I have always shunned going to government offices because many times I get exasperated with the service. Often I would wonder if the tax money I pay is put to good use on people who are supposed to serve the public and not the other way around.
This year, I will celebrate my discovery of the best public service I have received for the year. I will call them “Rush Yans!” Just like me, I am a “Rush Yan, please!” person. Ask Doming and Dondon Dacanay! They must dread my text messages because the soonest you read it is the same time that I need a job done.
So my most special “Rush Yans” belongs to the PhilHealth Office. It took me longer to walk from lower Mabini street to their office than the quickest service that they gave me. It was 11:35 a.m. when I was goaded by Marivic to walk over to the PhilHealth Office along Harrison Road and get my PhilHealth data sheet. It was a requirement for me to have this piece of evidence of my membership. So I assume that I arrived there at about 11:45 a.m. and expected that people were about ready to take a break for lunch.
The information desk duty officer asked what I needed and I said that I just needed my ID number and he directed me towards a kind gentleman who had no client sitting in front of him. He asked again what service he could do for me and I said I needed my ID number. Within the same minute, he downloaded my information sheet from the computer and printed it.
I asked if I had to pay for anything and he asked, “Is that all you need?” If that was all, there was no charge for the printout.
I was stunned. It took me the whole of five minutes inside the office and my business was done. I could not be happier and pleased that there is an office that serves with courtesy and dispatch. This service I liked the most this year.
My second favorite “Rush Yan!” office is the City Assessor’s Office. Although, the service took some 10 to 15 minutes, I could not complain because I expected to sit there a good hour before I got anything done. Courtesy could be most welcome but I can’t complain about the way the system works in the upper mezzanine. Not bad, not bad at all! I felt that the people there knew their business and did it with fair competence. The smile would be most appreciated, if people up there learned to throw some to the people they were serving.
My third favorite “Rush Yan!” office is the office of the City Treasurer. I liked the way the people inside the office asked how they could serve you. I also liked the way they directed you towards the tables that would serve your needs. But one gets anxious in the office until someone stands up and does the work a missing staff is supposed to do in the process. Like a production line, work there seems to be so delineated but at least there is someone to pitch in for the work.
My fourth favorite “Rush Yan!” office is the Baguio Police Office when I got my Police Clearance. There was no waiting and there was swift service. I cannot complain either. But the smile would also work wonders. My favorite service here is the wet wipes that they give away because the black ink could be a problem when it smudges into all the papers you’re carrying. Ang galing! Bravo!
My fifth favorite “Rush Yans!” is the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) office. The first time I got an NBI clearance I was fortunate to have a good friend on the inside and I got out of there within the hour.
This time Wow! I didn’t take 30 minutes to get my NBI clearance. I like the system that goes into the filling up of the form, the payment, the photo, the fingerprinting, and finally the last finger prints on the final copy. Wow! I don’t need to know anyone anymore to get good service. I feel good and grateful that they do their work with fairness and equality. The only comparison that I made that day was, at the NBI they had soap and water to wash out the black ink.
But that was fine! I was served well by the public servants! I really feel important!
Not bad for the year! I have five government offices to praise for their valuable public service. I felt important and feel gratitude that they did not waste my precious time and my precious taxes. I hope that their tribe increases, there are so many other public offices that need the example of these offices.
But my favorite private “Rush Yan!” is Ompong Tan. When others are afraid that trophies and tarpaulins will be late, I have the greatest faith in Ompong and I know that he will rush the jobs I need done. He is the best “Rush Yan!” of all! Of course second only to Doming and Dondon!
Thank you to all of you! Now Na!