During the 90s to early 2000s, political scandals rocked the Philippines during the Ramos, Estrada, and

Arroyo administrations. The Textbook Scam Intervention Scandal (where Erap appointed relatives to government posts), the Hello Garci Sacandal (wanton electoral fraud by former Pres. Arroyo), and the NBN/ZTE deal (a lucrative telecommunications deal that fell apart, not without financial damages) were just some issues that filled the newspapers on a weekly basis, with emphasis on tragedy but without much resolution, unless the Filipinos wholeheartedly accept a simple Im sorry. Through the entire political fracas, it is undeniable that public trust and perception in the government waned and festered into general frustration and annoyance, even, as the Corruption Perceptions Index reveals the Philippines is in a downward slide with regard to perception on corruption in the public sector. The shift showed a drop from number 65 in 2001 to number 105 in 2012, which indicates a high level of public distrust in the Philippine government, and as such, the perception affects even the honest public officers and employees. Filipinos expect and deserve a government without graft and corruption, but the matuwid na daan is more an idea than a reality as of press time, as the government takes baby steps toward progress. One thing people fail to realize is that providing frontline services for a disgruntled public already counts as success for those committed to attend to Filipinos availing of these services. Of course, how can people expect to see the matuwid na daan if government employees fail to provide even the most basic of services in the small timeframe that these services are availed? How can a client be happy about being ignored and told to return after lunch when the Anti Red Tape Act clearly imposes the No Noon Break Policy? How can the frustration towards government be quelled when even the frontline services are irritable as well? The Civil Service Commissions (CSC) Contact Center ng Bayan (CCB) addresses these concerns, and provides solutions, mediations, and documentation for future reference. The CCB was gracious enough to share these success stories, snippets telling of how the citizens complaints helped make the governments frontline services better, while showing the public what true public service means. Complainant #1 alerted the CCB of the Social Security System office in Caloocan, after he was refused service because the frontliner had to eat lunch. Service was interrupted and the client filed a complaint because he knew that government offices observed the No Noon Break Policy. Another complainant called the CCB to inform them of the PAG-IBIGs satellite office in Cotabato City, whose frontliners told the clients to come back at 1PM after their lunch break last January 21, 2013. A complainant rang the CCB of the Land Transportation Office in Bacolod, whose frontline employees altogether left their desks to eat lunch, when the ARTA clearly mandates a No Noon Break policy. A texter also prompted the CCB of the personnel in the Out Patient Department of the Gabriela Silang Hospital, saying they failed to give her medical certificate because there were no personnel around lunch time. There have been a total of nine complaints this year reporting of violations in the No Noon Break policy, and the CCB, true to its mission of processing these complaints, told the concerned government agencies and their agency heads of the complaints.

The concerned agencies responded and the complainants themselves called the CCB to commend the efforts of the agencies to make amends: complainant # 1 was told that the person in charge then had to take a quick lunch, and the Branch Head assured him that it will never happen again. The second complaint merited an assurance from the office head that their frontline observes the No Noon Break policy, while the LTO officers told the CCB that they have taken extra measures to implement the No Noon Break policy by putting up posters, issuing a Memorandum for personnel, and issuing a schedule. The Chief of Hospital of Gabriela Silang likewise assured the CCB that it observes the No Noon Break policy. The No Noon Break policy is based on Section 8 of Republic Act No. 9485 (the Anti Red Tape Law), which provides that all officers or employees shall accept written applications, requests, and documents submitted by clients of the office or agencies. Said officer or employee shall also act on the request on a reasonable amount of time. Denial of such requests should be substantiated in writing, and most importantly, the office should adopt a working schedule so that the office is fully functional and ready to serve the clients. The rationale behind the law is simple: to streamline and to ease daily government processes and transactions for the convenience of the Filipino public. The government provides guidelines to ensure the public officers and employees provide efficient, continuing service because the Filipino deserves what his taxes afford him. If the ordinary Juan sees that the frontliners do a solid job providing basic services, maybe the daang matuwid isnt so far off; these public officers and employees are the real face of the government, and these lingkod-bayani deserve as much adulation as those appointed or elected in higher posts. The CCB is accessible via mobile, telephone, or the internet. For complaints, suggestions, and reports, kindly call 09088816565 or 16565. Complaints can also be filed at the CCB website (http://www.contactcenterngbayan.gov.ph ).