 stages of mediation. Usec. Linda Hornilla started it off with the mediator's opening statement. And then Atty. Caparas followed it up with the parties' opening statement. Justice Flores returned to discuss joint discussion and identifying the issues. The 4th stage was on what to do during impasses (the answer is to hold a caucus with each of the parties). Atty. Egon Cayosa of the Tuguegarao PMC Unit talked about joint negotiation, and on the 6th and final stage about closure.

The goal of mediation is to get the parties to agree on settling their differences outside of court and to enter into a compromise. More importantly, the ultimate mission of mediation is to bring back the peace between the parties. Sa korte kasi very adversarial. Magkaaway na kaagad yung mga parties. May nasa tama, may nasa mali. May panalo at may talo. Not in mediation. Pwede magkaroon ng win-win solution.

Atty. Cayosa

Usec. Linda Hornilla

That's me with Dingdong Agcaoili of Santiago City MTCC (he's not looking at the camera)

Mediation Role-play

In Day 3, Dean Agabin taught us how to write a compromise agreement, while Usec. Hornilla informed us about the PMC grievance machinery, if ever someone complains about our performance in court-annexed mediation.

Dean Agabin 

On the 4th and last day, Dean Agabin talked about ethics and reminded the participants that when we sit as mediators we become officers of the court (I already am, as a lawyer. The rule is for non-lawyer mediators). Mr. Jose Name informed us of the fees we will be receiving. As mediators, we get a whopping P1,000.00 for every successful mediation! (Dean Agabin and Atty. Cayosa told us we shouldn't be mediating for the money. Mediation is really volunteer work.) And the last talk was given my Atty. Mark Polonan of PMC. He discussed the mediation forms and the accreditation process.

The resource speakers with all the participants

Me, Mr. Name, Usec. Hornilla, Dean Agabin, Atty. Polonan and 2 other Manila-based lawyer-participants

Having earned my Certificate of Completion, the next step is a two month internship. I have to mediate 3 successful cases within the period. After that, PhilJA-PMC endorses my application to the Supreme Court for resolution.  Mark said the process might take another 3 months. So, I'm looking at getting my accreditation by January next year.

But that's still a long time from today. Right now I'm thankful to have been given the opportunity to take the course.

igivebacknow

A lot of corporations' CSR projects nowadays include the building of classrooms for public elementary and secondary schools (think the likes of Mcdonald's, GMA, Coca-Cola, Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, etc.).

But equally important to having enough classrooms is to have an adequate number of chairs and school desks inside the room, right?

Right?!

I mean, what's the use of a classroom if it's empty. The teacher and her students might as well hold class under a tree.

This is where you come in.

Yes, you!

PBSP recently launched an on-line donation facility called iGiveBackNow where ordinary people, like you and me, can give back to the community by donating as little as P100 to help improve public education. The donor can choose to donate to either the President Cory Aquino School Desk Project or the School Chairs Assistance Project.

Did you know that more than 5 million Filipino students do not have a chair to sit on or a desk to write on?

They squat or sit on the floor! 5 million kids!

Which is pathetic because one school desk costs a mere P880! The shirt you're wearing is probably more expensive.

Now is the time for you to give back to the community. Pull out your credit cards or your ATM cards and donate to iGiveBackNow.pbsp.org.ph today!

When Ordinary People Commit Graft

We usually associate graft, embezzlement and other forms of corruption with high ranking public officials and controversial political leaders.

He stole 5 Million Pesos in a rigged public bidding; He pocketed 100 Million Pesos from a ghost infrastructure project; so on, so forth.

But graft is committed by ordinary people as well.

In a program the organization I work for manages, we discovered some irregularities in the reporting of check-ups by health workers.

The program is supposed to run like this: the patient goes to the clinic everyday to take his medicine. He is given an allowance for food and transportation. At the clinic, the nurse or a health worker gives him the medicine, and the patient drinks it in front of the health worker. The point being the health worker sees the patient taking the medicine, making sure the treatment works. That's the DOTS program. Directly Observed Treatment Short Course. And its used to cure tuberculosis.

This program, conceptualized by the Department of Health and the World Health Organization, would drastically lower the TB cases in the Philippines; and both organizations have shelled out millions and millions pesos to implement it.

But don't you notice, we haven't moved in the rankings?

There's still a lot of people in the country dying of TB.

It's because of corruption.

But there's no big time politician behind this, pocketing the funds for the program. Instead, you have regular people, like you and me, committing graft.

What happens is the nurse or the health worker would just simulate or fake the check-up. It's easily done because there's no way for the upper-ups to immediately find out if a TB patient died. All the nurse or health worker has to do is to "continue" administering the treatment, fill up the form and submit it as if the patient appeared before him and drank the medicine. The nurse or health worker then gets the food and transportation allowance of the deceased. Let's say that equates to P500 per patient per day. Why, that amounts to P3,500 per week and P14,000 per month! And that's only one patient! Imagine how many patients visit the clinic every day.

That's graft, man. No way of denying it.

The sad thing about this is that these nurses and health workers don't think there's anything wrong with what they're doing.

"P500 lang naman eh. Di naman mapapansin. Mas malaki ninakaw ni GMA at FG," they might say.

But stealing is stealing. Que one hundred pesos o one million man yan.

And this barangay-level stealing should be addressed as much as, if not more than, the coverage GMA, FG, Genuino, and other politicians get nowadays.

Corruption is everywhere and we have to tackle it from the bottom up. We cannot turn a blind eye to people stealing P500 because its just P500. Ang nagnanakaw naman ng 5 million nagsimula din sa maliit na halaga di ba?

Hay...

PS: I'm not saying all nurses and health workers working in barangay health centers are corrupt. Ofcourse not. In fact, marami sa kanila sila pa minsan ang nag-aabono sa kelangan gastusin. But there are some who abuse the system, and THEY are the target of my blogpost. 

Corruption in the Private Sector

I originally thought that the source of the nation's ills was corruption in government, and that if we just rid government with its bad apples, the country would be in much better shape, and progress would come faster. But after almost a year in the private sector I realized that corruption is not exclusive to government.
I lawyer for an non-profit organization which oversees large-scale social development programs funded by international donor-agencies.  We contract smaller NGOs to implement these projects all over the country. We call these NGOs, Sub-Recipients. Money comes in from abroad and we pass it on to these sub-recipients. They, in turn, use the money to build school buildings, give out medicines, organize livelihood programs or what have you. The fact of the matter is we're all partners in this, and we share one common goal to help people in need.

There's no politico or padrino to deal with. There aren't any election/campaign expenses to worry about. Nothing. So, everything should be fine, right? There shouldn't be any stealing, right? I mean we're all here for the good of the country, right?

RIGHT?!

There shouldn't be any corruption in the private sector.

But there is. 


To my utter dissappointment, there is corruption in the private sector.

I naively thought that if we take away the padrino system (which is so rampant in our government bureaucracy) and we take away the need to steal money public coffers to fund a campaign, then things will start to run smoothly.
 
I forgot one element of corruption that transcends all of these petty things.
 
GREED.


Pure and simple greed.

And I realized people are greedy, whether in the public or private sector.
 
As the lawyer of the foundation I work for, one of my duties is to make sure that sub-recipients utilize Grant money prudently and only to forward the interests of the program. Imagine, together with our auditor, we discovered how some of these NGOs siphon Grant funds for their self interests.  Man, magugulat ka sa mga pinaggagawa nila. They hold lavish seminars (AKA: parties) in exclusive resorts. They stay in expensive 5-star hotels. They buy luxury and high-end vehicles (putting the CBCP's Pajero-7 to shame) for their personal use. They report simulated and ghost activities. They fake receipts and pad expenses. O, they're so creative. Grabe.
 
What makes things worse is that these NGOs think they're not doing anything wrong. Kasi nasa budget naman daw.
 
Huwaaaat?! Seriously?! That's your excuse?!


Hindi ibig sabihin kung nasa budget eh pwede mo na gastusin lahat!
 
It doesn't mean that if the money's there you have the right to spend it all!
 
It's some other person's money, dammit! Money he or she donated so that it could be put to good use. Not for you to reward yourself with an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner at Spirals!
 
Hay, grabe. Wala na nga ako sa gobyerno, akala ko matatakasan ko na ang lintik na korupsyon na yan. Di ko naman akalain na paglipat ko sa private sector/NGO, ganun din pala.
 
Now, I honestly believe we will not get rid of corruption in society by simply removing the bad politicians and replacing them with honest public officials. It's not enough.
-----
That's why when President Noynoy Aquino says that our country will be better once corruption is eliminated (or at least substantially lowered) in government, I don't believe him.

And he shouldn't believe himself. Naku, Mr. President, don't be so naive like I was!

If you think you're crusade against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, et al. would lead to "Daang Matuwid," think again!

Corruption is everywhere, in all sectors and at all levels. A witch-hunt will only lead you to another witch-hunt, sir!

The solution is cultural change. First, everybody should admit and accept that we commit or at least consent to corrupt-practices, in one form or another. And second, everybody should agree that corrupt-practices are anti-progress and that we should all stop doing it. Then we're heading towards the right direction.

Amigo

Caught between watching the remake of Temptation Island or another made-in-the-Philippines movie, I took a chance on the latter.  I'm glad I did because it was a really good film.

I watched Amigo, a period film set in the early 1900's during the Philippine-American War. The Bohol-filmed movie, written and directed by John Sayles (Eight Men Out, Spiderwick Chronicles), stars Joel Torre as Rafael Dacanay, Garret Dillahunt (Deadwood, No Country for Old Men) as Lt. Compton, and Yul Vazquez (A-Team, Little Fockers) as Father Hidalgo. Chris Cooper (Adaptation, The Bourne Identity) is also in it, but he has less screen time compared to the others playing the part of Col. Hardacre. I was surprised to see DJ Qualls (Road Trip, The New Guy) in this movie as Signal Corpsman Zeke Whatley.

The 2-hour movie revolves around life in the barrio and how the villagers and their American captors co-exist together. 

Rafael is the barrio captain of San Isidro (sorry I don't remember what province this was set in). He is married to Corazon (played by Rio Locsin) and they own much of the lands in their area.  One day, the U.S. Army's Lt. Compton and his men take over San Isidro and, upon orders of Col. Hardacre, establish a garrison to defend the American forces in Sta. Ana, and to help look for Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and other insurectos. 

Lt. Compton allowed Rafael to remain as village chief and started calling him, 'Amigo.' Because there is a language barrier between them, Lt. Compton got Fr. Hidalgo to be his interpreter. At first, the soldiers looked down on the locals, but eventually got comfortable with them, and even participated in the celebration of the barrio fiesta. But then there's Simon (played by veteran actor Ronnie Lazaro), brother of Rafael and local rebel leader. He and his soldiers are hiding in the forest and plan to attack the garrison in San Isidro.

That's as much as I can tell you about the story. Spoilers na kasi ang kasunod. Better to watch it and find out for yourself what happens to Rafael, Corazon and the people of Barrio San Isidro.

I enjoyed watching this movie because I found the story unique and interesting. It's not your typical war movie where the characters just fight each other. There's that, of course, but the movie is really more about how two different cultures learn about one another.

I also liked the dialogue. Hindi siya pilit. There were a few side jokes said by both american and filipino characters, pero hindi cheesy at corny ang dating. The humor came out so natural and spontaneous, akala mo katabi mo lang sila nung humirit.

And the actors were excellent. I don't know Garret Dillahunt, but he portrayed his character of Lt. Compton very well. He reminded me of a young Bill Paxton. I also liked Yul Vazquez's take on Padre Hidalgo. I have to salute the guy for trying to speak our language. I mean, most of the time he pronounced the words wrong, but you have to give him an A for the effort. I even thought he was an expat married to a Filipina based in Cebu who they pulled out of just to play this role. I didn't know he was General Javier Tuco in A-Team. And the other American actors who played the soldiers were pretty good too. Hindi sila over-acting.

Perhaps the only one-dimensional role in the movie was that of Col. Hardacre. But I don't think you can blame Chris Cooper for this as he had so little screen time to develop his character.

As for the Filipino actors, well what can I say? How can you go wrong with Joel Torre, Rio Locsin, Ronnie Lazaro, Pen Medina, John Arcilla and Bembol Roco? I'm glad John Sayles hired real Pinoy morenos and morenas to play the parts of the villagers. Even the actress who played the village lass looked raw and very local. Ayun tuloy ang ganda ng courting scenes niya with Private Gil (Dane Dehaan). Sayles stayed true with his setting. Pag mainstream actress siguro ang nag-play ng role na yun (think Julia Montes, etc.) baka hindi maganda yung kinalabasan.

There is a negative, though. But it has nothing to do with the story, the acting or the directing. I wasn't pleased with the cinematography. The movie looked like it was shot with a home video camera. I'm not downplaying the video equipment they used, I'm sure its industry standard. It's just that it looked too plain. Kulang ng mmmpphh.

But other than that, I give this movie two thumbs up!!!

Amigo opened last July 6 in select movie theaters around Metro Manila. Before it gets drowned out by Harry Potter 7 Part 2, may be you guys can watch this movie first. Though fiction, Amigo's depiction of 1900 rural Philippines is as real and authentic as it gets. And the story is real nice.

PS: One more thing. Don't wait for it in pirated DVD, please? Filmmakers like John Sayles and actors like Joel Torre need your help to continue making quality movies. Let's support them by watching Amigo in theaters and special screenings.