Why SSS Antipolo, by the the way? For one, I don’t want to go to the main office, or any branch within Metro Manila. Second, the branch is on my way home, so its convenient. And third, learning from the experience of my sister, her ID got delivered one month after the application while my brother, who used to work in a building where the SSS branch in Makati is, received his ID six months after.

First thing you would need is the E6 or the Application for Social Security Card Form. You could fill it up and print it here, download the blank form here, or just get it in the reception/information area upon entrance. The form asks for your personal details.

On the back of the form is a list of IDs that you need to present together with the form before the SSS personnel. There are two options – government IDs, and everything else. For the government ID, you can present one of the following – valid passport, unexpired driver’s license, and any ID issued by the Professional Regulations Commission. For the everything else, you need to present two of, well, any ID that you might have – work, school, NBI or barangay or police clearance, postal ID, voter’s ID, even credit cards are accepted. It actually seems like any document that would bear your name will be accepted. In my case, I have my driver’s license.

You need to go to the second floor of the building to have your form verified. The door is on the side of the building. Once there, there is a sign on a computer table that says “E6,” where the employee will give you a number. Sorry, the employee will not give it to you. You have to ask for it. There are about 30 seats there, so they just give the numbers in sequence. I was given number 8, but they’re already servicing number 15, so I would have to wait. Waiting time is about 30 minutes. Two guys process your application. They go over the computer to verify your contribution. This is also the process where you have to present your ID. Verification would take about five minutes. No questions will be asked if you have filled out the form legibly.

The next process is to go downstairs and be ready for the picture taking. There is a Canon EOS camera setup, with an HP scanner, fingerprint reader and signature capture machine. Waiting time is about 20 minutes.

An Acknowledgement Slip will be given to you which contains the name of the verifier and the data capturer. I was told to wait for half a year to get my ID.

Last Saturday, traffic has been excruciating in Eastern Mega Manila. And when I say east, I refer to Pasig, Mandaluyong, parts of Quezon City, Marikina, Cainta, Taytay and Antipolo. Usually, travel time from our office to home is an hour and a half, if it’s during the day. That day, it was three hours and a half.

I traversed Manggahan and then Pasig Greenpark all the way to Junction in Cainta. That in itself took more than an hour. Another neck to neck battle in Tikling in Taytay due to a vehicle downtime.

When I came back to work, I learned that my officemates were late for work. One even walked in the rain because there were no vehicles to take on.

Come to think of it, we’re just complaining about traffic while on the other side of the Philippines, there’s being devastated by typhoon Sendong.

But even if we lessen, if not totally eradicate plastic bags by using paper bags, then are we not also destroying the environment because we would have to cut down more trees? It’s no different from the so-called electronic jeepneys that use battery instead of diesel; electricity produced by burning fossil fuel is used in charging the batteries, which is basically the same as burning gas in the engine.

This essentially, is the first law of thermodynamics. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed. It can only change forms.

Since my shift is at 2 am of Monday, I left the house at around 1:04 and arrived in the office at around 1:50 am. I drove non-stop and never encountered a traffic light. Driving in C5 was a breeze, from IPI to Shopwise, where I sped up to 120 kph. That’s something you definitely cannot do during weekdays.

At the end of my shift at 11 am, I drove to somewhere near Makati (take note: near Makati). From Eastwood to that portion only took 15 minutes. Food establishments are open in that area but not too full even though it’s lunch time already.

From that area near Makati, I have to go Katipunan to meet someone. Time: 22 minutes. Wow.

Then off to SM Marikina to buy an air freshener and scratch paste in Ace Hardware. The brands that I want are not available so I just settled for a second-rate car freshener.

Come November 1 and the roads are still clear, although I almost got into an accident in Valley Golf, Antipolo. I was speeding up at 80 kph when another Altis is about to cross the road. I know that it’s my fault not having made a signal but s/he would have stopped early on. The other car is already half way through the road when it stopped. I have to make a sudden turn to the right so as not to hit him. Good thing there was no vehicle on the other side. Wheew.

Today, being November 2, I would stay at home. I have decided to take advantage of the vacation leave.

You see, the problem with motorcycles is that you won’t know if they are ought to be treated as a single vehicle (just like a car), or a a pedestrian (who infuses itself in between cars). They stay right in front of you when the traffic is light, but when it’s heavy, they try to fit in whatever small space there is. Kung kailan maluwag ang daan, doon sila mabagal. Pero kung traffic, ang bilis sumingit. They don’t make any signals which is very important in driving – the ability for the other motorists to predict your course of action. At night, they don’t care if they have no rear lights. Most motorcycles don’t have rear view mirrors. They race against each other (just like any other drivers).

So I hope riders would discipline themselves in the light of the new MMDA policy. And I hope other government agencies, particularly local government units, would follow suit.

We can then expect a surge of people lining up in ATM before this day to get their bonuses. What can we do to avoid long queues?

1.  As a matter of practice, I do not withdraw all my earnings from my ATM account. I only get the money that I have to give to my parents and my budget for two weeks. Since my savings accumulate, I still have money to withdraw even before payday. So tip number one, withdraw your money a day or two before payday, which for most of us, is the 15th or 30th day of the month.

2. Second, if you are too busy to do number 1, but you are sure that you still have enough balance in your account, withdraw your money in the wee hours of the day. This works well for call center agents since we work in the night, so there’s little competition. That depends of course on where the machine is located at.

3. Get your money in smaller denominations. If the machine allows it, I prefer to have my salary in P 100 bills. For one, it prevents me from buying things I don’t really need just to have a loose change. And second, it makes me feel that I am earning a lot. In advertising, 24 hours is shorter than one day. It’s all about image. I always want to see my wallet full even if it’s just P 100 bills. To do this, instead of putting in, say P 5000 as the amount you want to withdraw, why not make it P900 and just make multiple withdrawals. It’s a tedious process, that’s why you have to follow my first tip to avoid ATM queues.

4. If your bank allows it, make the withdrawal over the counter. This saves you time in doing tip number 3.

5. And if it’s possible, do online banking

Questions are personal and most of the time, had something to do with the contestant’s relationship with others. Have you ever had a sexual relationship with some you just met? Do you think you are more goodlooking than your friends? Have you ever fantasized about your boss? As the amount at stake goes up, questions get more and more personal. The largest amount ever won by a contestant, as far as I know, is $ 100, 000. One untruthful answer (as far as the polygraph test is concerned) ends the show.

But what if it’s our government officials we put in the hotseat?

Let us ask some questions to Pres. Arroyo. Did you cheat in the 2004 presidential elections?Do you have any regrets in becoming the president? Have you ever cheated in college?

How about Romulo Neri, the former socio-economic director who told the president the bribery attempt of Benjamin Abalos. Just last week, the Supreme Court upheld its March decision saying that Neri can invoke executive privelege when senators asked him some question about the ZTE deal. Let’s ask him the questions again:

What I am afraid, however, is that they might only answer one question. Since these people are liars, perhaps the moment that the first question is asked, we might hear the lady, in a very low tone – That answer is …. False.

The first time I watched the cheering competition was when I was a freshman. As I watch them dance yesterday, I still get goosebumps all over my body.

By the way, the reporter you see in the video was my classmate in Math 1 which was in Filipino. She really had those big bumpers and you can not not notice her since she’s in front of the class and I come into the room through the oor near to her.

That’s not different with tomorrow transport strike by Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide or PISTON. They are protesting the alleged ‘snubbing’ of the government on their fare hike petition.

The problem with some Filipinos is they always look for a shotgun solution for its problems. The Department of Agriculture’s quick response to address the high price of rice is importation instead of increasing the production. Power rates too expensive? Why don’t we take control of Meralco? Low quality education? Let’s build a cyber-education network to get in touch with far flung school which doesn’t even have electricity or classrooms. Want to get rich instantly? Try your luck in the lottery.

Who wins in this transport strike, which, according to the news, will affect 35 areas? It’s a Monday, start of the work week for most of us. No one wants to be late at work. Passengers, definitely, will find it difficult to take the jeep to go to their destinations. Drivers, of course, will have nothing to earn, ditto with the operators. Policemen have to be on guard with the protesters.

After the transport strike, then what? Will it immediately lower down the price of petroleum products? Will the government immediately heed to the petition to raise the fare? In other words, after the driver’s hulabaloo, will it do any good?

If I head the transportation department, I’ll order buses plying the Edsa route to be deployed in those areas where there is a strike. Rides will be free and the pick up points will be the protesters’ area itself. Cameras will be installed in these areas to keep a record on how futile the protests are. Military men who were assigned in Sulu, not the police, will man the protesters. Protesters should be intimidated, the same way that they intimidate and blackmail the government and the riding public.

I came from UP and an activist by heart. I could discern who is right and why. In this case, i will not side with the protesters. The better way to solve any crisis is not by immediately going to war but facing each other and explain their sides.