super OFW

Sabi sa isang news report kagabi, ang bilang daw ng OFW sa ngayon ay umaabot na ng 10.6 million.  One-fourth daw yan or 25% ng total workforce ng pilipinas.  Ibig sabihin, sa bawat 4 na pilipinong manggagawa, 1 ay umaalis ng bansa.  Syempre para sa mas malaking kita. 

Top destination pa rin sa mga OFW ang USA, second ang Saudi Arabia at third ang UAE.  Although para sa akin, ang mga nasa USA, para namang hindi dapat na tawaging OFW.  Kasi alam mo naman dito sa Pinas, pag sinabing Yu-Es-Ey, totyal ang dating.  Kaya parang hindi sila trabahador.  In fact, they are treated more like gods and goddesses pag nandito sila.  “Oh I work in Cedars Sinai hospital.”  O kaya “My office is in One Rockefeller Plaza.” O di ba.  Nganga ka lang na parang bathala ang kausap mo.  

Eh kaming mga taga-Middle East, particularly sa Saudi? Parang... wala lang.  “Oh, so you work in Saudi?” sabi nga ng ilang sosyalerang na-meet ko dati.  Nakangiti nga sa yo pero alam mong may tumatakbong something sa isip.  Contempt most probably one of them.

Pag sa Middle East ka kasi nagta-trabaho, lalo na sa Saudi, aminin man natin o hindi, walang katotyalan na pag-uusapan.  Ang pinag-uusapan lang, ang kikitaing dolyares.  Ang mga eskandalosong gold necklace at makabulag-sa-laking singsing na suot ni Kabayan pag umuuwi ng Pinas.  Yon lang.  Other than that, ibang usapan pag buhay-Saudi ang kakaririn mo.

Common knowledge na kasi ang sakripisyong kailangan mong gawin kung doon ang punta mo.  The moment na nag-decide kang pumunta doon, kailangan mag-prepare ka ng matindi, mag-transform sa maraming bagay and in the end, become nothing short of a super hero.  Kaya nga siguro naimbento yang Bagong Bayani chuchu na yan eh.  Dahil kailangang mala-super hero ka pag ginusto mong maging Saudi boy o girl.

First, dapat mag-tanggal ka ng mga earthly pleasures na nakasanayan mo.  Di ba ang super hero walang bisyo?  Superman, Batman and Spidey never had a bottle of vodka on their hand.  Hindi rin sila nakikita sa saklaan, tong-itan o sa San Lazaro.  Lalong hindi sila womanizer dahil laging isa-isa lang ang leading lady nila. At lalong hindi sila inuumaga sa mga bar at kung saan-saang hang-outs na marami dito sa atin.

Ganon din pag nag-Saudi ka.  Kalimutan mo muna ang kinababaliwan mong Empraning o Red Horse.  Alam mo namang bawal kaya wag mo nang gawin.  Wag mo na rin ipagpatuloy ang karir mo as kabo ng weteng.  At kalimutan mo muna kung tirador ka ng mga bebot sa lugar nyo.  Dahil kung hindi mo aalisin ang mga bisyong yan, mas malamang kesa hindi, dagdag problema ka sa POEA at OWWA pag nagkataon.  Dami na nilang pino-problemang kabayan natin na naka-kulong dahil hindi napigilan ang pagiging pasaway.

In short, alam mong maraming bawal sa pupuntahan mo, paghandaan at sikapin mong igalang ang mga rules nila.  If you’re not ready to do that, wag ka na lang umalis.  Baka hindi ka pa nakakabayad ng ginamit mong placement fee, napauwi ka na ng Pinas.  May dala ka pang posas na remembrance.

Dapat physically prepared ka rin.  Something like Superman na wala lang kahit dilaan ng solar flares o mapunta sa ice caves. 

Anong nirereklamo mo sa 37 degrees na init ng Metro Manila?  Kung mason o pipe fitter ka at pupunta ka ng Saudi, humanda ka na sa 50 degrees ng init na titiisin mo araw-araw.  Pugon kung pugon ang labanan doon specially if you’re in the Riyadh/Central area where it is always hottest in summer.  Pagdating naman ng winter, adjust naman ang body systems mo sa near-zero temperature.  Masanay ka nang nanginginig ang baba mo, ang bilbil at lahat ng pwedeng manginig sa katawan mo. Uurong pati tutsang mo sa sobrang lamig.

Pero ang summer, madaling remedyuhan sa aircon ng kwarto o sasakyan. Ang winter, madaling kalabanin through several long johns, jackets at patong-patong na suot.  Ang pinaka-natatakot ako, pag nagsa-sand storm ng ilang araw.  Dumidilim ang buong paligid, malakas ang hangin at ang lumilipad na dala ng hangin ay buhangin (hmmm... nice rhyme).  Yong tipong kahit nasa loob ka ng kwarto mo, magugulat ka na may buhangin sa loob ng bibig mo.  Ibig sabihin, hindi na basta hangin lang ang nasisinghot ng respiratory system mo.

Dapat mentally tough ka rin.  Kung ano man ang galing na dala mo pag-alis mo ng Pinas, be ready to be tried, tested and sometimes bended pag nandoon ka na.  Ibang-iba kasi pag na-expose ka na sa international workforce.  Kung sanay ka dito na petek-petek ka lang sa trabaho dahil akala mo magaling ka, wait till some Western boss challenge your skills.  You might be the top of your batch in TESDA.  O La Salle grad ka.  But don’t stop there dahil marami ka pang matutunan na mas bago, advance at tama pag exposed ka na sa trabaho ng ibang lahi.

But of course kilala naman tayong mga Pinoy na magagaling sa trabaho.  Kaya nga mataas pa rin ang demand sa atin.  What I’m saying is, your mental and intellectual capacity will be assaulted in many ways and in many occasions.  At ang best na panglaban doon is for you to be open to new things, ideas and concepts.  One-track mind will not do you any good.

Of course hindi lang sa mismong trabaho may matututunan ka.  Pati sa people skills mo kailangang ihanda mo rin.  Matuto kang mag-pasensya, umunawa at gumamit ng sangkatutak na dipolomasya kapag ibang lahi na ang katrabaho mo. 

I’ve always had the shortest temper.  Kaya isa sa pinagmamalaki ko ay ang fact na wala akong nasapak na tao sa dinami-dami ng taon na nandoon ako.  Although maraming pagkakataon na muntik-muntikan nang umigkas ang kamay ko, in the end, talas na lang ng dila ang ginamit ko.  At least walang nakukulong for lashing out on somebody.  Malaking achievement yon para sa akin hahaha!

And now, ang pinaka-importante:  wag kang emo!  Kung gusto mo talagang mag-Saudi, umpisahan mo nang haluan ng bato, better yet, bakal ang puso mo.  Hiram ka kaya ng kryptonite kay Superman. Dahil kung lelembot-lembot ang dibdib mo, wag ka nang umalis.

You need not just to be physically and mentally strong.  Dapat, emotionally (and psychologically na rin) matigas ka.  Meron bang superhero na iyakin?  Baka konting miss mo lang sa asawa mo o syota mo, nag-ngangawa ka na.  Baka konting miss mo lang sa Nanay mo, nagsisigaw ka nang ‘uwi na akoooo’.

Being away from your family is tough.  Kung sanay ka sa Pinas na pag-uwi ng bahay, nakakalimutan ang stress sa trabaho dahil nandyan ang pamilya mo as your support system, walang ganon sa Saudi.  Buryong ka sa trabaho, uuwi ka ng bahay mo pero walang pamilya doon to distress you.

Although marami na ngayon ang naga-grant ng family status pero marami pa rin sa mga Kabayan natin doon ang hindi ganon ka-swerte.  All by myself pa rin ang drama nila.  And the best you can do is hang out with your flatmates, housemates and friends.  Na ang kinakauwian kadalasan ay inuman at videoke.  Ayan na ang umpisa ng problema!

Aside from that, dapat para ka ring si Superman o Spidey na laging nakataas ang warning systems.  Matalas ang pakiramdam sa mga danger.  Beware of things and situations na maaring ikapahamak mo.  Better yet, iwasan mo na lang na malagay sa mga sitwasyon na medyo mapanganib.  Wag ng gumala mag-isa kung disoras ng gabi.  Wala ka sa Roxas Boulevard para mamasyal at magpa-hangin.  Rape?  Holdap?  Bugbog?  Meron ding mga ganyang kaso doon.  So iwas ka na lang. 

So ano, gusto mong mag-Saudi para malaki ang kita?  Hindi sa dini-discourage kita.  Pero pinapa-alalahanan lang kita na pag pumunta ka doon, live up to the tag “hero”.  Dahil hindi ka lang hero sa ekonomiya ng Pinas.  Dapat mala-super hero ka rin mismo sa sarili mo para tumagal doon at ma-achieve kung ano man ang goal na sinet mo para sa iyong sarili. 

Being an OFW in Saudi is not a joke, it is a reality show (ay Alabang housewives ng Amazing Race yan hahaha).  Isang reality na mahirap, masakripisyo at minsan madugo.  Na hindi lahat ng gustong mag-Saudi ay kinakaya.  At doon sa mga Kabayan nating nagiging successful sa pagiging OFW sa Saudi, they do deserve the tag Bagong Bayani. Dahil talagang mala-super hero sila sa ginagawa nilang pagsisikap at pagsasakripisyo.

crossroads and ravines

Funny how some people don’t believe na aalis ako sa trabahong ito without any prospect of new employment.  As in kahit anong sabihin ko, kahit anong paliwanag ko na uuwi lang talaga ako para magpahinga, they just brush it off as if I’m pulling their left and right legs.  Mas maniniwala pa yata sila if I tell them that Jarir is giving away free ipads.

Hindi ko sila masisi.  Marami na rin kasing umalis at nagdahilan ng kung ano-ano tapos hindi pa nawawala ang amoy nila sa mga sulok-sulok ng kumpanya, ayan at lilitaw sa katabing kumpanya.  Nag-over the bakod lang pala katakot-takot na drama ang ginawa.  Kung ano-anong istorya ang binuo, tinalo pa ang scriptwriter ng Channel 2 na walang mga fresh ideas sabi nga ni Alfie Lorenzo.

Sometimes nagtataka na nga ako.  Why is it so incredible to some people?  Wala ba akong karapatang mapagod?  Wala ba akong karapatang magpahinga?  Wala ba akong karapatang magsawa?  Am I really that stupid to let go of a job that pays well without any replacement that will keep the continuous stream of salary every payday?

Siguro nga.  Sa panahon ngayon, losing a job, much more letting go of one, is a senseless idea.  Sa dami ng walang trabaho ngayon, ano’ng karapatan kong magmalaki at iwanan ang trabahong marami ang pumipila para aplayan. A lot of people are queuing up daily, rain or shine, sa mga employment agencies sa Pinas.  Lalo yong mga overseas employment agencies.  And yet, here I am turning my back on one job that hundreds, probably thousands, are fighting for, teeth and claw, to get their hands on.

But come to think of it.  I’m doing someone a huge favor.  Dahil sa halip na i-monopolize ko yong spot and cling to it till it wants clinging no more, heto at binibigyan ko ang isang kaluluwa ng chance na sya naman ang magtamasa ng dolyares na binabayad ng trabahong ito.

Who knows, that person might need the spot more than I do.  He might have a huge family to support.  Baka may mga anak na hindi makapag-enroll dahil walang pampa-aral.  Baka may asawa o kapatid na may sakit.  Baka may matatandang magulang na kailangang suportahan.  O, di ba, I’m being unselfish here and doing the human race one huge favor?

Seriously, the reactions I got sent me to some serious pondering.  Buti na lang I was firm and resolute when I reached this decision.  Kaya walang nangyaring “OMG, did I do the right thing?”.

And it dawned on me.  It’s not the decision of leaving the job that is incomprehensible to some.  Hindi yong pag-alis ko ng walang ibang pupuntahang trabaho.  It’s my audacity that is incredulous to them.  It’s my boldness to jump into what seems to be a deep ravine that they find unbelievable. 

Oh yes.  To some that is plain stupid.  But for me, it’s real courage.  And sense of adventure.  Dahil gagawa ako ng panibagong chapter ng buhay ko instead of sticking it out with something na hindi ko na ma-enjoy.  Na hininila ko na lang ang katawan ko para gawin. 

So I came to the crossroads that all of us will have to face sooner or later.  Nobody is spared from this.  And at this point, we all have to make a decision.  Nauna lang ako.  Pero susunod din kayo.  And if I’ve chosen to take the route on the left, some of you will choose to make a right turn.  The point is, it’s a crossroad and you’ll have no choice but to decide.  You have to move on.  Because idling is not an option.

Wherever life leads me after this is the biggest challenge.  And facing that challenge will be one exciting adventure I’ve been dying to experience.  I might end up a millionaire and that wouldn’t be bad.  Coz I’ve got a clear plan on what to if something like that happens.  Or, I might end up selling peanuts by the roadside.  Still it wouldn’t be bad.  Coz I did what I wanted to do and found out for myself what’s at the end of the rainbow.

Call me naïve, call me loony.  But I believe it’s better to have tried and failed than wonder all your life what it feels like trying.

out into the freeway

After weeks of speculations, questions and premonitions (o ayan ariel ha hindi kita nakalimutan! hahaha) eto na, I’m letting the cat out of the bag.  Sabi ko nga noon, when the right time comes, all will be revealed.  And the reveal I’m talkin about is the admission of the fact that I’m hanging up my safety shoes, company ID and pin-striped uniform to rest.

Actually last week nag-preliminary talks na ako with my boss.  Sabi ko para no surprises pagbigay ko sa kanya ng papel.  Yon yong sinasabi kong first step sa aking one-liner in FB.  And the next step is this.  Binigay ko na yong aking notice of non-renewal of my contract.

Of course I still have to go through the usual process of interviews and other formalities.  But as it stands now, it’s bye-bye time next month.  Kaya yong mga usap-usapan at mga tanong  na dati’y hindi ko masagot ng diretso, here it is.  Yes, I’m calling it quits.

Pasensya na sa mga kaibigan na hindi ko masagot ng matino dati.  I just thought I had to do it officially before making any announcement.  Sa tagal ko na kasing sinasabing I’m gonna do it, baka hindi na kayo maniwala.  In fact, I dread telling you this and and see some eyes rolling at may kasama pang ‘here we go again’ hahahaha.

But this time, ayan na. Totoo na.  Black and white na.

Wala akong offer from any company.  Ni hindi nga ako nagsi-send ng application anywhere coz job hunting is not one of my priorities right now.  Basta gusto ko lang magpahinga.  Burned-out.  Tamad factor.  Sawa factor na rin. Afterall, 8 years is already an achievement para sa isang tulad kong maigsi ang pasensya at kakaunti ang pagtitiis sa dumadaloy sa katawan.

I’ve wanted to do this for the longest time.  Hindi lang matuloy dahil marami pa akong considerations.   Largely because of financial reasons kaya hindi ko magawa.  But even if I stare constantly at that bank balance, naisip ko, I’ll never be satisfied with whatever I’m seeing.  It will always never be enough.  Kaya sabi ko, why prolong the agony and whine about it all the time?

Doon ko rin na-realize that it’s not the money that’s stopping me to do this.  It’s my fear of stepping out of the security brought about by a constant, almost boring, existence.  Kahit siguro sino, after 8 years of doing the same thing every day, will find it hard to leave behind the life you’ve been so used to.  It’s like suddenly stepping out into LA’s freeway after so many years of taking it slow on a small town feeder road.

That’s why I finally made the call.  Being at the same situation for so long has turned me into something that I don’t really like.  Complacency is one word I don’t find appealing.  Kahit nga tubig na stagnant, pinamamahayan ng lamok na may dengue di ba.

So I’m challenging myself to explore new avenues in life.  Marami akong gustong gawin na hindi ko magawa dahil sa pagka-kampante ko sa aking buhay.  And if I don’t do it now, I’ll forever be wondering what it’s like to be doing those things.

One friend said I might be running back to Saudi in a couple of years.  Posible.  Hindi ko naman sinasabing ayaw ko na sa Saudi.  Ginawa ko na ito noon.  Left the kingdom, did other things back home, then came back 5 years later.  I’ll probably do it again.  Afterall, wala pa namang rule ang Saudi government na bawal nang bumalik ang mga umaalis, di ba.

But what’s important is that I gave myself the chance to do new things, see other places, meet other people and learn new things.  And believe me, I still cherish those 5 years as one of the best chapters of my life.

I’d like to do the same thing all over again.  Find something else outside of the four corners of an office.   But the most important thing for me right now is to grant my lazy bones the break they’ve been crying out for so long now.  Coz that’s probably the one thing that would replenish my already depleted motivation. 

Pag na-refresh na ako, then saka ko na iisipin kung ano ang uunahin ko – go bungee jumping at the Millau Viaduct,  experience life in the vineyards of Naples or relax at the beaches of Maldives!   Weehh… di nga.  Seriously.  Sa panaginip nga lang! Hahaha. 

si bruce lee at si juan peklat

A few days ago may nagbakbakan sa cafeteria namin.  Isang Pinoy versus 3 itik (sa mga hindi nakaka-alam, Itik ang tawag ng mga Pinoy sa mga Indiano).  Nagkapikunan sa trabaho.  Ang ending, nalipat si kabayan ng assignment.  Pero dinig ko, napahanga ang ilan dahil nga nag-iisa sya.  Naging biruan pa nga raw na may pagka-Bruce Lee pala si kabayan dahil hindi niya inurungan yong tatlo.

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Kahapon naman, nagkukuwento ang isang kaibigan na ang isang office mate nyang kabayan din, inaway daw ng among itik.  Nadisgrasyang maitulak ng among itik si kabayan, nauntog ang ulo at dumugo. 

Two different situations.  Two different stories.  Pero ang mga karakter, iisa – pinoy vs itik. 

Marami na rin akong na-encounter na mga itik na nagpakulo ng dugo ko.  Fortunately, wala pa naman akong eksena na nag-ala Bruce Lee ako.  Pero yong pinaka-unforgettable, pang-drama anthology pa rin.

It happened back in ’88 (naku dami na naman magre-reak nito!).  Kararating ko pa lang ng Saudi.  I was a contractor then, na-assign sa isang malaking kumpanya sa industrial city.  May kasabay akong 2 pa na kabayan din from the same contracting company, sa iisang office kami napadpad.

Ang dinatnan namin sa office na yon, isang kabayan na direct hire (again, sa mga hindi nakaka-alam, sila yong employees hired directly by the company as opposed to an employee hired through a  contractor na tulad namin) at dalawang itik na contractors din pero ibang company ang sponsor.

Si kabayan (san na kaya tong si Tatay Ben), tahimik lang at cool.  Bising-bisi sa trabaho.  Kaya ang isang itik ang na-assign na mag-orient sa akin. He was a kind fella (Francis where ever you are, I owe you a lot).  I have to emphasize that part to put things in perspective – hindi hate blog ito against mga itik.  Nagkukwento lang ng mga encounter natin sa kanila.  Para malinaw lang. 

Pero kung mabait yong isa, yong isa feeling bossing.  Mayabang.  Arogante.  Let’s call him JP for Juan Peklat.  John talaga ang first name nya at ang apelyido ay malapit na sa Peklat.  But I’ll tell you about the Peklat later.

Hindi pa yata ako nakaka-tapos ng 3 months proby when one day, nag-ligalig si Peklat. May hinahanap na dokumento.  Tinanong ang isang kasabay ko.  Sinunod yong isa.  Saka lumapit sa mesa ko, asking the same question. 

“Wala sa akin yan” sabi ko.  “At hindi ko nakikita ang dokumentong sinasabi mo.”

So akala ko tapos na ang eksena.  I went out (nag-CR yata ako o kumuha ng print-out, whatever) pero pagbalik ko, nandon si Peklat sa workstation ko.  Naghahalungkat ng mga papel sa mesa ko.  Boiling point agad ang high blood ko!

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m looking for that document” sagot ng impakto sa akin.  Kaswal na kaswal.  Parang wala syang keber kung maghalungkat sya don. He thinks he owns the place kaya gagawin nya ang gusto nyang gawin.

“Di ba sabi ko sa yo wala dyan” syempre ingles yong dialog ko…

"I don't believe you"  ang sagot ng impakto sa akin.  At dinagdagan pa ng “I don’t trust you”.

Eh di sumabog ang dapat sumabog.

Hindi ko matandaan kung ano ang mga eksaktong words na binuga ko sa kanya.  Basta ang alam ko 5 octaves higher ang boses ko kaya nagsilipan yong mga Bisor na nasa adjacent room namin.  Ang hindi ko lang makalimutan ay yong closing remarks ko na pang-teleserye…

“Don’t treat us like a bunch of idiots” (para sa 2 kong kasama) “I’ll show you that Filipinos work better than you do (at para sa lahat ng mga Pinoy).

Binalingan ko pa ang dalawang kasama ko…  “huwag nga kayong papayag na tinataran**do nitong ga**ng to”. (oh, Noel and Danny, sa totoong buhay lang to di ba).

Natulala si Peklat.  Hindi nya siguro ine-expect na sa liit kong yon, at sa bata kong yon eh papalag ako ng ganon.  Well, hindi siguro nya alam that dynamite comes in small package.  Hindi rin siguro nya alam na 23 yo pa lang ako pero 130/90 na ang BP ko na hinilot ko lang sa clinic na nag-medical sa akin para ipasa ako.  At lalong hindi nya alam na lahing dragon ako kaya nabugahan sya ng fireball ng wala sa oras!

Up until this day, wala akong kahit na katiting na doubt or worry sa ginawa kong yon.  Siguro dahil nga bata pa ako, hindi ko inisip na pwedeng lumala yong sitwasyon at mapa-uwi ako.  Basta ang alam ko I have to stand my ground.  Kahit pa sabihing nagbabayad pa ako ng inutang kong pang-placement fee.

Basta hindi ako papayag na i-violate ng ganon.  Wala akong maling ginawa.  And I wouldn’t allow anybody to strip me of my dignity ng ganon-ganon lang.  Kaya kahit anong mangyari, all I know is that I did the right thing for myself, para sa 2 kasamahan ko at para sa iba pang Pinoy na pwedeng abusuhin nitong Peklat na ito.  Well it turned out that I did the right thing.  

In fact, validation came early.  Dahil as soon as I reached my first year don sa office, inumpisahan na ng boss ko na ilatag yong pagdi-direct hire sa akin.  Which is a big deal nong mga panahong yon dahil wala pa raw nangyaring ganon. (I had to highlight the ‘raw’ dahil hindi ko nga alam kung gaano katotoo).  In short, precedent daw ang nangyari sa akin (sa amin actually dahil 2 kaming sabay na ginawan ng ganitong proseso – the other one is still very much alive and kicking na ka-FB ko pa – hi there Verns!).  In fact one doubting Thomas ang nag-linyang ipapaputol daw nya ang daliri nya pag natuloy yong DH namin.  Eh natuloy nga.  Pero yong putulan ng daliri wala lang… jowk! Hahahaa.  (please Buboy wag mo akong multuhin haaa)

And so my hardwork paid off.  Pinanindigan ko yong sinabi kong Filipinos work better.  At nasabi kong validation ito dahil si Peklat, nong matapos ang kontrata, hindi na ni-renew.  My boss might be an old man but he is wise enough to know that Peklat is a poser.  Nagkukunwari lang na busy at nagta-trabaho pag nandyan ang amo.  Pag wala, nakataas ang paa habang nagtsa-tsaa at at nakababad sa telepono with his friends.

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With his air of superiority and arrogance, alam ko na nag-iwan ng peklat sa pride nya ang nangyari (so malinaw na why I call him Peklat?).  Hindi ko lang alam kung natuto sya sa nangyaring bugahan portion na yon.  Pero kung hindi man at ginawa nya ulit sa ibang Pinoy ang ginawa nya sa akin, I’m sure madadagdagan pa ang peklat nya. Dahil marami pa syang mae-encounter na Pinoy na bumubuga ng apoy (my friends Raoul and Edgar included! hahaha).  At laking malas nya kung si Bruce Lee pa ang masagupa nya!

hubaaadddd!!!

I’ve been dodging it for some time. Dapat talaga August pa lang medical exams ko na pero kakaiwas umabot ng December. And this time, hindi na pwedeng mag-inarte, mag-dahilan or mag-drama. Otherwise, mare-report na ako na parang tax evader at masasama sa statistics na ipi-present sa mga amo na ang title eh ‘mga pasaway’!

Ewan ko ba pero ever since ito talaga ang pinaka-mahirap na parte pag mag-aapply ako ng trabaho o kung dito nga sa Saudi, part ng requirement sa iyong pinagta-trabahuhan. I hate a lot of things about medical exams. Samantalang ito lang yong paraan para makita natin kung kailangan na ba ng maintenance ng ating mga ‘tumatanda’ at ‘kinakalawang’ na katawang lupa!

First, perennial problem ko na dati pa ang high blood pressure. I always have to convince the nurse na hindi mataas ang bp ko. Normal sa akin yon. 150/90? Sa iba oo. E sa akin ganon talaga yon eh. 23 years old pa lang ako, first medical exam ko para pumunta ng Saudi, 130/90 na ang bp ko. So what’s the big deal? Eh sa masipag mag-pump ang puso ko ng dugo eh!

Tapos kung pre-employment yong medical, andyan na yong hubaran portion! Susmiyo! Kaya nga hindi ako nag-artista! Why in the world do I have to disrobe for someone na hindi ko naman ka-intimate. Sa kwarto lang at sa banyo ako comfortable na naka-birthday suit! Tapos pagbo-boldin mo ako sa harap mo eh ni hindi kita kilala!

One time nga noon, ka-chipan yata yong clinic na ka-tie-up nong recruitment agent, akalain mong parang hazing sa frat ang nangyari. We were lined up against the wall, sampu yata kami. Tapos sabi ng doctor (an old man) sige, hubad. Hubad naman kami. Sabay-sabay yong sampu huh! Sa isip ko lang ano to, audition para sa isang bold film? Titingnan kung sino ang may malaking ‘qualification?’

Meron namang isa, and old lady doctor. Old na talaga as in ang bagal na nyang magsalita at kumilos. At least this time, one on one naman ang labanan. So walang masyadong hiya factor. Pero comedy si doktora. She’s seated behind a desk almost 3 meters away from me. Pakikinggan mo mabuti ang instructions nya kasi mahina na rin ang boses. Sasabihin nya, Hubad. Tuwad. All the while, iilawan nya ang gusto nyang makita using her flashlight! Bwahahaha!

Lately dahil sa edad ko na qualified na sa ECG (o bakit, I’ve always been proud of my age ah!), kasama na rin yon sa mga requirement. Nakakairita din na kakabitan ka nong ilang suction ends na yon na pag natanggal eh daig mo pa ang sinipsip ng pitong bampira! Ang tagal mawala ng chikinini!

But the hardest parts is, and will always be, the ‘sample’ gathering. Yong specimen ng solid at liquid waste mo. Dito talaga sumusuko ako. Bumabaligtad ang sikmura ko, tumutulo ang luha at uhog ko sa parteng ito. Kaya nga sabi ko ni hindi ko inisip na mag-take ng any course related to medicine eh. I simply don’t have the guts to deal with my own, pano na kung sa iba pa!!!

Ay teka, bago mapunta sa kaduwal-duwal na bagay ang usapan, at least ginawa ko na whatever is required of me, for now. At kung dati-dati eh problema ko ang mga triglycerides at bad cholesterol ko, this year halos nasa normal level sya. And I hope I can maintain it. Yong iba, wala na talagang magagawa. At my age and lifestyle na hindi ko na kailangang i-esplika ang pagiging couch potato ko at ang exercise lang na inaabot ko eh ang pag-click ng mouse at pag-pindot ng keyboard, maswerte na ako dahil nasa tolerable level pa rin yong mga yon. Kaya next medical exam na lang ulit ako mamo-mroblema! Meantime, I miss a huge piece of SK’s yummy T-bone! Hahaha!

holiday mode

It’s the start of a week-long holiday with the kingdom celebrating this year’s Hajj holidays. Actually mahaba-haba sanang holiday ito para sa akin coz it started last Thursday/Friday which is our regular weekend plus the 5 day-holiday and the weekend after that. 9 days sana ulit akong babad sa kama para matulog, with mornings actually starting at mid-day. Gigising lang kung nagrereklamo ang bituka for having missed breakfast. Minsan pati lunch.

But here I am, tied up to my work station, cursing the system for yawning and crawling while I was pummeling it with my uploads that was the reason why I was here in the first place. Damn system! Looks like he’s on a holiday mode too! Grrr… hindi ka pwedeng mag-holiday no. Gumising ako ng maaga para pumasok kaya hala, mag-trabaho kaaaaa!!!

Actually I’ve stayed away from work during holidays for the last 3 or 4 years now. Most of the adiks would say it’s ‘sayang’ coz work during these days is paid double. But I have my reasons. May malalim na hindi ko pwedeng i-share dito. Yong mababaw na reasons na lang like yon nga, mas gusto kong i-enjoy ang kawalan ng ginagawa kahit 9 days lang at naka-tambay sa kwarto ko. Or mag-lakwatsa paminsan-minsan kung saan maisipan. In short, gusto kong i-exercise yong katamaran ko sa mga ganitong araw.

But sometime last week nilapitan ako ng boss ko. Porke kailangan matapos ang ganito, ang ganyan. At lumalabas na kung hindi ako papasok this week, I’ll be in a hell hole after the holidays. As in maraming bida ang sisigaw at magwawala dahil hindi natapos ang ganito at ganyan. They sure will breath fire on somebody’s neck. And it will be nobody else’s neck but mine.

O sya hala, di sige pumasok. Kahit masira ang panata ko sa mga ganitong panahon. Kahit sabihin ng mga adik na bigla akong naghirap kaya pinatulan ko na rin ang overtime pay. Totoo naman. Hehehe.

Ang usapan namin ng amo, 3 days ang ipapasok ko out of the 5-day holiday. Ibig sabihin I have until Monday to finish all the stuff that was supposed to be ready by Saturday next week. Pero may pahabol naman sya na kung hindi raw matapos, pwede pa akong mag-work even beyond the agreed 3-days. I-inform ko lang daw sya. Kung ikaw naman siguro ang sabihan ng ganon at nag-inarte ka pa, wala ka nang budhi. The message is loud and clear: tapusin ang dapat tapusin!

Kaya lang, at the rate the system is doing his part, mukhang aabutin pa nga ako ng Tuesday nito. Sana naman wag nang umabot ng Wednesday. Kahit 1 day na lang, I just have to experience Hajj holiday for myself this year. Kaya hala kang sistema ka! Trabahoooo! (kung pwede lang gamitan ng latigo ito! Hmmpffttt!)

excess baggage, anyone?

I’m sure nong mga bata tayo lahat tayo naka-experience na umiyak or mag-alburoto dahil pinangakuan tayo ng isang kendi or isang laruan tapos hindi binigay sa atin. As far as I can remember, meron akong experience na ganon although hindi ako umiyak at nagwala. Pero matinding dabog ang ginawa ko noon sabay simangot na halos maka-mukha ko na si Donald Duck sa haba ng nguso ko.

As kids, that was how we handled the feeling na hindi pa natin alam kung ano ang tawag. Basta ang alam lang natin, somebody reneged on their promise, tricked us o kaya, pinag-tripan lang tayo ng matatanda kaya hindi nangyari ang inaasahan natin. Didn’t get what we wanted. Ngayon lang malaki na tayo natin nalaman na disappointment pala ang tawag sa feeling na yon.

Just recently, something happened at work that caused disappointment not only for me but for most of my friends as well. Hindi ko na ide-detalye dito kung ano yon, I still believe in ethical blogging kaya pag-pasensyahan nyo na.

What I can share though is the fact that we felt hugely disappointed. Dahil hindi nangyari ang ine-expect namin. At may naririnig pang kung ano-anong kwento that only worsens the feeling.  Ito yong kwentong sisigaw ka ng ‘that’s unfair’ sabay hagis ng kung anoman ang mahawakan mo. Buti kung may director na sisigaw ng ‘cut’.

Nakakatawa nga kasi one of my friends sent a pic of a cat na cute na cute pero galit na galit habang hawak ang isang baril ala Rambo. Natawa ako don sa pic but the truth is, it totally captured the sentiment of the moment. Ah well, eksads lang yon, hindi naman kami hahawak ng baril and hurt anybody. Pero ito yong mga sitwasyon na kung sa Pinas lang nangyari, siguradong malaki ang kikitain ng Gerry’s Grill sa amin dahil marami-raming case ng beer ang maiinom ng grupo habang nag-e-emo.

Behavioral experts say disappointment comes from unmet expectations. Para daw walang disappointment, wag mag-expect. Hindi naman ako agree don. Para sa akin, people who don’t expect things to happen in their lives don’t have much of a dream. Coz dreams, aspirations and expectations are almost family. Pag may dreams ka, may plano ka, may pinupuntirya ka, may goal ka, you certainly would have expectations. Kung wala, then you probably have to reassess your life.

Eniweys, kung noong bata pa tayo, madali nating makalimutan ang mga disappointment natin, it’s a different story now that we’re older. We deal with disappointment depending upon it's severity.  Some will cry a river. Some will vent their frustration on something. Kung matindi yong disappointment, ang mahina-hina nag-a-amuck. Worse, iinom ng silver cleaner.

But that's on the extreme. Hindi naman ganon ka-grabe ang sitwasyon namin. We can still joke about it and laugh it off. At wala pa naman kaming balak mag-tayo ng Ampalaya Anonymous Saudi Chapter. In fact, after two days of sulking, we’re all in agreement that it’s time to move on.

Pano daw ba mag-move on sabi ng isang friend ko. Madali lang sabi ko. Take a step forward. Not backward. Ang daling sabihin pero sa totoo lang, pag masakit, mahirap humakbang forward. That is why some people find it difficult to move on.

Fortunately, I’m one who can kick frustrations out of my system easily. Maybe because I’m overly pragmatic. Pag tapos na, nangyari na, wala na akong reason to hold on to it. I’ll learn whatever lesson the situation offers but I’ll leave it right where it should be. I’ll feel the pain syempre dahil hindi naman ako bato. At halos malagas din ang ipen ko the last two days from clenching it out of frustration.  Pero hanggang don na lang yon. Hindi ko na siya dinadala as I move along.

Sabi nga ng mga kabataan ngayon, iwas nega na lang tayo. Coz I believe they are baggage that we don’t need kung gusto nating bumilis ang takbo natin sa karera ng buhay. Kung wala tayong dala-dalang ganito, we can think clearer, run faster and probably find something else much better.

Disappointment.  Frustration.  Discontent.  Things that you shouldn't be holding in your hands for you will be tying them down instead of doing better things.  Hindi mo rin dapat itanim sa utak mo dahil parang nasa recycle bin yan ng computer mo. Junk and useless yet kumakain pa rin ng memory.  At lalong hindi dapat ilagay sa puso.  Coz it would sure cloud your vision.  There's only one thing to do sa mga ganitong negative feelings.  Purge it.  And moving on will be easier.

patience my friend, patience!

Taon-taon na lang yata, kapag parating na yong contract anniversary ko sa trabaho, I’m always thinking of packing my bags and catch the earliest flight out. Yong tipong ayaw ko na and this is the best time to call it quits. Parang pini-pressure ko yong sarili ko na sige na, make it happen now. Afterall, ang tagal mo na yang pinag-pa-planuhan.

And that season is here again dahil early next month, 7th year ko na. At kung gagawa man ako ng desisyon, it’s gotta be within these days. Any day later will mean I’d have to stick it out for another year. At dahil tipong hindi ko pa rin magawang mag-alsa balutan like what I’ve been dreaming of doing for the longest time, babagsak na naman ako sa simangot, walang gana at super tamad mode.

Nandon na naman ako sa panahon na walang magawa ang dalawang alarm clock sa umaga. Pahirapan bumangon, hihilahin lahat ng parte ng katawan para makaalis sa kama. Maliligo, magbibihis, bababa ng hagdan – all in a zombie-like movement. No sense of urgency, no eagerness, simply no zest.

Madalas, nakasinghal na naman ako sa mga makukulit na Indyano o katutubo sa trabaho. I’m no different from a firecracker with a very short fuse. Konting kanti, sasabog. Ito rin yong mga araw na hindi ako camera friendly dahil mahirap akong patawanin, daig ko pa ang naka-botox. Ito yong mga araw na pwede akong pumalit kay Oscar the Grouch habang kumakanta ng Sick and Tired ni Anastacia.

Nandyan na naman yong aking bmw (bitching, moaning and whining for those who have’nt read my previous posts). Up to the point na maglilinya na naman ako sa ilang malalapit na kaibigan na gusto ko nang umuwi ng Pinas. Pagod na ako. Tinatamad na ako sa buhay dito. I think most of them have grown tired of it all by now and never take it seriously anymore. Yong iba siguro tinatawanan na lang ako sa mga pinag-sasabi ko.

Sa mga ganitong araw, panay-panay na ang kwenta ko ng kakaunti kong savings. Na para bang everytime na kukwentahin ko sya eh may makikita akong significant interest samantalang mabagal pa sa kuhol ang pag-tubo ng interes na binibigay ng RCBC at PNB sa dollar accounts ko.

Kwenta rin ako ng kwenta ng mga susuwelduhin, kasama ang mga benefits na makukuha ko kung aalis na ako. Na parang everytime kong kukuwentahin eh may madi-discover pa akong detalyeng nakaligtaan ko at lalaki pa ang nakikita kong numero. Samantalang ilang beses ko nang kinulit si Tserman sa HR namin about those benefits.

Sabi siguro ni Tserman pag nagtatanong ako ‘hay naku, heto na naman po kami’. Pero syempre hindi nya masabi yon sa akin dahil mabait syang kaibigan. At yong mga nakarinig ng BMW ko, they must be laughing hard by now coz here I am, months and years later, and never have I moved an inch. Hindi naka-alis at nagmukha lang engot sa mga pag-eemote na ginawa.

Naisip ko lang, kung tinuloy ko kaya ang paglayas last year or even the year before, ano kaya ang nangyari sa akin ngayon. Para siguro akong dinaanan ng twister nong nangyaring economic crisis na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa fully recovered and ibang bansa. Maraming nawalan ng kabuhayan. I could have easily be one of them. Buti sana kung may food stamps sa atin, grocery stamps at kung ano-anong charitable assistance na ginagawa ng gobyerno sa mga westerners. Sa atin, buntot mo hila mo. Sikmura mo, bahala ka.

Ang masakit pa nito, kung nawalan na ako ng pera at wala na akong makain, mag-aaplay ulit ako ng trabaho. Pero dahil sa economic crisis, may isang trabahong available pero ang kasabay kong applicants, tatlong libo. Isang libo doon ay mga fresh graduates, the other thousand ay mga ex-abroad din, karamihan galing USA and the last ay mga dating managers at executives ng malalaking kumpanya. Ang masakit, all 3,000 of them are willing to accept the job kahit halos barya na lang ang ino-offer ng sweldo. Krisis eh.

Tapos biglang nagkaron ng major event sa pamilya ko. Something na hindi lang emotionally taxing kungdi financially din. My heart bled and so did my bank account. Kung lumayas siguro ako sa trabaho noon, nagmamatira na ang kakaunti kong naiipon sa bangko. Worse, baka nage-email na ako sa mga kaibigan ko para mag-do the needful (sikat po ang phrase na yan sa mga Indiano na ina-adapt din ng mga Pinoy in jest). Something that would be very difficult to do for someone like me with an ego bigger than Faisaliyah Tower.

So saan ako pupulutin? Just the thought of it sends shivers down my spine.

Pasalamat na lang ako at malakas pa rin ang command ng utak ko kesa sa emotions ko. I was able to put some checks into what can be a potentially crippling decision na gustong-gusto ko nang gawin. And in the process, napatanuyan ko yong sinasabi nilang patience is a virtue. A virtue which I didn’t have and now I’m slowly letting it grow on me.

Sa ngayon, nandon pa rin yong kawalan ko ng eagerness sa araw-araw. But at least I’m managing to keep it under the surface. I’m trying to minimize the grouching, the touchiness, the sparks of temper. Nandyan naman ang mga adik at iba pang mga kaibigan para sa araw-araw na chikahan o mga spur of the moment na lakwatsa. I owe them a lot kasi malaking tulong yon para mawala ang pagkaburyong ko. I just have to wait. Afterall, madali lang ang isang taon. Pagdating non, saka ko na ulit pag-isipan kung anong gagawin ko. In the meantime, I’m keeping my spreadsheet updated.

san na si batman?

In my current job, I regularly conduct classroom training for end-users in our department. Last Sunday/Monday, I did the two-day, 4-sessions training for the ERP software our company is using. It’s the same software that I worked on in Makati a decade ago.

Back then, I also did quite a few trainings and presentations. Every now and then, I’ll be a part of the marketing group who does the sales pitch to prospective clients kaya isa ako sa magpi-present nong binebenta naming package. Our audience ranges from middle executives to top ranking CEOS of some of the largest companies in PI.

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Sa mga clients naman, nagtuturo din ako nong system as part of the project. I also conducted team building activities here and there, both for our company and our clients. That’s why I’ve gained some level of confidence when it comes to presentations and trainings (read: kapalmuks na! hahaha)

With that amount of experience, I think it I’d better share with you some things that I’ve learned when doing these things. Some practical tips that might help you if you are starting out on jobs that involve speaking in front of a group of people.

The first thing that you should remember when doing this presentations and/or trainings is that you should be prepared 100%. Leaving a gap somewhere sabay ‘bahala na si batman’ can sometimes lead to disaster. Coz if something goes wrong, it’s your face you’ll have to save in front of many people.

There were times that I did exactly that, bahala na si batman. And batman never came to rescue me from utter humiliation. Aside from the fact that those people might have branded me forever as an idiot without giving me the chance to redeem myself. Since then, I’ve tried as much as possible to prepare the best I could. If, after having done my best at nagkaroon pa rin ng palpak, then at least I wouldn’t go down so hard.

So here are some rules I observe whenever I’m doing presentations/trainings.

Know Your Topic. It’s the universal rule when it comes to public speaking. If you will talk about origami, siguraduhin mong alam mo kung ano ang meaning ng origami. Just because you know how to fold a paper doesn’t necessarily mean you can impress your audience. Eh kung may magtanong kung ano yong origin nong word, background, history, etc.. at hindi mo nasagot, baka ikaw ang matupi sa kahihiyan! Knowing your topic gives you a certain level of confidence kaya iwas-nerbiyos ka. It can also make you talk more candidly and credibly without having to memorize things na para kang nasa college.

Know Your Audience. Ok, so you’re one of the experts in quantum physics. Does it mean you’ll pull off successful presentations or trainings all the time? Not necessarily if you don’t adapt yourself to your audience. If you’re speaking to your fellow geniuses, by all means, itodo mo ang pagka-genius mo. But if your audience are mere mortals like me, medyo ibaba mo yong level. Don’t use complex matrices and terms like Planck’s Constant and expect us to understand that. Else, baka mag-walk out ako.

Calibrate your material. After knowing who your audience is, develop your materials around them. Prepare your presentation, hand-outs and exercises according to the level of your audience. If it’s for a CEOs and top bosses, make sure it looks smart, sharp and professional (my friend Ega does this excellently). Whatever my audience is, I also try to veer away from fancy colors and dizzying animations in my slides. You’ll look amateurish if your audience are CEOs. Kung mga ordinary people naman, they might dazzle at your swooshing graphics but never really pay attention to your topic. Keeping enough colors and animation will prevent your audience from yawning but don't let it throw the main topic to take the backseat.

Visualize The Result. If you’re doing a sales pitch, then your audience should buy whatever you’re peddling at the end of your presentation. Kung nagtuturo ka naman tungkol sa pagluluto ng puto bumbong, then your students should be able to cook some nice puto bumbong after the session. In short, your whole effort should achieve it’s purpose. It will only happen if you, yourself, have the conviction that you will achieve the often bulleted objectives you present at the start of your slides.

The cliché: Practice Makes Perfect. It’s a line so jurassic yet true. When you think you’ve got your whole act ready, try running it once even with your dog as your audience. You’ll be surprised how simple things like alignment, font size or minor spelling errors can ruin your entire presentation. Do it again and you’ll find that your slide sequencing is totally askew. Do it once more and you’ll realize you’ve done a 1-hour presentation while you’re given just 30 minutes. Run it over and over until you’re sure everything’s okay. Besides, the more you run it, the more you become familiar with it. With that, you can anticipate the next slide or topic. Then you can easily do ad libs for seamless transitions.

The Moment: Deliver it. Okay, so you’ve done some heavy preparation. Polished that presentation to perfection. Prepared hand-outs neatly. The last thing is to deliver it to your audience. Here’s a few do’s and dont’s while doing it:

· Do dress for the occasion. T-shirt and jeans are always perfect when malling but not when speaking in front of executives. On the reverse, a coat and tie would probably alienate a group of blue-collar workers. Look the part but never overdo it.

· Do keep some water handy. Unless isa kang concert king or queen, manunuyo ang lalamunan mo after a few minutes of babbling. So keep some water within reach. It will prevent your throat from going dry and your voice from cracking. Besides, a gulp of water can smooth your nerves at nababawasan ang panginginig ng kamay mo kung inaatake ka ng nerbiyos.

· Don’t be a clown nor a Gestapo. You might want to command attention which is okay but don’t overdo it at nagmukha ka nang terror professor sa college. Make your audience feel comfortable and relaxed. But don’t go cracking silly jokes. Wala ka sa Klownz. Unless you're doing motivational speaking for depressed people in an emotional rehab.

· Do speak clearly and audibly. Size up the room and audience and deliver your lines in just the right volume. One thing I always do before I start diving into my presentation is to ask the guys at the back if they can hear me loud and clear. Then I maintain that volume level. I never murmur things to yourself. Afterall, my audience should hear me, not the fly languishing a foot away from me.

· Don’t pretend to be mr-know-it-all. Even if you know your topic, there will come a time that someone will shoot a question that'll floor you. In case someone does that, don’t stare back at him as if you wanted to shoot him with a pistol. Lalong wag kang ma-rattle. Just be cool. And never ever attempt to get smart. You can always say something to tell him that you don’t know the answer without actually saying it. Expert na ako sa mga linyang ‘I’ll check on that and I’ll get back to you’ (Kimmydora, remember?). It's one of the trade secrets I learned back in that Makati stint. Believe me, it always works.

· Don’t ignore your audience. Try to get the audience interact with you. Ask them if they have any question before ending a topic. Whenever possible, encourage discussion and exchange of ideas. You’ll be surprised dahil marami kang mapupulot sa kanila. Things that, if not outright brilliant, can help you improve your next training or presentation.

· Don’t forget to roll the credits. Close your session by giving back the credit to your audience. Thank them for their attention and participation. It’s a grave sin if you ignore the fact that you’ve taken a day or an hour of their time but never acknowledge it.

There you go. It’s quite long eh. I didn’t realize I had this many things to say when I started writing this. In fact, in-edit ko pa nga ito from the original kilometric version. Darn, I should start writing a book about it! Hahaha!

survey says.....

A few days from now, malalaman na natin kung gaano katotoo ang mga opinion polls na nakita natin during the past few months. If after consistently leading various surveys, it really is Noynoy who will be the next President. O mag-iiba ang resulta at biglang sumigaw si Dick Gordon na tama sya at dapat talagang i-TRO ang mga survey na yan.

Having had a couple of jobs in the market research field during my younger days (ehem… tanda na talaga!) medyo may insight ako sa mga survey-survey na yan. I know that some things are going on in the background na hindi natin basta nakikita. Some things that can really affect the veracity of the reports that the public are being fed.

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I wouldn’t name names dahil wala pa akong pambayad sa lawyer in case I get sued. But I’d be talking about some recognizable names when it comes to market research in the Philippines. Two companies during that time na swerte naman at pareho kong napag-trabahuhan dati. Based on my experiences with them, I’ll highlight two points at bahala na kayo to judge for yourself kung gaano ba talaga ka-credible ang surveys and opinion polls. Here goes….

Point 1: The hand that rocks the pen

Twas mid '80s when I got hired by Company B as a field researcher. Ang gagawin ko lang, mag-interview ng mga MIS officers ng mga top companies sa Pinas, most of whom are concentrated in the Ayala Area. Pa-survey kasi ng isang international computer giant yon.

Sa isang tulad kong malakas ang loob, walang hiya (notice the space in between ha!) at medyo makapal ang mukha, very ideal yong trabaho. Binigyan ako ng database ng contacts – names, companies and positions – ng aking prospective respondents. All I have to do is to set an appointment with them, show up in time, do the interview and presto, may 150 pesos na ako! Nakaka-2 or 3 interviews ako a day. Malaking pera na yon back in ’85.

The hitch is, hindi mo pwedeng i-submit yong questionnaire na may isang question na blangko (unanswered). It will be nullified at hindi ka babayaran. Ang problema, dahil puro mga executives ang respondent ko, lahat sila limitado ang oras, laging nagmamadali at umaangal sa dami nong tanong. Ewan ko ba naman kung bakit ang daming tanong. Kaya yong ibang interviewee ko, nilalayasan na ako at the 45^th question. Ayaw na ring magpa-follow-up interview sa akin. And I’ll be left in dismay.

Eh ano pa ang gagawin ko, di imbentuhin yong sagot sa ibang tanong. Aba, sayang ang effort ko kung hindi ako babayaran. Napudpod ang daliri ko sa telepono kakatawag sa mga supladang sekretarya. Nagbihis ako kuntodo necktie at nag-taxi from Malibay to Ayala. Tapos masasayang lang dahil hindi nasagot yong 5 questions out of 50. Unfair di ba. Kaya ginagawan ko ng paraan. Although I know, a big 'cheat' sign was plastered up my forehead during that time.

So what’s my point?

Surveys are largely dependent on the integrity of the survey itself. Lalo na sa mga taong gumagawa noong actual survey. Kung marami sa researchers ngayon ay tulad kong marunong ding mangdaya, maaring malayo din sa katotohanan ang resulta nong survey. Lalo na kung walang fool-proof mechanism yong survey at madaling manipulahin sa umpisa pa lang.

Point 2: Sino ba ang nagbabayad?

I must have done a good job in Company B kaya nong nag-apply ako sa Company A, I got a recommendation from my previous boss kaya madali akong natanggap. This time, office work na. Hindi kasing-dali nong trabaho ko sa Company B, hindi rin kasing-laki ng bayad pero hindi na 6-months contract ang labanan. This one’s a lot more stable dahil 8-hour job na. And this time, may sarili na akong desk in an airconditioned office.

I was assigned in the consumer survey division. Subscriber namin ang ilang manufacturing company sa Pinas. Companies who wanted to see how their shampoo, bath soap, detergent bar, toothpaste, etc are doing in the market. Kung anong brand, size, packaging at promotional campaign ang bumebenta at hindi. Kaso, I think they are not seeing the real figures they’re supposed to see.

Data Inspector ang tawag sa akin pati sa mga kasamahan ko sa aming maliit na section. Ito yong section na gumagawa ng dirty job dahil kami yong unang binabagsakan ng data after ma-input sa computer ang resulta ng survey ng mga field researchers na nakakalat sa mga department stores, grocery at sari-sari stores sa Greater Metro Area. And what do we do with the data? Hindi lang basta ini-inspect. Ina-adjust pa.

Para kaming mga doctor na nagda-diagnose ng pasyente kung may lagnat o wala. Kung normal yong trend ng data base sa previous survey period, okey lang. Pero kung may lagnat (a spike) yong data na biglang tumaas o kaya nag-chill at biglang bumaba, eentra kami. We will do the calculations para ma-minimize ang gap, ke plus or minus, at mailapit sa dating data point.

Noong ginagawa ko yong trabaho, I was also wondering kung bakit kailangan gawin yon. But my officemates who studied (and graduated BS Stats) explained the principle to me. Hindi pwede ang sharp curves sa graphs. Kailangan laging may statistical regression. Ahhhh… ganon pala yon. Although at the back of my mind the word “cheat” is flashing once again like a bright neon sign.

Eh bakit kailangang gawin? Kasi we have to please the one who pays for the survey. Matutuwa ba sya na biglang nilampaso ang product nyang top seller ng isang bagong produkto? Syempre hindi. So even if the real picture is ugly, we have to give it to the subscriber bit by bit. Hindi pwedeng biglaan. Baka biglang i-pull out yong subscription.

And that’s exactly my second point.

May bahid ng katotohanan ang accusations ng ilan na ang resulta ng survey depends on who pays for it. Sa dati kong trabaho, ang nagbabayad ay yon mismong mga manufacturing companies. And the data we must present them should at the least ‘suit’ their taste.

There you go. Based on experience lang ang kinuwento ko sa inyo. Kaya wag kayong magtaka if I don’t take surveys seriously. Unless I know that the survey is done in all honesty. Tulad nong survey natin dito sa DS. Ito talagang 100% accurate. All the rest, we’ll just have to take it with a grain of salt. Kahit pa rock salt yan. Dahil hindi natin alam kung gaano talaga ka-accurate yong result. And we’re left to believe what we want to.