Caught My Eye Or Ire

On my way to Philhealth Rizal at Sta. Lucia, I rode an Antipolo jeep, which had one of those blaring sound systems. Barely a few minutes into the ride, the driver chose to play a song that repeatedly chanted, "P-tang ina." As the song progressed, the lyrics degenerated to lines that contained the words: k-ntutan, itlog, etc. Although he has the right to listen to music that he enjoys, I think that right overlaps with other people when it's being played in public. So when the jeep stopped to take on passengers, I slid to the front, tapped the driver on the shoulder, and told him, "Kuya, ang bastos-bastos." He immediately caught on to what I meant and changed the music.

After three days, the birth certificate of my cousin that I had ordered online still hadn't arrived. I checked its status on nsohelpline.com  and read: Waiting for Payment Confirmation from Payment Provider The payment option that I had chosen was through a bank deposit. So I called up Metrobank P. Tuazon branch at 911.5813 and they confirmed with NSO that the payment had already been received, but there was a question re my order. I was directed to call 737.1111, and, with the help of Teleserv consultant Braid Nicole, I finally learned the reason for the delay was the absence of an authorization letter and ID of my US based cousin. Since I can't get the requirements on time, I voiced my desire to cancel my order and asked if I could get a refund. Thankfully, after consulting with a superior, the answer was yes. I gave my bank details, and, according to Ms. Nicole, the P350 fee for the canceled birth certificate will be deposited within the week.

I informed Yakult Philippines via their FB page that I passed by Hi Top Supermarket on Aurora Blvd. in Quezon City and found several Yakult products, numbering more than a hundred, on top of a  regular shelf near the ice cream section. When I questioned the shelf filler supervisor, he informed me impatiently that that's where they put all the Yakult that cannot fit in the chiller, as if it was a regular practice. I reminded him that Yakult is sensitive to temperature, and all the lactobacilli in the bottles on the shelf were probably dead. Receiving no assurance that the damaged Yakult products would not be sold to the public, I repeated my observation to a Customer Care representative and someone (who looked like he was) from management. However, my story was met both times with a blank stare, and I'm afraid of the sudden flurry of movement by staff from the ice cream section to the overflowing Yakult chiller.

I wrote this on the FB page of North Park Noodle House: Hello. I went to the North Park Noodle House at SM Hypermarket Cubao this morning, 04 Nov 2014, and I was informed that if the senior citizen is not present, an authorization letter from OSCA is required, and the one that I had brought with my father's signature will not be recognized. The manager at opening time (I picked up the congee for my bedridden father at 8:47am, OR# 0097448) applied the 20% but warned me that all future transactions from any North Park Noodle House would require the aforementioned OSCA authorization. However, when I inquired at the OSCA in Pasig City Hall, I was told that they are NOT ALLOWED to issue authorization letters. Moreover, the Senior Citizen Office says that by virtue of RA 994, the 20% is guaranteed by law, and asking for an OSCA authorization creates the impression that management wishes to avoid following the law.  I hope your present policy will be reexamined. Thank you very muc

I sent this via the Facebook page of Gold's Gym New Manila: Hello, I attended the 8.30am class this morning, 19 May 2014. Although the substitute teacher had excellent vocal projection, his choreography is unsafe and obsolete. I only stayed 15 minutes, but in that quarter of an hour he urged everyone to follow him in a continuous hi-impact routine, reminiscent of the 80s aerobic craze, which has been deemed unsafe by fitness experts. I certainly do hope that future substitute teachers' backgrounds are checked for a safe and productive workout. Thank you, Lorna Lopez

A call to Danvil at their Alabang office (tel. no. 828.0468/6184) on 05 May 2014 produced the same answer for the past months: the termination checks cannot be released due to a hold by the Insurance Commission. The delay turned out to be good news. I managed to speak with Ms. Sally Bactol of the Actuarial Dept. in the Insurance Commission who explained the delay. The Danvil audit report is currently with the Management Committee (ManCom), of which the Chief Deputy Commissioner is part of, and who, in turn, will make his recommendation to the Insurance Commissioner. The suspension of payments is due to the fact that ManCom wants to ensure that Danvil's coffers will be at a zero balance, i.e. all possible payments are given to its clients, which means there's a very good possibility that the current offer by Danvil at 50% of the policy's value may become higher, as ordered by the Insurance Commission. When I raised my concern that my mother had already signed the termi