Kahapon, nasa US Embassy ako dahil schedule ng interview ko para sa renewal ng aking US visa. May na-discover akong isang kalakaran doon na nagpapatibay sa aking tiwala sa Pilipino.
Matagal-tagal na rin akong nakapunta sa visa section ng US Embassy kaya hindi ko alam na bawal na pala ngayon magdala ng cellphone at kung ano-ano pang electronics. Sa mga okasyon kasi na pumupunta kami doon katulad ng July 4 reception o mga press conference, pinapaiwan sa amin sa reception area ang aming mga cellphone.
Nang nandoon na ako (7:30 a.m ang schedule ng aking interview) saka ko pa lang nakita ang karatula na bawal ang cellphone at lahat na electronics equipment mula pa noong March 1, 2007. Malaking problema ko kasi saan ko naman i-iwanan ang aking cellphone? Wala naman akong kasama. Galing pa ako ng Las Piñas.
Naki-usap ako sa gwardiya ngunit talagang hindi pwede. Itinuro niya ako sa isang tao na pwede raw maghawak ng cellphone habang nandoon ako sa loob. Yun bang mga tao na nasa paligid ng embassy na nag-aalok ng pakuha ng picture.
Siyempre duda ako. Hindi ko naman kilala ang mga yun at wala naman silang pwesto. Ay kung hindi ko na sila makita paglabas ko? Kaya lang, wala akong magawa dahil mag 7 a.m kailangan na ako pumasok.
Linda Dragon ang pangalan ng itinuro niya sa akin. Sabi ni Linda, P150 raw ang babayaran ko. Naglabas siya ng ziplock plastic na panlagyan ng cellphone at binibigyan niya ako ng number. Number 20 nga ang sa akin.
Hindi ko maitago ang aking pag-aalangan dahil siyempre naman, hindi mo basta-basta ini-iwanan sa hindi mo kakilala ang iyong cellphone. Sabi ni Linda, naintindihan daw niya ang aking duda. Ngunit hindi raw ako dapat mag-alala. “Mukhang pera lang ako, pero hindi ako magnanakaw,” sabi niya.
Sabi ko, okay itong babaeng ito, a. Prangka kung magsalita. Sabi pa niya sa akin, “Hindi ko pag-interesan ang iyong cellphone. Tingnan mo ang aking singsing, diamante.”
Kahit hindi ako mapalagay, iniwan ko na sa kanya ang cellphone ko. Nang dumaan ako sa security x-ray, pagkatapos ng mahabang pila, napansin ang MP3 sa aking bag. Kami kasing mga reporter, permanente na sa aming bag ang tape recorder at camera. Mabuti may mga MP3 na at cellphone kaya hindi na masyadong mabigat sa bag.
Labas na naman ako at hinanap si Linda. Tuwang-tuwa siya ng makita ako. Akala niya tapos na ako at nakuha ko na ang aking visa ng ganyang kabilis. Medyo naging kampante ako dahil kung lolokohin ako nito, di dapat nawala na siya. Iniwan ko rin sa kanya ang aking MP3. Panibagong P150 daw yun.
Mga 9 a.m na ako nakalabas at nandoon nga sila. Nagbayad ako ng P300 at nakuha ko ang aking cellphone at MP3 ng maayos.
Sabi ni Linda, 39 sila na nagbibigay ng ganyang serbisyo at ang mga kita at hinahati para sa lahat.
Pinakilala ako ni Linda sa dalawa pa niyang kapatid na kasama niya sa ganyang trabaho: si Belinda at si Cecile na graduate ng AB (English major) sa Philippine Christian University. Sinabi niya sa akin na ang tunay niyang pangalan ay Isabel Lopez.
Natuwa ako kasi sa ganoong negosyo, tiwala lang ang kapital. At umu-ubra pa rin pala dito Pilipinas.
Photo above: Linda Dragon
May Supreme Court decision na maaaring magamit sa Dacer-Corbito case:
http://www.frauslatet.blogspot.com
“I’m not a thief. I only need money.” How many of our corrupt politicians and government officials can say that? What about the Arroyos? “We’re thieves and we need money. So what? ‘Got any problem?”…they say.
Ellen,
Sa totoo lang, ang tiwala ang malaking malaking component ng maraming negosyo sa internet na kung wala ang tiwala hindi puwedeng mag-negosyo – imagine mo na lang na ang way ng pagbabayad ay ang bank card or credit card mo.
Of course, mas marami pa rin ang manloloko — lalo na ngayon — kaya tama lang na to be cautious (sorry, nalimutan ko na ang “cautious” sa Tagalog at ang ibang pang “words”).
Pero sa Pilipina, marami akong nakilalang manloloko sa negosyo ngunit marami pa rin ang matino na nakakaalam na kung hindi sila puwedeng pagkatiwalaan, mawawala ang negosyo nila.
Ito ay totoong storya. (OK, ingles na lang dahil ang tagal kong mag-type kung sa Tagalog)
One day, the car rental company that I used sent me a driver to replace my usual driver because the latter had to go back to the province for family reasons.
Mario, the urgent but temporary replacement, looked like a real gangster to me — someone who looked like he couldn’t be trusted, wasn’t polished at all, but I had no other choice but to accept inasmuch as I had appointments lined up for the day and didn’t want to depend on anybody in Manila for my own transport needs.
Anyway, he drove for me the rest of my sojourn in Manila and then to the airport on my departure date.
On arrival in Paris, there was a fax waiting for me saying my driver had brought them a small black bag that I had forgotten in thecar and they wanted to let me know what I wanted done with it.
I immeidately searched in my bigger bag and lo and behold! My small black bag where I usually put trinkets (rings, necklace, etc. — coz I like to travel without adornments) when travelling including some of the leftover cash was not in. Actually, the smaller bag contained some 20K dollars, not to include my engagement ring, etc etc.
I rang the car rental company and asked the girl to open the bag and she confirmed what was inside. I instructed her to take the bag to my Mom in Manila as soon as she could.
The long and short of the story was that the car rental company brought the bag to my Mom intact… That my driver who looked like a gangster and acted like one was in fact a very honest person. He became the driver assigned to me for 9 more years. He was one of the people I entrusted with hundreds and thousands of pesos/dollars, and even to withdraw cash from the bank for me. I entrusted him with the lives of my children too.
He wasn’t paid well by the company that hired him to drive for me but I always made it a point to double what he earned when he drove for me. I believe the extra money served his family well.
But the best story I had was with my favourite hotel concierge who had become my alter ego practically — one day before leaving Manila to go back to Paris, I asked him to return a diamond necklace I had borrowed from my Mother worth then 1 million pesos. There was no problem at all and I had absolutely no doubt, the object would be lost.
I have many more stories of involving ordinary working folks, some of them at the bottom of the totem pole in the Philippines, without which I don’t believe I would have been able to work productively and successfully for a long long time there.
Ellen, did you ask her if she has to give “tongpats” to the security guards at the US Embassy? I’m sure she will not be allowed to ply her trade without special permission. So, a portion or percentage of the P300 you paid her could have been given to unscrupulous people over there.
Ang ganda naman itong kuwento mo Ellen.Naniniwala pa rin ako na marami pang mga kababayan natin na may matitinong kaisipan at kuntento na sila kung ano ang klaseng trabaho na mayroon sila.Okey ng trabaho iyun,300 pesos ang kinita nila sa iyo.Palagay ko full time job na nila iyun kaya kailangan ay maging honest sila para maraming magtiwala sa kanila.
Nangyari na rin sa akin iyan,naiwanan ko ang tripod ng video camera ko noon sa taxing sinakyan ko sa airport 1993 ng nagbakasyon ako,hindi ko naman alam,bumalik iyung taxi driver pagkatapos ng walong oras napansin daw niya ng binuksan niya ang trunk kaya dinala niya sa akin sa Makati,Sabi pa sa akin ay hindi na raw siya pumik-up ng pasahero kahit na may pumara sa kanya sa may Caloocan ng napansin niya ang tripod ko at anim na blankong tape ng VHS pa noon.Binigyan ko siya ng $50 at dalawang bagong t-shirt na “Polo” ang brand,orig ha,hindi ko binili sa Tiange dahil natuwa ako sa katapatan niya.
Ooops, I meant, “There was no problem at all and I had absolutely no doubt, the object would be returned intact.”
May US Visa ka pala Ellen.If you ever come and visit California,you can e-mail me at ako na ang bahala sa ticket mo sa Disneyland,Universal Studio at San Diego Zoo.Kung gusto mong mag casino sa Barona bigyan pa kita ng dalawang roll ng quarter.Pero huwag kang mag te-en te dito.Hehehehe!
Is Ellen going to US to interview Dumlao and Mancao? That sure will be the Scoop of the Year…
I believe there are still a lot of Filipinos that are honest, more than those that aren’t. Aside from being honest, they are also very trusting… to the point of voting into office, dishonest politicians. By the way, not all dishonest politicians were voted into office. Some cheat and there is one who cheated her way to the top post.
bitchevil,
Pinapaikot mo ako,click ko ang handle mo dahil pula ay balik na naman uli ako sa topic.Saan ba ang blog site mo?
$1 lang ang bayad sa charter bus from LA to Barona round trip at may libreng lunch pa,ganon din ang bayad from SF to Reno or From LA to Vegas with free lunch on the way,may lunch ticket para ibigay sa resto.
I also renewed my US visa just recently and I noticed a lot of them selling everything that one might need when inside the embassy, like pens, folders, plastic envelopes, etc… I never knew that they offer this kind of service too.
Nice stories, Ellen and Adebrux. Ellen, ngayon ko lang nakita ng mabuti ang larawan mo. simpatika ka pala.
Mike – selling those trinkets are Kristy Kenny and Gluerilla’s sideline to make mula.
Cocoy – that’s waste of time to take Ellen to the San Diego zoo. Just drive her around to El Cajon, the barrio area of National City, and downtown skidrow – in her bewilderment, Ellen might say “wala ngang pag-kakaiba sa real zoo”, wink!
Matagal na itong nangyari, 12 years na ang nakakaraan. Ang kapatid na babae ng kaibigan ko ay penitesyon noon para sa fiancee visa ng kano na nakatira sa Seattle.
Itong babae ay pumunta naman sa Manila US embassy para asikasuhin ang mga papeles. Noong nasa loob na sya ng embassy mayroong mga filipina clerks doon na humahawak ng mga papeles. Kung ano ano ang hinihinging kailangan ng filipina clerks. Lumipas ang siyam na buwan ay wala pa rin nangyayari. Kaya yong kano ay kumuha ng attorney sa Seattle para asikasuhin ang papeles at kinontak mismo ang Manila US Embassy pero ala rin. Lumapit yong kano sa Congressman nya sa Seattle pero ala rin.
Kaya yong kaibigan ko ang mismong umuwi sa Pinas para asikasuhin ang papeles. Noong na sa US Embassy na yong kaibigan ko ay hinahanap nila yong dalawang filipina clerks na humawak ng papeles ng kapatid nyang babae. Tinawag ng kapatid nyang babae yong dalawang filipina clerks na humahawak ng papeles nya pero ayaw makipag usap ng husto doon sa kaibigan ko, maraming dahila kesyo busy daw sila. Aba, makaraan lang ang three months ay approve na agad ang fiancee visa. Samakatuwid itong dalawang filipina clerks ay hino hold nila ang mga papeles para sa fiancee visa doon sa kapatid na babae ng kaibigan ko. Naghihintay ng LAGAY ang mga buwisit.
Sawa na si Ellen sa Zoo. She used to cover Malacañang.
A, diyan sa Palasyo, wala akong tiwala. Kung ang setting ng story ng blog topic ngayon ay sa Malacañang, ang title ko ay:
“Tiwali Lang Talaga”
Cocoy, I dont have the visa yet. Interview lang yun kahapon. It’s a renewal actually. My visa expired last year. I didn’t notice it until last month when my brother suffered a heart attack and I thought I would be going there (Riverside, California).
He is okay now. He had a triple bypass and he is recovering well. So, I’ll be going there this year but no rush. I’ll wait for low fares.
I hope I’ll get my visa renewed,
Anna, Cocoy, Mike, your stories are inspiring. That re-affirms that the Filipino is worth fighting for.
Re Tongue’s query why the subtitle “Making Life Worth Living” is gone and it’s now “Just another Wodpress weblog”:
Tongue, that’s what I’m asking Yuga. When this blog was restored after it was hacked last weekend (Yuga said someone was able to know my password and made a mess of this blog), nawala na yung “making life worth living.” I was so busy the past three days, I’ll ask Yuga to restore it. I tried to restore it myself, I don’t know how to do it.
Mas maraming mababait na tao sa atin kesa sa masama. If I have to tell the good stories, baka makatulog kayo sa haba ng mga kwento ko, heh,heh,heh…
Mga college graduates pa yung natapatan mo Ellen. That goes to show how hard the employment is sa PI. Maybe the job of “safekeeping” is more lucrative than a regular 8 t 5 job.
That’s what Cecilia told me, PSB.
Re Tongue’s query why the subtitle “Making Life Worth Living” is gone and it’s now “Just another Wodpress weblog”:
========
ellen,
Ploghost might have opted to include your site and other sites they service to WordPress for 2 possible reasons. First, Ploghost will be able take advantage of the freebies that includes 3 gigabytes of file storage (that’s about 2,500 pictures!). You can blog as much as you want for free.
One indication that your site goes through WordPress are the boxes under Leave a Reply that looks similar to WordPress blogsites. Did you noticed that this portion in your previous site asks us to log in and to input our username and password. Now, it does not ask us to log in, but ask us to input our username and email address.
Second, ploghost might be running out of storage space causing their operation to stop. This perhaps is the reason why the sites they host is down frequently.
To get the free blogsite from WordPress, all you need to do is agree to have their name advertised in your site. This perhaps is the reason why you have the “Just another WordPress weblog” on top of your webpages.
Maganda siguro kung magkakaroon rin nang survey kung ilan porsyento ang puwedeng mapagkakatiwalaan sa atin lalo na sa pera, lupa at bahay.
Marami akong nakakausap na nagsasabi na huwag kang magiimbes sa atin kung hindi rin lang ikaw ang magpapalakad. At kung ikaw ay bibili ng lupa’t bahay ay tiyakin mo na ang iyong ahente ay talagang subok na subok na. Marami kasing nangyayari na rekomendado lang ng kakilala, nangloloko pa.
Mas maunlad sana ang bansa natin kung mayroong maayos na sistema sa pagiimbes at sa pagbili ng ari-arian. Minsan kasi mahirap mo pang ma-trace kung ilang beses na nakasanla ang binibili mong bahay.
Ellen, e-mail ka lang sa akin by the time you decided to come here.I know where is Riverside.Your brother will be okey,bypass heart surgery is an ordinary cases in America,cardiologist doctors are highly trained.My eldest brother too,suffered a heart attacked 6 years ago in Vegas,now he is wearing a peacemaker.He went back home and currently living in Makati,he come here yearly to recharge the battery.Nanghinayang ang sister-in-law ko dahil hindi siya naka collect ng life insurance ni utol.Hehehehe!
Not to worry about heart by pass. My dad had a quad bypass some 20 plus years ago at Houston, Texas. He is still ok and he’s now 76.
@Isagani: “Nice stories, Ellen and Adebrux. Ellen, ngayon ko lang nakita ng mabuti ang larawan mo. simpatika ka pala.”
Are you talking about the pic posted above on this thread? That’s not Ellen, I think that’s who Ellen was talking about in this topic, Cecilia.
Ooops, or is it Linda (Not Cecilia)
Not everyone had the guts to have bypass. A casual friend was scheduled for bypass five years ago but instead drove his pick up truck and parked behind wallmart and shot himself to death. He chickened out but prior to that, he’s always mouthing off about how he was fearless with the US Army Airborne jumping off Helos and planes. We laughed when he died instead of grief, sad nonetheless.
barracuda,
I don’t think those Filipina clerks can do that, asking for “lagay”. Not inside the embassy anyway. If you notice, inside the embassy, CCTV cameras are all over the place and each of the staffs as well as applicants movement are being monitored. Hard to accept lagay in that kind of a situation. Besides, I don’t think those 2 Pinays would be stupid enough to do anything illegal while working for the US embassy.
What I know is that application for “fiancee visa” is not easy. It would sometimes take years before one gets approved. I also know of someone who had a similar case, her application was finally approved after 5 years. It’s easier to apply and get approved for a tourist visa AFAIK. Some would enter the US as tourist, then she marries her fiance and then apply for immigrant status. Just be sure that it is a legit marriage and not fixed. Ones you get caught, you will be jailed and then deported back to RP handcuffed. No way you can go back to the US anymore.
TruBlue,
That’s the side effect of too much boooze.
He should called the County Suicide Prevention hotline or drive his car along Wilshire Blvd.In Beverly Hills,almost all psychiatrist have an elegant nacho clinic and Prozac ready to take home after brief consultation.they flashed you a card with figures and dot.If you answered circle on the square and 7 dot on 3 at left and 4 at right,they’ll consider you a physco and put you on depression medication.If you live in the ghetto Korean liquor stores are in every corner and intersection.That’s the difference in Beverly Hills no liquor stores on sight.
Hehehehe
Linda texted me. She said nabasa raw niya sa Abante itong article. at bumili raw lahat na 39 niyang kasama.
“Nagpadala me kopya sa higher official ng US Embassy. Kasi ganun din ang gawa ko nun kay Jay Taruc. VCD naman yun. (note: she was featured by Jay Taruc in GMA-7’s “I-Witness”)
“Iba talaga pag matalinong tao na mit mo at may puso. We love you.”
Tongue, the subtitle, “Making life worth living” is now back.
bitchevil Says:
March 26th, 2009 at 1:20 am
Ellen, did you ask her if she has to give “tongpats” to the security guards at the US Embassy?
Endi ko mapigil ang matawa. May sense, pero di naman ahensya yun ng pilipinas!
I, too never worry about heart by pass. My father is already dead six years ago.
Glad your fathers still are so give them the best care you can. Parents are the most precious treasures we have in this world. Though they do not last, they always remain enshrined in our hearts.
Haaay! Sayang. Sana, buhay pa sina tatay at inay.
…bypass…
“cautious” – maging maingat.
@Ellen: “Cocoy, I dont have the visa yet. Interview lang yun kahapon. It’s a renewal actually..”
It means approved na visa mo? You paid for the courier service for them to deliver to your house your passport with the visa, right? Ang di pa lang alam kung ilang years ang ibinigay sa iyo. Mine, they gave me 10 years.
Thank you to those who shared inspiring stories of Filipino individuals. Don’t we feel inspired by them? Don’t we feel in love with such Filipinos and make us even want to serve our Filipinas? They are actually part of our heritage. They are part of our identity. We need not look anywhere else.
Let us focus on them as models of us Filipinos and make them part of our nation we have to recover.
ADMacaldo, corruption is not only limited to government agencies. Even private individuals could commit such illegal acts anytime and anywhere. My question was an honest one. The woman could not freely ply her trade outside of the US Embassy or around its premises without the permission of the Embassy security. In this country, permission means something in exchange.
“The woman could not freely ply her trade outside of the US Embassy or around its premises without the permission of the Embassy security.”
You find that sort of trade plied around in underdeveloped countries…the Philippines is no exception.
Over at the US Embassy here, Ellen, it is the same policy—no electronic gadgets inside the embassy premise. So, all applicants have to leave them in a depository provided for by the embassy complete with the special security—free of charge! I guess, it is already included in the exorbitant prices of getting a visa to the US, notarial services, etc.
It is pathetc when honesty is more a luxury than being ordinary.
Kawawang bansa!!!
SOP yan sa most embassies — takot sa bomba.
Kawawang bansa na naman.
Hindi na ba matatapos ang pagkawawang ito?
Wala nang magaling kundi ang Japan? Wala nang magaling kundi ang mga Hapon?
Kung hindi matanggap na may dugong Pinoy, huwag nang magtagalog.
Bukod tangi ng kami ay wala ng pag-asa? Sobra na!
Alin ba ang mas marangal?
‘Yung trabahong ‘yun o ang magnakaw sa gobyerno?
Dala na rin lang ‘yun ng kahirapan ng buhay, sa kagandahang loob ni goyang garapal.
Kaysa naman maghapong makipagtsimisan at uriratin ang buhay ng may buhay.
At least, ‘yun ay hindi maisasama sa mga KAWAWA sa ating bansa.
Ellen, nakakataba ng puso ang iyong isinalaysay. Totoo na maraming kababayan natin ang wala sa bokabularya ang mang-isa, magsinungaling at magnakaw.
Yes. The Filipino people is worth fighting for. More so, when only a few but overtly wicked are the ones making it so difficult for a lot of honest and hardworking people to have a decent society.
As for the security guards, I would prefer to call it – “referral fee.” Unscrupulous is more apt describing people in Malacanang, Congress, the Senate, the PNP and AFP 🙂
Kaya, kahit anong hirap ituwid ang buhol-buhol na takbo ng ating lipunan, hindi parin masasabing kawawa ang Pilipinas: may mga taong katulad ni Ka Linda, si Ellen, sina BGen. Danny Lim at marami pang iba.
Mas higit na kaawaawa ay sina GMArroyo, Garci, Esperon, FG at mga kagaya nila – ang humarap sa salamin sa bawat araw na nilalang at makita ang kahungkagan ng kaniyang pagkatao, ang magpatay-mali na kinasusuklaman ka ng taong bayan, at higit sa lahat – ang humarap sa mga anak; papaano nila mapapangaralan ang kanilang mga anak at mga apo?
Hindi nga sila mukhang kuwarta – sinungaling at magnanakaw naman.
Ellen,
Nanggigigil na ako. Bakit lahat ng bloggers nakakapag-comment? Ako lang yata ang naka-block. Sino ba ang nag-block, ikaw o si Yuga? Binura pa pati mga nakapublish kong mga comments.
Sigurado, maa-Akismet na naman itong comment, kahit bagong email at username ito.
I give up, ayoko na. Bye.
hahaha, this is too funny 🙂
anyway, 39 people employed without taxation? I do believe that Pinoys can be an entrepreneur. The only issue I have is how government create recorded employment. There’s obviously a demand of electronic storage for embassy clients. Why is it the demand for storage has not been incorporated as an additional employment source within the embassy and additional government income from individual taxation .Why is it operational transaction in the Philippines remains to be so backward? Cellphone and MP3 on a ziplock? Whoever is the operational manager of the embassy lacks “the know how and know about” to manage a simple demand. The result, scattered unlicensed vendors and unrecorded employment.
Linda will continue to convince people that she is honest. Why should she if there’s a better way. Look government, the people of this country are honest. It seems to me that our admin do not know who truly are the filipinos.
To manage a country, public officials must know the capabilities and strength of its people. If not, this country will always put our stuff on a ziplock.
great blog ellen
what happen to my post?
Asian delight, which post? I checked the Spam section and it was only Tongue’s comments there.
Ay sorry talaga for all the trouble. Since this blog was hacked last weekend, things have not gone back to normal.
Please bear with me muna.
Even my own comments are “for moderation”. Ano ba yun?
ellen, i mean the two redlines beside my recent post. i guess it was an error in blockquoting? must be.
thanks ellen.
nothing serious.. LOL
I had the same problem a couple of days ago, but I didn’t bring it up. I was required to write my name and e-mail and website…then leave a reply. Something’s weird.