AMDG - Do Your Job, The Right Way

Yes, I'm still pissed.

Let's look at this whole disaster in a systematic sort of way, shall we? So far, I've seen blogs and editorials saying the following, basically amounting to finger pointing:

TV network exploiting the poor
Government and the poverty level in the country
Host saying he only wanted to entertain
ABS CBN doing very good damage control. Unbiasedly reporting on it.

Oh, I like this one. All well and good they very good at handling crisis management, the network is acting admirably to post-tragedy. I agree with the writer. But what irks me is that despite what they are now doing after the aftermath, there is such a thing as preparations to avoid and minimize crisis, in the first place.

*expletive* Bullsh*t.

I work in an environment where I learned how to handle crisis. In fact, I work and am responsible for the company's critical data for my current job. Its a financial company. Money flows through it, and I'm responsible for taking care of the data that holds our client's finances. Its the lifeblood of the company, wouldn't you think? If the data is lost, our client's money will be gone. Our company loses reputation, and all my colleagues would lose their jobs if the company shut down. The company wouldn't even know where to begin. Except that they know that I was responsible for the loss, ask me, nicely, to fix it, and fire me afterwards. And then after that, all my officemates will kill me for helping them lose their jobs.

That's just a microcosm of this whole thing of ABS CBN's responsibility.

Give me a break.

You don't just make a project up on a whip, without thinking, implement it, and don't make contingency plans. Whatever people may think, preparation and contingency plans are essential in any project. Don't think that problems and monkey wrenches are never going to happen; bad things do happen. Bad things do happen to good people. If in the beginning you didn't have any preparation, at least try to catch up by showing management some contingency plans. If ever you finish the whole project without needing to use the contingency plan, then fine and good. But if something chaos strikes, then its good that a contingency plan is on-hand and available to handle/minimize any ongoing problem. This is not just an IT standard. It's a standard for all projects. Projects are not labelled "successful" when you've started with the implementation phase.. projects are only successful when they reach the very end of the whole process and nothing goes awry.

*expletive* You don't sh*t and wait until after something bad happens.

For those IT aware: We have to move some servers to another site. Is it as easy as just making plans to move them physically? No. You have to take into account that:

(1) the service for that server will be unavailable.
(2) You have to inform affected parties.
(3) You make projections.
(4) You make estimates.
(5) If possible, you try to recreate a similar scenario to guage if your planning and timing are correct and precise.
(6) You have to take into account, when moving the server physically, if the harddrive will be screwed.
(7) If the network is screwed up at the alternate site, what is the course of action.
(8) You also have to take time to create backups in case that happens. So that in an event that the harddrives fail, you can replace the drive and its contents, and avoid losing any unnecessary data.

You have to consider that. Its not "just moving the servers", its a whole rigorous exercise in itself. That's what projects are... they're not supposed to be easy, otherwise, why employ a university, 4 year experienced graduate to do that?

Even if its just assembling a party event for a marketing campaign.. I mean, its just a party right? But even something like that would need to have careful planning.

First and foremost, I don't care if people say to stop blaming or pointing fingers at others. "Lets pray for those that are dead." You can't bring the dead back, just like I can't bring the lifeblood of a company back if I didn't have any contingency plans. Stop making excuses. Don't say that a human life is a small price to pay, or a network television's apologies will be sufficient, or that they are trying to be unbiased and truthful in their coverage of the tragedy. In the first place, it is their responsibility to be truthful. Don't tell me this is the first time they've been really truthful and honest and forthcoming, and that it shows integrity, because if they are, then they're very well not doing their job since they started reporting newscasts.

I don't point to the government. The government has its problems, and it will take a long while for the government to fix its own problems. The government created the environment, but the television network set up this ghastly no-contingency scenario for the people to come and join in the event. Never mind that they feed on the masses for their ratings. Never mind if they perpetuate bad habits and instilling a lottery-sense of imaginary safety net for the masses. It is still a company, and a company has to earn money to live, regardless of what slimy or charitable tactics they use.

But please, be professional. I point to all the intelligent, university graduate people out there who know better. The people who worked in this tv show, they're probably educated. Its a small price to pay to be prepared. Its not like you didn't expect this, or don't have the capacity to handle a large scale event. You guys did it for Pinoy Big Brother finale.. So at the very least I assume there is one competent person handling logistics and operations on a large scale. What kind of prank are you playing? Don't play with lives. On a short term, you can toy people of their emotions if you want, but please, don't play with their lives.

Lets take a sample real life scenario comparison, shall we?

(1) Hong Kong hosted last year's WTO Summit. Everyone kept on saying, they're not tough enough to handle the violence that insues in WTO Summit every year. That's because in Hong Kong people are generally obedient and law abiding citizens. The police force don't deal with bloody violence on a daily basis. They wouldn't know where to begin when handling such a high profile event. But the organizers knew what kind of people were coming. They had rough estimates. They made their preparations, they did their drills, they all made their safety measures. They would be working "against" people who would potentially be violent. In the end, they pushed through... they didn't do an astounding job, but they minimized the ruckus. They didn't have any experience with this, but because they made proper preparations, it turned out ok. Why? Because did their research. The had all the backdoors and backstreets where possibly all potential "violent" people would go through. At least they had that all planned out.

(2) I admit the Wowowee disaster is very different. The organizers weren't expecting farmers with stink bombs and back hoes and have a potential strong appetite for violence to fight their cause. But the organizers did know and had an estimate of the number of people coming to attend the event. They knew what kind of people would be coming. They knew their viewers - people who are cash strapped because the economy was so bad, who would like to take a chance to maybe get lucky and earn some money. They should've expected at least a bit of clash and grumbling at the start (or the end) of the event. They should've seen that the layout of the place was on an incline. At the very least they would have officers and ambulances standing by. Don't say that all was unexpected, because it isn't. The last time I came back to the Philippines, it was the final show/episode for Pinoy Big Brother, another of those reality tv shows. People flocked to the final show. Even after, people flocked to see the contestants along Roosevelt Avenue. Then there was another throng a couple of days after waiting right outside the winner's new house and lot, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Pinoy Big Brother winner. They knew their viewership market.. It wasn't the first time. Even then, there was this problem I read pertaining to an F4 concert in the Philippines a few years back. There were a small number of casualities there too. And it was affiliated with the same tv network, albeit they were not exactly the organizing party.

(3) Additionally, take a look at Hurricane Katrina. That's a horrible logistical nightmare in itself. They knew it was coming. They had the information. What did they do? Not as much as many Americans would've liked, I believe.

As a person of the younger generation who has been instilled with ideas of ideals, I've been made aware that I am responsible for my peers, and those who are in need and less fortunate. I have to be practical to achieve my own fulfillments, but I should never ever, EVER, EVER take advantage of those who are less fortunate than me. I should be taking care of them instead. At least until you teach them and they can get on their own two feet. The Philippines is a primarily Catholic country... you've been taught to take care of the less fortunate, you've been taught the precepts of Christianity and Catholicism, .. the best that you can do is live your life to protect those less fortunate than yourself and at the same time take care also of your well being. To heck if you don't go to church every Sunday... or if you don't go to church for a whole year, or your whole life. If you understood the essence of your beliefs, even if you never went to church, you can live your life as an example of Christian values. You don't have to walk around for alms, going to charity benefit events, helping the poor.

Please, for the less fortunate's sake, just darn do your job properly! That's the least (and the most) you can do to live a life of servitude according to the scriptures.

In this case, it means the lives of those who have lost them last Saturday. Please. If you're not from ABS CBN, at least take this example as a way to enrich your life... do your job properly like you're supposed to. Your life is intertwined with others, no matter how bored you are working at a call center or washing up the toilet bowl in a small fast food chain in goodness-knows-where. You will never know if you will hit upon a person who is about to kill himself over a faulty PC, or a person who will have epileptic seizures and drown in a clogged toilet bowl. Its not funny... Life is meant to be enjoyed, but not at the expense of others. Life is weird, life is strange, but if we can help it, and things are possibly under our control and we do the right things, life will also never be a tragedy.

It's as simple as it is as complex. Do your job the best you can, and Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.*

*The owner of this blog is not in anyway affiliated with any one religion. She believes in the existence of a God, and will believe anything that will promote goodness in the world. She's not an expert on Bibical studies, so maybe she may get things wrong. BUT, she hates seeing people suffer, and even more so if they suffer unnecessarily. She may be naive, but you'll have to answer to her wrath if you try to even take advantage of people.