Last April 1st to 3rd, I attended Comelec’s PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scanner) Tech Support training for the upcoming elections held at Iloilo Grand Hotel. It was one heck of an experience because:
- of my acquisition of knowledge that only a select group of people had to privilege to have (knowing how to operate a PCOS machine).
- it was the first time in a long time that I interacted with that much human beings.
- of all the free food… and unlimited coffee.
- of the PhP 1, 600 given to us as “travel allowance” (because Oton is so far from Iloilo city… not).
As the seminar/training came to a close, I realized the gravity and importance of my duties and responsibilites as a PCOS tech support crew member. Let’s put it this way. My job as PCOS tech support is to fix whatever technical problems the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI’s) in my assigned barangay may encounter. If I do my job properly, I ensure that the voting process in that barangay goes smoothly, and we all know we want things to go smoothly. On the other hand, if I screw up, I’m pretty sure chaos would erupt. I’m well aware of what Pinoys tend to do when things go awry. Some just aren’t as understanding others. And misunderstandings lead to chaos more often than not in the Philippines.
I don’t know about you people, but I am so sick of all the chaos in our country. This, and all the other lingering problems Pinoys face (i.e poverty, corruption, etc.) is the reason why I’m going to take my job as PCOS tech support very seriously. It sounds very corny. It sounds very cliché. I know it’s corny and cliché. But I’m not going to be cynical and perform my duties haphazardly like some people would. I still have hopes for this country. Again, corny and cliché but yeah….
This is also, in a way, an opportunity to help change the status quo that’s been standing for a long time now. Vote buying. Corruption. Extra-judicial killing. These are just few of the problems we’re all trying to solve. And I honestly believe that if we did our part in electing the right officials, we could eradicate these problems. If and when I do my duties as PCOS tech well, I could honestly say to myself that I did my part in bringing change by ensuring that the process of electing the right public officials runs smoothly. It really isn’t a big deal, right? But hey. At least I’m doing something rather than just screaming in the streets calling for change. Right?
Please. Go out and vote in the elections.
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