Entrepreneurial Farmer

By Ambrosio R. Villorente

Does G.S.I.S. Understand Senior Citizens?

On January 30 and 31, 2006, the GSIS personnel from Roxas City were in Kalibo to distribute pension checks to government retirees for the month of February, 2006 pension.
Their visit to Kalibo was a classic example of a government office, which is short of understanding and care to persons for whom the office was organized: to take care of the welfare and well being of government officials and employees who spent the best part of their lives for public service. A small amount of pension paid to the pensioners is just a repayment to their investment paid monthly to the G.S.I.S since they started working with the government until their retirement.
It is really hard to imagine why the G.S.I.S management would compel those former government officials to go to Kalibo to collect their respective checks. They are aged 71 years old or above, some of whom have impaired eyesight, some are limping, in a wheel chair and with quivering hands.
For two days, one fourth of the area of ABL Sports Complex looked like a home for the aged with their respective care givers who were their close relatives.
There were five (5) G.S.I.S. personnel seen on the releasing tables. Two of them distributed to and received forms from the pensioners. They also looked for the check and attached to the claim form of each claimant.
One has the microphone which sound was hardly audible. He asked the claimants to line up whose names he called up. A pensioner whose name was called was asked to fall in line according to the sequence their names were called. It took about 20 – 25 minutes before one in line was served.
While standing waiting for their checks, some had quivering knees, some lean on the shoulder of their care givers. Did the G.S.I.S. management understand the difficulties its policies are giving to the Filipino Senior Citizens?
There were two lady officials who released the checks. Once a pensioner is seated, he showed his G.S.I.S. ID. The releasing clerk searched for the payroll on thick file where the name of the pensioner appeared. The recipient signed the payroll. He received the check and Voila! Thank you very much. The pensioners received their checks after so much traveling, standing and waiting.
There were those who came to ABL Sports Complex for two to three times before they got their pensions. For two days the G.S.I.S imposed its will similar to the Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines during World War II. The G.S.I.S imposed the extra difficulties on the people for whom the G.S.I.S was organized to serve.
The G.S.I.S should have continued mailing the pension checks to its respective recipients. If they distributed it personally, there should have been a method to avoid crowding, waiting and standing.

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The Rotary Club of Kalibo headed by its President, Mr. Epifanio R. Rebuelta did a very excellent job to the environment along the sea coast of Mabilo, Kalibo on January 29, 2006. With the help of the Interact Clubs from the Regional Science High School and the Aklan School of Arts and Trades, Kalibo and the Madyaas Institute, Numancia they gathered garbage in the seacoast. After about one and one half hours gathering, some one metric tons of garbage was collected.
The garbage was transported home of Rtn. Bert Buyoc and PAG Botoy Villorente. The garbage will be decomposed for fertilizer.
About 400 meters beach front were cleaned. What a sight to behold after clearing the garbage!

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On the basis of the traffic situation today, it is now time to draft and adopt an ordinance on transportation improvement program in Aklan. The ordinance will cover road improvement development project, proper road and vehicle uses, driver development courses, and improvement of allied services like vehicle repair shop and vulcanizing shop.
The ordinance maybe geared to reduce if not stop traffic accidents, to promote easy and enjoyable driving and prevent pollution of the environment by driving vehicles in excellent operating condition. /MP