Before, I thought they were only rumors, hearsay, not until I experienced it. Now I understand and cannot blame those people who are upset and feel bad about the various government departments today.

On 13 September, a request was made for a courtesy call on Mr. Sonny Angara, the secretary of the Department of Education, but up to now the requesting party hasn’t received a response. Now I understand why many school administrators, faculty members and non-teaching personnel are dismayed, disappointed and are beginning to compare the present management at the Department of Education with the previous ones.

If I were asked my personal observation and to rate how efficient, effective and professional the staff of Secretary Angara is, I would definitely give them a failing mark and nobody could question me for doing so. Another thing is that the Department of Education is not doing anything to at least look into and impose sanctions against one or two of its officials in Malabon City who are managing a school there. No wonder, they cannot act on a simple request for a courtesy call, how much more on anomalies.

The questions in my mind are: Is the Department of Education (DepEd) hiding something, that is why it is difficult to get an appointment with Honorable Secretary Sonny Angara? How many anomalies are there in the department that he cannot handle and is hiding?

The non-response of his staff or whoever is in charge of making appointments with him shows how inefficient, ineffective and unprofessional they are at the department. It gives me the impression that they cannot handle anomalies within and among their ranks, that is why DepEd officials continue to do their own thing within their respective areas of responsibility, just hoping that those acts will not come to the knowledge of senior DepEd officials.

It would be a miracle if I ever receive a call from the Office of the Secretary, Department of Education, or would they bother to ask me the details of such stories. For now it would be better, I think, to bring the matter to the proper government agency, to the proper authorities in the proper forum for disposition.

Motorists and residents living on Sobriedad Street in Balic Balic, Sampaloc, Manila are complaining about an old woman who keeps shoving and shouting at them. So I went to see an official of the barangay with jurisdiction over the area.

I learned from the barangay that the old woman’s name was Teresita Zabala, a native of the Visayas who has been staying in the place for several years now despite having her own family living nearby on V. Alindada Street in the same barangay.

Efforts had been made by the barangay officials to help her, seeking the help of the National Mental Health. Zabala was taken to the mental hospital, however, she was back in less than 24 hours. Upon checking, the barangay officials were informed that doctors at the National Mental hospital found that everything was normal with the old woman who was able to answer correctly all the questions asked of her.

The barangay officials are seeking professional interventions from the city government of Manila, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Philippine National Police for a collaborative effort to transfer the old lady from their place because she has been causing damage to vehicles and raising a public alarm and scandal.