Walang Wangwang, Walang Blinker: My Suggestions

In regard to President Noynoy’s (P-NOY) directive to strictly enforce the “No Siren, No Blinker” (WALANG WANGWANG, WALANG BLINKER) policy, except for those covered by exemptions like ambulances and police vehicles responding to emergency situations, I have the unfortunate situation of seeing an SUV with its blinkers on. I am sure that the SUV had no exception and I am almost sure that it did not have as its passenger the President, Vice President or Speaker of the house. I am also very sure that the SUV was not a marked emergency vehicle and neither was it responding to an emergency. My problem is that I did not have a camera to gather evidence that I can post here.

My suggestion is for the government to come up with text, email and phone hotlines that will handle reports. There is already the Dial 166 emergency hotline which I think is very good. However, with the increase in emergency calls, the government should add more operators and dedicated phone lines. As for the mobile text component, all cellular phone companies should dedicate one number (166?) as its emergency text number and another one (661?) to process non emergency reports. In the text hotline (661), the general public may report their corrupt barangay captains and local officials and similar complaints to include the illegal blinkers and sirens.

The authorities may then write summons to the registered owners of the vehicles or, they may conduct spot inspections. The action reports may then be loaded into a website for the general public to know that something is being done. This kind of timely action and feedback system is very important in keeping the public’s trust in the government.

A similar hotline may be done through the email system and for sure, P-NOY’s term will be seen positively by most people.

Another Photo

While we are at the topic, here's a similar photo that I found in the net.

Funny Tiangge

Would you believe that our enterprising Flee Market vendors actually use such term?

I'm Back

It’s been over a month since I last posted and I would like to apologize to whoever came and found no update.

My schedule took me out of the office more often than I actually preferred but I think it was better for my health. Being seated most of the time leaves my lower back to support my upper body and that can be disastrous in my old age. Standing is easier on the body for one’s whole body weight is equally distributed among the parts and that prevents lower back pains.

Anyway, that will be my post for today. I will come back tomorrow for a new topic that I hope would interest you.

SMARTMATIC is not so smart

After the new President has been proclaimed and things have settled down, let us join our concerned countryman in Washington, Loida Nicolas Lewis in calling for an investigation of Smartmatic. This company has proven itself to have been caught unprepared to handle the Philippine elections and the trials that happened a few days ago is one of the simple proofs. In thebtrial, Smartmatic used papers that easily blot inks and caused the failure of many public tests. The public got very very scared and petitions to delay the polls were filed. Why such thing happened is beyond me.

Public trials are supposed to have been proceeded by successful laboratory trials. Let us take the case of Nokia and other firms. Do they release their latest gadgets without several successful tests? The failed test simply demonstrated Smartmatic's inadequacy to handle the elections. Before it bidded for the Comelec contract, it should have fully proven its devices matched with the appropriate types of paper. What they did (during the test) is that they used ballots that did was not accepted by the machines causing errors in the reading of votes.

I strongly believe that Smartmatic was technically not ready to handle the project and how they got the contract is worthy of public scrutiny. I call on the next government to have the company investigated by a huge panel composed of representatives from the government, business groups (Makati Business Group, PCCI, etc.), the NGO's and the techie community.

RELATED NEWS AND CLIPS:

- OBAMA asked to investigate Smartmatic

- OPEN LETTER FROM LOIDA NICOLAS LEWIS

I still have bosses

They are about one or two. They are nice people but...

The problem with them, I think, is that they are too soft on people. Being good is fine. But I know for a fact that there are a lot of people who sees kindness as a weakness. Bad creatures exploit kindness and it leads to the downfall of those who mean well.

As for me, I am strict but I am very very fair. I am also consistently generous. However, I do not tolerate laziness and incompetence. People who are inadequate in their present tasks should be moved to where they are good at. But the lazy ones should be retrenched. Give them a severance package and let them go their own lazy paths.

That way, only those who are capable of bringing the company into the path of survival and excellence will stay.

Do they think the company will grow if you have nothing but lazy employees?

Laziness is like an airborne virus. It is very contagious. It multiplies fast and before one realizes it, the company's culture had already been changed.

Fire those dead weights before they sink the ship.

Do it now!

Run for a Cause?

Running for causes had become such a big fad these days. We have fun runs, marathons and even triathlons everywhere and it is not uncommon for such events to be associated with noble causes. What I notice however, is what seems to be the organizers' and participants' lack of regard for the environment. Yes, even for events that trumpet the environment as its main cause.

I see hundreds if not thousands of discarded plastic cups littering the route of the events. The thirsty runners gulp the water being offered by the organizers and sponsors and very conveniently throw the containers in the road.

Even if the organizers follow the runners and pick up the litter after them, I do not think that they will be able to save the drainage from being filled with non biodegradable plastic. And why are they using plastic cups to begin with?

If you are wondering which specific run I am pointing at, check the events that happened during the past weekend and take your pick.