Why I curse MMDA…

I’ve lived about five years of my stay in Makati in an apartment adjacent to the MMDA building. Needless to say, I see everyday what the enforcers are doing, what the apprehended drivers have to go through, among other things.

On March 17 about noon time, I went home to my apartment. The gate was closed so obviously I had to get out of the car so I can park inside the compound. Of course, kelangan kong itabi muna ang kotse sa gilid sa may labas, di ba? Daig ko pa ang tinamaan ng malas when my front right tire got flat dahil may pako sa may gilid ng gutter! Ay sus! Imagine, nasa labas na ako ng bahay ko nyan ha!

One MMDA officer knocked my window pa nga to tell me na my tire got flat. So I stayed another 5 minutes inside the car to call my brother (who was just upstairs) to ask for help kasi nakakahiya man aminin, I don’t know how to change flat tires teehee! So finally I went up sa apartment to talk to my brother. The moment I got back to the car, there’s this surprise na – I got a ticket from an MMDA office (different from the one earlier) and he just left it on my wind shield. Sabi nung isang mama na nakatambay dun sa tabi ng kotse ko, they told the apprehending officer that I got a flat tire and then I just went up to get some help.

Of course, what did Jeff do? This is something na hindi ko pinalampas, ako pa! I know it was just what, 300 pesos penalty for “obstruction” and “illegal parking” daw but it’s not about the money. It was simply the stupid manner that the ticket was issued! Ano ba naman yung hintayin ako for a few minutes at pinakinggan yung sinabi nung mga tao? One other thing that made me more angry was this. I told the officer na sige, I’ll take the consequences and pay for it but he can probably help me get my tire fixed. Ang at magaling na nilalang, eto ang sabi “eh sir, hindi na namin trabaho yan!” (in a condescending tone). Oh san ka pa lulugar nyan? At nagwating talaga ako!

We reached filing the complaint in the Traffic Adjudication Board. Filed some papers, etc. I almost got dismissed kasi feeling ata nila it was just a so-so complaint. Kung hindi pa ako nagsabi na I could simply call my lawyer para ayusin, eh hindi pa sila gagalaw. Two weeks daw ang processing but of course I didn’t believe it – for sure mas matagal pa. Knowing how inefficient government employees are, ugh!

I followed up the case personally sa 7th floor office nila kasi andun na daw yung papers for signatures and approvals. Mind you, there were like 3 signatories and like 5 or 6 approvers before the paper could finally come out! The resolution or recommendation was already made but again, red tape and all, kung kani-kaninong pontio pilato pa kelangang dumaan ang papeles. I initially had to talk to Mr. Red Maniego. When he pulled out my papers, he immediately said, “na-reject ang request mo…” sabay fold ng papers. Sabi ko, I need to see it and I need to have my own copy. He said, hindi ko daw pwedeng makita yung papeles. Aba! Aba! Aba! Ano ka, hello?!?! So I insisted. The resolution reads that my ticket should be cancelled based on their assessment. In other words, mga pirma na lang kulang for documentation and approvals. Ang matandang Maniego, naiinis, he forwarded the papers to Ms. Lourdes.

Ang sabi ng isang personnel duon na si Lourdes, kelangan pa daw akong dumaan sa “clearance” to check if i have any other filed violations on their records which would take about a day to check before the complaint papers proceed with the rest of the process. Sya na daw magbibigay sa department na next na pipirma. After a few days I went back only to find out that it didn’t leave her desk after the clearance part. Ang sabi nya, “eh kasi naman sir, bat di nyo kagad fina-llow up! Madaming papeles dyan sa lamesa ko, hindi ko lahat magagawa yan isa-isa!” Nakow!!! At ako pa may kasalanan ngayon!!!! Kumusta naman!

It was Wednesday holy week I think when I had my 3rd visit at ang sabi wala pa rin daw! I had to escalate it to the OIC sa department nila si Miss Mila. She asked one of her staff, Jerick to get another approval from Ms. Cora’s office at the 3rd floor. So I had to tell her the entire story again blah blah blah. After her, last signatory na daw yung General Manager so maybe after mga 2 days.

I let 4 days pass just to be sure, you know. I can follow up daw sa 7th floor kay Ms Mila or kay Jerick. Pagbalik ko duon, di pa daw napirmahan, excuses excuses! Puro, “if, then” ang mga sagot saken like “sir, if napirmahan na yun, andito na dapat yon”. Eh nung pina-pa trace ko, di naman mahanap. Escalated level na naman until Ms Mila assured me that my papers were still for the GM’s signature. So I was advised to go back after about 2 days. I went back the following week talk to Jerick and another guy. Naka-leave daw si Ms Mila kaya I have to return na lang! Aba! Aba! Aba! Syempre hindi ako pumayag sabi ko I need to know and see for myself this time kung nasan na ang mga papers ko! I was told na kung tapos na pirmahan dapat nasa TAB (the department where it all started) sabi ko I don’t want to go there kung hindi sure so pakitawagan kako. Ayan sabi wala daw sa TAB so ang tanong, nasaan na?!?!?

Habang ako’y nagfe-facebook (yung status ko kahapon hehe), eh sya’y naghahanap at naghahalughog ng mga folders sa kung saan saan! Isinama pa nya ako sa GM’s office at sabi ng assistant duon eh wala naman daw don! Konting-konti na lang talaga at mag-eeskandalo na ako... pero sige try to be cool pa rin, konting anghang na mga statements lang pinapakawalan ko here and there... After mga 20 minutes, guess what kung nasaan ang APPROVED papers ko --- nasa TAB! Kung saan itinawag na early na initially sinabing wala daw duon! Ay sus!

Imagine nyo na lang what do other people – mga drivers, hindi nakapag-aral, mahihina loob etc – would have to go through on similar situations. Nakakaawa talaga kasi pinagmamasdan ko sila nung mga visit ko sa MMDA sobrang parang helpless sila tapos lahat ng empleyado napaka antipatiko at bastos kung sumagot sa mga tanong. Most of the people who got tickets or impounded vehicles were very polite naman and they share stories kung bakit sila andun.

It’s just so sad that we are paying our dues and taxes to the government only to be served poorly by these employees! It’s already a huge issue that they obviously have poor coordination and processes, the very basic courtesy and etiquettes are not even there when they deal with customers!

My conclusion: masunog na sana MMDA building with all its effing idiot employees! Pampasikip sila sa mundo! Har!!!!

Moving on... eeerrrrrrr

Here’s an irony in breaking up with someone, you get to spend more quality time with each other post break-up compared to the time you were together. You might even seem like a couple now more than before. Some would ask how is this even possible.

I realized, if you haven’t burned any bridges with your ex, why act bitter now, right? There’s just one clear and present danger if you try to be the meek and forgiving ex: resurfaced feelings or worse, loving the person more now. You’re friends would probably nag you until the whole $&#! blows right open or knock some sense in you especially if you’re the one who got dumped in the first place. You’d hear lines such as “why bother calling?”, “why spend time?”, “why exert all the effort?”, etc. etc. etc. Of course these are all under the premise of your good old friends looking after you. Oh so sweet and caring but no, you’d still do what your gut tells you. You still insist on the feelings you have until maybe such time you can’t take it anymore.

There will be moments when you’d wake up in the morning and decide to “move on” also known as don’t initiate any form of communication or interaction with the ex. It could simply be a turning on the cold shoulder if you want to put it that way. But deep inside, there’s this hope that he’ll ask you what went wrong or probably even insist of seeing you because in the first place, there’s nothing wrong with being friends now.

The dilemma begins. Do you keep the brand new honest-to-goodness non-romantic friendly relationship with your ex or completely drop everything and just focus on moving on, seriously? Let’s admit it, the latter most of the time requires not talking or even seeing the person who broke your heart. Every time you feel like you’re in the right path of the moving process and the suddenly your ex shows up and treats you so nicely (even way better that you were treated before), ugh! Expect that everything shatters! It brings some feeling of immobility. It makes you indecisive, irrational at some points. In other words, you’re screwed!

Really, I think nothing and no one could ever know when it will stop or where something else would begin. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in relationships, it’s being not too cerebral all the times. Indulge in both the joys and pains of relationships. Just try not to end up too pathetic and miserable. There are ways to do it with so much class and sophistication!

Obviously, I wrote this because this is coming from I’d say real life experiences. I know, I know… friends will raise their eyebrows but to those who have been through all these will share the same sentiments.