The Philippine Online Chronicles

Is it just me, or is strange to everyone else that one has to “stop” being a driver just because he or she has to renew a driver’s license? That is just like the jeepney drivers telling you “Ala pong ‘studyante’ pag Sabado’t Linggo   [No student discount on weekends],” as if the students suddenly became professionals at the end week then regress to being students again when the new week begins.  For me driving is like riding a bike. Once you know it, you know it and that’s it.  You can’t just wake up one day, after driving for years, to find out you have lost the ability to drive.  Okay, debatable, I know.

LTC

What I mean is, if they want me to pay to renew my license, I gladly will, but will the Land Transportation Commission please please please go online already?  It’s high time they computerized the license renewal system so that drivers --  professional and non-pro -- need not spend a whole day “getting their driving skills back” and the legal right to use them.

Still, for a student driver, applying for a driver’s license is quite fast at LTO.  If you’re a non-pro, you can do it fast too … if you have money to pay the fixer since you don’t need to take written and practical exams.  Very efficient, eh?  The only problem is, even people who don’t know the difference between the color of the go and stop signs can obtain a driving license. I had high school classmates who were licensed to drive at 16.

When it comes to vehicle registration, it is an enigma to me that even the gas engine vehicles need to get approved, when it is only the diesel engines that belch black smoke.

If policemen are going to ask scooters for their registration in the middle of the rush hour, that adds to traffic. Maybe they can issue swipe registration cards and the police can have mobile swipe stations so it can be done  tollgate style.

TWO THUMBS DOWN!

SSS

The Social Security System ID is processed quickly, issued within two weeks after application. The photo badge system is a joy too, and just as quick. Their ID now comes with a swipey that lets you know about your contribution and/or loan status. The best thing about the SSS ID is that it does not have an expiration date, unlike the driver’s, passport or postal. That is service.

SSS was very quick in giving me a loan when I was on my first job. The processing was timely.  Given a high appraisal, I was able to borrow aound 13,000 pesos.  After seven years, however, the interest was 8,000 – even though I was employed and paid my monthly contributions regularly (well, we know this is forced upon us, but am not complaining, just saying) my fair share for those seven years. I now found myself  deep in debt for an amount they could have easily deducted from my contributions. Are they waiting for my go signal? Can't they be more pro-active?

ONE THUMB UP!

Pagibig

This is the agency that will allow you to build a house and a home. Benefits do not come better than that. For me this is the most important government agency for the ordinary Filipino.

The world has become one big tsismis, I mean, happy community because of the Internet, but when it comes to the consolidation of your contributions to Pag-ibig, you still have to go to several branches. Especially if you are a serial employee, like I have been. I am guessing this number has risen within the past decade, with the advent of call centers and the agents tendering their resignation every year or so. The government had enough money to automate elections.  Perhaps it can spare more to put up  one network dedicated to the consolidiation of Pag-Ibig contributions nationwide. .

However, if you think about it, not having a single database for all that information on contribution money would give hackers a hard time -- an upside to being low tech.

ONE THUMB UP!

NBI

The National Bureau of Investigation is, for me, the only agency with the claim to document renewal.

However, they too need to get a savvier programmer, because the way they determine a person’s criminal records, or the lack of it, is quite interesting, bordering on entertaining.

Pops and I went to Carriedo, on Taft, hebeing the Manila man, whilst I, the ‘promdi [person who grew up in the province]. We went there early, and the line was long at 8 AM. The man in the verification unit arrived at 9 AM. Then when my name was entered into the database, I got a “hit,” meaning  a person was found with a similar name as I have, with a criminal record and thus, I need to get certification from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) that I am not that person, and that I am clean.

When I looked at the name, the guy lived also in Binangonan, but he had only my second name, which would tell anybody he was not me.  But no, I had to clear my name first, then go back to the NBI to have my papers released. The NBI might want to catch in on the trend that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has started in having  Internet networks in their offices.  Once the RTC finds that a person is clean, they can send that info to the  NBI which in turn can mail the clearance to the applicant.

TWO THUMBS DOWN!

(To be continnued)

(Note: The approval and disapproval rating of government agencies given in this piece is based on personal experiences and observations by the author (or his friends)  and is not a result of a scientific survey among a valid sample group of users.)