Philippines

Passport Renewal at DFA

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

So here’s the thing:  in order to properly carry out my communing with nature, exploring the world mantra for 2013, I have to renew my passport.  My passport has been expired for quite some time, and because we never really made plans to travel I never really saw the need to renew it.

Until now.

So I set up my appointment to this morning at 7:30 in the morning through their online appointment system.  It took me a while to find an open schedule.  I think DFA only opens the slots for the next ten days.  Anyway, I got that schedule and I had my youngest brother tag along with me.  This is his first application.

We woke up late and oh my god did we rush.  You have to be at the DFA at least 30 minutes before your appointment time.  They have a list of required documents here.  Tip 1:  Do not forget to photocopy every single one of the required documents.  There’s xerox service near the entrance but it charges P3.00 for every copy.  That’s too much.

For the fun of it, I decided to time the entire process.  Note however that I did not factor in the verification portion.  So the time starts from after they checked out the application form’s completeness.

They started calling out the people from the 7:30am appointment about 12 minutes ago.  It was weird because they have these huge lounge seats and they keep saying, “Upong jeep lang, hindi eroplano.”  It’s so weird that people are so crass in this place, given that there are “Service with a smile” posters everywhere.

The lady behind the counter quickly breezed over my old passport and counter-checked the input data from the application form.  Tip 2:  If your old passport still has that plastic cover, ditch it.  They take it out and throw it back to you… as politely as they can.  They’ll punch holes in them and that’s that.  Then you’ll go up to the cashier to pay.

What’s sad though is the male employees are just ushering everyone in a yelling manner.  Like people can’t understand them if they didn’t have that harried tone.  It was a lot of unnecessary negative energy early in the morning.

Tip 3:  Bring the exact amount you intend to pay — regular processing is P950, expedited is P1,200.  They do not accept any other form of payment but cash.  Actually, that part is the saddest for me.  I think I’m 43rd in line but when I got to the cashier, her register is already brimming with bills.

I honestly believe it’s time for the government to accept cards.  Debit, prepaid or credit, they should open more channels and alternatives for the public to pay.  And I’m not just saying this because our department’s mandate is to activate electronic payment in government.  I’m saying this because of the actual convenience.  When it was my turn, the cashier got the receipt, got my cash, counted my cash, confirmed receipt of cash, reprinted the receipt, arranged the cash, and gave back my copy of the receipt.  If they had accepted cards, that could’ve easily been tap and go, or swipe and go.  Easy peasy right?

I got the next number, encoding and enrollment.  It was a good wait, not really much of a hassle.  The space was well ventilated and even though the pews were a little intimately arranged, the cue was fast.  The personnel obviously had gotten this down to a routine.  They work fast.

Tip 5:  Do not wear contact lenses, colored or not.  According to my encoder, some lenses — even though they’re clear ones — reflect back a hint of light.  Should this occur, I would have to come back and have my picture taken again.  Remove all earrings, wear minimal makeup, make sure your bangs are off your eyebrows and smile with no teeth.  Hahaha.  I honestly believe I looked like a Ma Mon Luk siopao in my passport photo, but the encoder did her job fast, efficiently and was even able to sustain a good amount of small talk.

Before I knew it, I was done with the data capture.  I went over to the 2Go booth outside of the long queues to have my passport delivered to the office.


I finished right on the dot, one hour.  It was pretty quick.  This is definitely something you can do for your lunch hour.  I don’t know though if it’s because I took the early appointment or if this is really how they operate.  If not, please do let me know.

Plus sides:The area was well ventilated.  You won’t break a sweat, hence higher probability of taking a good passport photo.
The steps are clearly outlined.  Actually, they don’t need the ushers.  They’re the only ones making the noises and the somewhat rude callouts.
The staff works fast and efficiently.  I wish though that they made more eye contact or broke a smile every now and then.  The only smile I got was from the encoder and the 2Go guy.

Down sides:
I really hate those ushers.
I really wish they smiled a lot as they say in the posters.  I wanted to point out that the smile can break the monotony of their doings.  Eh.
Cash only payment.  Good luck to the cashier at the end of the day.  I can only imagine the horror of bundling money, stacking coins, separating mutilated and fit bills, and worse dealing with shortages.

So there you have it.  My day at the DFA Consular Affairs Office in Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City (or is it Paranaque?).  Their performance is quite well, so I hope this encourages you to interact with your government offices more.  Hopefully, most offices are this efficient.

Now… how do I suggest online payment to these guys?  Hmmmm…

Supporting the RH Bill

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

I very rarely post something personal or heartwarming or gag inducing in this blog because I want this to be a constant channel for all things simple and nice and pretty.

But upon reading Beth Angsioco’s article at Manila Standard, I can’t help feeling injustice and anger.

I am 26 years old. Most of you will say that is a fairly young age and I will most likely fight my inner sociopath and agree with you. But at age 26, I am now a grandmother. Kill me.

My 15-year-old niece gave birth just recently to a bouncing baby boy. As much as I appreciate and value the blessing that is life, I cannot find in me the joy that often sets in when a baby is brought in this world.

I feel angry. I feel my niece was deprived of so many things. 2012 is supposed to be her first year in college, but instead she will be massaging her nipples and making sure her breastmilk is in constant supply. Instead of signing up for orgs and classes and meeting inspiring professors and lecturers, she will be changing diapers and tuning in to elders how to properly burp a baby. Instead of sleepless nights brought about by cramming for book reports and term papers, it’ll be because he can’t find the sweet spot in his crib or he’s hungry or he can’t sleep and she has to cradle him till the wee hours of the morning.

Please don’t get me wrong; I am not demeaning the process and life of being a mother. I know nothing can match the joy of having your baby smile at you for the first time. Or that intoxicating baby smell atop their heads. Or that cute fart that sounds more like a dysfunctional whopee cushion. Or those little fingers holding your thumb. I have witnessed the joys of being a mother.

It’s just that, at 15, it’s not really the life I imagined for her.

And she’s not a unique case. When Dylan worked for a secondary government hospital a few years ago, I can barely keep up with the number of times he said a 14-year-old gave birth today. It didn’t break my heart then, only slightly sad, but now that my family is one of those cases, I am just torn.

My niece is a smart girl. She has constantly performed well in school. Whenever we get together, her parents are boastful of her accomplishments. They reward her well, they developed a business to better sustain them, they’re a closely knit working family unit. So when they announced that she got pregnant, I knew that there are conversations that remain taboo even in the most progressive Filipino households.

If only they talked to her about sex and self-preservation. If only the school is more open and less mocking of reproductive health. If only we as a family looked out for each other better. If only topics on sexuality and sensuality are not viewed with malice. Maybe — just maybe — by this time, I could have been helping her choose between Sylia Plath and Jane Austen.

I am excited to meet my grandson. He looks like his uncle, age 5. I’m sure he’s going to be amazing and smart and funny, just like his mother. I also know that the entire family will raise this child. And they will love him more than themselves.

And I will badger my niece to go back to school and kick ass.

To all RH Bill advocates and sponsors, please please please do not ever waver, do not get tired! Health information and education is not just a necessity; it is a RIGHT. Please keep fighting for our rights. I promise you I have your back. I will fight for you in turn.

Pass the RH Bill NOW. We don’t need another batch of 15-year-old mothers. PASS THE RH BILL NOW.

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Fare thee well

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

My dear readers, I believe my own personal form of tragedy struck last Saturday.

A classmate from grad school turned out to be one of those few people who fancy basically the same literary options as I do.  He kept mentioning this book that I just must read.  He insisted so much that he was willing to part with his copy temporarily.

I decided to end my curiosity last Saturday when I headed over to National Bookstore Mall of Asia on my way home to Las Piñas.  I walked in, two-strapping my backpack, my phone and wallet in one hand, a bag of cotton buds for my mother in the other.

I walked to Customer Service and had them look for that book.  Tea Obreht’s The Tiger’s Wife.  Personnel immediately radioed another staffer to look for a copy around the store.  In an effort to not look like a prick, I wandered around fiction and literary winners section for another book to add to my list.

I think I need to reread Jane Austen’s something.  Oooh, George Orwell.  I don’t get the buzz for Jessica Zafra.  IT’S MY FAVORITE BOOK!  Yay for Arlene Chai!  I wonder if they have Fight Club here…

Random thoughts kept spilling in and out of my head, and I didn’t notice the time.  The service personnel gave me The Tiger’s Wife and as I grabbed a copy of Persuasion, I noticed I only had my phone in my hand.  No wallet.

The next 40 minutes consisted of me peering over CCTV footage, filing complaints in Uniqlo, Forever21, Zara and National Bookstore, but as time droned by I had to accept the inevitable:  my wallet is never coming back to me.

I had to return the books I had in my hand.  It was the last copy of The Tiger’s Wife.  My father was waiting for me outside; at least I didn’t have to worry about my ride home.  And I was drowning in an overwhelming sense of calmness.

That sense has finally subsided when I woke up to get to work this morning.

Farewell, my safari printed Liz Claiborne wallet.  I know I’ve constantly complained about replacing you, but really you were precious.  You housed my photos, government IDs and cash and credit cards.  You housed my identity.  Never did I think that I’d lose you in a sea of books.  But then, that’s really the best way to lose any material possession.  However far away, I know for a fact that you will always be with me.

Because no bitch or whore would ever dare to steal my name.  If they know what’s good for them.

I miss you already. </3

A crudely disguised gag order

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

Yeah, you read that right.  That’s how I see the Cyber Crime Law.

Last September 12, the President of the Republic of the Philippines signed into law Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act.  Now don’t get me wrong; the Philippines is in obvious need of this law to prevent child pornography, theft and all other what nots and shenanigans one can easily run over the vast virtual free space of the Web.  But what I didn’t really see coming — actually, I think no one saw this coming, even though a senator whined about it some unforgettable moment before — is this:  the provision for cyberlibel.

Yep, you read that right.  The nation who was brought to fame and infamy because of a peaceful, non-violent revolution led by the mother of the incumbent president has a provision for cyberlibel.  It still exists even though the UN has constantly frowned upon the existence of libel clauses in the Penal Code.  And the punishment for cyberlibel is far harsher than libel of traditional media.

Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III said it best.  And here’s the gist of what he said:

 

For the entire piece, click here.

And my opinion comes right about…. now.

I like the Internet.  I like the world wide web.  Since 2004, it has given me ample space to air out my frustrations, goals and unsolicited criticisms.  It is so inviting.  It does not discriminate.  Anyone can take a piece, plop down and call it their space.  I’ve hopped from tBlog to LiveJournal to WordPress with ease and comfort.  This is my living room.

To tell me I can’t put my feet up when I’m in my own living room is just complete utter bull.

If his mother was still alive now, he should expect a disapproving tone to come from her.  This virtual space may have brought out the most scheming and alluring of criminals, but it has also brought out inquisitive and critical minds.  With anonymity, opinions are freely aired and remain as such:  just opinions.  This virtual space allows every individual to find a comfortable outlet to vent, to speak up.

There’s a reason why celebrities, government officials and other personalities eventually planted their ground on the Web:  because they reach people there.  They get to talk to them, find their fans and their critics, see the things they don’t (or not get to) see, peel their eyes to the realities that their eyes cannot seem to cover.  The people — though mostly loud, incoherent and at times offensive — give their thoughts and views on issues FOR FREE.  You don’t even have to pay a survey facility to conduct a quick census, a free online poll  latched to a frequently visited blogger can easily solve that.

So I don’t get it.  Why silence the tens of millions who have created their space?  This is their living room.  Not yours.  And just because they called your interior decor crappy and overdone doesn’t mean they don’t merit to have a living room of their own.

<vent over>

At present, editorials, activists, and lawyers continually question this law and how its supposed to be implemented.  A senator recently admitted to not having seen the provision for cyberlibel and just agreed to the law in general.  Now they’re saying they’re revising the law since the implementing rules and regulations will not sufficiently qualify the depth of the said provision.

You see, ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when you railroad the process to favor your own intentions.  It backfires.  Splatters.  Like shit hitting the fan.  Like crimson mist.

Get it done.  Get it right.  Set it straight.  You owe the people that much.

To know more about the Cybercrime Prevention Law, read the full text here.

Criticisms

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

I have not written for quite some time but now that I have found the energy, here’s something that I’ve been thinking for quite a while now.

The Senator and his people

Photo from Filipino Freethinkers

With the much awaited passing of the RH Bill in the Senate, Sen. Tito Sotto, a staunch anti-RH Bill advocate, delivered his turno en contra speeches the past weeks.  It generated much buzz mainly because of the facts stated.  Some question the truth behind them – Sotto claimed wife Helen Gamboa used the pill Diane and cause the death of their son – but most questioned the sources of the esteemed senator.

We’ve all read the stories.  In fact, Filipino Freethinkers took the liberty to document the events that transpired in the past few weeks.  It has been indeed a roller coaster month for the RH Bill, but the worse can be said of the Senator’s position.

It has become a big deal because it’s plagiarism.  It was direct, simple, plain and crystal clear; the speech contained huge portions of someone else’s work and was delivered without any acknowledgment of the source.  When a crass apology is given out by people apparently assuming to be in the position to issue one and arrogance shines through, it fails to meet its purpose.  Apologies are given out with humility and utmost sincerity, not an out-loud rhetoric of whom to crucify for the error.

Netizens have clamored all over virtual space not because of a bandwagon mentality.  As people who write and live virtual lives, it is important for us to verify and be clear about everything.  It is a public pool of information indeed, but it doesn’t equate to public belonging.  Ownership – of words, images, opinions, sounds – still applies in this side of the sphere, and we do our best to give credit where it is due.  Evidently, with Sotto’s refusal to issue an apology, the Senator exudes the impression that he is above common courtesy.

I wish he just took the example of Manny Pangilinan, whose commencement speech was discovered to be plagiarized as well.  Humbled, he admitted his mistakes as his own (even if he has his staff to blame for sloppy researching), stepped down the board and showed everyone how sincerity should be expressed.

Take a knee, Mr. Senator.  You’re no better than anyone else; you err just as much as we do.  The only difference is everyone else has owned up to it, but you.

 

Day 1,000 of the greatest political killing in Philippine history

Photo from ifex.org

I wonder if people still remember that August 19, 2012 marks the 1000th day since the massacre that shocked the nation.  58 bodies, 32 of which are members of the media, marked what was dubbed as the greatest political killing in Philippine history.  And it wasn’t even Martial Law.

To say that greed will imprison us all is an understatement, as justice has yet to be served to the families of the victims.  Zaldy Ampatuan hasn’t even been tried and already numerous witnesses have been slain and literally chopped to pieces.

Do you remember that day?  Do you remember how the press united for this cause?  The death of so many people removed all identities in the press.  There was no Kapamilya, no Kapuso.  Everyone was just in mourning and thirsty for justice.  It seems to be taking its time to get there though.

I feel bad for having forgotten about Jonas Burgos.  Upon catching up with the news on the Ampatuan massacre, I just told myself I will do what I can to not forget.

My former college professor is one of the prosecutors on this case.  I should really touch bases with her.

58 bodies.  Ampatuan not arraigned.  Witnesses slain.  Do not forget about them.  Do not let them disappear from your sights.

http://www.interaksyon.com/1000-days-without-justice

 

RIP Jesse Robredo

Photo from Inquirer.net

It was like Magsaysay’s plane crashed by the side of the mountains again as we lost another honest man to fate.  DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo passed away when his plane en route to an emergency landing in Masbate crashed in sea.  It took some time but his body was retrieved Monday, August 20, 180 ft. under water.  The two pilots are yet to be recovered (as of writing), and already the nation is in mourning.

I will not pretend to be well versed about this man, but from what I’ve heard in the past, he is one of the few good ones.  Words that had come up when describing him were simple and humble.  I feel quite unfortunate to have not witnessed his miracles while in office.

My heart joins the nation in mourning for him, but mostly, it mourns for the loss of the likes of Jesse Robredo, when already we have so few.

http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/10926-jesse-robredo,-a-man-for-others

 

August tears

Rolex Dela Pena/European Pressphoto Agency

Although the month of August promises a good back-to-back of long weekends, it has also given what seem to be the worst rains of the year.  The monsoon exceeded Ondoy levels, and Igme left the northern tip of the country somber.

But, like Ondoy, it has brought out the spirit of the Filipino.  It has even caught the attention of the New York Times blog.  I felt pretty good about that.

However, after a good mulling over, you kind of want to ask yourself:  does a tragedy have to happen before we rally together?  A friend commented that the Filipino race could use a do over.  I can’t really disagree; we have failed each other more times than we have impressed each other.  I just hope we won’t need a deluge to bond.  Or a good government official’s death.  Or a massacre.

I hope the Filipino race can rise without the need for a tragedy to rise from.  The current state of the nation is enough tragedy in itself.  Death and loss need not be such a big factor to be a motivated people.

 

That’s all.