Where Have All the Buses Gone?

 

Amidst the Heat, Commuters Fill to The Raft an Airconditioned Bus. There Were Not Many Around.

There is a deep ratio discrimination on the number of buses versus the mini-est of e-bikes on the road.

                                                                                               

                                                                                               

About a year ago this writer has noticed that despite an attempt into normalcy, that has lapsed from a digital revolution high expectancy to a lackluster future for many, the usual transportation that used to be around to make things convenient for countless commuters, are no longer the visible PUVs plying their normal route.

 

For example, before the pandemic, a wait for an airconditioned bus along the Alabang-Zapote road Pamplona stretch, would not take five minutes. 

 

At the height of El Nino and even as the authorities bewilder about the La Nina to replace it, an ordinary commuter who wants that simple luxury of an “airconditioned”, bus would have to wait for not just up to 15 minutes, but up to 20 to 40 minutes instead. 

 

An airconditioned bus would have meant a lot to ensure a continuance of “normal work/daily routine” for mothers and commuters who want to get a respite from the hyper-intensified heat of the weather. But alas, the wait these days have become like a penitence of sorts.   The number of bus brands have also trickled and yes, a lot have fickled in choosing their passengers as well.  Only one from the familiar bus names before continue to hover around town, in more prevalent hours, to serve commuters.

 

Also, despite more commuters trying on non-airconditioned buses that used to be for the economically challenged, the open somewhat "al-fresco" buses come in reconfigured two row seats like the jeepneys.  These have become a dichotomic statement for the commuters’ lifestyle—for the teens, lolas and workers who are coming from Las Pinas, leaving for the Baclaran route.

 

As we all know these days, a wait for a ride in 15 minutes haunting, is no longer the same as a wait in recent two or more years that passed, at a timeline when waiting, despite being time consuming, can still be patiently done.  Now waiting is tantamount to "PENITENSYA", or sacrifice of sorts and no one seems to take on empathy for the commuter lifestyle.

 

It seems that nobody really took to heart the effects of EL NINO and how to respond to this weather as it dramatically impacts our lifestyle. 

 

To complicate further a passenger who finds himself or herself in a hush for hunger or thirst while waiting, would have to wait for another block to be able to find the nearest food stop in main malls that offer a more democratized alternatives for meal stopovers.    

 

As a commuter waits to endear himself/herself to other commuters, to be able to squeeze into a bus space for that now “human right” or “right of survival”  enjoyment of air-conditioning even in low peak hours in buses,  one would have to contend with a long wait on the streets by the metro, with no shade, or  commuters roof nearby that have been positioned to care for the commuters. 

 

This simply is a testament of our usual, “beat it ‘till you make it attitude”, with many who could be hoping for more action and support against the El Nino weather. 

 

As commuters, we can choose to express a welcoming, "don't sweat the small stuff" attitude in facing the sun.  But that won’t feed or protect us as enough. 

 

Noticeably, there is a slimming quantity of buses, and this ushers in a new hardship for the pocket-wise commuters.

 

We cannot surmise the fact that any leadership would aspire for a modern transportation system that would brag about an increase of status in our economy. But these ain’t happening if the usual things we whine about commuters' need, are not responded to.

 

We need more airconditioned buses that are affordable. And a more kid-friendly transportation mode for anyone to relish.    

 

Against the posing of status of many motorists in their luxury vehicles, who has not probably even experienced the ills of El Nino outside their well-manicured lifestyle, commuters must loud it out that TRANSPORTATION MUST BE NOT ONLY RELIABLE BUT CONVENIENTLY AMENABLE TO ALL CONSUMERS.

 

We Couldn't Care LESS about the Weather

 

While scientists from all over have sounded the alarm button, the country is STILL, hand tied to age-old issues of territorial integrity, food insecurity, and more.

The Dearth of Customer Courtesy When Availing Shipping Solutions

About KYC, Item Returns, and the Need to Liberate Women from Business Standard Biases  

About a year and a half ago, I went to a shipping outlet to have a personal gift sent out to a certain addressee. Knowing the importance of the KYC (know-your-customer) principle even down the line of the front staff manning the shipping outlet, I expected a little ask, here and there about the details of my transaction. 

However, the transaction which included a thin light calendar (it was just a few weeks after the New Year's revelry),  stashed along with a gift item, stirred the man's unapologetic question, alluding if I directly knew the recipient. 

Despite being used to having dealt with the most formal of business interactions, I welcomed the staff's inquiry. Not knowing where the KYC questioning would turn to. 

And then the man at the counter asked: “Do you know the person?” And I nodded.  And the receiving staff said, “Do you have his phone number”. Thereafter, came more prying questions that were forwardly spoken with unfriendly facial gestures. 

But the most bloated question I took from the guy was when he said: “Baka naman sa social media mo lang nakilala ‘yan!”. [Translation: Maybe you just met the addressee through social media].

Obviously, the curt comment had an innuendo of insult or an estimation of malice, when you happen to be at the receiving line of "KYC" questioning.  From all angles, the line spoken by the shipping personnel could never pass the standards for best practices on customer service.

So casually as a customer, the best reply was to have the convo shortened, and spoken in the most intelligible of lingo that would be accepted by the staff.  Admittedly, it was frustrating to undergo such interaction with an employee from the popular shipping company known for door-to-door package solutions and countless seller "item/package" transactions.  

On my end, the impersonal question was not an innocent attempt to know the customer prior to approving the package for shipment. It was obvious that the guy had already arrived at a judgment before he asked it. There was clear prejudice.

Situations like these are not uncommon if you are familiar with the nitty-gritty troubles of sending an item through established shipping companies. But sadly, there is a death of well-intended customer courtesy practices, in the way employees at the desk counter handle transactions from women customers.

The most common complaint does not involve the price point for sending out packages. The complaint can actually arise from the way items are accepted, and scrutinized; and the way customers are questioned by personnel who posture to not bother at all when it comes to politeness towards walk-in customers. 

Another factor that can meddle in the business courtesy exerted by shipping employees or the lack of it, towards their customers, is the point of familiarity with a customer, which can kick in if the branch or outlet is located in the community, or within the residence of the employee. 

Community-level businesses that accept local residents as employees often do not observe formality in the conduct of their business; simply because employees are confident of their territorial and customer base familiarity.

Many times, walk-in customers are known to the staff who would be handling and approving the items for delivery. Here exists a risk of a certain customer being profiled before he/she even walks into the shipping outlet.

Factors like frequency of business dealings; social media presence and undeniably the sixth degree of connection among neighbors could also affect the climate of business within the shipping branch.  

In the earlier-mentioned situation, having to deal with the male employee resulted in exposure to being slighted in the manner that the KYC standards were implemented.  

And these were not all. 

In another incident, as a customer, an experience could be recalled about how another male staff from another shipping company where a return of a purchased item from e-commerce, was requested and declined eventually. 

The shipping outlet had a different standard. However, the out-of-the-norm detail encountered by the customer was when the male employee requested to see the customer's phone and was instructed to hand it in over at the desk counter, so the staff could check out the transaction code to process the return of an item.

Seeing it was not necessary because as a customer, it was a better prompt to just write the numeric code on paper and give it to the personnel, rather than hand out a phone for the staff to scrutinize and look into.  The instruction when granted, would have been a clear invasion of the privacy of communications, a right of the customer that cannot be compromised even in the case of a return item transaction.  

There are many variations in the way shipping companies handle their different transactions. 

But a common experience that one must watch out for when transacting, is the insensitivity towards customers by the male personnel who are manning the outlet/s.  

What power do customers have over these situations when an obvious possibility that presupposes KYC adherence is that anyone who has access to social media can swipe left and right their phones right at the moment of the transaction, as the customer is trying to send an item or receive an item from a shipping outlet?  This negates the ideals of fairness in business transactions.

The point here is that there must be a boundary as to how the employees of shipping companies, respond, relate, or handle their customers' inquiries and packages. 

Packages must be handled carefully and not obviously scrutinized so as to embarrass a customer with a diminutive line of questioning especially when the items have commercial value or are being sent out for personal purposes. 

There is an obvious dearth of well-trained personnel among shipping companies, who cannot even carry on courteous conversations with customers knowing that the clients need their service at a time when door-to-door delivery and shipping solutions are at a peak of demand, even way after the pandemic's social distancing timeline.

[opinion. business] Name of shipping companies/outlets purposely withheld by this writer.

About Quiet Luxe, Loud Logos and The Cost of Being Admired

 

Recently there are luxury brands (we need not name the who’s or the which-- it’s influencer-style marketing these days and we don't wanna alienate), gearing a paradigm shift in the way luxury items are distinguished and patronized.  

The increase in the attention worthy-posts for “quiet luxury” is obviously positioned to appeal to logo-averse buyers of expensive items. 

So expectedly waiting for this, because in true high-end fashion, not all people with money for luxury would ALWAYS WANT TO make a big deal out of how much they spent for a bag, or who they are wearing, to other people. Thus, “quiet luxury” seems like a more peaceful route to loving luxury with a conscience, without the need to brag and tag.  

 

"Quiet luxury” may be more alluring to the right niche but not to the countless aspirational buyers of luxury goods who want to be out and loud with the brands they fancy.

 

Why this writer opines that logo-fest on bags and everything branded would still win the favor and hearts of local consumers because of the wide acceptance of luxury brands as status symbols and success-pitchers for the locals.  

In addition, consumers who wear and carry popular brands of bags, shoes, etc., are more favored and treated nicely in the city or rural side.

 

Try going out to an ordinary place wearing only simple clothing for whatever purpose, or donning only a simple bag; go looking like a plain Jane, or Joe for the men.  

One could easily spell a difference in the customer service efforts one can get from a shop attendant when one is logo-worthy versus that of the so ordinary. And this is a normal mindset among the locals.  

 

Filipinos love international brands so much that this culture of luxury wearing tends to out shadow our own acceptance of local products.  

It is not a matter of luxury versus practicality. Frankly, for many young and old,  it is a matter of having acceptance and being estimated well by others, that brings forth a reason to wear and patronize popular luxury brands. 

 

But the preference for luxury can pose a burden to ordinary consumers when brand bias trickles down to other lifestyle items that have become “essentials” for many Filipino consumers- like game consoles for kids, and insurance products that do not necessarily embed their brand names, but require expensive prices in order to be enjoyed by mainstream consumers.

 

When moms and dads have to keep up with trends,  to evade being an outcast in the middle of an amiable taste for brands that denote status, wealth, or high income, there goes the pressure to spend more. It is understandable that there are parents who would want to go super-upper on their lifestyle, just to avoid their kids from being branded as can’t afford, at a time when consumerism gives high value to everything luxurious. Like when going for a fancy gaming lifestyle that could allow a level-up treatment from those who are in the world of the can-affords, just to avoid their kids from being bullied. 

It is a fact of life in the country that those who live below the expectations of others, those who can't afford the high-priced goods in their everyday use have a high probability of being bullied whether directly or indirectly; whether in subtle gesture or as a direct insult verbally or even through social outcasting where popularity and favor of goodwill counts more than the indistinct and the generic-wearing individuals.

Reference is alluded, to a recent viral story of a dad being affected when his son gets home after being bullied because of wearing a replica brand. A story that illustrated the local penchant for brands,  to enjoy social acceptance, must not be undermined.

 

Suffice it to say, admiration is a spellbinding lure of many brands. Those who buy expensive items are often associated as successful; not “losers”, just like the young would like to drum roll many times over.

 

What is unacceptable is when our status-hearted philosophy permeates even in the way we look and shop for medical products and services, that are expectedly must-haves, like insurance products that are priced unaffordable and are marketed to give luster to a specific niche. When it comes to insurance products and medical services, there must not be a distinction to profile the low from the highs.

 

One buyer of prepaid insurance bragged about getting a product for her helper, alluding that a low-cost insurance product is only for those who are at the bottom ladder of economic status. If this persists, even the kind of service that is supposed to be professionalized and idealized such as that given by the medical industry, can be marginalized to favor the luxe-abiding ones. 

 

Insurance products bought without the need to shell out high and mighty amounts, give a buffer of security and a layer of protection among ordinary consumers, in times of uncertainty.  Thus, insurance products must not be branded to mean exclusively fashioned for the poor, or for the wealthy, even in a sublime way.    

 

We cannot let status and brands, delineate consumers of many lifestyle products to assert importance, more so demand a kind of service or product, we need as Filipinos especially when it comes to healthcare or medical services.

 

Edited July 18, 2023, 7:08 pm. News Review Philippines by Anna Liza VB.

Copyright 2023 Philippines

 

WHAT WOKE REALLY MEANS IN MEDIA

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know that counts. 

There is a word in the millennial language that can actually sum up all things that a media practitioner must be in life: Woke. To be aware, to come in awareness; to be informed, or be in tune with the latest issues and be woke, is an outright necessity at work-- without it, a media man could be said in old “kasabihan”, “natutulog sa pansitan”. 

To be woke is both a sense and a skill. Many times, it requires a lot of experience and basic to thorough research to be in a state of “woke”. 

Sorry but woke may sound like another word when a letter is changed from “o” to “a”, which can relate to the opposite of being woke. 

But in practice, woke signifies that one has risen from a state of unknowing, or in simple terms to be challenged and act on that FOMO (fear of missing out mode) and thus be woke. 

 Whew, what youth speak one has to learn to be woke and provoke others’ awareness of words and issues that matter. 

In the industry, one must not presume inclusivity in circles unless you are woke of who knows who, and who knows what. 

The former refers to connections and clout. The latter can be referred to as the beat or to exposure to a certain niche that one has grown into knowing, with such skill and expertise. It cannot be understated that a media man must work independently without the influence of outsiders enough to persuade or affect his/her work. 

But in the reality of things, when one is woke, there is normalcy in not knowing the circles that your colleague may have to show preset clout and influence that can affect one’s future or work fulfillment.

Short of saying, you need to be woke to accept there is “palakasan”. 

You need to be woke to accept there is "envelopmental gifting". 

But that does not mean everyone works against the persistence and good legacy of media as an industry.

One cannot undermine that such wokeness can lead one to perceive the existence of bias among the industry naysayers, players, and game-changers. After all, an old-timer cannot derelict a duty to impose independence yet, ostracize a circle of “friends and supporters” who helped build a name from the ground up or ensure continuity of work in their current titles. 

What I am sharing is that a media worker must know there is favoritism, bias, or “priorities” in giving work assignments, positions, and titles, or in giving benefits in paper and reality. 

The media industry can do better if it does away with all its biases. And break away from its own hierarchy of clout that gives favor to the one who pays more for a name, a space, or can afford to invite an advertiser in exchange for a byline in the guise of being branded, “content-driven” or “client commissioned”. 

There is favor when one sees none of fairness in giving work to the true media practitioner/s.

Let's Talk Superlatives: Deep Fakes, Superfakes and the Big Dipper

 Know our social economy before trusting any.

On one end of the social media spectrum, is an era of superlatives-- from promises to hopes and wealth sail builders, blogs, and sites of individuals wanting to be known, wanting to be rich, and wanting to connect.  On the other, it's all trappings of the super fakes.

It would sound so idealistic to simply trust read-on articles and news we see online. 

That news of unemployment slump, a millionth earning newbie businesses that young kids are trying to help resuscitate the economy. 

But in the doldrums of these social media frenzy to be known, be seen, and those "get rich" schemes, the reality abides in the imperfection of numbers, the roughness of fakes, and the lucidness of people's images who try to be perfect and yet cannot achieve real distinct connection online. 

This is what I call the abyss of social media where an economy thrives in hopes and prospects, but it is trapped in the middle by a conglomerate of disjointed interests.

The first of fakes. The promise of investments.

In the era of micro investors, it is the small-time investors and businesses "trying hards" or "copycats" who would jump right at the opportunity to earn some, earn small, or earn try so as not to let time waste in times of pandemic. 

But investments that give real "big" results and earnings are not really happening, and most are not at all life-changing, offering only coin-purse returns that cannot even help families recuperate from losses after years of joblessness.  

Here I won't mention the specific businesses. 

But there are plenty out there that ordinary moms and dads often try, with a big-bite promise of investing in small packages.  

From light luxury to branded goods, all these are attractive investments for salary earners even before the pandemic kicked in. 

But the truth is, this is a dead-end approach to investing. 

Despite the flaunting of being a multi-billion dollar industry globally, branded luxury does not promise good resale for ordinary investors in times of the great "no earn" pandemic.  

All investments seem to have been dragged into a dumpsite of nothingness, almost worthless. 

And all one could do is keep them without the promise of turning these investments into cash, the often lure of light to heavy luxury items in the market is that these items have good resale value and can be turned into cash in times of drought. 

For light luxury buyers, investing in light to pricey jewelry is not a golden promise to rely on as these are items that have become commonplace and hard to dispose of, and no outlets to receive them as second hands. Preloved luxury thus is not a good term investment for the micro-investing moms and dads who want to delve into the promise of a life of luxury.  

In a sense, this false sense of assurance that one is investing in the good ones with one's precious money and earnings would only go to waste in a social economy that values likes, influence, and followers and not the truths behind branded luxuries.  

The second of fakes. A deeper fake, businesses that run for show-and-tell bragging, but do not serve with a genuine interest for customers.

The second kind of fakes in business is the one that applies to customer relations and business imaging.

In our current state of the economy where social media serves as the front of new and upcoming businesses, even for the brick and mortar kind of businesses, some owners who run their businesses do so for that simple brag-and-drop approach of imposing their status as business owners and solidifying influence. But their hook? They would not hesitate to drop or turn away their customers who do not fit into their bill of prospects or likings.

This kind of business does not show genuine interest in customers. They shun new customers or reply impolitely in the face of callousness.  

They would screen clients as if they are the masters of censorship and true intentions. 

Business owners or managers or staff of this kind of deep fake customer relations integrity would turn down buyers and inquiries that do not ring a bell of prestige or do not present a deep pocket arrive at their doorsteps upon inquiry. 

Some of these businesses include those in the leasing business of commercial spaces, bazaars, etc. 

Even prior to the onset of the pandemic, business owners in this niche are the hardest knocks, offering a no-glance approach, no-response to inquiries even when they prompt invites for lessees through their below-the-line advertising and frequent social media postings.

These kinds of fakes can be leveled as business posturing. The owners simply want to be known for being business owners but would not actually want to open their doors to customers of the "lesser kind" of lesser names or pockets.  A real super fake in business.

And the third kind of fake is the big dipper business. 

In the social economy where businesses thrive because of creativity in advertising and marketing, the big dipper businesses are the kind that lures moms and dads to try, yet once in, these are the businesses that simply eat up their investments and hard-earned money without a promise of tangible returns. 

This kind of business simply gulps down on one's investments much to the heartache of ordinary investors and business starters. 

Entrepreneurs who wallow in big dipper businesses must be helped out by the necessary agencies to recover, and recuperate.  Otherwise, having a business would simply be an ordeal for small to medium business players, starters, and dreamers who have not yet experienced true profits and joy of having a good running business but merely a fake verse of social media and business enterprise centering on personality, stardom, and much influence harking.

Must Education Be Branded?

Would you consider not just the tuition fees or popular choices in education? Or would you go for a simple name? OR A LEGEND.

When it comes to rank, the top three are the bet. The three-tier structure in popular education precedes the name of the applicant before one is hired.  

If a graduate comes from a "branded" university,  it is safe to assume that one will have a better chance of being hired. To heck with the resume. As an applicant, the name affixed to the resume may not make a dent yet, not the way a school name is put forth in a kind of distinguished manner that can make a graduate proud. 

Out and loud we bark about our school name, yes even if we don't come from the hard knock.

It is after all an education sought after. But what about branded education? How far can one go when one comes from an unsinkable roster of achievers that fill the halls of many respectful institutions and the seats of many offices?  

One is almost compelled to deliver a variance of pitch or meaningful breadth of a pause when one is asked for the school name upon application.  

Use a high pitch, high-strung tone without effort to mention your school if you come from the top three universities or colleges.  

But for the rest of the ordinaries, use or key in only a low pitch tone, almost a denouement voice, without a twang of course, if you come from a usual school that does not belong to the most privileged.

It is a branded education that outpaces others when applying, aside from the "kakilalas" of the few.  In fact, it won't be hard to tell who would also get the best seat at work. 

One applicant from an unbranded institution can pine for "it", that laudable position in all best effort, but the promotion would definitely be won in priority by someone with a branded diploma.

From the differences in pay scale; to the work positions; to being handed the right opportunities for a secured future, a branded education can make things easier for an individual.  What's the use of being a graduate of this knock-knock school, if you cannot pull some strings right? 

But for the many hordes of applicants, who stand by the truth in their resume, the strength of their achievements, and the little references they can front, how do you match a branded name backed by many alumna, bemedalled and most-talked about for their achievement?

However great-- branded education is, it is never an antidote for the prevailing lack of opportunities for the rest of the unemployed. It actually postures an age-old competitive question that confounds any hiring personnel. Would you really go for a Philippine version of an IVY LEAGUE school or would you open your doors to the plain-named applicants?

It has become a legacy of tiered education that makes superficial the same legacy,  that also depletes the opportunities of the many graduates.  Graduates who also want to make a living, not just a superficial name; a worth-your-while employment from their own industry that can be bereft of chances and level-headedness for the rest of the "so-ordinary" Pinoys.

>>>commentary. News Review Philippines 2023

THE DENUDATION OF WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDUSTRY-TRAINED PROFESSIONALS

AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF APPLYING FOR A JOB:

Donate Before An Interview, "No Pressure" Polite Scheme For Applicants

But where are the (actual) job vacancies?

The photo shows an outside sign at a local convenience store announcing a job vacancy (used for purposes of reference). Job announcements like this hung at actual addresses seem to be more tangible than the advertisements on job resource sites these days.

When work-from-home employment agreements have become a custom standard at the start of the pandemic, it seemed like a long-awaited move by those who propose that a better quality of life would be achieved when work is not as routinary and is set on a more relaxed “remote” space. This way a  worker can blend home life and career together.

But there is one issue that needs to be fixed with the wider acceptance of work-from-home offers of employers. And this is the issue of job security.   

Whether or not the threat to the tenancy of work can be seen as a causality of the pandemic or an effect of low or reduced productivity of the worker when a home-based arrangement is implemented, the security of workers must be guaranteed even in non-traditional work reporting.  

 The truth of the matter, there is no assurance of longevity of tenure at a time when the longest-running companies are also folding up. While some companies have no need to pack up yet, the rest of the “fighters” try to keep afloat by downgrading their number of employees.

 Another factor that poses a threat to the availability and security of employment locally is when Filipino workers are considered "less qualified" to compete for work positions against foreign nationalities. 

The latter are perceived to be better trained and well-invested in their industries.  Some employers prefer foreign hires against local applicants resulting in the denudation of work opportunities right in a country where Filipinos must have a vantage point.

Moreover, these are the job-hunting realities that workers must have ideas on:

1)     Job security is threatened by the shift in strategies of HR staff. Instead of getting an applicant right away to fill in positions, and posit an INTERVIEW OR PRELIMINARY EXAM, the posture of a good number of hiring personnel is to bank the "unbanked" resumes.  

      Could it be that this is to profile applicants only without telling if the efforts of HR personnel found on job sites, are to hold on to applications only or "future call" the prospective workers?  

      But if there is no real, tangible likeability for future calls, could there be a freeze hire in effect? If there is, why the need to call for applicants like a casting call for the ingenue?  

      HR personnel chooses to savor a period of lull in hiring and wait for more applicants to measure against a vacancy or soon-to-be-vacant post. 

Herein the turnover may be affected because of the wait for applicants that fit in their bill of employers' preferences.

2)  Employment opportunities are further slimmed down by the proliferation of sites that hound on applicants to try but cannot offer tangible jobs except an offer to network; to be seen in one community identified with a certain industry; or afford workers the opportunity to share their qualifications in a social media, in a job resource platform that is influenced by metrics, post likes and search optimization. 

These facts actually affect the prospects of an applicant landing a job offer. We know for a fact ranking applicants' popularity must not be a norm for hiring.   Because numbers do not know faces and values except page views. 

 Another approach to the screening of applicants that slurs fairness is the use of platform-based meeting sites that prompt users to send donations, to the account holder (here the account holder is the screening personnel or HR staff).   

This "donate-at-your-goodwill" maneuver can be downplayed by some.  But when done to prequel a job interview process, applicants can interpret the interview as a lamentable requirement, prior to being hired. It is because the meeting app politely asks for donations to be credited via a call-to-action button, to favor the platform subscriber and not the job applicant. 

3)  Having a tendency to select applicants who can "give" monetary donations; give preferential points to workers on the basis of nationality; or lean towards those who can give positive reputation positioning of HR personnel, over those who need the job more or are qualified yet with local work experience only, redounds to partiality in the hiring process. 

And to all these, all that a job hunter and an employee enthralled in all these work scenarios can ask are:—WHERE ARE THE JOBS POSTED ON JOB SITES? ARE THESE FAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF JOB OPENINGS THAT NEVER SEEM TO GET FILLED AT AN OPPORTUNE TIME, WHEN THE COUNTRY HAS TO HAVE A BACKUP FOR SUSTAINED MANPOWER IN MANY INDUSTRIES?

Count the number of your applications, unemployed hopefuls. A tell-tale sign of the real situation beyond the surveys.

 >>> Commentary. News Review Philippines

IS THERE A MEMO AGAINST HIRING MIDDLE-AGED PROFESSIONALS?

THIS ARTICLE SIFTS THROUGH THE MIDDLE-AGED WORKERS' JOB-HUNTING WOES

There is nothing more frustrating as a professional, with titular accomplishments than to find no job, no work even when one is capable of working, especially now that the traditional office has shifted to a work-from-home arrangement.

The Reel Deal

It was a too-honest, too big of a deal offer, which came on the heels of a pandemic. Workers have been assured the better promise from employers of work continuity for some industries.

But the bitter gourd to swallow is that this promise is all too “ideal” to be waited by Filipinos. 

Finding employment in the Philippines seems to be a clickbait promise reserved only for the younger workers, who have no previous work experience, and are thus not in a position to make demands for their right benefits; or have a right recourse should they not be given the right salary.

Hiring personnel these days seemed to hide at the back of convenience of enjoying a  work-from-home arrangement that getting an email or confirmatory response to applications seems to be as vague as the Internet of Promise.

Where the Jobs Are Posted

Currently, there are a few established, creditable sites in the country that offer job resources and recommendations for job openings.* One is an international job-hunting site that is the most “branded” and widely respected, but whose core focus of late is providing an avenue for communications and training for workers, offering real and tangible employment from employers.

The other is almost a vintage site for job hunters which manages to make itself relatable and in tune with the times but cannot offer tangible prospects either, except that it can put your resume in a reservoir, along with other resumes.

And the third popular job-hunting site is less popular compared to the pioneer job-hunting site previously mentioned.

But this site for employers looking for the right personnel,  was the most aggressive in responding to applications, and very competitive in terms of giving examinations to applicants.

However, this third recommendable job resource's promise of openings for job hunters remains a work in wonder. If there is one prospect for getting a job on this site, it is after all in an industry that one would evade the most as a professional—the insurance industry.

So where do applicants and prospective middle-age workers go, when the bias is already working against them? There is a bias and this cannot be denied. 

More Than Just A Game

Perhaps employers would find them in game streaming sites, where the brightest professionals are haunting for nice paying jobs. But what remains a mystery is how game streaming can support workers financially and in the long run, given the volatility of online employment.

For many middle-aged professionals, working for the industry of their choice is their only means of livelihood. This familiarity with their industry and the highly-specialized skills gained from their job can make it difficult for older workers to be flexible and "jump ship" to another industry.

Is there hope for workers with specialized training and skills to find a job online or is a real-world job a matter of luck and chance depending on the goodwill of corporations and hiring personnel?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Edited May 16, 2023. News Review Philippines

*The writer welcomes community/readers' input for this portion or statement.

>>>commentary.   News Review Philippines 2023

A CALL PROMPT TO BUY A NEW SIM

 Pa-sample ng isang “spammer-scammer-or-simply-entrepreneurial”?

 

To comply with the mandate of the SIM REGISTRATION LAW, a lot of us hurried to fulfill the requirements. Even when a number of criticisms can be raised against the new law (Republic Act 11934).

And besting the silence in my quiet corner, this writer recently got an out-of-line call.

The call was made on my mobile and the other man, upon hearing my voice said, “baka gusto ninyong magpalit ng sim. Nagbebenta ako.”

Something to this effect.

Caught by surprise, was a reply on my end: “Where did you get my number?”.

The man revealed it was from a list. More like the information about my mobile was fished right out.

I cannot understate the man’s impudent gesture. It was like a zero-in.

Let’s further this on the side of how complaints are supposed to be handled by the right personnel or authorities, whom local subscribers go to when a spam/scam or anonymous call is done.

There is an actual call to action at the National Telecommunications website that advises the public where to send a complaint, and this can be done via text.

The site also protrudes an email address where ordinary Filipinos can send their complaints.  

Expectedly, all that could be gotten from sending a complaint to the address given is an NR (no reaction), as of posting time.

However, a response is awaited from the National Telecommunications Commission “hotline”, is not the real issue.

The pressing concern is whether a government office expected by the public to act on a complaint, does have the capability and required number of personnel to resolve issues about spamming and scamming as reported.

Based on the NR received,  complaining about a spam call/ fraudulent sim seller seems like a trivial inconvenience to make.

In another instance, having been on the receiving end of spam messages many times prior to the call received from a pushy sim seller, complaining about such also did not benefit a reply from a mobile services provider.

This site is open to comments and reactions regarding this issue.

 

 

THE NEED TO SIMPLIFY SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS AND CLASS ACTIVITIES TO PROTECT STUDENTS' COPYRIGHTS

THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A DISSENTING OPINION ON MULTI-PLATFORM AND APP USE IN ONLINE LEARNING

Modernization has taken its toll on the way the lessons are being given through the blended learning approach, which presents a duality of methods that incorporate face-to-face classes with online learning. THIS DUALITY HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR COMPLICATIONS AND ENCROACHMENT OF STUDENTS' RIGHTS THAT EDUCATORS MAY NOT HAVE FORESEEN, OR HAVE YET TO BE RESOLVED AS A MATTER OF TEACHING OR INSTRUCTIONAL POLICY. 

With homeschool learning, the students are required to log in and make use of online collaborative tool and meeting platforms that are originally conceptualized and tailored to serve professionals and workers, which were later on used to have beneficial applications in the academe.

But this approach to online learning, the use of multi-platform apps, presents complications that could vague the other rights of the schoolers, in order to pursue quality education.

With the use of online learning methods, learners are required to use the camera and reveal a homeschooling setup that may inadvertently expose the privacy of a home to others. 

Apart from this, other weaknesses of online learning relate to the uncontrolled factors that could affect the learning of a child. 

Such as in the case of audio interferences during online learning and discussions that are not always preventable as most houses in the Philippines are not properly tailored and customized to handle a perfectly digital online school arrangement. 

Moreover, the situational condition of a learner’s “neighboring space” would also be beyond the control of anyone geared for online learning.  

Simple noise, traffic commotion, and sound interference in and outside the house can provide additional distractions to homeschooling, and much more to quality learning.

As parents living in the digital age, we are at sufficient knowledge that no modern app or online environment in the world is totally 100 percent safe.

Exposing learners to camera use and other applications online does not only take away a kid’s right to discriminate against camera use because in this case, a school chooses its matter of SOP policy in the learning integration vis-a-vis the use of technology.  

In addition, apps available online have different levels of technicality and hardware requirements.  An ordinary school/ homeschool setup, may not be readily prepared to meet the demands of such technicality, much more to the comprehension of a young learner.

A case in point is a video meeting application (without prejudgment or bias against a specific app),  that requires a great level of technicality.  

A school must take the presumption that nuances in the use of modern apps can complicate a child’s focus and pique interest more in the use of technology, which can dissonate a learner from spending time, learning the core subjects, which educators would like to prioritize on.

ADD TO THIS COMPLICATION IS THE INTEGRITY OF  THE  STUDENTS' COPYRIGHTS, WHICH MAY BE COMPROMISED WITH THE USE OF SUCH APPS IN THE CLASSROOM/ONLINE SCHOOLING. 

THE YOUNG LEARNERS ALREADY FACE WITH ABRUPT CHANGES TO THE TRADITIONAL METHODS OF LEARNING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO, COULD BE UNPREPARED TO HANDLE FURTHER LESSONS ON THEIR COPYRIGHTS.

MUCH MORE, USING SPECIFIC APPS THAT ALLOW FOR DESIGNING AND CREATIVE OUTPUTS WHEN DONE IN A PROFESSIONAL PLATFORM,  CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR A PURSUIT BEYOND LEARNING,  AND THUS, CANNOT BE IMPOSED ON  A LEARNER.  

More Disadvantages of Using Apps in Online Learning

THE STEALTH OF COPYRIGHTS INFRINGEMENT CAN BEGIN AT THE LEVEL OF SCHOOLING WHEN TEACHERS BEGIN TO HARNESS A KID’S TALENTS FOR CREATIVE USE. 

THE USE OF SEEMINGLY INNOCENT, COLLABORATIVE APPS CAN BE EXPLOITED FOR PROFIT WHEN LEFT IN THE WRONG HANDS or when an educator pursues this, without a full vista on how the use of such collaborative apps, can affect the learners' copyrights.  

AT THE  EARLY AGE OF LEARNING, COPYRIGHTS ARE BEYOND THE COMPREHENSION OR TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW OF THE YOUNG LEARNERS.

Thus, the Department of Education must regulate and peer review the methods of educational institutions and learning centers, in endorsing the use of technology, specifically in the use of apps that may not be congruent with familiar methods of LEARNING.

It must take a slow review in allowing the use and endorsement of apps, with a purpose.

The use of specific apps in classrooms or online learning MUST NEVER BE OBLIGATORY-- OR  RULE OF USE AND IMPLEMENTATION IN EDUCATION.

DEPED MUST MAKE SURE THAT IN PURSUIT OF FORTIFYING THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN, THE USE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY MUST NOT encroach on the other basic rights of the students.

If it is true learning that we target to focus on STEM strengths, every educator must know when to discriminate; when to use technology; and when to simplify or amplify.

As parents, we cannot allow kids to accept and learn everything that are available online beyond our reproach and scrutiny.  On the school level, educators must know how to redefine its hold as an educator; and not as an encroacher of the other rights of the learner/s, geared towards blended learning at the time of the new normal.

 

Commentary/ The writer is open for further debate, comment, and discussion on this post.

 

 >>>>> No part of this post may be shared or printed without permission from the author.

Copyrights 2023

Philippines

minor edit time and date stamp: 7:36pm/ by the writer 050823