IF VICE Mayor Michael Rama had his way, he would teach City Hall employees good manners and right conduct (GMRC). This, after he observed that City Hall employees “little by little” disappeared from the celebration of the Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. day last Monday at the Osmeña’s marker along Osmeña Blvd. Rama said employees should have stayed until the program was over.
Rama, who is the acting mayor as Mayor Edgardo Labella is heading a delegation in China, observed that in last Monday’s affair, many people attended the mass that kicked off the activities lined up for Osmeña, known as Cebu’s “Grand Old Man.” But as the mass progressed and even before the program could start, attendees started to leave. Most of them were there from the start just for attendance-checking. After signing the attendance sheet, they disappeared.
“If you want to give meaning to an occasion from the beginning up to the end, you should be there,” Rama said, adding that he will discuss this matter with Mayor Labella.
I was not there, but maybe there were several reasons why City Hall employees left before the program was over. First and foremost, they were just forced to attend because they would have been marked absent if they did not attend. It was a holiday and supposed to be a rest day. Second, maybe some did not take their breakfast yet, and they were already very hungry and they looked for food. Third, they don’t want to be exposed under the heat of the sun because of their hypertension. Atakihon pa lang sila sa high blood gumikan sa ka-init. Fourth, they didn’t like the program because, for them, it was too boring. Yes, it’s too boring listening to speeches that all praised Osmeña, especially if the speakers are like Rama who talks too long and is always “beating around the bush.”
Kinsa man intawoy ganahang maminaw anang Mike Rama nga magtuyok-tuyok ang estoryahan? Unya dramatic pa usahay kay magluhod-luhod. Maayo gani kay wala mokanta. Ikaw ganahan ka maminaw ana? Maayo pay mouli (Who wants to listen to Mike Rama who talks aimlessly. Sometimes dramatic even he’d kneel. Good thing he didn’t sing. You want to listen to that? Better go home).
But before Rama would insist that he will teach City Hall employees the basic good manners and rights conduct, he should teach himself first. Why? Because some City Hall employees and even officials told me that every time Mayor Labella would speak before City Hall employees in every Monday’s flag-raising ceremonies, Mike would leave the affair. As if he doesn’t like listening to Labella. Is it GMRC when you leave while somebody is talking, especially the top-ranking city official?
Is that GMRC when he monopolized the discussion as if he was having a lecture and treated everybody as his students? Is it GMRC when during an affair, Mike will hop or transfer from one table to another? You observe him during occasions. It is as if he is “langaw nga morag puwa og lubot,” sigeg balhin-balhin ug lamesa (like a restless fly, hopping between tables).
When Mike was the mayor, every time they had a meeting with his allied councilors and if someone would suggest, he would just cut off the person and say, “Pag-mayor sa, do!” Is that GMRC when you invite the top executives from the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, some of whom came all the way from Singapore to a meeting, then during the meeting, Mike just shared to them about his childhood experience that he was selling newspapers, grapes and eggs? Then later, he will sing his favorite song, “The way you look tonight.” But if it is still day time, he will change it to: “The way you look today.”
Good manners convey respect to those you interact with and also command respect from those you interact with, while right conduct is living in a moral and ethical way in the absolute sense rather than by the standards of any particular time or society. Good manners include respect for others’ opinion.