Friday, April 20, 2007 Severino: Meet the guy behind basura collection By Gil Alfredo Severino Think Economics
MEET Perfecto "Tisoy" C. Baquilar - official designation - "garbage truck driver," multi-awardee since 1998.
Tisoy is recipient of official citations, appreciation and recognition from the City Mayor's Office as model employee and an award from Rotary Club of Bacolod (Mother Club) for Outstanding City Employee 2002.
This multi-awarded garbage truck driver in a soft tone, asserted, "My job goes beyond politics, three Mayors had awarded me." What had you done to deserverecognition? I am in the streets 5:00 A.M. and go home past 9:00 P.M., supervising garbage, insults, mockery, all kinds of garbages household will throw out of their houses and tongues", he chuckled.
Wait, wait, wait, your official designation is a "driver" and you are "supervising?" Yes, this is what we call our "bureaucratic paradox," "basura lang man kami di" (after all we're garbage here". You are out in the streets more than 12 hours, is your family life whole, no trouble with your wife and children? "Sa kaluoy sang Dios, sir, may nursing graduate na ko" (God had pity, one of my daughters is a nursing graduate). Not a tinge of pride, Tisoy said this in a soft tone.
This must be his trademark why he can manage around 700 garbage collectors whose personal characters and values are evidently based and coarse multiplied 700 times as well.
"May diutay man ta nga alam sir, gusto ko gid mag-engineer pero tungod sa kapigaduhon, nag-Commerce na lang ko.
Pero natapos ko gid man." (I have certain qualification, too, being Commerce graduate. I dream of engineering but poverty posed a hindrance). There is a correlation between intelligence and family relationship as studies revealed. This could be Tisoy's key to a healthy family life despite long hours of absence from home.
What about insults and mockery, there are those who claim that "basura" is the downfall of the present administration? How do you account for all the complaints heard everywhere?
Tisoy scribbled some figures then articulated, "Sir, what can 23 trucks and 700 men do against tons and tons of waste thrown by almost 400,000 population of Bacolod? By ratio and proportion, one j.o., casual or even a regular (it doesn't matter) serving waste matters of 571 individuals (1:571).
Waste are thrown 24/7, the 23 trucks we have are not 100% fully operational due to depreciation."
Then, seeing his countenance transformed, Tisoy voiced some tenor of chivalry.
"Present to us our "basurero" who accepts bribe and I will show you his termination papers in a matter of minutes!"
"Through any of our communication lines, call us that your garbage is not collected as scheduled, we have two brand new Kama striker trucks on stand by alert for any one whose garbage is not collected as scheduled," Tisoy added.
"I will not flatter the political leadership, masiling sila may bahid politika ta di (they will claim politicking), but this strike-anytime-anywhere-garbage-collection is team effort and our team's brainchild, under DPS' Solid Waste Management OIC Engr. Josephus Cerna, to work things out despite dismal limitation.
The political leadership is part of the team, of course.
You will be surprise, sir, pero ang ga-reklamo, duha man lang ka bag ang ihaboy (the garbage complainant has two bags to throw), yet they would rave and rant to the point of broadcasting over the radio," Tisoy lamented.
"Wala ko ma-anad, sir, signing interview nga ginatawag, pero pilit ko ni boss Eng'r Cerna to accept media invitation (I'm not used to face media but forced by my boss Engr. Cerna).
I have one strong message to the public - your garbage will be collected no matter what. We do not have holidays here. We gather funds from our own pockets so our garbage collectors will report 24/7. They are just happy to collect garbage because there's money in it. They all collect proceeds from anything saleable there and divide the amount. So, let me assure the public, our collectors are just interested to collect just as you are interested to throw." Tisoy was just happy to share such irony.
"Ang problema ta, sir, ang waste segregation (Our problem is waste segregation). Waste management is barangay-based and home-based. Who among us had internalized the essence of this English called Solid Waste Management? Where is the Barangay leader who had fully implemented zero-waste management?" Tisoy challenged.
"Personally, I will accept all the insults hurled at my team, but heed this - waste or everybody's basura cause diseases and can kill. If we cannot get our acts together, it will be like a poisonous snake, its venom will soon strike," Tisoy began to be prophetic.
Presently Mr. Perfecto C. Baquilar is in receipt of a memorandum, designating him "General Foreman" for garbage collection, a job he had done well and good.
