# Government Agencies



## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

This is long for that I apologize but I need to rant, since it is my only outlet where other can relate. 

I have had the privilege or should I say the misfortune of dealing with 3 deplorable agencies. Each one was at a different level of the government. 
One is Federal type. One is Municipality / Component City. The last a barangay.
The common thread is lack of leadership, or poor management. 
In our area as many others it is AGAINST the law to have open fires. I sent time stamped photos to the government agency. The did respond by sending the person in charge of that to see me. We spoke and he assured me that he would go talk to the violators. I can only assume he did. The smoke and ash that flows into our gated community is health hazard not to mention our laundry hanging on the line smells of smoke and my car has ash. Since that time, I have sent several more pictures yet the violators continue to burn trash or whatever. But the agency only works 9 to 5. 

In our gated community several laws were broken by the developer. I filed a complaint to the appropriate agency. We had a meeting agency, developer, resident. The developer broke the law written by the agency, yet the agency cannot impose any penalty on the developer. We met twice 1 month apart. The developer made promises but failed to keep them. The agency did nothing. They sent an inspector to look at the violations. He found violations and typed his findings but never sent them to anyone. We did get a copy at the second meeting. In the document, the developer was told to fix several items by 30 and 60 days. That timed lapsed with nothing being done. 

The third agency we filled out the application online and brought all the documents required, we even called the day before to insure we had everything. When we arrived after fighting traffic we were told we needed additional documents. Even though we showed them the website criteria, and gave them the name of the person we called yesterday. But alas we were sent away frustrated and disappointed. The next time we went we brought everything we could possibly think of. But this time one of the documents from another government agency was over 30 days old. Again frustrated and now pi$$ed off.

Now we all have had dealings with Bureau of Immigration, Land Transportation Office and National Bureau of Investigation. We all feel they are broken in some form. But we must deal with them to remain here or have any type of a comfortable life. Fortunately, its only once or once a year.


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## Datchworth (Jul 5, 2015)

On your dealings with the barangay "over the wall" we have the same situation, there's a resentment with some in the barangay that the subdivision has taken land, disrupted access etc. But here, if there's any problem with the barangay the subdivision has some leverage in that there is a preferential labor hiring policy for maintenance jobs and new builds. 

There is always the possibility of corruption in a developer/agency relationship. Whenever a regulator is set up in any industry anywhere there is a tendency for it to be staffed by people who previously held positions in that industry. Even if developer representatives are not employed by the agency, the developers can still exert influence indirectly. 

I'm not sure about the document expiry problem in your third example. The need for documents is definitely overdone here - legacy of the Spanish I understand. It could be they want you to hurry up using the document or, worse, they want you to have to get fresh ones and keep themselves in a job?


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Poor people they have to save their money so will burn wood and charcoal. Getting dizzy, I know that feeling, my wife suffers more and starting have some health issues so at night we close the windows, those that have business or sell food items, in order to make a profit have to use wood it's the only way they can survive but I think 70% of the general population cook with charcoal and wood.

Before hanging out the clothes we wipe off the clothes lines, sounds like no matter where you live unless you have a large land area you are going to suffer from the cooking of at least 100 million citizens that are tucked into an area the size of Idaho state.


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## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

M.C.A. said:


> Poor people they have to save their money so will burn wood and charcoal. Getting dizzy, I know that feeling, my wife suffers more and starting have some health issues so at night we close the windows, those that have business or sell food items, in order to make a profit have to use wood it's the only way they can survive but I think 70% of the general population cook with charcoal and wood.
> 
> Before hanging out the clothes we wipe off the clothes lines, sounds like no matter where you live unless you have a large land area you are going to suffer from the cooking of at least 100 million citizens that are tucked into an area the size of Idaho state.


I wish it was only cooking I could deal with that. its the burning of trash trees tires etc. Its an everyday thing here. I live on a small hilltop and see everything below


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## Datchworth (Jul 5, 2015)

Burning rubber and plastics seems to be a widespread practice in this country. We also suffer from that fairly often I have some sympathy as garbage collection services are quite rudimentary in many areas, especially rural ones. One of the reasons why we have a good service in our subdivision is the income the collector gets from the discarded items of affluent residents and weekenders.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Nice neighborhood ... I'm thinking that most of the residents burning trash are just living in the home of another expat or OFW and they don't have much money or don't want to spend what little they have on trash pickup.

They are burning tires for the metal, this used to happen frequently and I think it is illegal and this was done on Sunday evenings so a real busy Barangay that's the Philippine day off so I'm sure many other issues to keep the Barangay police busy other than burning.

Took all the screens off our windows yesterday and closed them up, the wetness plus the smoke from burning trash, duck feathers, plastic, diapers and my neighbor who cooks large meals across the street and sells on the road, wind of course is directly towards are house and he burns with wood... I've had enough, lungs need a break I'm getting dizzy, it affects my wife more.


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