- my oec story ... not again -

^ for starters, what's oec? anesli, i really don't know ... i also don't know what it is for ... what i do know is that it's a piece of paper that i need to get before i have a vacation to PH so that I won't suffer any hulabalooooss when going back to TW ... i get it at the economic office ... where i also pay a yearly membership ... i think these two actually go together ... for my recent trip, i forgot to get an oec but my membership is still valid ... ok, since i don't know much about it ... i decided to educate myself ... and from these sources - http://www.poea.gov.ph/html/balik.html and http://philippine-embassy.org.sg/index.cfm?GPID=13 - it seems that i don't really need to get an oec ... i actually have a resident visa ... and i don't have any contract ... so what am i fussing about???? read on ...

^ i was supposed to wake up at 3am to prepare for my flight back to
taiwan ... but because of diarrhea, i woke up at 2am and didn't get to sleep after that ... i was beginning to have a panic attack but with some "hapi tots", i got to relax and prepare for my flight ...

^ jeni and i arrived at the airport early ... few minutes before 5am ... there was no queue in the luggage xray area ... there was no queue in the check-in counter ... i was thinking of bumping up my seat to business class ... i was willing to pay extra .... nung last na flight ko kasi, the plane was small - 3-3 seating arrangement - there were moments na i felt suffocated ... it was a horrible experience ... something that i don't want to happen again - ever ....... but i changed my mind ... fortunately, i was given the exit area seats ... i later found out that it was the best seat to get when you're on a small plane ...

^ check-in was a breeze .. it was a litel after 6 ... i have a lot of time ... until ...
lady sa check-in: may oec po kayo?
ako: wala. resident visa ako e
sha: pero nagwo-work po kayo dun?
ako: oo, pero wala akong contract
sha: ma'am, kelangan nyo pong kumuha ng oec. kasi baka harangin kayo sa immigration

so, pumunta ako sa other end ... conversation was something like this ...
mama sa oec: passport ... ofw ka? may kontrata ka?
ako: *confused* kino-consider po ata ako na ofw pero wala po akong kontrata ... resident visa na po ang meron ako
mama: ha? e kung residente ka, nde mo na kelangang kumuha ng oec
ako: e pinapakuha po ako nung ale sa counter
mama: e residente ka kamo
ako: oo nga po ... direct hire po ako ... wala po akong contract ... pede po akong umuwi kung kelan ko gusto ... pero parati po akong kumukuha ng oec
mama: may membership ka? resibo?
ako: *pinakita ang resibo* valid pa po yan for a year di ba?
mama: e nde ka naman ofw ... sandali *tumawag sa opis sa naia*

kausap ang mama sa naia
ako: *explain-explain sa situation na resident visa holder ako pero parati akong kumukuha ng oec ... wala akong kontrata*
naia man: pero nagtatrabaho ka doon?
ako: opo
naia man: so kelangan mo pa ding kumuha ng oec
ako: oo nga po. may valid membership pa po ako

and i don't know exactly what happened ... but the man on the phone wanted me to go to naia from terminal 2 to pay my membership - when in fact, my membership was still valid ... it was almost 7am ... and my flight is at 7am ... and i was told "o, double-time" ..... double-time???????

i decided to go back to the lady and told her of my predicament ... but she can't do anything about it ... it's out of the airline's jurisdiction ... and i understand .... really ... so i decided to do something about it ... this is the second time that this has happened to me ... i won't let them push me around - again ... balik ako sa oec counter ...
ako: baket nga po nde nyo ako mabigyan ng oec? e valid pa naman ang membership ko ... at parati akong kumukuha ng oec pag umuuwi ako ... nde ko lang nagawa ngayon?
mama: *took one look at me and started doing my oec* nde ko na sinunod yung sa naia
ako: salamat po
mama: sa susunod dun ka na lang sa taiwan kumuha ng oec mo
ako: wag po kayong mag-alala, nde na ako babalik dito

and i got the ultra-coveted paper ... i got my boarding pass ... finish my thing with the immigration ... sat down at the waiting area ... a few minutes before boarding ...

que horror!!!!!

let me clarify my point ... i don't have anything against the procedure ... it's ok ... but i do have a problem with how it is being implemented ... one time, i was able to go back to TW even without my oec ... pero pag kinantot ka ng malas *excuse me for saying that* ... pahihirapan ka ng sistema ... this is my second time ... first time, i felt like a victim ... it was horrible ... i don't even want to remember it ... pero nde na ako pumayag nitong pangalawa ... i work my ass off and i bring in money to my country ... do i rili deserve to be hassled? ... do i rili deserve to feel like a second-rate citizen - kahit sa bansa ko? angst ko .... hehehehe ... i'm done with that ... and i'll make sure it won't happen again - ever ...

^ flight was ok ... maganda sa exit seats ... maiwas ... tas wala akong katabi ... kasi yung mama sa window seat, mejo malaki ... yun ata ang rison .... ewan ko .. i'm guessing ... no panic attacks ... i just slept ...

^ arrived at cks before 9am ... mr wang was there waiting for me ... back to work

^ i'm sad ... i miss jen .. i miss my family ....