Tips on Filing a Barangay Clearance

In order to meet the requirements for certain government issued certifications such as a Postal I.D. and the Bureau of Immigration Annual Report (the mandatory yearly registration by foreigners with the BI), one necessary document to have is a barangay clearance showing proof of residence. The barangay BTW is the most basic and local unit in the Philippine governmental structure.  Its functions which also include some public works and safety are directed from the barangay hall, which is located in and operates at the community level. So there is likely such an office near you.

To receive a barangay clearance, you need to have lived at your current address for at least six months and must present the following documents and remittance at the  hall:

-A letter of residence address verification. If you live in a condominium, for example, you can obtain this letter from your building administration office. For other types of dwelling arrangements such as house rentals, contact the barangay hall for instructions.

-A cedulua (head tax) receipt, the fee for which is P55. You can pay this assessment at the barangay hall before  or while filing your clearance.  Sometimes this service is available in non-government sites like shopping malls.

-A photocopy of your passport photo / I.D. information page.

-A photocopy of your Bureau of Immigration I-Card (front and back). It's also advisable to bring the card itself with you in  the event that the clerk isn't satisfied with the clarity of the photocopy. 

-P65 for the processing fee per individual. So of course it would be P130 if your spouse is also filing at the same   time, as was the case for  my wife and me.   

As with most government offices, the best time to conduct your business at the barangay hall is immediately after the doors open to the public, usually 8am. If you submit your request at that time, the clearance may be ready the same day. The barangay hall performs numerous other services for the public and lines form very quickly. So if you snooze, you lose.

Maybe it's because the barangay hall is a neighborhood oriented office that, at least in my experience, the staff has been very helpful especially towards seniors. I hope that getting your clearance goes as smoothly for you as ours did for us.

We Get By with a Little Help from Our Friends

As an American expat, I'm pretty much resigned to spending the rest of my life here in the Philippines.  In fact it's unlikely that I'll even be in a position or have the desire to visit the U.S. for quite some time to come, if ever. Yet, I've always felt that it's really too bad that my wife Lydia and I had to leave the States in the first place. However, based on our income as senior citizens, there's no way that we could have afforded to retire there as opposed to being able to enjoy a modest but comfortable lifestyle in this country for the same amount of
money.

So when we think back on our lives in America (Southern California to be exact where we married and and spent 35 years of our lives together) it's with decidedly mixed emotions. Like most couples, we've experienced both good and hard times. But what makes it easy to for us to reminisce about the former are, of all things, the home furnishings that we brought with us to the Philippines, some of which we've had for many years and that have (for us anyway) enjoyable stories behind the way and places that we acquired them. Further, Lydia has arranged them so artistically that they more than compensate for our having to downsize to a small condo here vs. our roomy former apartment in California. 

But what makes our unit especially attractive this time of the year and fires up our recollections of days of old are the holiday decorations that Lydia bought years ago and insisted on taking with us and which she arranges in a beautiful display each December. Some of these items were very expensive and others Lydia made herself out of cardboard, wood,and plastic remnants but which look as intricate as the pricey ones that she purchased back in the 1970's at such places as Bullocks Wilshire, one of Los Angeles' erstwhile premier department stores. 

So if you're planning to move abroad, along with packing the necessities, don't hesitate to also include some of your treasured belongings even if they're nonessential items but ones that you consider to be part of your history. These possessions are of course no substitute for a personal willingness and ability to adjust to new surroundings and culture, and shipping them may entail additional freight costs. But the familiarity and fond memories that they provide can give emotional comfort and a sense of continuity during and after you settle in your new environment that will be well worth it.

Fil-Ams: Not Your Typical Ethnic Voters

While most of the world cheered the re-election of President Obama, many (most) Filipinos  in the Philippines and especially those living in the U.S. (Fil-Ams) did not share this sentiment and preferred Romney instead.  Here's the breakdown of the Fil-Am vote: 38% for Romney, 32% for Obama, and 28% undecided.

One explanation for Filipinos identification with the Republican Party (27% GOP supporters vs. 24% Democrats)   is colonial mentality, including an interpretation or a perception of what they consider to be the true  patriotic American mindset which as it turns out is actually the  extremist "old white male" mentality.  An  example of an individual who fits this profile is Marisha Agana, a Republican Tea Party candidate for Congress from Ohio who odiously compared Obama to Hitler.   Fortunately, she was defeated.

Paradoxically, however, most of the other Fil-Ams running for political office were Democrats and and did fairly well.  The percentage of  Filipino Americans residing in the candidates' respective locales varied. So this factor didn't seem to play a part in whether they lost or won.

Another reason—and likely that of  Agana—for Filipinos voters' rejection of Obama is their racism against African-Americans. This is likely a legacy  from the American colonial period in the Philippines when the American civilian and military administrators and soldiers were white and conveyed a sense of superiority (as did their Spanish predecessors) towards their "little brown brothers" along with (especially  from the numerous troops from the segregated American South) a hatred of blacks. So in a kind of a  pecking order, Filipinos wound up seeing themselves as inferior to Caucasians but superior towards Blacks and for that matter towards  darker skin co-Filipinos as well .  

Indeed, President Obama's first administration was in many ways a disappointment, and there's no guarantee that he will deliver on his campaign promises for the new term. But Fil-Ams have no less a stake in the socioeconomic progress of the U.S. than other Americans. And it makes no sense for them or anyone else to hitch their wagons to the Republican party whose reckless economic policies not only brought on the Great Recession, but whose "old white male" / right wing politics of exclusion and closed-mindedness are at the end of the day nothing but a travesty of the American way after all.

Customer Service: A Study in Contrasts

My last post, "Indifferent Strokes from Business Folks",dealt with the poor customer service that I received from Sky Cable and how difficult it can be to get for many (most?) companies in the Philippines to take customer complaints seriously.

But that is not always the case. 

On  Oct.10 I purchased a take out order consisting of a pork liempo and pork barbecue stick meal at Reyes Barbecue which is a local chain that specializes in grilled native dishes.   Each item came with a packet of atsara (papaya relish). It turns out that the contents of both packets were spoiled. I returned to the store to notify the manager, but there was none on duty. So I told a line employee instead about the matter and emphasized that their entire supply of this product is likely inedible,

I wasn't  asking for my money back as the item in question was just a small part of the purchase. Yet I felt that the restaurant should be made aware of this quality control problem. My thinking was this time it was just a bad batch of atsara, which was easily identifiable even without opening the packet. But next time a customer might unknowingly wind up with an order that has a much more serious food safety problem, such as bad meat.

For good measure I went to the Reyes website and filed a narrative of my issue  in the "Contact Us" option.  However, I didn't really expect anything to come of it, which has been my experience in filing complaints or making inquiries with other businesses this way.  Imagine my surprise when just a few hours later I received a reply from the manager/owner of the franchise where I had made the purchase.  She apologized profusely for the incident which she acknowledged was inexcusable and said that the employee whom I originally discussed the matter had indeed brought it to her attention, but she didn't know how to reach me as I didn't leave any contact information at the restaurant. She even offered  to furnish  a new order of the above items on the house.   I took her up on it, and this time everything in the order was fine, including the atsara which was fresh and crispy.  

In short, a strong indication of a company's integrity and reliability is not just the service that it provides for customers in the regular course of day to day business but moreover how they respond when they've made a mistake. The respective attitudes of  Sky Cable and Reyes Barbecue in this type of situation are as different as night and day as is their worthiness of patronage by the public..

Indifferent Strokes from Business Folks

Here is a narrative about bad customer service. It reflects the attitude of many companies in the Philippines which have made  an art of inefficiency.

Our  cable TV and Internet provider Global Destiny was recently taken over by another company, Sky Cable Corp. It would be too much for subscribers to expect a seamless transition in such a changeover, and sure enough, Sky failed to record some of our subscription payments in the course of the records transfer between the two companies and sent us a past due notice in early September  threatening disconnection of service even though our accounts were in fact paid current.

In response to this warning, I immediately phoned Sky.  They claimed that Global Destiny is still responsible for billing and referred  me to the Global Destiny customer service number which turned out to be unreachable.  I called Sky back but they still refused to assist. I pointed out that they now own our accounts and even changed the account numbers to accommodate their system, and most tellingly "Sky Cable" not "Global Destiny" is the name of the payee on their bill.  Finally the representative  appeared to relent and said they would look into the matter and call me back the next day. Of course, she didn't. Such is the state of customer service in the Philippines. Employees will tell you what you want to hear. This type of stroking is rooted in the local culture. But meanwhile, these reassurances sound so convincing that you really believe your grievance is about to be rectified.

So a few weeks ago I reported our problem to the regulatory agency  that oversees cable businesses, the Department of Telecommunications, and received an email acknowledgment that it had been received. While that's pending, a few days ago I asked the administrator's office of our condominium building  whether they had heard of any new information as we are not alone in our complaint. There were no new developments, but they gave me a contact person at Sky to whom I texted a brief  explanation of our problem. She promised to call back on Oct. 3 but that didn't happen. 

This morning I finally received a corrected bill for each account.This afternoon I also received a text from the contact person at Sky requesting that I refer my complaint to her supervisor. I understand if the rep felt that my situation was beyond the limits of her job responsibilities , but as a matter of business courtesy, the supervisor should be the one to initiate the contact.

Obviously, I'm glad that the situation has apparently been resolved, but if I hadn't persisted in getting it it fixed and wasted hours of my time in doing so, rather than looking at an accurate statement, I might now be looking at a "cable-less" blue screen on my TV and at a "cannot connect" message on my computer for my Internet service.

The moral of the story is that if ever you have a service issue like this one, don't assume that it will be resolved with one call to or interface with a representative. If the complaint isn't properly addressed on the second contact, get a supervisor or manager involved and follow up regularly. Escalate the matter and file a complaint with the appropriate regulatory agency if necessary.  These steps won't guarantee success in getting issues settled in your favor, but failure to stay on top of them will almost ensure a disappointing outcome.

When "The Demands of the Business" Go Too Far

In The Philippines BPO (business processing outsourcing) operations for companies based in other countries, especially the U.S are an important sector of the economy. These companies transfer divisions such as call centers here in order to cut expenses, especially labor.  But there is a disadvantage of such relocations to this part of the world: This region is subject to severe  weather conditions, namely severe storms including typhoons at least nine months out of the year. The Philippines sits along the geographical ring of fire.  So there's also always the risk of earthquakes and volcanoes. The country also has a weak infrastructure that has difficulty handling the demands of 21st Century commerce. Thus, it's incumbent on companies who decide to relocate partly or fully here to do their homework so they'll know what they're getting into.    

The heavy rains and resultant flooding that Metro Manila experienced from a storm in August resulted not just in the loss lives and of heavy property damage.  Conditions were so bad that President Aquino called for (what turned out to be a two day) emergency suspension of work at most private business including BPO's and non-essential government offices.  Personally, I think that all things considered, this edict was a humane and practical decision. Yet according to "Philippine Daily Inquirer"columnist  Paolo Monticello, Aquino made a bad call because for one thing it overrode the BPO industry's own (unspecified) plans to deal with the situation.  Further, he says it reflects poorly on the country's ability to respond to such events. Businesses that send their work to the Philippines demand continuity in services, natural disasters not withstanding. They expect results, come hell or high water (literally).

Monticello gives the example of how well and quickly Japan's business sector took the Fukishima disaster in stride, and I likewise admire that country's intrepid response to that devastating calamity (See my post "Why Don't They Get It?").  But he doesn't address the consequences of what might have happened if the earthquake and tsunami had struck Tokyo instead, just as the Philippine economy would be in serious peril if a similar event were to strike Metro-Manila, the business center of the nation rather than some provincial city.

In his article Monticello gives a token nod to the need for worker safety during floods but doesn't offer solutions to the transportation disruption under these conditions.  How are employees supposed to get to their jobs?  Swim? And what about their own personal disaster-related hardships and emergencies at home?  As it turns out, a contributing factor to the flood in Metro-Manila was the city's aging pumping system. How can stranded BPO employees be held accountable for that?   Yet, as it is, some companies that do stay open nevertheless penalize their staff for not showing up

Moreover, call centers are usually not vital services on which the public depends for their very lives. If a BPO is closed because of severe weather conditions or other natural disasters, this is ordinarily at most an inconvenience to customers and not worth risking the lives of the staff.  I say this from the decades-long perspective  both as a  former call center agent in the U.S. who was occasionally prevented from reporting to work by such events as natural and civil disturbances.  On the other hand as a consumer I have also had to cope with business service disruptions from the same causes. But I recognize that sometimes  emergencies happen beyond anyone's control. That's part of life, and we just have to learn to accept it.

Monticello refers to uninterrupted BPO service in the face of natural disaster  as "keeping the lights on". He stresses that the Philippines can only compete with other countries for these businesses by supporting such goals. And that's all well and good to a point. But let's face it under disastrous circumstances, most  employers here can't guarantee transportation, safe working conditions, and at least partly paid time off for workers to deal with their own losses.  If Monticello doesn't recognize this fact, then when it comes to understanding the limits of  human physical and emotional endurance, he and like-minded business analysts are really in the dark.

Water Log

As bad as the storm was that just passed through Luzon , it's likely that sometime in the future, there will be an even worse period of prolonged and intense rain. And that doesn't even include  typhoons. So the question is whether or not the civil authorities learn anything from such disasters in order to be better prepared for the next one.

In 2009 Metro-Manila was similarly flooded by another disastrous storm,named "Ondoy" . One  difference between that calamity and this week's monsoon was that the former dumped a huge amount of water in an approximately six hour period, whereas this week's storm was spread out over two days. But the effect was the same in both instances: flooding, deaths, and property damage.  The local weather bureau, PAGASA   was caught flatfooted by Ondoy, and as result so was the local and national government.  However, this time,  PAGASA monitored the situation more closely, and civil authorities seemed to react more quickly and did a better job in deploying first responders. In turn this undoubtedly reduced the number of drownings that would otherwise have occurred. Also there seemed to be more emergency shelters available for those who were stranded or left homeless.

My neighborhood, Eastwood City, was relatively unscathed.  But had it not been for a seawall that was built immediately after Ondoy, this area would also likely have been flooded,which is what happened in 2009.  This week,just like that time, the nearby Marikina River overflowed from the frequent rains which had fallen continually over the past several days and for which the deluge on Tuesday and Wednesday was the last straw. Looking over the seawall, I observed that the community across the river--which lacks a corresponding protective barrier--was partly submerged.

On Tuesday, the President of the Philippines ordered (what turned out to be a two-day) closure of most government offices and private companies in the affected areas. This meant an interruption of delivery from suppliers to those businesses that stayed open, such as convenience stores. In turn this resulted in a shortage of some food items and bottled water.  This was worrisome as the latter product can become vital during flooded conditions because the safety of the municipal the water system can be compromised under such circumstances. Fortunately, that didn't happen--this time.

Just as government and businesses should plan for emergencies, it almost goes without saying that indiviuals should do likewise. Personally, I had become complacent and was ill-prepared for this storm. For example, at the first sign early  Tuesday morning that this was not an ordinary rain, I should have stocked up on essentials. In fact, that's something that I ought to have done long ago. Next time I hope to be ready. And inasmuch  as the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world when it comes to natural disasters, as previously noted it's likely that "next time" won't be long in coming.

An Expat's Credit Statement

As a retired bill collector who worked in this profession for many years in the U.S., I'm leery about charge cards, and I caution people to use them judiciously, if at all.   In fact I devoted a chapter to this topic in my ebook "Green Monday".  However,  there are times when having one may be practically a necessity, especially if you're traveling or living abroad. In fact, unless you carry a big wad of cash around with you (not advisable in the Philippines)  they are essential for such emergencies as sudden major medical expenses.

But if you make a transaction outside the States with a credit or debit / ATM card issued by American financial institutions, chances are many (most?) of them will assess a 3% currency conversion fee along with whatever other charges they levy. So it behooves expatriates to open a local bank account along with an ATM/ debit card and if possible a credit card as well.

For this and other reasons of convenience, I applied for a charge card at a bank here in Metro-Manila where I have a savings account and an ATM / debit card. Another reason I did this is out of curiosity  There are no credit bureaus in the Philippines, so aside from my business history with this financial institution I wondered how lenders gauge creditworthiness, especially on unsecured debt, which is the usual type obligation that is incurred with cards. What compounds the matter is the high degree of risk that financial services undertake when approving credit cards and other lending activity because the default rate is much higher than that in the U.S. And of course, like with American card issuers  interest rates and fees are also quite high (unless the cardholder pays in full each month) .

Yet credit cards have become a staple of the banking industry here and are very popular among consumers. Nevertheless, as a foreigner without employment or any other local means of support, I would have understood if I had been turned down.  To my surprise, however, the bank granted my application. I inquired about the basis for this decision (I Just can't leave well enough alone) and was informed  it was indeed the result of my account relationship with this institution which goes back a number of years.

Familiar amenities such as on line statement and payment options along with promotion bonuses are offered by many card issuers.  On the other hand, there is one big difference between U.S. and  Philippine financial institutions in the matter of recourse if the customer is dissatisfied with a purchase made using a credit card. Here the cardholder is on his/ her own in resolving this type of a dispute. The card issuer acts only as a billing agent and does not become involved in such complaints.

Like in the States, common sense should prevail in tending to one's financial matters.  So expats need to handle their credit dealings here just as aboveboard and conscientiously just as much or more so than they would back home. For one thing, In the Philippines, penalties for charge card fraud and abuse may include the lender's filing a criminal complaint of estafa (swindling) that could not only lead to a fine and / or imprisonment, but for  foreigners, deportation as well.  Another example of how serious Philippine financial institutions are when it comes to these matters, skipping out while owing a credit card balance of over 10,000 pesos is considered a criminal offense (intent to defraud).  In the U.S., a corresponding misuse of a card would be ordinarily  (but certainly not always) be treated as a civil matter.

In short responsible use of credit, like virtue, is its own reward no matter where you are. But for practical reasons of avoiding unexpected civil and / or criminal penalties while in a foreign country,  playing it straight is especially prudent.

To Rep. Raymond Palatino: An "A" for Enlightened Effort

Just like in the U.S.,  freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution. Alas, also just like in the U.S.,  this mandate is not always observed.  An example of this breach can be found in government offices and facilities, of all places.  Roman Catholic religious services such as mass  and  group prayers are regularly conducted, along with displays of religious symbols in these venues.  In the City of Davao, for example,  "first Friday Mass attendance" is mandatory for municipal employees.

Such compulsory participation for government staff, especially for non-Catholic workers not only violates their rights but impacts the general public whom these employees are charged with serving as well.  Many government offices are closed at the the noon hour while the workers attend mass.

I can attest to this inconvenience. On Ash Wednesday I went to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute. for a doctor's appointment.  The NKTI is a government, not a Catholic hospital.  However,  when I arrived,  a mass was being held in the atrium, and almost the entire hospital staff was in attendance.  Fortunately, It so happened that I was early for my consultation, so to kill time I went to pick up a package at the nearby Quezon City main post office. Guess what. That facility was also closed, not just for the usual lunch break but also for almost an extra hour due to Ash Wednesday services.

So in protest of such practices and in response to complaints from some of his negatively impacted government employee constituents, Rep. Raymond Paltino, recently introduced legislation in Congress in the form of House Bill 6330,  the Religious Freedom in Government Offices Act, the purpose of which is to prohibit these practices.  As might be expected, the Catholics Bishops of the Philippines and other religious organizations and individuals denounced his efforts and made wild accusations about Palatino's motives and intentions.

In the face of certain defeat, Palatino withdrew his bill. But  even as he did so, the "The Philippine Star"a normally respectable newspaper, apparently couldn't resist taking a final cheap shot against him by misleadingly titling the article announcing his decision: "Lawmaker withdraws 'ban God' bill".
                     
Palatino states that his intentions were just to put an end to the government's endorsement of a particular religion. It was a noble goal, and if nothing else his attempt set a precedent that may in time come to fruition. But until that day comes, workers who face religious coercion and people who want assistance  from government offices where the staff is at prayer instead of their service counters are out of luck.

(A) Justice on Trial: Part 2

A few days ago I saw a political cartoon in the "Philippine Daily Inquirer" depicting "Juan dela Cruz" (a nickname for  the  individual  Filipino) keeping an eye on the impeachment trial proceedings of the  Supreme Court of the Philippines Chief Justice, Renato Corona. Along with  Juan dela Cruz was a symbol of the rest of  the world watching the trial as well.

Alas, the cartoon was only  partially accurate.  The Philippines has been transfixed by this event which was has played out since it began in January. But from what I can determine, internationally (except perhaps for Filipino communities abroad)  it was not considered a newsworthy event.

And more's the pity.  It was the first such removal of a Supreme Court Chief Justice in the nation's history.  The impeachment of the country's top jurist which was conducted by the Philippines Senate concluded yesterday.  Corona was convicted by a vote of 20—3.  He has agreed not to contest the verdict and will step down from his post (not that he had much choice. The Senate's decision is constitutionally final)    

There were several charges against Corona, including  accepting a legally questionable midnight appointment from former Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as she was leaving office. But the charge on which he was finally tried and convicted was failure to report all his bank accounts on his SALN (Statment of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth ) which every government employee is required to file and complete accurately. How he amassed his huge fortune as a SC justice  about which claimed legitimacy  was besides the point and may  be taken up under separate investigative proceedings.

The impeachment trial itself had many twists, turns, and blunders by both sides.  It was capped last  week when Corona himself staged a dramatic walkout after submitting his testimony  which was a three hour speech that really did little to dispel  the likelihood of  his guilt. The manner of his attempted departure from the Senate and the building (which was stopped by security) was done in an apparent deliberate attempt to insult the senator--judges.  By conducting himself in this arrogant manner, he sealed his own fate.

The guilty verdict was a victory for President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III who had challenged  Corona's appointment as SC Chief Justice from the beginning.  Aquino ran for office on an  anti-corruption platform and Corona's removal is a feather in his cap toward this end. 

IMO the impeachment proceedings were carried out fairly. with the prosecution and the defense presenting their respective cases and witnesses  to the senator—judges who with a few exceptions displayed no overall bias for  either side. But in the end, the evidence was overwhelming against Corona.I was especially impressed by 88 years old Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who despite his advanced age is still as sharp as a tack and oversaw the proceedings as masterfully as an orchestra conductor.

And it is for the reason of this impartiality in a country where fairness and due process in legal proceedings are very uneven except for the wealthy and well-connected (and who could be more influential than a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?) that the world should have been made more aware of this trial. As a result of this lack of coverage, it missed an opportunity to witness a  possible sea change  in the dispensation  of justice in a country where such a transformation is long overdue.