Sad day for Amalia

Tonight’s celebration of New Year’s Eve may not be as grand or as noisy as in previous years when times were much better. But as surely as the sun rises, there will be giant firecracker blasts, sparklers, and ear-splitting sounds as the Filipinos’ way of welcoming the year 2002. That’s how it is and will always be. Despite harsh and cruel times, the coming of a new year, to most Filipinos, will be met with a big bang.

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We Filipinos are lucky that we survived another year filled with crises and countless problems. There were giant roadblocks along survival’s path, but we managed to scale them. That not only shows our resiliency as a people, but it also proves without any doubt that there is Someone Up There who loves and cares for us. Happy New Year everyone – and may the blessings of the past year be showered upon us in year 2002 and long afterwards!

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Amalia Lavado had one last wish before she died. She wished that if only in the spirit of the Christmas season, officials of the Government Service Insurance System in Tacloban City would find in their hearts the sympathy and understanding she needed for the release of her monthly disability pension of P1,603.79. But that was not to be. The 52-year-old former public school teacher died last December 20, still deprived of what was due her from the government insurance firm.

The heart-tugging story of Lavado’s futile efforts to enjoy her minuscule pension is a prime example of bureaucratic red tape, official mindlessness and insensitivity gone berserk. A resident of a barangay in San Julian, Eastern Samar. Lavado became a GSIS pensioner since she suffered a stroke in 1994 while teaching at a public elementary school in the Eastern Samar capital town of Borongan. From that time onwards, her condition worsened to a point that several months ago, she became totally bed-ridden.

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Last year, apparently wanting to make sure that Lavado was not just malingering, GSIS directed her to undergo a quarterly medical checkup in Tacloban City. The GSIS informed her that pending the required medical checkup, her monthly disability pension would be withheld. The problem, though, was that the bed-ridden Lavado was too sick to make the overland trip to Tacloban and back to her place, which takes all of eight hours in the finest of weathers. Her relatives were afraid she might die along the way.

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Moreover, bringing her to Tacloban costs money. And with her pension locked up in bureaucratic red tape at the GSIS, her relatives did not have the money for her trip. No medical examination, no pension – that became the stringent stand of the GSIS.

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Last November, however, an emotionally drained Lavado, apparently aware that death was close at hand, pleaded that she be brought to Tacloban for the GSIS-required medical examination. At the risk of her dying along the way, her relatives took her to Tacloban on November 26. But in an unlucky twist of fortune, the GSIS neuro-psychiatrist was not around that day. Seeing her in truly bad shape, with her bedraggled body and all, GSIS relented a bit, but only a very small bit.

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A neuro-psychiatrist at a hospital nearest San Julian would do, GSIS said. But then, the hospital nearest San Julian has no neuro-psychiatrist. And so Lavado’s ordeal continued its painful march. Eventually, death overtook her heart-wrenching struggle for the restoration of her monthly pension, but also left a painful question: Will it always take a death certificate, signed and sealed, to convince GSIS that a disabled pensioner is really disabled? It will be most interesting to find out the answer of the GSIS to this question.

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It is quite easy to spot the dynamic local officials who accomplish many things in their respective turfs. For instance, if the province, city or town has, as of this date, no 2001 campaign posters or placards plastered on walls or hanging from lamp posts or branches of trees, then the local official can get a passing grade in cleanliness. Or if the sidewalks are not littered with garbage or drainage canals are not clogged with debris, then the passing grade can be higher.

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The same criteria can be used for national officials. For example, if all traffic lights, which are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works and Highways, are working efficiently, then the DPWH officials can get a pat in the back. Or if road repair or construction work goes on at a dynamic pace or 24 hours a day, then that is a sign that the DPWH officials concerned are really sincere and determined in serving the general public.

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As for the police, if uniformed policemen are visible in public streets, just like in Hong Kong or Singapore, doing their job of crime prevention, then the Philippine National Police officials can be credited for trying their best in law-enforcement. Or if they succeed in arresting and prosecuting murderers and other criminal elements, without being suspected of engaging in a cover-up or doing a lousy job, then we can give the PNP an above-average mark.

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We can go on and on citing instances of how we the people can evaluate the performance of our officials, whether elective or appointive. The general criterion, though, is the overall atmosphere of dynamism and creativity that prevails in the turf of the officials concerned. In other words, if there are no signs of lethargy or apathy or negligence on the part of the public officials, and the people see quantifiable results of good performance, then we definitely can give a thumbs-up sign to those officials concerned.

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THOUGHTS FOR TODAY:

God will either give you
what you ask for,
or something far better.
Keep praying, but be thankful
that His answers are wiser
than your prayers.

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I’m leaving this candle on
to light the night.
Sleep tight and may you have
the sweetest dreams tonight.

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My e-mail addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]