The faces of Public Service

I cannot sleep. So let me tell you an incident that happened to me just recently. 

I happen to drop by a government office while on my way to La Union to use their rest room.  Two people were there, a male peace keeping officer, and a female clerical staff.  I greeted them a pleasant evening and ask to use the restroom. The peace officer said “idiay” pointing at a direction that was so dark.  I said where is it? There are no lights “adda”, in an arrogant tone to me.   

When I was done, I inquired if he is the officer assigned that time and the gentleman said “wen, apaya”, like he didn’t have time to talk to me. I said oh so you are government officials. Being such, you should be more client-friendly. Do not forget that you are being paid by the people to be courteous to them. You were not placed in your position to be served and be arrogant; you are there to serve- the essence of public service.

Mine, may not be official but I expected government officials to be courteous to me, the moment I entered their office not because I am who I am but because I am a citizen of this country that they have sworn to serve, and service means courtesy.

I told them who I am, and immediately, I got “red carpet” so to speak. I was even escorted to my car.  Is this the kind of service we give? When a person comes to our office in glass slippers, we give the best? But when a person in rubber slippers comes, we do not attend properly to them? No wonder, we in the government are dubbed “ARROGANTS” and called by many other names by the public. Sometimes, I do not blame them. They are right to call us that.

Immediately, I called their supervisor and told him to discipline his subordinates. COURTESY is the major ingredient of public service. Most often, we forget that the people coming to our offices no matter who and what they are, are humans too and must be treated as such.

Time and again, I tell officials about the ethical standards of public service or what it is to be a public servant.

MY LESSON? Tell people who you are… hehehe

LESSON: Quit if you cannot be client-friendly.

This can be hurting...

I would like to make a rejoinder to the post of Ms Lilet Angawa on the "MISCONCEPTIONS ON HOW AN IGOROT/CORDILLERAN LOOK LIKE". This is a first hand experience years ago that strengthened my resolve to somehow change the perception of my friends from other places of who and what the Igorots or the Cordillerans are.

I was in a national training that my department conducts for newly hired personnel for technical assignments. We were about 108 coming from the different corners of the country. The 108 participants were divided into classes comprising 30 each class and provided speakers for each class per module.

Speakers come and go depending on the module that is at hand. One day, the speaker for that session happened to be a half Cordilleran and Half Ilocano (people coming from the Ilocos region). He talks well in English.

In one of our light moments with other participants somebody asked him how a Cordilleran look like and he looked at me and said "there you are. Here is a Cordilleran" pointing his fingers at me and asked me to turn around several times.

Then he said "Evelyn is an Igorot - a Cordilleran" and somebody said "where is the tail?" I turned red and my body was hot of embarrassment. Our speaker explained that the tail that they are referring to is just a part of the Native dress of the Cordillerans that swings back and forth when they walk or dance. It is not really a tail as you must be imagining he said. All of them looked at me and said "wala naman siya kaiba sa atin" I felt like a guinea pig but I endured it if only to help them have better understanding of who the Cordillerans are. It hurt but it was worth it.

In another occasion, when laptops were very new, a colleague of mine in the department told me he did not know that people from the mountains know how to use computers and laptops. I said "sir, like you, we are a civilized people and we are educated too at the best universities of the north of the Philippines. What they have taught you we also learned it. We may be living in the high mountains but we have impeccable manners and respect for humans. He looked at me and said "yes, you are such a nice lady" and smiled at me and patted me on the back and stood up and went to talk to someone. From that day on, he looks at me with a smile every time we meet.

That gentleman is still with my Department and is now holding a high position and we are still friends to this day.

To you sir! please text me when you come up to Baguio and I will show you more beautiful Cordillerans and you will see what I have been talking to you about years ago. It's just unfortunate that every time you come I am not around.

Let us be proud to be a Cordilleran. If you are living in the Cordilleras you are a Cordilleran regardless of your ethnic origin.

Saturday Respite.....

 It is a beautiful and cold Saturday and yet I feel down for reasons I cannot put a finger on. I just feel weary and sad for some unknown reasons. Am I weired? crazy? I often get this feeling more often now than then.... and I am wondering what is causing it.

There are times I feel I have reached the peak of my usefulness as a person, a worker and a friend and have no more to share. I keep thinking, is this probably due to aging? or  I really do not have anything to share or is it self pity? Whatever it is, I hope it will not be there for long.

Have you had the feeling that you want to just go with the wind and soar high in the sky? Freedom is it? You want to do a lot of things but you cannot for some reasons? I do not know but I am in that stage now. Anyone who can explain that to me?

I want the my world to be different from what it is now but there are a lot of hindrances and obstacles that I need to hurdle. How I wish I can do away with all the limitations and restrictions so that I can enjoy the world for what it is.

It Could Happen To You

Once again, a sleepless night…  I was walking down Session Road on a cold December evening. I came from a coffee with a long-time friend in a well-known café in the City. I must be dreaming and oblivious of the people around me. Suddenly, I felt pain on my right shoulder and a high-pitched voice saying “Tanga kitam ti dalan mo” I was jolted back to reality and realized I bumped into a lady dressed like she was going to a party. I said “Sorry” and she said “sorry, sorry nu dika met gaga”.  I said “sorry” again and turned my back ready to ignore the incident and continue down the road while she stood there mumbling. 

Then I noticed that she was on the wrong lane. When walking regardless where, always take the right side.  I turned to face her again and said “Magandang Ginang you were on the wrong side you should have been on the right side going up but you were on the left”.  Now “sino ang tanga at gaga sa atin?”  and left.  I will never forget that face… it was contorted with anger and bitterness. 

One day, I was at my office engrossed on editing a document that needed to be submitted that day when I heard a voice say “Good morning ma’am”. I looked up and I saw the very face I had the misfortune of meeting a year earlier. She too was stunned as color suffused her face and she stood rooted just at the entry to my office. 

I stood up and waited for her to collect her wits without saying anything. I felt more than saw how much she wanted to be in any other place but my office.  I knew she wanted to run away from me but her helplessness prevented her from leaving. 

I said “anything I can do for you?” She came forward slowly and told me her name. I stared at her as she apologized for what happened that day. She told me she was having a heavy problem then and started to tell me about it but I cut her and said. She did not have to tell me. I told her I forgot all about the incident until I saw her again.  

She kept apologizing and I told her to forget it. It has been a long time and I know that several  times over the past year she must have thought of that incident and that is enough chastisement.  She thanked me and started to tell me the reason she came to see me.

To make the story short, I extended assistance and went a mile more. I thought this may humble her and hopefully teach her lessons.  Mine is – DO NOT WALK DOWN SESSION ROAD TAKE A CAB.. hehehe.

Lesson? KARMA