Showing posts with label government office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government office. Show all posts

The Boys in (Sky) Blue...

Posted On 3:32 PM by nerdluck | 0 points of view

It started raining again and I just remembered something that I wanted to blog about when I was too busy to even read some of my favorite blogs. It was about a month ago when typhoons Dodong and Chedeng wreaked havoc on our city streets. Because I was living just a couple of city blocks away, I got to the office just before my walking route became submerged and rendered impassasble for small vehicles and foot traffic (unless you don't mind some weird skin allergies). I had to stay at the office until after 7PM to let the flood water subside so I can safely walk back home (without said allergies). I was cursing at the ever reliable (sarcasm alert in case it wasn't obvious) people at our government offices and their efficient response to emergency situations. I mean "Haven't we seen enough of these flash floods every year for us to be so ill prepared? It's already August for f***'s sake. We should have been ready since June." (pardon the swearing if you are reading this via feed, I forgot kids might be reading this... edited for propriety)

Anyway, as I was crossing Buendia Ave., I saw the man I should be screaming my filth on, the MMDA Chairman himself, Bayani Fernando with his trousers soaked in flood water, instructing his boys on what appears to be an excavation work to remedy the watery situation. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera on me to take a snap shot of the scene so I went back the next day to see how they were doing. I could have snapped more if they didn't start coming towards me and asked me where those photos are going to end up on. I could just grin idiotically and say that its purpose was personal. A month since and still no flood water on my intersection. I guess it is better late than never for these guys. Thanks Mr. BF for doing your job right. I'm sorry for the obscenities I uttered in solitude. At least you didn't have to paint my turf pink.
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At wits end

Posted On 6:08 PM by nerdluck | 8 points of view


"Just when I thought things can't get any worse..." I found myself repeating this phrase innumerable times that day when the above photo was taken. That was the day I was supposed to take my drivers license card from our very customer friendly people of LTO Pasay.

The day started like any other day except that I had this nagging feeling that this is not a good day for me. A week before, I applied for a drivers license but I wasn't able to get the plastic card because their computers we're offline and couldn't process my records. This is the day I came back for my card. I went to the records window and gave the lady the receipt of last weeks application and asked me to wait by window 2... It was either that or she asked me to wait 2 hours... 'coz that is about the time I waited by that window before I asked the lady why all the other people I came in with 2 hours ago had already had their photo taken for their card. I found out my form was missing...What the Hell!? You can imagine my frustration. It was already after lunch break that they found out that my papers weren't missing but were in fact found at the hands of an evaluator who neglected to inform anybody that there was a problem with my application. The LTO database showed another license application of mine from 1999 that expired in 2002. I had to go to the main office in Quezon City to pay the penalties and come back to Pasay to reconcile my records.They could have told me this before they went on lunch break. Off to QC I go... This is where the photo up there comes in. The cab I was riding turned right from Timog Avenue to EDSA when 2 buses (seemingly) racing against each other slammed on both side of the cab pushing us about 10 meters. I couldn't get off from either doors so I had to climb out of the car from the driver side door. IM IN A HURRY FOR PETE'S SAKE!!! I didn't even think that I could have died in that cab if I had my head against the window. I had to walk the rest of the way to the LTO main building and guess what... It began to rain. I love rain, but at a time like this... uhhhggg... I was ready to go ballistic that I sneered at the fixer who offered to "help" me transact faster and avoid all the bureaucracy inside. It took me another 2 hours inside the Licensing office before I got my turn at the licensing officer... I am literally at wits end. It was too late for me to go back to Pasay so I elected to go home. There was no cab in sight and since it is raining, I took the bus going to Makati... I felt miserable as I shivered in the air conditioned bus for the whole trip home. In 2 weeks I'll be going to the Pasay office again to put this exercise in stupidity to rest... If anything like this happen again... I'm going to give up driving for good.
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Better luck next time

Posted On 9:25 AM by nerdluck | 2 points of view

In preparation for the synchronized Baranggay (Town) and Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) Elections in October, COMELEC, opened a special registration from July 15-22. Why does that have anything to do with me? Well... I have just realized that I have a civic duty on this city that has been home to me for the past four years. The last election I participated in was the 1998 presidential election. We all know how that turned out and I lost interest in the electoral system.

So there I was, somewhat excited about officially being a citizen of Makati City by being a registered voter. I went to the COMELEC office in Makati but what I saw made my heart sink (refer to photo.) What you are seeing in the photo is not even half of the number of the people there since the COMELEC office IS ON THE SECOND FLOOR and there is more on the other side of the building. One particular middle aged guy was telling us that some of the people was already there as early as 5AM, apparently, the COMELEC is only going to accommodate 200 of the lot. Cutting the long story short... I got up and went off to blog about it. It could have been a lot easier (and faster) if they set the registration at each baranggay. Then they wouldn't need the whole week. Citizenship will have to wait 'till after the October election when regular registration resumes. My fault, really. I should have registered last year.
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