I was wearing Lacoste polo shirt and was holding a Lacoste white overnight bag…
Entered with all smiles at the barangay office and thought to myself that it might take long before I get a barangay clearance and a “cedula”. But I was happy with their service because they had told me to come in and request for the documents I am filing at the second door. So I was actually been given a clearance at once and a cedula. I was not paying attention though, but the barangay clearance was 80pesos and the cedula was 15 pesos. But the one assisting me said that I need to pay Php 97.25. On my way home, I was calculating my expenses when all of a sudden I knew that I made the wrong payment. Because I know that 80 + 15 is definitely NOT 97.25.
Let’s go back to when I was at the Barangay Hall. While waiting for my barangay clearance and my cedula, a man of around 40 to 50 years old came in, holding a medical procedure request and he said he needed a barangay clearance (well basically he needed it for medical and financial assistance). When another man came in to assist him, the man said, “the barangay clearance costs 80 pesos, do you have money for that?” On my way home again, I took a mental note on the feeling that the man in need has. Maybe if I were on his part, I would really, really feel bad.
To tell you frankly, my reader, I do not blame the barangay for acting such. For one, the wrong computation actually is understandable if and only if they are busy and their mind is already stressed. I can brush it off because I did pay for it and it was actually MY stupidity for not calculating it right there and then. The right thing to do was, to be vigilant and aware of what is going on and if ever there are miscomputations, if I am really that smart, I could have corrected it altogether. (or maybe it was just really hot and all of us are stressed)
But to actually ask a poor man if he has payment on something he is needing on another more urgent request, I guess we need to check on ourselves now. I mean, the man needs medical assistance and financial assistance to that medical request, so how come you will still ask if he has payment on a certain secondary requirement? Isn’t it PUBLIC SERVICE to just not ask for payment for that barangay clearance, so as to help the man raise money for that important medical procedure? After all, what the medical assistance needs is just a simple piece of paper. What are you paying for anyway, the signature of the clearance, the name of the signatory? I do not know the process on this, but I can assure you that I felt really bad, wearing a very expensive polo shirt and bag, and at the same time calculating the payments I have made for a requirement for a local employment, but to the man requesting for a medical assistance and have no money, otherwise? If only I still have another money, I would have asked to pay for his barangay clearance. But I only have enough in my wallet.
This is a call for vigilance and awareness on the next election day, several years from now. Educated people should know whom to vote for, and these people seated in the government should know who to place in their offices. I might also agree for a personality development seminar for public/government employees. After all, who does the public service right?
I do not blame anyone, except myself for not being responsible enough to be aware of the government policies and systems. But I guess that old man who needs financial and medical assistance has something to say, although the problem is, we do not listen and he just does not want to speak.
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Coffee Table and Heart 