WHEN THE STARS CONSPIRE

WHEN THE STARS CONSPIRE….

This is the time of the year when people are seemingly cool-headed about everything… No hot heads, no shot-up blood pressures, no screaming and cursing. At least, just this time of the year, I’ll try to join the crowd.

This time of the year, I’m putting aside bad blood between me and the Ombudsman. In fact, I'd like to thank A.O. (Acting Ombudsman) Mark Jalandoni and Tandobayan Merceditas Gutierrez for their ill-willed motives and distastefully-planned put-down operations against the Transparency and Accountability Network. If there’s anyone who had benefited (I think/ I believe) from these moves, it was I. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I believe that the stars conspire to let things happen in the most unusual and strange way. I call this Divine Intervention or a MIRACLE! I guess there’s no other way to put it especially if your most criticized 'nemesis' plays an important role and makes the most significant contribution to your blessings! I think this is what just had happened to me this year - a miracle!

I applied for a British Chevening scholarship early this year. It was a really long-shot deal for me. But what the heck, it’s worth the try especially since, the ‘mayabang’ me would like to believe that I’m an emerging leader and an opinion-former in the formative stages of my career. Naks! (with a bit of disgust in my tone).

To my mind, my main ticket to the Chevening scholarship is the Transparency and Accountability Network and my being an young leader in the network. TAN is a network of 23 organizations from different sectors involved in anti-corruption work. TAN's anti-corruption cause has been highly esteemed especially because it is not political. As Project Coordinator of TAN, I am very privileged to be part of the whole scheme of trying to change things for the better in the name of transparency and accountability, and ultimately towards good governance.

The long and short of it, PERHAPS because of the cause I embrace and the organization I’m affiliated with, I qualified for interview (November 22). The interview panelists asked me to explain to them what TAN is because they haven’t heard of it. I thought: That’s it for me… TAN is a non-entity! And I’m supposed to be banking on my affiliation with TAN and my being an emerging leader in the network.

Then, about the same period as the panelists were probably deliberating on who from the 20 individuals (out of 200+ applicants) who qualified for interview will become final nominees for the British Chevening scholarship, the Ombudsman made the biggest faux pax. The Ombudsman blocked the participation of TAN to the UN Convention Against Corruption Conference of State Parties in Amman, Jordan. The Philippines’ first official act as a state party to the UNCAC was to block an NGO from participating contrary to the Convention’s spirit. An article in the Convention on CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION is in effect breached, violated and completely disregarded by the Philippines.

The Philippines, being the only state party to have blocked a civil society organization to participate, obviously got the international attention it did not want. The Philippines received some beating from various international non-government organizations including the UK-based Global Unions Against Corruption (UNICORN) because of this badly thought move. For this stupid and immature action by the Ombudsman, TAN became an overnight star – many international NGOs sympathized with TAN and wrote the UNODC for the lifting of the block against TAN. The TAN Executive Director - Vincent Lazatin - felt like a rock star in the COSP where everyone in the Civil Society Event seemed to know him. Vincent was even unanimously voted to deliver a speech before the COSP to talk about the importance of civil society participation in anti-corruption initiatives.

Overnight, TAN became known… And to my mind, insofar as the Chevening ‘competition’ is concerned, I’m back in the game.

Last December 20, I got a letter from the Britsh Embassy and it said:

Congratulations! You are one of the final nominees for a Chevening Scholarship Award for 2007 – 2008.

If indeed, my theory in this write-up did it for me, my many thanks to Acting Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni and Tanodbayan Merceditas Gutierrez! Thank you so much - This is yet the best Christmas gift I have received. Thank you!

RAPIDE: Dissatisfaction Guaranteed

RAPIDE: Dissatisfaction Guaranteed

Let's start with the facts ... to be fair. My car was 8 years old when I got it two years ago. So now, Inday is 10 years old. In the automobile industry, Inday ought to be replaced already. Plus, I'm like the 5th owner already... surely, Inday's been through a lot then. A lot of misuse, overuse, abuse, etc. My mechanic would say though that Inday's engine still looks good and a lot of the parts are still original and my rides with Inday are still okay anyway, most days.

Anyhow, as expected... one would have car trouble with a car that's 10 years old. So I had one one day and fortunately or unfortunately I had a breakdown in Market2x and the nearest repair shop is Rapide. Brought it there and as though Inday were a patient, I shared a litany of symptoms that brought Inday to its state:

Below is the letter that I sent RAPIDE MANAGEMENT but of course and as expected, no remedy... so as promised, I'm posting this letter to warn other car-owners like me who get fooled by RAPIDE Satisfaction Guaranteed advertisement...

September 1

To Whom It May Concern:

I had my car checked in to your branch in Market2x yesterday - Daewoo Racer ETI 1997
Plate ADP 227. The problem I explained was that it would stall after a while that it
would be running and then would not start. I explained further that I just had the
distributor cap replaced and the spark plug wires (hi-tension wires)as well.

Just this morning, I spoke to Edcil about the problem. Sabi niya dina-diagnose na
daw and that they would be able to identify the problem soon. I was very clear
that I just want my car to run properly when I get it. He had the spark plugs
replaced, the fuel filter replaced costing me P2000. That's not a problem kung at
the end of all these works ay tumakbo naman ng maayos ang sasakyan ko.

When I got there to check out my car, ini-start ko and I noted that the problem is
still there...sabi ni Edcil wala na daw and that it's just vibrating because of the
loose engine support. No, the engine is struggling I said and it's not just engine
support problem. Sabi ko pa nga, I bet titirik na naman ang sasakyan a few minutes
I'd have it running. Tinanong ko pa kung tinest-run nila. Sabi daw about 20 minutes
in the parking area of Market 2x. Sinungaling, I don't think that ever happened.
You know why? I got my car nevertheless (paid 2k for work that did not do anything
to solve my problem) and pagexit pa lang sa parking, nagsstruggle na ang sasakyan
to move. I/we struggled until Comembo (which is just 10 minutes away from Market
Market) and finally, it stalled. 

So I paid 2k for something that did not address my problem. I am very disappointed.
I want my money back for bad service... Replacement of spark plugs (P750) -
spark plugs of good quality for daewoo racer eti is priced at 300; replacement is
easy i would say because i do my own replacement at times; 450 labor and for
something that did not improve the performance of my car is too much.

I'll also find out how much the fuel filter costs...

I am really disappointed with the service that your people do. Makikidebate pa para
sabihin that your diagnosis is one of elimination... replace a part first then see
if it solves the problem. Ano yun, guess work?! That is not diagnosis... there are
tests that can be done to see if a part is damaged. In fact it's all in the
internet... i thought your people should know. After all, Rapide is pretty known and
appears professional. Yun pala, parang talyer lang din na guess work. What a shame. 

Anyway, I want things to be addressed very soon. I will call Edcil tomorrow morning
to let him know what happened and that he lied to me about having my car test-run
for 20 minutes. I expect good management/problem-solving response here. I'm sorry
but it's not fair to charge 2000 with perhaps half of that as labor cost for some
haphazard job... just to earn profit. That's not good honest business... that is
plain-old cheating.

I hope we get to meet half-way and I hope management is not taking things lightly
to protect its personnel vs. the protection of customers.

Please reach me. ********* (my cp number).

====

So to all of you, be wise when you have your car repaired. Search the net first and
find out more about what the possible problems your car could have. Gosh! Buti na
lang the world is flat and the power is in the tip of our hands.... I love search
engines.