Jeepney Press / Lita Manalastas-Watanabe

Advice ni Tita Lits Take It Or Leave It

Dear Tita Lits readers.

I want to share with you my experience writing a complaint letter last July 20, 2022 to the newly sworn in Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

The lesson I learned: We can help our newly minted President BBM and his official family do their jobs well, if we also try to do our duty as Filipino citizens, by calling attention to the services, or lack of, rendered to us ordinary citizens of various government offices.

I was surprised by the reactions my letter, which I wrote as a viber message. As one reader from the UK informed me, “… your letter has gone viral and one of my (former) university classmates (of around more than 2 decades ago) posted it in their class chat group”.

One reader, who is in the list of top 40 richest Filipinos per Forbes Magazine, said “A polite bureaucratic reply. Your friend (the DFA Secretary) probably never saw your letter.”

Another reader told me she has immediately forwarded my letter the day after she got my post. I am really not sure if the DFA Secretary had a glimpse of my complaint, but the newly appointed Assistant Secretary of the Office of Consular A airs, took less than a week to officially respond.

I want to share that letter to the DFA Secretary and the response from his ASEC/OCA. And then, of course, the many reactions I received, whose identities I cannot reveal, for reasons of personal data protection. I have also not secured permission from them. But all of these I have documented and compiled.

July 20, 2022

The Hon. Enrique Manalo Secretary of Foreign Affairs Department of Foreign A airs Republic of the Philippines

Dear DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo:

You know me as Lita M, for Isabelita Manalastas, when we were still working together as very young, idealistic graduates who joined the NEDA, under Filo Pante and Boy Noriega.

I am writing to you so that people on the top of the echelon like yourself, will know how your people treat ordinary citizens like us when we visit DFA. I refer to your DFA office in San Fernando, Pampanga.

I am based in Tokyo where I live and work. I went home basically for only one purpose: to have my birth certificate authenticated by the DFA. It was an urgent matter required by my Japanese lawyer for some legal services my lawyer needed to accomplish for and on my behalf.

I stay in Angeles when I am home in the Philippines. I had only two (2) working days to do what I needed from the DFA - Mon. and Tues., July 18 and 19, respectively.

I first went to DFA’s office in Marquee Mall in Angeles City on July 18; queued up a long time, only to be told they do not do authentication of birth certificates there. The DFA guard on duty was very nice - he said the DFA extension office in San Fernando, Pampanga can do that service.

I arrived in the San Fernando office on that Mon., July 18, at around 1:20 pm and proceeded to the DFA authentication office. There was a written notice that the day’s quota has already been reached so no more service will be entertained for the rest of the day.

I asked one of the guards if I can make an appointment first thing in the morning of July 19 before I drive from Angeles to NAIA for my flight back to Tokyo. He said “Matulog ka na lang dito (sa floor, sa harap ng office) para makasigurado kang nasa harap ng pila”.

I told the guard, “Papatulugin mo ako dito, isang senior citizen, magsasarado ang building, walang aircon (ventilation)? Baka mamatay ako, eh sinong mananagot?” A smirk on the guard’s face was the response I got.

Mr. DFA Secretary, here are some unsolicited suggestions from ordinary citizen Lita M.:

1. The guards should be able to recognize the name of The Hon. Secretary, as at least 2 of the guards I spoke to, did not recognize your name/did not know who the Philippines’ recently sworn-in Secretary of Foreign Affairs is;

2. Why not open a service window there (and in other DFA satellite/extension offices if none, yet), to be manned by the DFA officers/staff themselves, who ordinary citizens can approach and talk to, so that we can direct our inquiries, even complaints, etc. directly to them? Why delegate such 3. Will not an ordinary citizen who entered the building where DFA San Fernando is located just on opening time not be surprised to find out that the day’s quota (no mention of how many) has already been reached? How can we verify that this is indeed true, and that no exceptions will be allowed? We just have to take the words of the guards on duty (or the announcement placed in front of the office).

Sir, it may be a good thing for the Hon. Secretary of Foreign A airs to go out of the comfort of his office and take time to visit personally DFA’s extension/satellite offices, unannounced.

If you come “incognito”, wear an ordinary citizen’s clothes, and with no security/assistants in tow, and try to pretend you are inquiring/applying for a specific service, you should be able to confirm if the Filipino people’s civil servants perform their duties well, as they should.

As it is, it is the office guards who become the face of the DFA.

I hope this message is forwarded and re-forwarded, until it finally reaches the Hon. Secretary of Foreign A airs. I did try to call your office many, many times, the telephone operator promptly transferring my call every time, to your staff /secretary, but no one picked up.

Very truly yours:

Isabelita “Lita” T. Manalastas Tokyo, Japan isabelita.manalastas@smtj.co.jp

The reactions I received came from Japan, the Philippines, the United States, and Europe. I am quoting them verbatim, with no consideration on when they were written.

“Great Lita. This is the best way to have a more responsive, responsible govt – for citizens to voice their complaints and feedback clearly and politely.”

“This is unacceptable, particularly so bcoz you (and I) are seniors. DFA should have a special lane for seniors.”

“I feel you, as I have similar experience just this week with DSWD in Batasan!!!! I, who never loses my temper just blew my top because it was raining hard and the guards won’t allow senior citizens to go inside for shelter and told us to let them wait outside. There was no priority lane for Senior Citizen/PWDs/Pregnant Women. While waiting outside, i started talking to people and found out that most of them were there since 2 am. Others came all the way from Visayas, and Mindanao!!! We arrived there at 1pm, finished at 6pm for a 2-step process!!!!”

“Only in the Philippines I don’t know what to call it bureaucracy, Laziness, Stupidity or plain and simple they just don’t care. So tired of these people. Just venting my frustrations with the system.”

“Good job Lita. Let’s keep on complaining this way for all sorts of below-the-mark government services as a way to improve the responsiveness of government to its citizenry.”

“Hi, Lita M, Your letter has already reached the Secretary of Foreign Affairs as well as the newly assumed Assistant Secretary of Consular Affairs. They are now looking at it. Thank you.”

“@Lita Manalastas-Watanabe – I think there is a site to request an official copy of your birth certificate – PSA – Philippine Statistics Authority – https://psa.gov.ph/civilregistration/services

c“Requesting for a Civil Registry Document – Birth Certificate Marriage Certificate Death Certificate CENOMAR “https://psa.gov.ph/civilregistration/requesting-ci vil-registry-document/birth-certificate centers in the Philippines can process with the day.

“You can also request on-line. I used this service – and received it in 2 weeks. https:/www.psaserbilis.com.ph/#! Hope this helps.” @Lita T. Manalastas, I will forward this to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas for them to forward or take action and ensure that this will reach the Sec of DFA. Best regards.”

“all I can say is wow! Welcome to d real world! i hope ur letter get to d sec but I don’t this it will?

“do u want for us to frwd ur letter to columnist jarius Bondoc of phil star? He is a good friend n honest man or to isumbong mo k tulfo baka may mangyari pa? itatapon lng yan ng mga lesser mortals in d dfa.”

“Lits, I forwarded your post to a high school classmate who is a former Ambassador to Germany, now retired. Note that she too will forward your letter to DFA.”

“Reading thru it, I think she missed planning for the activity before going to the office. Usually you go first to the website or call about services and appts. There shd be no problems for seniors. But let’s give her the benefit of the doubt. Will forward to dfa.”

“God bless you as His messenger of hope and light.”

“Salamat na nakarating ang iyong panawagan sa DFA Lit. It was a long time coming.”

“Well said Lits. But sadly normal yata keng Pilipinas ing makanyan kaya ela mamasensu.”

“Haaay Lits, ta makananu tamu ken DFA ne. Maka murit la. Even before you had a bad experience, we had been experiencing the problem. Reported it to citizens complain 8888. Checked and did follow-up with DFA Marquee Angeles, sabi da signature na namu kanu ning Director’s main o ce (OCA). Talaga naman, ne. Dapat makaba ing pasensiya. Dapat talaga ready ing maintenance meds pag maki deal ken gobyernu. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sorry kinatak ya e – lola mu. So frustrating mu. Whew, obat kailangan pa mu maging bichesa ne? Thank you Lord.”

“Hi Ms. Manalastas, Just checking if you really posted this message in viber. My daughter, previously based in Tokyo, has a similar experience. I want to report and add my daughter’s experiences dealing with various government offices, with your permission. Hoping you past colleague steps up.

“Here are some of the experiences of my daughter: 1. She had to renew her passport and decided to apply here in the Philippines instead of in Tokyo. She was asked for a government ID. She could only present her passport. Japan was her first job. She never had to apply for other government IDs. She presented her expired school ID. The person processing her request asked her to bring her school yearbook. Imagine bringing an eight inch thick three kilo book. When she returned with her yearbook, they did not even take a look. 2. She did not have time to set an appointment for her passport renewal so she took advantage of the OFW lane. Apparently slots are limited and you need to line up early. She did as she had no choice. The security guard was rude and impatient to OFWs who were either unaware or did not understand the process. The experience of a rude staff is not limited to the Philippine office. It's true even in the POLO office in our Tokyo embassy. Some of the staff were rude and impatient. Their demeanor changes when they realize the person in front of them will not tolerate their behavior.

“I try to understand their position. Overworked, underpaid, lack of processes, etc. Still, they have to deliver a service.”

“Wow! Thanks for sharing and good job writing the DFA Sec who is our fellow UPSE alum”.

“This is not an isolated case, Lits. Grabe talaga ang pila sa government offices. The senior citizen lane must be strictly implemented. What more, may mga fixers.”

“Wow, ang bilis”

I have to agree to the “ang bilis” reaction. Either it was the DFA Secretary who took the lead and requested his ASEC Henry S. Bersurto, Jr. to act swiftly or both. But ASEC Bersurto seems to have a reputation for caring to our OFWs during his previous post at our Consulate in San Francisco. Check him out at:

https://blog.cfo.gov.ph/consul-general-henrys-bensurto-jr/

Tita Lits

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