.Ang Kwento.

At around nine o’clock in the morning, I arrived at the BIR office at Gil Puyat in Makati City. I went there for two reasons only. (1) To verify my TIN and (2) to apply for TIN identiication card. Apparently, hindi yun ang nangyari.

After they’ve checked my TIN, I asked the lady who assisted me kung san na ako pupunta so I could have my TIN ID, then she told me to go to “50 sa kabila.” I thought kabilang hanay ng room. So I asked Manong Guard kung san yung 50. He said, “Ay RDO 50 po yun, sa Atrium.” I was like, “Sa Atrium po? Sa Makati Ave.?” Then Manong G said yes.

Ok na. I did not bother to ask why. I just went back to the reception of the building, got my ID back, and headed to Makati Ave. Since I do not know where Atrium building was, I asked a lady (I assume she’s a teller at BDO dahil sa uniform nya). She gave me some directions though she wasn’t that sure dahil di pa daw sya nagagawi dun, she’s just familiar with it. She was a Good Samaitan really dahil nung nakita nyang I was having a hard time with the directions she gave me, she again talked to me and told me to just try walking ahead. Luckily, another lady came to the rescue, she heard us talking, and asked where am I heading. Heaven sent perhaps, she was going to Atrium as well kaya we went together.

Pagdating ko sa Atrium, I went straight to BIR. Pagkakita ko sa isang Manong Guard (2), I asked where will I go to apply for TIN ID. Nagsungit si Manong G (2) dahil for Pasay TIN holder lang pala ang office na yun. He then directed me to the other side of the building. Nabanas ako kay Manong G (2) dahil hindi sya accomodating to think na all-smile ang lola mo.

Pumila ako pagdating ko sa information area (kuno) ng BIR Makati Ave. Branch. Pagkaharap ko kay kuyang nag-aassist, I asked him for directions on what should I do so I could get my TIN ID. To make the story short, I almost lost my patience dahil kailangan ko pa palang magpalipat ng documents to RDO 49 (which is yung una kong pinuntahang BIR office earlier). He gave me the form, and went inside. Ok naman ang mga tao sa loob. Wala namang nagsungit (in fairness).

Now here’s the catch, after passing to them the form that I filled in, the man who assisted me told me to go back to RDO 49 (in short, sa Gil Puyat ulit), ask for Form 2305, and fill it up. Wow. Nanghina ako dun. Hindi naman ako adik noh? Sa sobrang inis ko, and since I have no one to share my sentiments, nakatunganga akong sumakay ng FX pabalik ng BIR Gil Puyat Branch.

Buti nalang, Ateng Guard there is kind and accomodating. She smiled at me when I handed her my ID so I could go back to 6th floor of that building. Pagdating ko dun, I asked for the form, and was told na I need my employer to fill up the boxes below that form. In short kailangan kong pumuntang office before I could pass that form at maayos ang papers ko sa kanila, at eventually makakuha ng TIN ID.

.Lessons.

(1)I learned that in dealing with government offices, you need to fill yourself with a lot of patience. Kailangan meron ka nun dahil kung hindi, patay ka (not literally of course). Sobrang malabong kausap mga tao, medyo magulo at nakakainis ang proseso. Sabi ko nga, ang hirap palang maging mabuting mamayan ng Pilipinas. Bakit? Ang daming hassle eh. Pano naman kasi, bulok ang sistema. Naisip ko nga, pano pala kung yung TIN ko ay kinuha sa ibang lugar na may kalayuan? Eh di nagpabalik-balik ako ng bonggang bongga? Nice naman.

(2)Even if it’s tiring already, do not forget to wear a smile kahit pa nagmamasungit ang mga tao. Hay, kahit halos di na maipinta ang mukha ko nun, I still smiled at people lalo na yung nice people. Naisip ko kasi, ang mean ko naman kung di ako mag-smile sa kanila, wala naman kasi silang kasalanan.

(3)Understand. Bilang mamayan ng bansang ito, ang tanging magagawa mo nalang since di ka naman makakapagdemand ng ora mismong pagbabago, intindihin mo nalang ang bagal ng poseso at pagsusungit ng mga tao. Anyway, sabi nga, may araw din naman lahat ng to. Meaning, perhaps in ten years time, magiging maayos na din lahat ang processes sa government offices natin (fingers crossed).

Seriously, in about two months from now, a lot of hopefuls will be presenting themselves to ask for our votes. Nation-changing ang 2010 elections. It’s really going to be not our ordinary national elections. Honestly, I’m very excited of the upcoming elections. Though I am kinda scared of the probabilities (like cheating, politics-elated killings, vote-buying, etcetera), I am keeping my hopes high. I know, with all the hardships that this nation has gone through, hindi papayag ang sambayanan na madaya na naman.

I grew up in politics. Oo, you read that right. My father is a politician (I actually made a blog post about it in my other blog). BUT, as in with a big but, not that because he is, eh puro pagtatanggol at good words about politicians nalang ang gagawin at sasabihin ko. Just so you know, my father and I usually exchange words about the Philippine politics. You know, how everything’s going.

Anyway, so much for that. Ang catch lang naman kung bat ko nabanggit yun is, bilang isang anak ng poitiko, nakita ko ang worst sa Philipine politics. Sabi nga, nagsisimula sa ibaba and lahat hindi ba? My father is from the ibaba. Meaning, he is a politiko from the municipal level. But again, let me say this, I have this great pride that my father is not the “usual” politiko in our country. I am not saying that because I am his daughter but because that’s a fact. If you want, you do your own investigation bout him.

Going back, Philippine politics is really very unique. Ay grabe! Compared to other countries, uso talaga ang dayaan (okay, exempted dito yung mga natatalong politicians na ginagawang rason ang kesyo nadaya daw sila even if hindi naman talaga), ang patayan (lalo na sa municipal level), and bilihan ng boto (ito ang favorite ng mga botante. tsktsk), at ano pa ba? Well, madami pa. Actually di lang boto ang binabayaran, pati COMELEC officials (aminin! wag in denial).

Minsan nga, naiisip ko, posible pa kayang dumating ang isang araw na magkakaron ng eleksyon sa Pilipinas na walang mga ganito? Yun bang super pure at walang halong kung anek-anek na kaechosan ang mga politiko. Yun bang walang madadaya (trulalou man o kaechosan lang), walang mambibili ng boto at nagpapaboto, walang patayan. Posible naman siguro. Sabi nga, hangga’t may buhay, may pag-asa.

This I have to say, in my humble opinion, that change would only be posible if the people themselves will start it. Yun bang di sila magpapadala sa mga promises, yung di sila magpapabili ng boto, yun bang sila mismo ang kikilos para protektahan ang Pilipinas. I’ve said this a lot of times already, after all, at the end of the day, walang ibang magke-care sa Pilipinas kundi mga Pilipino din.

As the day passes by, as politicians start to win our hearts, as electorate, let us not be unmindful of what’s happening around us. Let us not just look forward on what this people have to say, but instead, let us keep our eyes open on the probabilities. Let us not allow irregularities in this coming elections. Let us care for this nation.

For the politicians, be humbled. Stop creating issues against one another, di makakatulong sa pag-unlad ng bayan yan. Say what you want to say and mean it, or better yet magsilbi nalang kayo, gawin nyo nalang ang mga bagay na dapat nyong gawin para sa ikauunlad ng bansa. Wag na tayong maglokohan. Be sincere. We all should be.