Learning About Patience
Today I am learning about patience, and I think I am failing.
I am currently blogging from Iloilo City and I just came from the regional office here. I intended to get my reimbursement from the expenses I have incurred during the last CME for the Doctors to the Barrio program held last May 2008. I submitted my reimbursement last 30th of May and waited for the bureaucracy to proceed on its own. A week before I was scheduled to go to Bohol for the HLMP training, a fellow DTTB deployed in the same region sent me a message that the checks were already there. He was planning to get his by Monday. I told him I had to get mine a week later because I still had to attend the training in Bohol. I was hopeful that I could my check by the time I drop by the office in Iloilo City.
I already planned to go here last Friday, a week after T.S. Frank hit the Visayas. But the erratic schedule of the ferries going to Iloilo prevented me from proceeding here last Friday. So I rescheduled my trip to Iloilo again today. Imagine therefore my surprise when I went to the Cashier and was told that there was no check under my name.
Of course, we went back to accounting, budget, HRD, even at the RD's office just to trace what happened to my voucher. According to the books, I filed by reimubursement last May 30 (which is correct) and that on June 19 it was returned back to HRD due to some lacking details. It was received by someone under a different division, facilitated the deficiencies and returned back to accounting/budget by the 27th of June. Of course, during that week, all the signatories were out on travel due to the storm. They had to be in the field to monitor the devastating effects of Frank.
Which means, as of this morning, the voucher for my reimbursement was still unsigned by the RD. I was almost about to explode. In fact, I already raised my voice, trying to assert myself. I understood that the office was very busy and because of the storm, everyone's attention was focused on providing services to the victims of the storm and evacuees. I totally understand that. But I wanted them to understand also that I filed my request weeks prior to the calamity. My fellow DTTBs even had their checks already and to think that I was the first to submit.
I was worried about the expenses I would incur again travelling from Candoni to Bacolod then to Iloilo and back again. Since this is not an official travel, I could not reimburse my expenses here. If I could not get my check, that means going back here in Iloilo sometime next week or even at the end of the month to get it. Of course, July is Nutrition Month and my RHU is busy with a lot of activities for the month.
I wanted to let them explain why the slow-pace processing of my request. It took them 19 days to find out that there were some deficiencies in my supporting documents. They could have had told me earlier and advised me that my check would be delayed because of this situation and that they are doing their best to facilitate it. I could have had appreciated it. I don't mind receiving my check on October or as late as November, for as long as I get some notice or advice about it. I was trying to ask them "don't you think that's fair?"
I wanted to really hold my temper because frankly I was really getting pissed. I was not expecting such a delay and frankly, my perception of the whole thing was a proof of some inefficient system. But then, I cannot really fully conclude that way, considering that maybe I was the only one complaining about this and maybe others in the past had no problems getting their reimbursements from the office. Either way, I was feeling frustrated. I was sleepy, tired and exasperated.
Later, I was told that they were trying to facilitate the release of the check. Since the RD was out on travel, the ARD signed the check in her behaldf. I did get my check but I was told that I could not encash it until Tuesday of next week. Well, at least I had my check, right? Win/Win situation. So, I can either arrange my check to be deposited in my account through a different branch in Bacolod. There is usually a one-week clearance for that but at least I need not really spend money and waste effort just to cross Iloilo City and have my check encashed for a meager amount.
I had to assert myself but I had to admit that I was impatient and my impatience was fuming. Hopefully, they should also understand my situation. It is not easy taking a day off from work and crossing an island over an hour and a half ride on a ferry across wavy waters only to find out that you could not get what you want and that the only option is to come back again.
Oh well.
I am currently blogging from Iloilo City and I just came from the regional office here. I intended to get my reimbursement from the expenses I have incurred during the last CME for the Doctors to the Barrio program held last May 2008. I submitted my reimbursement last 30th of May and waited for the bureaucracy to proceed on its own. A week before I was scheduled to go to Bohol for the HLMP training, a fellow DTTB deployed in the same region sent me a message that the checks were already there. He was planning to get his by Monday. I told him I had to get mine a week later because I still had to attend the training in Bohol. I was hopeful that I could my check by the time I drop by the office in Iloilo City.
I already planned to go here last Friday, a week after T.S. Frank hit the Visayas. But the erratic schedule of the ferries going to Iloilo prevented me from proceeding here last Friday. So I rescheduled my trip to Iloilo again today. Imagine therefore my surprise when I went to the Cashier and was told that there was no check under my name.
Of course, we went back to accounting, budget, HRD, even at the RD's office just to trace what happened to my voucher. According to the books, I filed by reimubursement last May 30 (which is correct) and that on June 19 it was returned back to HRD due to some lacking details. It was received by someone under a different division, facilitated the deficiencies and returned back to accounting/budget by the 27th of June. Of course, during that week, all the signatories were out on travel due to the storm. They had to be in the field to monitor the devastating effects of Frank.
Which means, as of this morning, the voucher for my reimbursement was still unsigned by the RD. I was almost about to explode. In fact, I already raised my voice, trying to assert myself. I understood that the office was very busy and because of the storm, everyone's attention was focused on providing services to the victims of the storm and evacuees. I totally understand that. But I wanted them to understand also that I filed my request weeks prior to the calamity. My fellow DTTBs even had their checks already and to think that I was the first to submit.
I was worried about the expenses I would incur again travelling from Candoni to Bacolod then to Iloilo and back again. Since this is not an official travel, I could not reimburse my expenses here. If I could not get my check, that means going back here in Iloilo sometime next week or even at the end of the month to get it. Of course, July is Nutrition Month and my RHU is busy with a lot of activities for the month.
I wanted to let them explain why the slow-pace processing of my request. It took them 19 days to find out that there were some deficiencies in my supporting documents. They could have had told me earlier and advised me that my check would be delayed because of this situation and that they are doing their best to facilitate it. I could have had appreciated it. I don't mind receiving my check on October or as late as November, for as long as I get some notice or advice about it. I was trying to ask them "don't you think that's fair?"
I wanted to really hold my temper because frankly I was really getting pissed. I was not expecting such a delay and frankly, my perception of the whole thing was a proof of some inefficient system. But then, I cannot really fully conclude that way, considering that maybe I was the only one complaining about this and maybe others in the past had no problems getting their reimbursements from the office. Either way, I was feeling frustrated. I was sleepy, tired and exasperated.
Later, I was told that they were trying to facilitate the release of the check. Since the RD was out on travel, the ARD signed the check in her behaldf. I did get my check but I was told that I could not encash it until Tuesday of next week. Well, at least I had my check, right? Win/Win situation. So, I can either arrange my check to be deposited in my account through a different branch in Bacolod. There is usually a one-week clearance for that but at least I need not really spend money and waste effort just to cross Iloilo City and have my check encashed for a meager amount.
I had to assert myself but I had to admit that I was impatient and my impatience was fuming. Hopefully, they should also understand my situation. It is not easy taking a day off from work and crossing an island over an hour and a half ride on a ferry across wavy waters only to find out that you could not get what you want and that the only option is to come back again.
Oh well.
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