I have been silent for three days since the major technical glitch of the Bacolod Barter Community (BBC) happened this week because as founder, together with all the moderators – we are deeply affected by this development. But despite our sadness, we know that we need to be transparent and explain the situation.
On Tuesday this week, September 15, at around 9 o’clock in the morning, the Bacolod Barter Community was disabled by Facebook due to a number of breaches or posts that went against Facebook community standards, which accumulated since May 2020. Out of nearly 250,000 posts, BBC has incurred more than 80 breaches or posts of items, which under FB rules are not allowed “for selling”. Since Facebook has currently no rules for bartering. We have immediately blocked, removed or muted all the members whose posts were taken down by Facebook as a breach. The breaches include mostly surgical disposable masks (which is regulated by Facebook because of pandemic), and live animals, airsoft and vape. This situation also happened to other online barter communities.
We have constantly ensured not to behave as buy and sell or a commercial trading group page such that the strict FB regulations applying to commercial transactions can be reconsidered. Notwithstanding, everything that Facebook prohibited to be sold online, BBC also disallowed to be bartered online.
We have tried every day to advice our members against Facebook breaches and our moderators have constantly tried to avoid errors of approving them. The cumulative number of posts DECLINED by all volunteer moderators have reached more than 20,000 in a span of four months. This only means that we have exerted so much effort in making sure that everyone gets to barter and posts that are violating mechanics are prohibited.
Also on September 15 the same day BBC went offline, the BBC team has begun the process of appeal which is on-going up to this day. We have appealed to Facebook to consider online barter communities as public good, just like we look at Facebook as a public good – for us who have made it a platform to pursue our advocacies.
The Bacolod Barter Community has benefitted thousands of families in Bacolod and in Negros Occidental in finding ways and means to survive the serious economic impacts of the quarantine restrictions due to the pandemic. Thousands have lost their jobs and opportunities to earn on a daily basis. Many small and medium business owners and entrepreneurs have folded up or have temporarily closed their businesses. More than half of the city have started to re-connect, while others have built new connections or stronger connections because of daily online bartering activities. Online barter has spontaneously spread across the country in May, sending message of hope and spreading kindness to all communities. Online barter has become a social technology to uplift the otherwise desolate and dampened spirits that prevailed in our physical communities after several months of lockdown restrictions. In sum, we have shown the world what kindness is all about in the midst of fear and uncertainties.
It is on these important points that we appealed to Facebook, and that therefore, up to now, we are praying that our page shall be restored. As BBC Founder and Administrator, I take full responsibility for this technical situation and sincerely apologize to all members for all the inconvenience this development has caused everyone. I am immensely grateful to all moderators who spend so much time and resources to help me in this endeavor even without any remuneration. I am extremely thankful to our benefactors and members who shared prizes and items to bring cheers to our inspiring barter stories and challenges. Most of all, I thank the more than 235,000 members who have become part of the vision of BBC for several months.
While awaiting the decision, also on the same day, September 15, we have started a new group page with the same name – BACOLOD BARTER COMMUNITY – and the same logo, the same mechanics and user-experience – with this URL – https://www.facebook.com/groups/newbacolodbartercommunity
We invite everyone to this new home with renewed optimism and hopeful spirits. I also encouraged everyone to be more responsible in all our bartering activities – from posting, to bartering in the threads, up to exchanging.
Whether our original BBC group is restored or that we continue on with this new group – the Bacolod Barter Community commits, with the help of the Almighty God, and the cooperation of all members – to be STRONGER, WISER, AND KINDER!
Let us not give up and continue to help one another. Let us put our trust in the Lord and rely on His Wisdom and Goodness to decide what is best for us.
Tomorrow is a new day! Padayon kita! Madamo nga salamat!
Young Bacolodnons and Negrenses all need to face the harsh realities of a world seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic along with million of young people around the world. They are left with no choice but to strike balance between adapting to the so-called New Normal and still remain optimistic and determined to pursue their goals and aspirations in life. One important step is to pursue their studies despite the everything that is happening and inspite of difficult circumstances. There’s a brave new world waiting for our young people. But first they have to conquer the challenges posed by migration of classroom learning to virtual classes.
As September came, the Bacolod Barter Community launched a challenge for its members to mark its fourth month – to nominate and share a story about someone deserving to receive a Smart Bro Pocket Wifi LTE with 250 load. In just one day, the challenge drew 153 names. Judges went through all the stories and picked five young people. Their identities and stories were also validated. We invite you to read the short sharing of the nominators about their nominees below, in their own words and be inspired. There stories will give us a glimpse of the difficulties our young people face today as they immerse themselves in online learning.
Evame Lastimoso
Evame was nominated by her sister-in-law: Chirry May Despe, who wrote: “I chose Evame Lastimoso nga mtagaan sang pocket wifi kay naga believe gid ako sa iya sa pag dedicar sa pag-eskwela nya 15 years old palang sya nagbusong nasa but wala gid sya nag stop sa schooling nya until now nga ma 3 years old na baby nya. Sya ang akon nga bayaw kag ang iya bana isa lamang ka trycycle driver kay tungod sa pandemic indi ka byahe iya bana gabaligya nalang sila fishball Kung hapon para my ibakal gatas ka bata ya. While gatulok ko sya nabudlayan ko kay gastart na online class nila kung gabe sya kag aga pa gabugtaw para mag answer sang mga questionaire nila kay pagkahapon mabaligya naman sya fishball sa benta nya sa fishball dira pasa gakwa ipaload 70 pesos good for 1 week para sa iya online class. I hope attorney sya mapilian nyu. She deserve nga makakwa ka wifi para ndi na sya nabudlayan pa.tama ka tutum nga baye pag abot sa pageskwela ya I salute her. GODBLESS attorney“
(I choose Evame to receive a pocket wifi because I am impressed by her dedication to her studies. She became pregnant when she was only 15 years of age but she never quit school. Her husband who is a tricycle driver no longer had trips because of the pandemic. So as couple, they sold fishball in the day time, where Evame gets 70 pesos per week for Internet load for her online classes. I hope she gets the wifi because she is very hardworking when it comes to her studies).
Floriane Flores
Floriane was nominated by her aunt, Angelie Flores, who wrote: Gin pili ko sya nga angay hatagan sang pocket wifi ang akon nominado ky bisan ano ka budlay ga porsigido gid cla nga 5 nga mag utod nga maka tapos bisan ga patay patay ubra sa tawo ang ila nga iloy para my pang adlaw adlaw nga gawion ky ang amay nila wala na ga suporta sa ila kg very proud sa ila nga lima nga gin padako cla nga closer to God nga every Saturday ga serve gid cla nga bisan wala na ang amay nila ga suporta kg ga pakita sa ila pero ang heart nila nga mag ulutod wala sang ka akig kg ang mabatian mo lang sa ila palangga man japon namon c papa bisan wala nya na kami gina sapak batunon man japon namon siya kung balik cya… tani mapilian ang akon nominado salamat
(I chose Floriane because of her determination and that of her siblings despite the difficulties they face especially in not being supported by their own father. I am proud of them because they were raised with close relationship to God. Such that despite of their father not looking at their welfare, all of them still loves him and wish to accept him if he comes back and live with them.)
Raphael Casim
Raphael was nominated by a schoolmate Cherise Ascalon Cordova, who wrote: “Hi this is a batchmate of mine from lasalle nursing. Nursing in lasalle is very expensive however he is a scholar cause his dad works there. He is very smart and very hardworking. Taga adsisa sha sa silay which is very very far. And waay sha wifi only load. And every lecture week ga zoom kami for our Nursing major subjects and mahal2 ang zoom mag kaon sa load. A day guru he spends at least 200 for load. Nd man gd sila amo na ka rich and he is really challenged. To think sometimes grabe gd demands sang mga teachers namon. U may think pag lasalle damo kwarta especially nursing but NO. Hindi man gd kami ni amo ni ka close but i think he really deserves nya effortan cause i want us all to graduate as a batch. Future frontliners and i know he deserves it. Grabe sha mag workhard sa school. Despite he is challenged gd but he even gives off much better outputs than my wifi. His dedication to being a RN someday is someone who can inspire a lot of people 🙂 he lives in the far flung areas of silay. My mom said sulodlon pagd. I just want him to cope up also sa lessons namon and zoom classes. Kisa left behind man sha”
(I nominate Raphael, my batchmate in Nursing at La Salle. People may think, students in La Salle are all rich. But that is not true. Raphael is a scholar because his father works in La Salle. They are not rich so he is also struggling with expenses for internet load and demands of teachers, since Zoom eats up a lot of load. We are not that close but I see him as very hardworking. He exerts more effort than even those with a lot of Internet connectivity. He lives very far from Bacolod, at AIDSISA in Silay so has problems copin with lessons. His dedication to his studies will surely make him a good registered nurse some day, a future frontliner. I want us all to graduate as one batch.)
Kimly Ballerta
Kimmy was nominated by a friend, Francis Jim Esing, who wrote “She’s like a sister to me. We have been friend’s since Grade 2 and up until now, 2nd year college na sya taking Secondary Education major in Mathematics sa BCC. Si mama nya lang ang ga buhi sa ila kay recently nag ka sakit sya amo na na stop iya work sa tiyange to help her education. Halin sang elementary asta Senior High School consecutive honor student sya. Hopefully mapili sya kay her sister kag sya gakinahanglan gid para sa ila pag eskwela para ma buligan ila iloy sa ulihi. Salamat.”
(She is a like a sister to me and we have been friends since second grade. Her mother is their only bread winner in the family. But now she is sick and so they need to close their small store. She and her sister really need the pocket wifi for the studies, so they can help their mother.)
️Sofie Cabinbin
Sofie nominated her self and wrote: Hi maam good eve, ako gle si Sofie Cabinbin taga brgy16 purok dalawidaw Bacolod City. Akon kaugalingon ang gin pili nga eh nominate kay tungod naga pati ako nga isa ko sa deserving kag indi lamang ako nga maga pulos sini bangud akon pagid mga manghud, bale tatlo kme kabilog, tatlo man kme ang maga tubang sng online classes, tanan kme ga skwela isa nako kag college samtang ang duwa ko ka manghud isa sa high school kag isa sa senior high kag manug graduate namn ini. Kag kme tanan gna pa skwela sang amon amay nga trisikad driver, kag sa sbng nga tyempo maam wla kme suga naga gamit lng kme sang kandila adlaw2 kag ga charge lng kme sang amon mga cellphone sa amon tiya sa piyak balay ma budlay mn pero kayanon nmun para ma baylohan nmun ang tanan nga sakripisyo nga gn himo samon sang amon amay kag nd mn kme makabayad sang suga sbng kay tungod sa mga galakatabo kag ang income sang akon amay husto lng nmun igasto adlaw2. tne isa ako sa mapilian kag naga pati ako nga deserving ko kay dako gd ini mabulig sa amon panglakaton sa amon maayo nga bwas damlag. Kag isa ini sa maka buhin sang amon problema sa pag tubang sang online classes. Amo lng ina kag madamo gd nga salamat sa pag basa ☺️ halong kita tanan kag God bless us ☺️
(I nominate myseld because I know I deserve the pocket wifi. Me and my two siblings, all three of us need to study so we can repay the hardwork of our father. Our father is our breadwinner in the family and he is a driver. But since we are in a pandemic, he barely has trips. Because we need to spend for our daily needs, we have not paid our electricity bills. So now we have no light and we only charge our cellphones in our aunt’s house next door. We badly need to win the prize to help us with our studies.
The Bacolod Barter Community thanks Atty. Meddie Arbolado, Jr. for donating five units of Smart Bro Pocket Wifi. Meddie has been supportive of the mission of the barter community which is to spread kindness. Congratulations to all our five young winners and may God continue to bless them.
NOTICE: BBC is currently experiencing technical failure. We are encouraging members to join the temporary site here.
It is with painful sadness and frustration that we read the news today about the plan of of Secretary Ramon Lopez of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to “hunt” due to violation of laws the over 1 Million Filipinos in the Philippines and around the world who are helping one another through bartering online.
THERE IS NO CLEAR AND SPECIFIC LEGAL BASIS FOR ONLINE BARTER PLATFORMS TO BE DECLARED AS UNLAWFUL OR ILLEGAL. Barter is a recognized contract under the Civil Code of the Philippines which took effect in 1950. Bartering is an ancient practice that predates money more than 8000 years ago and in fact necessitated the invention of money since humans need to exchange goods and services to obtain their needs and survive.
Since Facebook started sometime in 2004, people already started exchanging goods online, and eventually pages for “bartering”, “exchanging”, “trading”, “swapping”, “donating or paying forward” and “buying and selling” things began more than a decade ago on social media.
When the Philippine economy went into a self-imposed paralysis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Filipinos lost their jobs and means for income. With more than half of our labor force belonging to the informal economy and are daily-wage earners, even a work stoppage for a day will badly hurt them as well as their families.
The President called for everyone to observed “bayanihan” and help one another but despite the Bayanihan Law which gave access to government to billions of public funds, many families have become more destitute. The middle class which heavily supports the economy of this country have reached a point where we need to scrape our savings to endure and stay alive in the midst of the lockdown restrictions – all in order to unite against the fight of COVID 19. Our utility bills, our loans, our rents and all payables running every month – without any income coming in.
These sad realities are no secret to a government who pledge to take care of all Filipinos from the very start of this pandemic.
Despite this bleak scenario, the founders of all the bartering communities in the country composed of professionals in different localities created barter communities on Facebook as online platforms where people can exchange goods which are essential. All founders, administrators and moderators of the group pages are volunteers and not earning any profit for the pages. All members are also not paying anything to post in the barter pages.
Since May 2020, Filipino kindness shone like sunlight throughout the country through the bartering communities. With thousands of community members sharing their extra food and essentials to people who need them most in exchange for things that are even oftentimes old and almost useless. Filipinos extended their talent in cooking for others, fixing things for others, and many other services in exchange for some rice. People gave to those in need and even oftentimes refused to accept what is offered. The inspiring stories for every community are endless, growing in numbers each day. At the end of the day, no cash is allowed in these communities and members are bartering their personal assets. Unlike business entities with gross annual gross receipts subject to taxes, our members are not engaging in any business or activity for profit. The purpose is to help one another obtain essential goods and services and not to evade paying of taxes. When they bought items to exchange, taxes for the items where already paid.
All the bartering communities in the Global Barter Communities (GBC) abide with the highest standards in maintaining our respective the platforms – standards that may not even be followed in the society today.
We are united by a vision – to see a world where kindness is without borders and humanity is defined by the extent with which every race can help one another to survive the global impact of the pandemic and adapt to the “new normal”. Our mission is to stand in solidarity as different barter communities established by local stakeholders in common mission to promote barter as part of our way of life as Filipinos.
In our handbook, our main objective is to strive to establish and redefine the traditional barter system as a new norm of helping one another and shall not in any way promote commercialism and materialism but positive values such as generosity, determination, honesty, patience, integrity, gender sensitivity, equality and ecological awareness. We committed to promote these values as the cornerstones of our respective barter communities.
Our collective definition of barter is exchanging goods and services based on the mutual and voluntary decision of two persons. It is not selling, for the goods or services are not exchanged based on cash or price but value. It is not also donating for the good are not given without anything in exchange. The price of the item or service is never equal but the happiness and feeling of satisfaction should be equal. The items are of inconsequential nature or “deminimis” – just like you next door neighbor gives you eggs in exchange for your rice – so both households can have a complete meal.
Today, our barter communities serve as platforms around the world for people to meet and agree to exchange personal goods and services for personal use and consumption. The platforms do not interfere, intervene, force or influence any individual to enter into any barter agreement. Instead our online communities provided hope to many Filipinos to continue fighting poverty.
As virtual barter communities, we do not promote, endorse nor encourage any act that is against laws, morals, public order and public policy and shall immediately cease or refrain from any activity that it may later on become aware to be against laws, morals, public order and public policy. Just to share some of the items posted which we decline:
Illegal, expired, indecent or defective items
Posts which asks for cash or private message as mode of offer
Posts that are for the purpose of selling or promoting products
All live animals such as dogs and cats, birds and fishes, and wild animals
All items subject to extraction or production permits such as gravel, charcoal and honey thereto depending on the ruling of local agencies in the area
All drugs requiring prescription and similar items
All items that require titles or paper before transfer can be made effective except for items of small value or under a mechanism to ensure existence of proper titles
All items that are subject to company direct selling restrictions
N95 or high-grade masks, airsoft, guns, firearms, weapons and indecent pictures that are flagged by FB community standards
Vape and other items with pending prohibitory laws
All posts with indecent pictures and captions
All posts aimed at ridiculing or humiliating any member or individual or a sector
All other posts asking for the above items in exchange for their bartered items
All posts that does not indicate the requirements for a complete caption (description of item, reason of barter, decent and true pictures, must not contain price and must contain a basic or general description of the items they want in exchange)
All other items that may be restricted by law and agencies in the future
We are jointly appealing to the government of the Republic of the Philippines to help Filipinos cultivate kindness instead of greed, concern for others instead of always just thinking of ourselves and showing the world the true value of bayanihan.
To the DTI, we respectfully ask why your agency will be the one to hunt barter communities for tax laws and not the Bureau of Internal Revenue? We also ask what particular tax provisions are we violating that make online barter illegal and that you make us sound like criminals by saying you will “hunt” or “go after us”? Non-payment of taxes or even non-registration of business are not automatically criminal in nature. Why do we have to be this harsh to millions of Filipinos helping the government in helping other Filipinos in need.
We are appealing to your office to present to us alternative ways and solutions to help our economy, to help our less fortunate Filipinos, to help our millions of displaced workers, to help our MSMEs bounce back and try to find means to feed their workers, to help local stakeholders in ensuring everyone has something to it, to help farmers survive and still be productive, to help workers transition to digital platforms so they can earn, to help Filipino products hit local value chains so they can earn – may we respectfully ask the DTI to focus on these things.
Taxation is not your mandate. Helping Filipinos survive is – as your name implies – TRADE and INDUSTRY. We were counting on the DTI to be in the forefront of pushing the use of digital solutions to increase trade, to promote digital tools to especially to MSMES, and boost digital platforms to promote Filipino brands. But now you say we have to all go back to traditional ways.
PLEASE HELP US SECRETARY LOPEZ. OUR COMMUNITIES ARE HUNGRY. HELP US. DO NOT PIN US TO THE GROUND AND TAKE WHAT LITTLE DIGNITY LEFT OF US BY EXCHANGING OUR USED CLOTHES INSTEAD OF STEALING IN ORDER TO SURVIVE. If you must use the law, use it to help Filipinos but do further worsen our situation.
Please help us. Thank you for all the amazing and extraordinary things you do to help lift our economy during this pandemic as our highest national trade official in the Philippines, Mister Secretary Ramon Lopez! God bless you!
Abu Dhabi Barter Community
Agusan del Sur Barter Community
Aklan Barter Community
Alfonso Cavite Barter Community
Angeles City Barter Community
Arezzo Place Pasig Barter Community
Australia Barter Community
Bacolod Barter Community
Bago CIty Barter Community/Barter Me, Bago City
Baguio City Barter Community
Bahrain Barter Community
Bahrain Barter Society
Baler Aurora-Makati-Quezon City Barter Community
Barotac Viejo/Banate-Iloilo Barter Society
Barter Community Bataan
Barter and Dive
Batangas Barter Community
Baylo ta – Kalibo Barter Community
BF Homes Barter Community (Paranaque)
BFRV Barter Group
Bicol Barter Community
Binalbagan Barter Community
Biñan Barter Community
Borongan City Barter Community
Bogo City Barter Community
Brgy. Tabunan Barter Community
Bukidnon Barter Community
Bulacan Barter Community
Butuan City Barter Community (BCBC)
CAA Barter Community – Las Pinas
Cabuyao Barter Community
Cainta Barter Community
Calauan Laguna Barter Community
Calbayog Barter Community
Calinog Barter Community
Camalig First Barter Community
Camanava Barter Community
Cambodia Barter Community
Candoni Barter Community
Canlaon Barter Community
Carabalan Barter Community
Carmona Barter Community
Cauayan City Isabela Barter Community
Cauayan Barter Community Negros Occidental
Cavite Barter Community
Cebu City Barter Community
Concepcion Tarlac Barter Community
Davao Barter Community
Dubai Barter Community
Duero Barter Community
Dumaguete Barter Community
EB Magalona Barter Community
Filipino Barter Community in NZ
First Cavite Barter/Trade/Exchange items Community
General Trias Cavite Barter Community
Gibraltar Barter Community
Greenheights Village Barter Community
Himamaylan Barter Community
Hinobaan Barter Community
Ifugao Barter Community
Iloilo Barter Society
Iloilo City Barter Community
Isabelenos Swap/Barter Community
Jamindan Barter Community
Japan Barter Community
Kapalong Barter Community
Kuwait Barter Community
La Carlota Barter Community
La Castellana Barter Society
La Trinidad Barter Community
Laguna Barter Community
Lancaster Barter Community
Landayan Barter Community
Lapu Lapu City Barter Community
Las Piñas Barter Community
Las Piñas City Barter Community
Launion Barter Community
Leon Barter Community
Ligao Barter Community
Lipenos Barter Community
Los Baños Barter Community
Mabinay Barter Community
Majayjay Barter : A Community that Spread Kindness
Makati Barter Community
Malasiqui Barter Community
Malolos Barter Community
Malta Filipino Barter Community
Mandaluyong Barter Community
Manila Barter Community
Mansilingan Barter Community
Maragusan Barter Community
Marikina, Antipolo, & Rizal areas Barter Community
MBA (Manjuyod, Bindoy, Ayungon) Barter Community
Merville Barter Community
Metro Manila Barter Community (MMBC)
Moises Padilla Barter Community
Montalban Barter Community
Montalban Barter Community Official
Moscow Filipino Barter Society
Murcia Barter Community
Nasugbu-Lian Barter Community
Navotas Barter Community
Negros Barter Community
North Caloocan Barter Community
First Ormoc Barter Community
Oton Barter Community
Palo Barter Community
Paranaque Barter Society
Parang Marikina Barter Community
Pateros- Taguig Barter Community
Pontevedra Barter Community
Pulupandan Barter Community
Qatar Barter Community
Qatar Filipino Barter Community
Quezon City Barter Community
Quezon Province Official Barter Community
Rinconada Barter Community
Riyadh Barter Community
Rizal Barter Community
Roxas Barter Community
San Carlos City Barter Community
San Enrique Barter Community (Barteran sa Pueblo de Tinobagan)
San Jose Del Monte – Online Barter Community
San Jose del Monte City Barter Community
San Lorenzo South Sub. Barter
San Pedro Barter Community laguna
SantaBayaBas Barter Community
Silay City Barter Community
Silang Barter Community
Silaynon Barter Community and Abu Dhabi City Barter Community
Initial Process: Identify and and empower key stakeholders to come together and ideate an initial recovery mission plan based on available resources, data, time and targets.
Three major areas – HEALTH, ECONOMY and SECURITY
Strenghten and Fortify Public Health Data and Delivery System to detect, isolate, treat, and trace accross all sectors using innovation and digital platforms.
Migrate all government transactions to digital to push private sector to follow
Restore, digitalize, innovate and assist sectors and industries in adapting to “new normal” and recovering from the adverse impacts of the pandemic.
HEALTH
Increase relevant infrastructure capacities like Internet, hospitals, mobile clinics
Upskill Frontliners and Essential Goods Sector Workers and Upscale Social Benefits and Protection
Create Regional Public Health Data and Delivery Clusters for faster systems to detect, test, trace and treat
ECONOMY
Open up, develop and support jobs and industries and all skilling program triggered by “new normal”
Implement a national social impact investment program for private sector to co-work with government in rebuilding the country
Create and develop value chain clusters among provinces for agriculture, food supply and essential goods
SECURITY
Create more virtual spaces for community-use such virtual classrooms, clinics, markets
Map out the whole transport and logistical capacity of the country for effective mechanisms to allow flow of goods and people without possibility of transmission
Develop community bayanihan systems to avoid hunger and criminalities
Bacolod Barter Community – The Positive Lessons You Can Teach Your Children From Bartering
Its always better to give than to receive. – Erma Calopez
Barter with kindness and not with the price of your items. – Bain Elemental
“One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure” – Azrael Lopez
Not be Demanding for dealing – Cris Cristian
Be contented – Joy Decastro
Sharing to those who needed the most. – Oshiro Keiko
Give without expecting. – Bandiola Faith Grace
Barter is Spreading kindness. We are letting go some memorable things that we do not use. and for make them to be useful. share them to others who see that the thing will be useful for them.. – Rinkashikimo Kutemeikito Rinkamikishashikakiji
Nothing and no one is useless kay big or small may value gid na and a place in somebody’s heart. #barterwithKindnessandaPurpose – Angelie Angie
Sharing is caring. – Jenny Gumban
“God loves a cheerful giver.” Kung pwede lang ihatag, ihatag nalang sa ga kinanglan bisan wala baylo – MD TG
We are all rich and at the same time, we are all poor. – Iliana Esereth
My twins (6 years old) have learned more the art of sharing, patience and acceptance. Sharing because they get to share their unused stuff (clothes, toys, books) to those who need it; patience because they have to wait for the replies from the owners of the things they want to barter with; and acceptance because they deal with the rejections when our offers don’t get picked. Above all, it is the simple joy of giving and receiving without looking at its monetary value. It’s priceless to see the excitement and smiles on their faces, even just for a pack of Yakult or a bag of chips (much more when it is for a toy or a book!) Us adults could learn a lot from these kiddos! – Carol Ann DelaCruz-Historiador
Helping the world heal through kindness and compassion while being environmentally-friendly at the same time. – Blanche Denise Fernandez
Makontento kung anong bagay ang natatanggap mo. At tumulong ng walang hinihinging kapalit – Apol Apol Apol
NO ITEMS ARE WASTED. Things not useful to you is useful to others…. and you develop more kindness and appreciate more the attitude of sharing and giving which is more important than taking. – November Amie Cascolan Vargas
Give and take with love and a cause and purpose. Be a blessing to others who are in need. – Teiluj Sarsis Galang
Just teach them the kindness if makita sng mga kids nga ga help ka without any expectations in return they will mark in their minds until they grew up and for sure they will do it also. – Lanie Gaitan Garcia
When you received something more than what you expect, pay it forward. – Anji Fort Port
It is in giving that we receive. Pay it forward. – Janz Tamba
A gift of value is more important than the price. – Emong Bepost
May mga bagay na may kaunting halaga sayo ngunit maaring magbigay ng lubos na kaligayahan sa iba. Importance of things depend on the person that values it. Learn to value and share – Indiano Odeirrac
Sharing is caring especially to the needy.- Marilyn Caña Carampatana
Another person’s junk can be another person’s treasure. – Wu Jun Jiang
Giving smile to them, meet new friends, happiness by giving and contentment. – Miel Lorenzo Basanes
The values of sharing and generosity brings forth kindness, love and service beyond self while touching the lives of not even the ones in need but people of the community. – Emz Flores
Barter reveals the true value of goods based on needs of different people. And that is the very essence of things we should look at it based on our need. – Siong de la Cruz
It’s not about the price..just share wat u have. – Lara Clemente
It’s better to give than receive. – Myrel Cayao
Bartering has taught my children the value of sharing what you have without expecting the same value in return. – Jess Dia Libs
God blessed you to be a blessing. – Joanne U. Griffen
Our kids learn to choose a more sustainable and productive hobby because of their father’s hobby of herbs growing flow a lot of stuff and wonderful experiences for everything you sow, you shall reap! – Prezel Pacina- Ursal
Kindness to share our valuable things we cherish to person in need also. Happy seeing people smile trading stuffs. It is not d value or the price but the thought itself. – Andromeda Watson
It’s not so much about the things we acquire through bartering, but the beautiful story which has been built behind it. Things will soon outlive their monetary value, yet the experiences that embellished our hearts will bear fruit in our lives—becomes the values-pattern of the next generation.- Rodnel Ryan Mariefe Macaya
Giving the best without expecting too much in return. – Mary Michelle Montebon
That it’s ok to let go of the things that once matter to us.. same as letting go of hatred and failures. – Lybe Quillas Carlos
To value relationships. To respect people regardless of their looks or status in life. To never judge or belittle someone. – Alexander Walker
The idea of letting go something for someone’s better use and freely give more to someone other than self. – Judith Rosacena Mirasol
Money is not the basis of a true wealth, it is the value of every little things you have we shared and enjoyed.- Jo Lemz
Old but Gold. – Michael Toledano
Kindness, value small things. – Ceniza Cequina Garcia
Kindness and they will know or understand that there are things that are not important to them but to others it is their needs. Better to give than to receive. – Jeanne Dangco Erebaren
I don’t have a child yet but if ever, the greatest lesson I can teach my future children about bartering is that the things you may have but you do not need is a dream for someone to have. Sharing is a fulfillment in the heart that cannot be compared. – Ara Mae Quirante Garcero
Love tungod kun may ara ka gugma naga follow na lang na sa imo maayo nga binuhatan sa pareho mo nga tawo. – Sharon Fuentebella
Always be a little kinder than necessary. – Rubi Alvarez
Teaching my children the value of sharing. – May-ann Biocon Calosa Patricio
Kindness, the art of letting go, it’s not the value but the act of sharing and seeing another person happy. – Z Ahnna Lee Tiapz
Understanding our basic need, and that sometimes it is okay to give than to receive. – Arvin Gee
The value of Kindness and generosity. The value of buying & keeping only what is essential because time will come you will have to let go of those that don’t matter anymore, to let go of what no longer matters to give way for new things to come!- Shella Pabon
To make someone or Family happy. – Eleulyn Durando Borenes
Love sharing and always thank you to God. – Albia Panes Jennifer
That material returns aren’t always the reason we barter but also to give what others need more than we do. – Joan Briones
Giving and sharing part of good works that can praise God through his goodness kag sa mga nahimo nya nga kaayo sa aton kabuhi” – Maria Mae Tacsagon Garbanzos
Always gid paminsaron mangin maalwan sa isig ka pareho. Kay sa diri nga kalibutan Wala man sang kwarta kag pigado indi na hadlang para maka bulig ka sa imo pareho. Kag permi gd paminsaron nga ang Ginoo gatamod sa aton Adlaw adlaw kung ano na himo mo nga maayo sa sini nga kalibutan paga bugayan ka sa langit sang subra subra. – Katrina Mercurio
Touch lives, be kind and the art of letting go. – Juaymay Rojo
The value of a thing is nothing than the happiness of someone giving and sharing is more important than the quantity and quality of a thing .- Angelica Mana-ay Pactao
“It is in sharing that we receive.” – Jose Stanley B. Mendoza
Bartering can create friendship and showing care even if you didn’t know each other. – Regz Badilla
Your trash…my treasure. – Raquel Lecia Lacson-Torrento
Bartering is a generous way to feel the needy ones. helping one another to make the relationship united even we did not know each other till we become close at heart.- Felma Templado
Lesson of desiring less. – Meddie Arbolado, Jr.
Barter is just like Marketing…a human activity to satisfy needs and wants through exchange processes, however, no money involve. It’s a unique marketing practice upheld by our very our own early maharlikans in origin before the colonization by the Spaniards in 1521. – Alto J. Torres
Be happy all the time. – Shoobing Rotsap
Letting go so someone can make use of it.- Monida Jp Estrella
Kindness and thoughtfulness. – Lito Gepaya
Happiness does not have a price. – Avril Elaine Gamboa – Sabio
May mga bagay nga kinanglan e let go. – Augustus Eustace Rex
Sharing. -Sarj Acilac
Keeping and taking care of kids things that we don’t know others would appreciate even to the least value can be of help to others. Sharing is all that matters. -Yap Pang
Bartering so as to let go of the past with no regrets -Ate Peach
We can share our things with love and joy. – Erlinda Geroy Ymalay
Honesty and friendship. – Nicole Holm
It’s not the price of the items worth its how you make someone happy. Share kindness. – Chez S. Chi Gellecano
Needs (life and health) versus wants (expensive things). – Kiel Ziah
The barter system, the art of letting go, and the beauty of genuine kindness. – Lilianne Irene Yap
The practice of minimalism – to keep only things that spark joy. – Joyce Gonzaga-Solinap
The happiness of sharing without much expectation. “ better to give than to receive”. – Bambi Macaron Yudelmo
Barter with kindness. – Mab Asiain
Sincerity and caring to other people’s need. – Elisa Yap Casipe
My only child learned how to be persistent .He did not bothered to ask for new shoes but instead bartered his old things to have the shoes he wanted.- Sheryl Profeta Alinar
I will teach my little one that it’s not always about money. Attitude, Character is more important and money and blessing just comes along if you have the right character and skills. Always be good to others, never judge anyone, because you never know what they are going through. And that you can never go wrong with kindness. Also, not every day you win but as long as you won’t give up on what you want, one day you will reach your goals and dreams. And to have a generous heart to help others even if you are consider as one of the poorest of the poor. They is always something that you can offer to the world. – Cherzie Gales-Francisco
Honesty, integrity and compassion. – SnookAnn Tan
It’s better to give than to receive. – Yvonne Garrucho
That,s why, we have to spread kindness. Don’t value the items that we are bartering, instead it’s just like giving them for d benifit of our bbc group thru barter. – Angelo Torrecampo
Yong binibigyan mo ng halaga ang pangangailangan ng iba. – Jolly Lavado
That when you give, give wholeheartedly . -Zilla Rozzi Javier
An idea whose time has come again. The barter trade dates back to more than 6000 BC but today mode than 8000 years later, it has become part of what the pandemic-stricken world calls as New Normal.
Last March 15, 2020, Bacolod City was among the cities in the Philippines that was covered by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). Only selected individuals were given quarantine passes while the rest of the city, with a population of more than half a million, stays at home. This got me into thinking how the rest of us can get what we need without going through the long lines of in the grocery stores during limited hours. The pains of financial losses also started to seep in workers, who are mostly daily-wage earners lost opportunities of earning money.
When lockdown restrictions happened, I knew I won’t be able to stay still and just watch the events unfold without doing anything. Every day, I find myself sitting in front of my computer taking stock of all the ideas inside my head, which we tag as innovation, and which I call as simply doing new things to get new results.
My mind was running fast as I regularly post on Facebook, share on Viber and WhatsApp groups about ideas that I discuss with startups and other innovators. Digital registration and payments for social amelioration program (SAP) beneficiaries to avoid queuing, mobile boticas especially for senior citizens, vegetable (utan) community kitchen instead of simply distributing sardines, contact tracing applications, eHealth solutions, farm to table solutions, and reviving the barter system.
The UN WHO COVID Response Badges
When I saw the United Nations COVID19 Response badges in April when I joibed the TalentHouse Design Contest – the orange badge caught my attention – #SpreadKindness. For weeks, I was depressed not being someone who’s in the frontlines. But I told myself, maybe – there is a way I can earn myself at least one badge. And I knew the easiest was #SpreadKindness.
One by one, I saw my ideas fusing with other startups who thought of the same ideas. Despite being in quarantine, I felt useful simply by just listening to these startups and providing them with advise and suggestions, and helping promote their applications. The whole quarantine period has made me busier than in normal times.
Of the ideas I have, I was able to start a page for laws and circulars called “Natty” in honor of Natividad Almeda-Lopez, the first woman lawyer in the Philippines. In a smaller scale, I and my husband who cooks “utan” quite well, started “Utan4All”, which as of today already shared “utan” for 28 days to poor communities. I acted as mentor to a startup project called booqbcd.com, an online medical consultation website which now has more than thirty volunteer doctors in Bacolod. Every day I create designs for my ideas and for various organizations.
On May 8, 2020, around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, I finally felt exasperated about not even having the simple pleasure of choosing toiletries for myself and would simply list what I needed for my husband twice a week grocery trip. Then it crossed my mind to personally start a group to revive the barter system – and called it BACOLOD BARTER COMMUNITY. I never had any name in my mind except that and never changed the group name to this day. Community is the important word for me. Humbly speaking, it never occured to me at that time that May 8, 2020 is going to be historic.
I invited around twenty friends and they also invited more. I posted my first item – an extra liquid eyeliner which I haven’t opened because I didn’t like the color. When I went to check that night, a friend already offered to exchange vegetables and fruits for it. I cannot explain my happiness – that something that I don’t use now produced something I can actually enjoy.
The next day, it grew to a thousand, on its 27th day, the Bacolod Barter Community, now popularly know as BBC has more than 195,000 members.
A whole lechon in exchange for anything other than food, large orchid plants for a sack of rice to be given to a poor senior citizen, or a refrigerator for a COVID-19 testing center in exchange for a Red Cross pin, or a bowl of “aratiles for happy hormones” in exchange for a branded cologne. These are just some of the bartered items at BBC.
The pandemic has triggered a mode of exchange of good and services that existed some 6000 BC to surface again. The barter system which was started by the Mesopotamian tribes, Phoenicians and Babylonians some eight thousand years ago has now been resurrected with a more meaningful dimension, triggering the Filipino “Bayanihan” spirit of giving.
Just when the country’s economy faces a potential collapse, Bacolodnons started to show the world that money is not everything. As councilor of Bacolod for nine years and an advocate for information and communications technology (ICT), I have always championed the use of social media for good. With thousands of Facebook followers and more the than fifty pages and groups that I manage of Facebook, I thought about starting a page where people can exchange goods without using money. Initially, I designed the group page only for women so we can exchange cosmetics and personal items.
In trade, barter is defined as system of exchange where participants in a transaction directly exchange goods or services for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money.
But this traditional activity has become more inspiring today since there is a need to create innovative solutions to the adverse effects of the quarantine. I am particularly inspired to see members letting go of expensive bags, perfumes, and other personal items in exchange for sacks of rice, sardines, noodles, milk, used foams and blankets for poor families.
A second-hand Ford Ecosport, microwave ovens, industrial coffee makers, electric fans, television sets, sacks of rice and trays of eggs, orchids and large potted plants, garden soil, branded clothes, bags and perfumes, cakes and dishes, signature watches and shoes, cosmetics and toiletries, infant formula, baby cribs and toys, books and paintings, jewelries, guitars, chandeliers, and dog food are just some of the items being exchanged at the Bacolod Barter Community.
I am inspired to see people finding what they need from other members like seafood, a can of Spam or corned beef, large water containers, used bicycles, electric mixers, seedlings, art materials and even cravings for “aratiles”.
The mechanics I set for the page was simple. Using my lawyer’s lens, I just had to seal the so-called “meeting of the minds” in contracts with two parties saying “deal”. The medium of exchange are items and no cash is allowed. Buying or selling is strictly prohibited. Members can post pictures of the item they want to barter with its details or description and estimated worth. Initially, members can also mention the things they want or are looking for in exchange for the items they posted. But now, we discourage this practice.
Then other members can comment in the thread, particularly to ask questions or to offer an item. The process continues until the owner of the item chooses from the thread. Once the choice has been made the barter is now deemed completed and both parties are asked to shout out “deal”.
Once exchange is completed, the members are requested to edit their post and indicate that the barter is completed, done, or closed.
Initially, the page encourages food, ingredients, edibles, beauty products or toiletries, but after a week, it has become a source of a variety of items. No harmful, unlawful, expired, indecent or unlicensed items are allowed, and members are immediately asked to report posts that violate rules or appear suspicious, illegal, or bearing any misrepresentation. Now the list is continously growing.
The parties then agree in the thread for the exchange or delivery arrangements. Members are encouraged to keep their contact numbers, delivery addresses and other personal information secure and discuss delivery arrangements in private messages.
Strictly no minors are allowed in the page. Each member shall be responsible as consenting adults dealing with one another in good faith. It is presumed that all the items being bartered are owned or can be rightfully disposed by the person bartering them off. Members are also required to fully disclose the correct class, grade, model, state, or quality of the items.
As part of the mechanics, I encourage the members to keep the page fun, dynamic, useful, and inspiring in this time of pandemic. Every day, we have challenges to keep the members engaged and aligned to the vision.
The first week of the community page drew so much attention that private and public sector leaders and citizens of other cities and municipalities in the Province of Negros Occidental started to permission to copy the format. Today, more than a a hundred cities and provinces around the country have already started their own barter community page.
A few days after I opened the Bacolod Barter Community, I also started Global Barter Communities so I can help other communities and we can share best practices. Here are some of the communities whose founders reached out and joined our best practices community. The list is actually growing each day. I am sure I am missing many cover photos in the gallery.
Manila Barter Community Founder Shumate Royo conceptualized the initail cover photo design and tagline: Commecting Communities Through Bartering.
Therea are also many other barter communities which chose to use their own cover photo designs as well as many other which reached out after they have established their ow Facebook groups.
We have a founders community group to serve as platform for sharing best practices. Here are excerpts of our barter manual:
VISION: The Global Barter Communities (GBC) envisions a world where kindness is without borders and humanity is define by the extend with which every race can help one another to survive the global impact of the pandemic and adopt to the “new normal”. We stand in solidarity as different barter communities established by local stakeholders in common mission to promote barter as part of our way of life as Filipinos.
MISSION: We will strive to establish and redefine the traditional barter system as a new norm of helping one another and shall not in anyway promote commercialism and materialism but positive values such as generosity, determination, honesty, patience, integrity, gender sensitivity, equality and ecological awareness. We commit to promote these values as the cornerstones of our respective barter communities.
CORE VALUE: Barter is exchanging goods and services based on the mutual and voluntary decision of two persons. It is not selling, for the good are not exchange based on price but value. It is not also donating for the good are not given without anything in exchange. It The price of the item or service is never equal but the happiness and feeling of satisfaction should be equal. We commit to encourage the members of our community to embrace these values.
Although money is the standard and most effective means of economic exchange, but these are not normal times and there is limited mobility of people, services and goods, and the lockdown restrictions affected many families, even those in the middle class.
Economists since the times of Adam Smith, known as the Father of Modern Economy in the 1700s believe that pre-modern societies engaged in barter before using money as means to exchange goods and services. Eventually, due to the inefficiency of barter due to the “double coincidence of wants” or that both parties need to have what the other wants, the use of money came about.
Barter is said to have been replaced by the monetary system because there is no common measure of value in barter and certain goods are indivisible to serve as a unit of another good which is worth more than what the person wants to obtain. There also is a lack of standards for deferred payments, and difficulty in storing wealth, hence modern society found it impractical.
Today, modern barter and trade is said to have evolved considerably to become an effective method of increasing sales, conserving cash, moving inventory, and making use of excess production capacity for businesses around the world. Barter has taken on a new meaning amidst the pandemic. It has become a platform for people to find what they need and to let go of things that they do not need anymore. It helps the environment by making sure that things are used and not just wasted. It also allows members to raise resources using items so they can give out to communities in need.
The Digital Age have greatly boosted humanitarian advocacies today, allowing people to create more meaningful impact to their communities in the face of global crisis with the “Bayanihan” spirit.
Because the pandemic has no borders, the coronavirus has claimed millions of lives around the world. But kindness, too has no borders. Let us #SpreadKindness to save millions of life.
HIGHEST OR MAXIMUM PUBLIC HEALTH STANDARDS and GRADUAL EASING of Enhanced Community Quarantine subject to strategic general conditions:
CITIZEN-CENTRIC STRATEGY
1. With strictest quarantine for all COVID-19 vulnerable sectors identified by global experts subject to valid exemptions (school, work or emergency) such as but not limited to –
– Minors or persons who are deemed minors because of physical or mental disabilities unless
– Senior citizens who are sickly, who are incapacitated to work or are fully dependent on immediate family
– People who are suffering from serious underlying conditions or are incapable of working
– Persons who have no reason at all to go out of their homes or loiter
2. Strict Imposition of Curfew of 8PM, except for people working in the healthcare sector, BPO sector, law enforcement and transport and similar industries
3. Strict imposition of 8am to 5pm standard office hours. 5PM to 8PM window period should be used for travelling to respective homes
ECONOMIC STRATEGY
. Strictest guidelines and certifications for workplace sanitation and physical distancing observed in all industries and institutions. Reduction of reporting personnel through Work From Home schemes.
5. Constant promotion of contactless transactions with local government units and government agencies in compliance with RA 11032
6. Promotion of effective and safe food supply chains to ensure access to safe and affordable food
7. Development of new or aligned industries to create jobs and opportunities. Upskilling and re-skilling of manpower for digital jobs
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM STRATEGY
8. Dissemination of clear and specific hotlines per barangay for tele-consultation of COVID-19 symptoms subject to confidentiality (process to follow DOH protocol)
9. Preparation and certification of designated quarantine areas equivalent to at least 1 bed per 1000/pop.
10. Preparation and certification of 1 COVID-19 hospital bed for every 2000/population
11. Weekly, Bi-Monthly or Monthly basic health check up for individuals reporting daily for work. Can be done remotely or digitally.
12. Continued increase hiring and training of public doctors and healthcare frontliners
13. Setup of public health checkpoints for all transport drivers, social workers and barangay healthcare workers for free constant check
14. Continuous mass testing for COVID-19, increase testing capacity and strengthen access protocols
PUBLIC OR SOCIAL STRATEGY
5. Continuous prohibition of large crowds gathering and continuous creation of systems to prevent long queues. Emphasis pn physical distancing in public areas and aggressive support for safe schools so education can resume gradually.
16. Continuous wearing of mask for individuals required according to global standards
17. Systematic and well-monitored inter-LGU travels
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY
18. Mapping of depressed areas in the LGUs for targetted civic activities sponsored by private sector
19. Establishment of sectoral roadmaps to specifically assist sectoral recovery
20. Public and private sector, and mass media to support and continuously spread awareness and understanding of COVID-19, ways to stop the spread and build strong immune system in all fora
Kimberly Joy Mallo Magbanua, the painter of Laban Pilipinan is a nurse, a poet and syringe artist. She is a member of the Association fo Negros Artists (ANA) based in Bacolod City. Her recent artwork “Inang Bayan” showing three healthcare professionals operating on the Philippine Flag captured the hearts of netizens and her fellow artists.
Kimberly, the syringe painter of Bacolod
Below is the caption and poem of Kimberly with the artowrk which she calls “Inang Bayan” on April 18, 2020 as posted by Joan Honoridez, founder of ANA.
Dear Juan,
In one surgery I am now undergoing. I don’t know when it will end but the pain will endure.
I’m sad ‘ the heart is broken. My wish is to be saved and healthy.
Even if the process is bloody and dangerous, so stay at home, avoid trouble.
Cooperate with your sibling so I can be healed. They don’t sacrifice for the end, their family will be with them.
Engraving in history that we are unite. To the beloved town, hope will break. To Almighty let’s pray. He has mercy, our prayer will be heard.
Here is Kimberly’s caption and poem in her FB wall as posted April 18, 2020.
I got inspired with the thoughts that popped into my mind yesterday so I painted a syringe art and wrote a poem about her. Our motherland is sick. She needs you to heal. She’s battling inside the operating room now. Can we help her move to recovery room? or help her transfer to the ward as soon as possible. Spread the love. Spread the hope. We heal as ONE. One love, one nation.🇵🇭 In the name of God almighty, Inang Filipinas will be discharged soon. Amen!
Using powerful hashtags “Laban Pilipinas” along with #WeHealAsOne – 27-year old Kimberly’s works serve as inspiration to both young artists and frontliners in the midst of this pandemic.
Kimberly as an artist and as a nurse, one of thousands of frontlines fighting COVID19 today
We salute our thousands of health workers and frontliners now risking their lives in the fight against COVID19. We are praying for you!
Featured on January 29 and February 5, 2020 at Sunstar Bacolod
Serious efforts to curb graft and corruption by reducing red tape in every city and municipality are being undertaken by the Anti-Red tape Authority (ARTA) created under the Republic Act No. 11032. These efforts, however, will come to naught without an equally serious commitment on the part of citizens to understand and ensure that the new law is complied with by their city or municipality. Corrupt officials are usually averse to automation. Apathy or tolerance on the part of citizens make them privy to the corruption. Local business chambers which do not demand the compliance of their respective local government units to the law lose their moral ascendancy to even claim that they are working for a progressive local economy
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) aggressively undertakes a nation-wide campaign to promote the law anchored on its main benefit – faster and easier application for government-issues permits, licenses and certificates. Customers, clients or citizens are encouraged to provide feedback for service improvement should they be not satisfied with the service provided.
This article will discuss the salient features of RA 11032, a new law which promotes ease of doing business and efficient government service and amends Republic Act No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007. The so-called ease of doing business (EODB) law, it mandates the streamlining and improving the current systems and procedure of government services and aims to reduce processing time, cut bureaucratic red tape and eliminate corrupt practices.
The law applies to all government offices and agencies including local Government units (LGUs), government-owned and controlled corporations and other government instrumentalities, whether located in the Philippines or abroad that provide services covering business and non-business related transactions.
The main requirement of the law is for government entities to craft and disseminate a Citizen’s Charter that will design specific rules and will make the source office liable responsible and liable for non-compliance. It is therefore imperative especially for LGUs to create or revised their Citizen’s Charters by December last year based on the deadline set by RA 11032.
Government transactions must adopt “zero contact” policy and must have corresponding maximum period for processing of permits, licenses and certificates. Except during the preliminary assessment, no government office or employee shall have any contact, in any manner, unless strictly necessary with any requesting party concerning an application or request.
To effectively assist the citizens, clients and customers, the government entities in its Citizens Charter, administrative policies and local legislations, must set up the most current and updated service standards in the form of information billboards that detail comprehensive form checklist of requirements for each type of application or request, procedure to obtain a particular service, persons responsible for each step, maximum time to conclude the process, document/s to be presented by the applicant or requesting party, amount of fees and procedure for filing complaints.
The head of the office or agency shall be primarily responsible for the implementation of this Act and shall be held accountable to the public in rendering fast, efficient, convenient, and reliable service.
For all lawful and official transactions with government, every customer or client must ensure that government agencies accept applications, requests, and documents, perform preliminary assessment, assign a unique identification number to an application request and issue an acknowledgement receipt. The acknowledgement receipt shall contain seal of agency, name of the responsible officer or employee, unit and designation, and the date and time of receipt
Under RA 11032 and which should be defined in the local government unit’s citizen’s charter, the maximum prescribe time for simple transaction is 3 working days. For complex transactions, the maximum period is 7 working days and highly technical transaction, 20 working days. The period may be extended only once for the same number of days. For transactions which requires Sanggunian approval, the maximum is 45 working days. The period can be extended for another 20 working days.
The maximum numbers of signatories in any document shall be limited to a maximum of 3 signatures. No application shall be returned to the applicant or requesting party without appropriate action. Any denial of application or request for access to government service shall be fully explained.
When applicable, the government office can develop electronic versions of licenses, clearances, permits, certifications, or authorizations with the same level of authority as that of the signed hard copy, which may be printed by the applicants or requesting parties in the convenience of their offices.
If a government office or agency fails to approve or disapprove an original application or request for within the prescribed processing time, said application or request shall be deemed approved for as long as all required documents have been submitted and all required fees and charges have been paid. If a government office or agency fails to act on an application or request for renewal within the prescribed processing time, said license clearance, permit, certification or authorization shall automatically be extended.
The law mandates the reengineering of systems and procedures starting with by undertaking cost compliance analysis, time and motion studies, and evaluation and improvement of transaction systems and procedures. All government offices must also undergo regulatory impact assessment of proposed regulations to establish if the proposed regulation does not add undue regulatory burden and cost to agencies and applicants or requesting parties; and initiate review of existing policies and operations and commence with the reengineering of systems and procedures.
All LGUs are required to streamline procedures for the issuance of local business licenses, clearances, permits, certifications or authorizations through the use of unified business application form, establishment of business one stop shop (BOSS). Cities and municipalities are mandated to automate their business permitting and licensing system or set up an e-BOSS within by 2021 or within 3 years from the passage of the law.
Barangay clearances and permits related to doing business shall be applied, issued, and collected at the city or municipality or co-located within the LGUs. The city or municipal business process and licensing office shall not require the same documents already provided by an applicant or requesting party to the local government. Business permits shall be valid for a period of 1 year. The city or municipality may have the option to renew business permits within the first month of the year or on the anniversary date of the issuance of the business permit.
Under RA 11032 and which should be defined in the local government unit’s citizen’s charter, the maximum prescribe time for simple transaction is 3 working days. For complex transactions, the maximum period is 7 working days and highly technical transaction, 20 working days. The period may be extended only once for the same number of days. For transactions which requires Sanggunian approval, the maximum is 45 working days. The period can be extended for another 20 working days.
The mandated maximum deadline for issuance of Fire safety Evaluation Clearance (FSEC) and for Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) is 7 working days, while for a Certificate of Fire Incident (CFI), 20 working days and may be extended once. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) must also be co-located at the BOSS of the city or municipality, where said office shall enter into agreement and develop an online or electronic mechanism for such applications. The BFP shall not sell, offer or recommend specific brands of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment to any applicant or requesting party or business entity, otherwise the guilty officer will be liable by imprisonment of one to six (6) years and a penalty of not less than five hundred thousand pesos to two million pesos.
Punishable acts under RA 11032 include acceptance of application or request with complete requirements being submitted by an applicant or requesting party without due cause; imposition of additional requirements other than those listed in the Citizen’s Charter; and imposition of additional costs not reflected in the Citizen’s Charter. The law also penalizes the failure to give the applicant or requesting party a written notice on the disapproval of an application or request; failure to render government services within the prescribed processing time on any application or request without due cause; failure to attend applicants or requesting parties who are within premises of the office or agency concerned prior to the end of official working hours and during lunch break; failure or refusal to issue official receipt; and fixing and/or collusion with fixers in consideration or economic and/or other gain or advantage.
Penalties and liabilities range from 6 months without pay as administrative liability for first offence and disqualification from the public office and forfeiture of retirement benefits for second offense, including imprisonment of one to six (6) years and a penalty of not less than five hundred thousand pesos to two million pesos. Criminal Liability shall also be incurred through the commission of bribery, extortion, or when the violation was done deliberately and maliciously to solicit favor in cash or in kind.
We deserve the kind of government we have, says a wide adage. Hence, a citizenry that allows corruption to thrive deserves the poor service and substandard programs it receives from its government. That’s why need to strive to become good citizens even as we dream of a good government.
2020 came with lots of nice surprises, especially the first week which I traditionally devote to general cleaning of the house and office. It is more about digging into very old stuff and memorabilias and getting rid of things that haven’t been of use but occupy space.
One of my precious finds is my Daddy Joe’s Elementary Yearbook. I found a very old yearbook of School Year 1955-56 of La Consolacion College (LCC) in Bacolod City. The school stands right in the heart of the city, almost occupying a whole block flanked by Rizal, Galo, Gatuslao and San Juan Streets.
1956 Yearbook of La Consolacion College
The initial pages of the yearbook showed the image of Our Lady of La Consolacion, the patron of the school and a dedication page to Saint Augustine, the Father of the Augustinian Order.
First page of the yearbook
Second Page of the Yearbook
My father Jose Batapa graduated from elementary in 1956 (School Year 1955-56) at the La Consolacion College (LCC) in Bacolod City. Now this sets the record straight. He did much better than I did in elementary since he was 1st Honorable Mention. I only got Fourth Honorable Mention in elementary and Fourth Honor in High School. Not to justify my feat, but I think I spent more time in extra-curricular activities and volunteering for leadership positions as far as I can remember. But then again, I am sure I simply got my leadership streak from Daddy Joe or Sandy as he was called by my grandparents, Jaime Batapa, Sr. and Pacita Rull.
Daddy Joe or Sandy Batapa at the age of 12
Also in the yearbook is a very young image of Bishop Antonio Y. Fortich, one of the most brilliant church leaders of Bacolod. Find more details about Bishop Fortich in this link – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Fortich
Bishop Antonio Y. Fortich
The Bishop of Bacolod at that time was Monsignor Manuel Yap. The yearbook showed his one spread message. Find more details about Bishop Yap in this link – http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/byap.html
Now saving the best for last. After years of listening to Daddy Joe saying she was in the same campus with this iconic lady – I finally saw concrete evidence. I am so ecstatic to see a picture of a famous Philippine actress and for me, one of the loveliest faces in the Philippine film industry – Susan Roces – in the same yearbook with my father! So instead of just posting on Facebook, I spared time to make this article. There is a whole spread of her with all her classmates who were graduating from high school during that year but I opted to only take a picture of her since the rest are private citizens. Well, I think Philippine actresses like Susan Roces are public figures.
I am sharing this beautiful photo of a 15-year old Susan, who was born on July 28, 1941. Her real name as appearing in the yearbook is Jesusa Levy Sonora. Wikipedia says she was born to a French American mother of Jewish descent and a mestizo father of Spanish and Chinese descent. Just imagine the complex combination to have produced such a lovely Bacolodnon and Negrense.
Her dream was to be a successful dramatist and today she holds the title of Queen of Philippine Movies!!! Inspiring life!
The other details about Susan Roces can be read in these links:
Pictures bridge time. Memories we leave behind are precious indeed. We owe to cherish them.
As we begin 2020, I am glad to see my 12 year old Daddy Joe as I am glad to see a teenager queen of Philippine movies. And just a wishful thinking, someday – I wish for someone to open my elementary year book and remember me too.
The picture below shows the 1956 facade of the school. The insitution’s facade have been lovingly preserved. 2019 was marked as the 100th year of La Consolacion College. Happy Centennial Year!
As we enter the new decade, let us look back to decades past with fondness and gratitude. Happy New Year!
As requested by friends, I am also posting the pages showing the faculty members for 1955-56.
