ENABLING KIDS TO HELP – Health is wealth. With this as a premise, Mayor Belen Fernandez proceeded to introduce the Junior Health Advocate Program in Dagupan, tapping the potentials of students in reporting sick members of their communities and households.

I was at the West Central Elementary School 1 early Thursday when this program was launched by Mayor Fernandez and City Schools Superintendent Lorna Bugayong along with Manlengkor ya Kalangweran official led by Young City Mayor Jalen Kody Miles Fernandez.

This certainly will be big boost to the mayor’s “Alagang Balon Dagupan”, a component of her bigger UNLISerbisyo that seeks to deliver basic services, specifically medical, to the doorsteps of Dagupan folks 24/7 all-year round.

With children as health advocates, the City Health Office led by City Health Officer Dr. Ophelia Rivera would know at the earliest possible time if any resident in the village is need of  urgent medical help, and the city will mobilize its personnel and resources to assist, treat, and save the sick.

Not all can afford to seek medication in private clinics or buy the medicines prescribed by their doctors, that is why any help from the city will certainly be welcomed by them.

Believed to be the first of its kind in Pangasinan and Region 1, if not in the entire country, the program calls for training and orientation of selected pupils in the easiest term they can understand so that they can perform their duty – to learn to report sick persons in their midst who may need immediate medical attention since they live in the community where the sick resident lives.

Without meaning to offend Barangay Health Workers who are also doing their best to assist the sick community residents, the Junior Health Advocates in every school can also help make Dagupan a healthier city and a model to the whole nation.

As Mayor Belen related to us, the students should inform their teachers if their mother or sisters and uncles are on sick bay. The teachers, in turn, are expected to relay the information to the CHO which should immediately send its medical personnel to the houses where the sick live.

She told CHO Rivera not to assist or treat only those who go to their clinics but also to go out and find the sick in their own homes.

The Junior Health Advocates will help make this a reality. – Leonardo Micua

 

 

BAD FOR BO’S BUSINESS — Dear Bo’s Coffee owner: I am writing this in behalf of my media colleagues who felt slighted, infuriated and humiliated by your staff.

The incident happened on June 22, 2018 at around 3:00 p.m.

We were about 12 media practitioners from different news organizations in Pangasinan.

I was the one who suggested to our interviewee that we hold our coffee talk/interview with him at Bo’s Coffee. We are among your thousands of suki who keep on coming back for more coffee, more chit-chat, more laughter, more exchange of notes with our friends and loved ones.

We love your coffee, the food, the sweet cakes and your courteous staff. Until that June 22 incident happened.

It was totally unexpected. Ba’t ganun?

Admittedly, we did not make arrangements but we thought that was fine because after all, people we see in your shop just come and go.

While there, your staff with name tag as “April” told us we have to wait until a group of about 10 bank employees finally decide which table they would prefer.

Helloooo, okay ka lang April? Kung ano ang tira, yun na lang ang pagtyagaan namin? So expectedly, some of our colleagues raised a howl of protest. Pareho kaming customer pero we are at their mercy kung alin ang gusto ng mga bank employees na yun saka kami pwedeng magkaroon ng sarili naming pwedeng upuan na table?

Realizing the madness that might follow, April, with her dog-smile, told us we could already have a table while the bank employees group is to arrive anytime soon.

“April, ayusin mo yung ngiti mo o. Naka-smile ka nga pero basang-basa namin yung ngitngit sa kalooban mo. Wag ganyan. Chill ka lang,” commented one in the group.

A few minutes later, our interviewee with his three other companions came in.

Suddenly, another staff by the name of Ron, approached us and asked until what time do we intend to stay in the coffee shop?

This really irked someone in our group and burst out her sentiments about that kind of stupid question asked to us.

Mukhang natauhan itong service crew.

Kasi nga naman, parang gusto na agad paalisin ang aming grupo. Kailan pa nagkaroon ng oras ng pag stay sa isang coffee shop? Bakit yung ibang customers nyo, isang order lang ng kape pero kung mag-online with their laptop hanggang forever?

In fairness, each of us ordered a cup of either coffee with cake, coffee with a sandwich, coffee with pasta, etc. Hindi naman po kami mag tatambay lang dyan and we never did that in our past coffee breaks in your famous establishment. Hiyang-hiya naman po kami.

I looked at the orders of the group of bank employees na seemingly mga preferred customers nila. Kape kape lang naman.

Modesty aside, while most restaurant owners in Pangasinan request us to invite more friends to try their food, or have our interviews held in their restos, dito naman sa Bo’s Coffee we experienced na para kaming ipinagtatabuyan.

Lesson learned here is, wag nang mag imbita ng kakilalang i-interviewhin sa Bo’s. Baka kasi mapahiya ka lang sa asal ng ibang service crew nila.

Dati, aliw na aliw kami sa staff nilang Inglesero with a foreign accent kapag nag o order ka sa counter nila. Pero our last should be our last, we swear.

Sana meron silang box dun for customer feedback. Di ba dapat ni re-require yun to improve their service?

To the Bo’s Coffee owner, honestly, we don’t know you. But as customers, we expect good service from your staff.

Libre naman ang maging magalang, di ba?

Sadly, umuwi kaming lahat with a very heavy heart dahil sa experience namin. Sana wag na pong maulit ito sa iba.—Eva Visperas

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