July 10, 2008

Not So High-Tech

You would think, from the millions and millions the government spends on computers, that we would be one tech-savvy bureaucracy, right?

Wrong. Not in our case, at least. There are computers, alright. Internet-capable PCs, sleek laptops, high-end thingamajigs. The thing is, they are rarely ever used to make things a lot less complicated for you and me.

Following the paper trail is still an exercise in patience as one is shunted from one office to another. Almost everything is manual: you look for something and the clerk riffles through logbooks that have obviously seen better days. You follow up action on a request, and your paper is retrieved--after much finger pointing--from a pile of virtually untouched documents. You need something, and you are made to wait, wait and wait. Sometimes for nothing.

Where are the computers in the middle of all these? Busy, of course. With Text Twist and Solitaire and Friendster. The older, on-the-wings-of-retirement set are too jaded to learn something new. The younger ones are clueless on the ways of government. Those in between? As usual, we are caught in the middle.

And so, in this day and age of high-speed connectivity, the wheels of the bureaucracy turn on their own slow, agonizing pace.

5 comments:

feng said...

hi Anna! computers are busy with friendster and text twist? whaattdaaa??? what are the MIS people doing? they should initiate implementing firewalls para hindi makapag-games at friendster ang mga employees.

and what about the admin or the one in charge of procurement? in this day in age, being a government agency is no excuse not to get the fastest and most efficient IT equipment around.

Anna said...

hi feng! unfortunately, there is no functional MIS, he he he. and with the fast turnover rate pagdating sa contractual employees mahirap din mag-train ng mga bago. from the looks of it, logbook na lang yata forever, ha ha ha.

ambe said...

hello anna.. thanks for the visit. have a great week :)

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of this one time when I was trying to secure a business permit. After going thru the entire procedure I was just waiting for my name to be called. Ang tagal!! When I inquired the guy in charge said that there was something wrong with the system but when I peeked I saw him playing Text Twist!!

Unknown said...

Those hi-tech thingamajigs are there just to impress it seems. And the sleek laptops? inuuwi ba nila yun?