August 19, 2006 – (Manila) – One of the more amusing stories this week is the report that tells of a Malacañan Palace instruction to encourage civil servants and officials to undergo “charm” training.
It is simply amusing to hear that despite the failure of legislature to enact the proposed 2006 National Budget and instead a re-enacted 2005 budget is in place, government has the funds to set aside an amount to send its workers to “charm school.”
What could be more amusing is that the one who gave the instruction to “encourage” government workers and officials to undergo charm school is known for bad temper, often displaying irritation in public right in-front of the media.
If there should be anyone who needs to get to try first charm school training, it should be the person who made the instruction (yeah the one whose name we prefer not mention) to allow this person to temper mood swings in public and saying sorry is not enough.
Regardless of the good intentions, generally something like this is usually for a good cause, as they usually say, but aren’t we missing the point again, and again, and again?
Let’s take a look at things first, there are the usual complaint that civil workers could be nasty, rude, unpleasant and not so courteous even to give a smirk in place of a smile.
The public who are the tax payers, whose taxes pay for the salaries and benefits of these civil workers deserve to get their money’s worth and a little courtesy, or at lease a smile.
Simple solution for this administration is obviously to teach civil workers a little lesson on charm.
One of the first local units to complete its “charm” training are the traffic aides of the City of Makati.
In a televised demonstration of their newly acquired skill, they now speak standard greetings in Japanese, Korean and Chinese, of course it includes English, and this all comes with a great big smile. (I’ve seen an alligator who could smile better.)
The government even allocated a budget to acquire the services of a consultant who specializes in training on public speaking, etiquette and manners.
The taxpayers extend their compliments to the government for a very nice intention and for the effort.
But we say you people still don’t get it.
The taxpayers are sincerely hoping that with the amount spent on charm school, erring civil workers would become prim and proper enough not to divest us of our money on bribes or grease money for us to be properly served of our needs and business in government.
Simplifying things, do we really need to spend money to make civil servants charming and smiling but are still corrupt and unnerving?
Do we really need to train them to smile?
I once gave someone at the government office processing driver’s licenses a certain amount so I could get my new card done before noon at least and the amount I gave made this person smile from ear-to-ear.
I had nightmares that night after seeing someone like that working in government smiles so much.
Will charm change their ways?
If they do change, then I will admit that I am wrong and I won’t mind soliciting more funds to finance more charm school programs for government workers.
At this stage, the stress here is, training civil servants in this country to be charming is not really what the taxpayers really need.
What good is a charming civil servant if he or she would not work on the papers you need to conduct business?
Will charm school teach civil servants not to expect grease money in order to do their jobs?
What is there to smile about if a charming Korean speaking traffic aide would flag me down along Ayala Avenue for no reason or traffic violation and the only real reason why I was asked to stop … he just wanted to ask for money or else I’ll get a traffic ticket for a trumped-up violation?
What gives? What the f*#&!?!
I think the taxpayers wouldn’t mind a grouchy unsmiling civil servant as long as he or she is fair, efficient, un-corruptible and honest … THAT’S ALL!
With all due respect to those who are in the “do-gooders” rank, we are grateful to all of you but for those who are bad and the really, really bad, you need more than just charm school.
Before I wind down today’s entry, this I would like to say in parting, “We can always dress up and send to charm school an alligator but no matter how much training he gets on culture, style and manners, an alligator will always be an alligator!” (Bet your pwet packing syet!)
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