Backward Compatible

I got some Facebook flak after posting a before and after photo of a Japanese road being rebuilt together with this comment, “See how Japan begins rebuilding so quickly. In the Philippines, we can’t even fix leaky water pipes for weeks.”

Some people were quick to denounce I was too anti-Filipino in my statement. Some were quick to dismiss the photo as outright trickery based on the angle the before and after shots were taken and so forth. For the latter, I received some vindication after news agencies like CNN ran the very same set of photos and verified their authenticity. As for the former, I believed and still continue to believe that I wasn’t anti-Filipino. I was merely stating the truth. And for some, I guess the truth really hurt.

The stoic resolve of the Japanese people made me realize how far they’ve come from the ravages of World War II. After getting hit by a one-two nuclear punch, they got up, dusted themselves off and rebuilt. By the 1980’s, a mere 30 years after the end of the war, they’ve become one of the world’s most prosperous nations and certainly one of the most idolized. In comparison, the Philippines has seen a gradual decline from the most promising star child of Asia to its sick man. I’m no historian nor am I a sociologist, but anecdotal stories from my grandparents are more than enough for me to paint a picture of our country’s decline.

So what gives? What in the world’s wrong with our society?

Personally, I think it’s something to do with our satisfaction at mere mediocrity and the acceptance of that fact. Though some people believe that the Filipino trait of making any and every situation into a light-hearted joke is a strength, it’s also the root of a profound weakness. We complain how terrible those credit card call center agents are, but what do we do after putting down the phone? Nothing. We accept that they suck and move on. It’s the same face we put on when dealing with dilapidated roads, reckless bus drivers and whatever else. We shrug it off as a fact of life and continue on. All the while, the ones responsible for our terrible experiences are oblivious that they’re doing a great disservice to people.

Based on how our government works, we know they’re slow and inefficient. Have you ever noticed how it takes three people to dig a single hole? One’s actually working while the two others are starring at traffic. Great. I wonder how many people it takes to screw a light bulb in Malacañang? Perhaps if everyone in the government drove a Porsche, everything would move faster. As it stands though, it’s painfully slow. And they don’t do anything about it, because we don’t do anything about it. Perhaps we should get a senate hearing on this subject “in aid of legislation”.

And it’s not just the government that’s guilty of providing pathetically slow service. Take for instance the subcontractors working for Manila Water. Anywhere you go from Marikina to Makati and you’re sure to come across with diggings. And they’re just not on any small street mind you; they’re typically hogging half a major thoroughfare. If the MMDA wants to find the root cause of traffic, then I suggest that they don’t look further than the blue-and-white signs that read, “Sorry for the Inconvenience. We’re working to make things better.” Sad thing is, has anyone seen remarkable improvement in the Metro’s water supply? I certainly haven’t. What once trickled like dog pee still does.

And then let’s take a look at the so-called “Big Three” oil companies. Transport groups have labeled them insensitive pricks who keep on jacking up pump prices for the sake of their bottom line. That could be true, but I refuse to look at it in such a simple manner. I’m sure their number crunchers has reasons for making you cough up P60 for a liter of gasoline, but for goodness sake, can you at least treat motorists right? We’re actually paying one of the highest prices in Southeast Asia putting factors like Euro V compliance and such into consideration. And yet, look at say the biggest one out there: Petron.

They may have premium products like the 100-octane Blaze, but geez, their pumps don’t work right. During my daily commute, I gas up in one of four Petron stations along my route and all of them have problematic pumps. Two are terribly slow; one’s got a display that’s nearly illegible; and the biggest culprit of all: one that’s terribly slow in dispensing fuel and whose automatic shutoff didn’t work causing gas to spill over my car and even onto the pavement. The spilled paint is bad enough for my beloved Subaru’s paintjob but add the potential damage to my catalytic converter and possible fire hazard? I wasn’t a happy camper.

Though everything was sorted out in the end, I learned a valuable lesson: fill up at Shell next time. And on the subject of Shell, it’s apparent to me that their stations seem to be better kept that those of Petron or even Caltex. They’re better lit, the attendants are actually attentive, the pumps actually dispense fuel rather than air and the tire inflators still work. It’s these instances when I’m happy to fork more money. Even if you spend that money sending some “Twitter-er” to somewhere expensive, at least I know it’s still money well spent.

There are many other instances where I’ve encountered less than satisfactory service, and I’m pretty sure you all have your own horror stories. But that’s not the point of this gripe. What I’m trying to say is that we should end our mere settlement with mediocrity. As a nation, I think we should stand up for our rights – we should settle for nothing less than excellence. If we want the Philippines to be known for world-class service, then we should do away with our bahala na mentality and stand up for what’s due to us be it from the government or any private entity.

If we can put a service with a smile as we act as the call centers and BPOs for other countries, why can’t we do the very same thing in our own country, for our own countrymen? If there’s anything a natural disaster can show us, is that it’s a mirror to ourselves. During Ondoy, we stood up and helped friends in their hour of need. In that respect, we’re not so different from the Japanese after all!