NIGHTMARE @ DFA Philippines (Department of Foreign Affairs)

I Ladies and Gentlemen am a very PATIENT person... yes very very patient indeed... Just this wednesday, I went on to the Department of Foreign Affairs to claim my authenticated Transcript/Diploma. I'll tell you the story...

It was a tiring day at work, I made reports (a bunch of numbers...went crosseyed afterwards), and a short presentation (about a few slides...well okay maybe more) and made corrections on them at work... when I logged out, twas about 7 in the morning already...Sunshine Cruz was staring and glaring at me while walking.. It was hot... I knew I was but it was reaaaaly hot... So I mustered up my urges...and decided to fix my papers at DFA instead of going to the gym... boy! was I in for a surprise!

I was sleep deprived, rode the MRT and a short jeepney ride to the government office...when I went in, it was the wrong place to go to... kind lady guards warded us off to Roxas Boulevard and asked to go to the CHED office located there... it was a short walk... I said to myself "Hey! this is easy!" and so I thought...

So counting the hours, I was about 15 hours awake... at about 10:30am I went inside DFA in Manila and proceeded to read the instructions how to get my Authenticated Transcript and there in the wall it says:

Step1: Ilagay ang CLAIM STUB sa kahon sa table1 at hintaying matawag. (put the claim stub on the box located at table 1 and wait to be called)
Step2: Matapos mahanap ng releasing officer ang inyong dokumento, bayaran ang kaukulang authentication fee (100/doc) sa cashier. (After the releasing officer finds your document, pay the corresponding authentication fee (100/doc) at the cashier).
Step3: Ibalik ang original receipt (pink copy) sa kahon sa table 4 at hintaying matawag muli para sa release ng inyong authenticated documents. (Return the original receipt (pink copy) on the boxprovided at table 4 and wait to be called once authenticated documents have been released)


Oh... I said to myself, I thought since I was already holding a claim stub I'd be just giving that and getting my papers...but nooooo! So I said to myself, that was just 3 steps right? well that should be easy since I saw they were all sitting and waiting there...I thought everything was normal...

I went ahead and got on table 1 and put my claim stub on the box at around the same time...about tennish... and eagerly awaited this fast service... coz it was really just a single piece of paper I was waiting for... but oh my oh my oh my... I waited with these people:

1st hour

2nd hour

3rd hour

Now for a single piece of paper... I WAITED THE 3 LONGEST HOURS OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!
Not to mention that in this not so well ventilated room, it was like a BAKERY... I mean it smelled PUTOK ( a term coined after a bread that bursts and means Body odor) ... (-_-)" I was in a nightmare... I just imagined class C D and E were all there trying their luck in other countries, and apparently smelling like that too... meaning thousands of people would go to the same ordeal that I went through and the DFA did not realize something is reaaaaly wrong with 3 long hours just for a single receipt... I told the lady who gave me the paper a piece of advice... DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...

So I paid the amount...and went back to the room and placed my pink slip on table 4.. I said Oh my... my agony is ending! Yehey!

Then after two and a half hours more....

Yes, it took them about 2 and a half hours just to get the authenticated paper given to me... Yes I implied... I was lucky, I was not the man I met at my side cursing everybody at front already.. I said why should I complain when this old man (probably at his 60's) waited far longer than me... from 9am to 4pm in the afternoon... imagine that huh?! Talk about caring for the Senior citizens!

I was young, but when I went out of that shack I was old and tired... I tried to sleep... but I almost forgot yeah, I had work that night too... and so I was awake for about 23 hours straight... and a single power nap was only for comfort in about less than an hour before I login back to work... yes ladies in the house! and men in the house! The DFA is a nightmare as far as Service is concerned... now I award myself with the medal of ULTIMATE PATIENCE... and may the omnipotent have mercy on their souls....

Department of Foreign Affairs, people there and fellow citizens... There is something wrong with your system, and I'm quite sure it ain't me! Fix it and don't waste hundreds and thousands of OFW's who serve this country regret they ever came back again... not with that kind of office... its not world class... its just shameful imho. Get it? Got it? Good! Get someone else to do your jobs for you! You just can't do it right so get somebody else who can! Thanks! *grin*

MOOOVIE REVIEWS: 100 FEET

I was thinking "She's Jean Grey right?! and all the cars would just fly!"

Just fresh from watching this scary movie... and by golly wow it was really scary... I got so scared sometimes I had to cuddle and hold my wifey's hand too hard. But we just ate so I didn't move that much lolz... ^_^



It's all about this Jean Grey girl above that killed his husband out of self defense... she ended in jail... was taken to house arrest and was only allowed to be 100ft away from the house. Little did she know the husband he killed became a ghost and haunted her for days... nobody believed her of course so she tried to take matters in her own hand...

I wouldn't want to spoil and tell you the story so I'll stop there... anyway it was really scary! But then again I don't like scary films.... so I did not like this at all... It was a nice enough effort... it was something like "Patayin sa sindak si Barbara" type of plots for movies. Man the ghost here was BRUTAL! really brutal! so just hang on to your seats if you try to watch this... I'll give it 2 KUMAGS Stars just because they did scare me.... its not too high becauseI don't like horror flicks and it was a cheap movie I guess... everything happened in 1 location so there!

See for yourself if you'd like it.... I didn't really....

RATING: 2 KUMAGS

CHARICE and CELINE DION at Madison Square Garden

I have never been so proud of this phenomenal girl from my homeland the Philippines. Charice continues to get audiences from around the globe on numerous standing ovations. She looks 12 yo but she's already 16. Oprah wants to help her and her mother start this dream. David Foster handles her and promises to make her a star. Let's watch her shine at Madison Square Garden with a duet with the one and only Celine Dion.... something to believe that wishes do come true! ^_^



Celine Dion introduces Charice to audience



Charice sings with Celine Dion Because You Loved Me


Now let's just wait soon as she shines on other stages around the world....

KUMAGCOW loves this lil girl! ^_^

Updates on the search for my Tita Milet and Ms. Espie (kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf)

Tita Milet and Espie are still in captivity by suspected Abu Sayyaf

I read a while ago that they were held reportedly by a group of teenagers as young as around 12 years old. They (victims) estimated their ages as between 12 and 19. Teenagers bearing arms last Monday in Tipo-Tipo stopped the two-vehicle convoy while making their way to Isabela City in Basilan. Its remarkable... even MILF men also are now being ordered to join search for the abducted aid workers.

Based on Dekit’s and Estandarte’s accounts (the two who escaped the men while they were on foot), Ms. Espie Hupida had difficulty moving quickly because she has a problem with her leg ... My Tita Milet did not want to leave Ms Espie behind. This is very true, we (her family) know her to be like this. Authorities say that kidnappers were led by Nurhassan Jamiri and Pujuri Indama of the Abu Sayyaf.

I implore to you fellow bloggers, relatives and friends... please continue to pray... even the kidnappers... My Tita and Ms. Espie are very good people, they went to your place only to help those affected by the war and give livelihood programs from donors to those who need it. Taking them away like that is a sin...weather it be against Allah, God or humanity. We are all Filipinos... we are all human... make the right choice and please release them unharmed. You even did this in the start of Ramadan... really not a good thing to do.