Information : One-Stop Government Center at Ali Mall - Araneta Center

Many of us ---Filipinos—are always complaining, some are even fed up, with how our government offices provide their services to the citizenry. In our dealings with these offices, we often encounter the arrogance and discourtesy of  many civil servants, corruption in the government, and the very frustrating bureaucratic  red tape. 

But just when we thought that the quality government service in the country is a hopeless case, we see some glimmers of hope.

I recently accompanied a relative to a DFA satellite office to renew a passport and was expecting a very long queue and endless waiting in a very hot cramped place, but to my surprise the whole satellite office was comfortable (air-conditioned, with spacious receiving area with good seats), with very courteous civil servants,  and fast service.

This new DFA satellite office is located at the recently opened Ali Mall Government and Banking Center-Araneta Center Cubao, a one-stop government service center where the following government offices and institutions are located : Department of Foreign Affairs; PhilHealth, PAG-IBIG; DTI; SSS; SEC; PhilPost; LTO; NBI; Quezon City City Hall Business Permit and Licensing Branch, and Barangay Socorro Barangay Permits Branch.(Barangay Socorro in Quezon City is the barangay where Araneta Center is included). Government and private banks are also located at the center : Land Bank; BPI; Union Bank; and Security Bank. All these locators are housed on the third level of the Ali Mall, the same level where you will find the cinemas and its sprawling fast food center. The fast food center is right outside the government offices which is very convenient for those who are about to start or just have finished their transactions to have their meals or snacks. Despite being on the same floor with the cinemas and the fast food center, the place is very spacious and not cramp. Most of the government office locators, e.g. DFA, NBI, are already open for service , but others like LTO are still to open.

There are also other satellite government offices in other malls but  they have limited government office locators. The government center at the Ali Mall is quite exceptional, and a (more) complete one-stop center for many different government services. I hope they will also include a PRC satellite office as one of the locators to service our professionals. 

Ali Mall Government and Banking Center at Araneta Center

Kudos to the Ali Mall management and the Araneta family for allowing this government center to be located in their shopping mall. Their partnership with the Quezon City local government and the national government will really do a great service to the mall customers, residents of Quezon City and of other nearby cities and towns. 

So if you are planning of renewing your passports; getting an NBI clearance; registering or renewing your business; paying your PhilHealth insurance, SSS and PAGIBIG amortization, etc., go now to the Ali Mall Government and Banking Center. 

Two Thumbs Up for this government effort to decentralize its services, and for giving good service and convenience to the citizenry! 

Property Listings : Hemady Residences (Townhouses) - Quezon City

HEMADY RESIDENCES

Actual photo

For Sale :

3 Townhouse units located in a posh neighborhood at Dona Hemady St., New Manila, Quezon City. Each unit has 4 levels(3 floors with basement), 5 Bedrooms(all with T&B) 3 to 4-car garage, very good finishes and competitively-priced. This is only a 3-unit townhouse project located in a private compound. Units are ready for occupancy.

   Price : P13.1 million        Floor Area : 329.68 sqm

    Price : P15.2 million        Floor Area : 364.2 sqm   

 Price : P16.0 million        FloorArea :  402.2 sqm

Note : Only 2 units left for sale as of 2/27/13

For inquiry please contact : 

List and Sell Realty Group

Mobile : 0928-5024470

E-mail : lands.phl@gmail.com

Note : A bridge is now being constructed that will span Scout Tobias and Dona Hemady Street. Coming from E. Rodriguez Ave., Dona Hemady going north is a dead-end street because of a deep gorge/creek between Brgy. Kristong Hari (Christ the King Seminary side) and Brgy. Obrero/ Brgy. Roxas (Scout Area side). When this bridge is done, it will be a very convenient shortcut road from  New Manila area going to Roces Ave./Timog Ave./Quezon Ave. (Please see map below).

Click red icon on the map to enlarge

Dona Hemady-Scout Tobias Bridge

Information : Quezon City Fast-Tracks Business Registration

Generally, when people think of transacting at national and local government offices, three things  come to their mind :  red tape, corruption and bribery. Who wouldn't? Anyone who has had a chance of doing a transaction in a government office, at one time or another, has  some experience or  story to tell about any of the three mentioned. Sometimes it is about corrupt practices of civil servants, but oftentimes,  it is about  the frustrating red tape in government offices. 


We have come to accept  red tape as "given" and "normal" in government  offices. Some of us have learned to skirt the system by offering bribes to civil servants  or  getting help from "entrepreneureal" civil servants to facilitate our transactions. Red tape is not corruption per se, but it has become the cause of corrupt practices in government offices.


But once in a while  we see glimpses of hope, when we hear news that government offices, particularly at local government level, are doing some initiatives to get rid of these corrupt practices and the bureaucratic system called red tape. Actually, a lot  local and national  government offices have been successful in eliminating red tape. Cases in point are :  Marikina City which has been a model city in local government management and LTO  Mall Branch Offices for Drivers' License Renewal. 


Recently, the Quezon City local government did a very commendable job of  ridding or reducing red tape to a minimum, in the process of registering a business in that city. What used to be a transaction that takes at least five days to do, is now reduced to a 30-minute transaction. How did they do it?

Here are some excerpts from an Entrepreneur Philippines magazine's article on the subject and explaining how the Quezon City local government did it.

"In 2010, Mayor Bautista launched the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) which reduced the local government process of registering a new business to just a visit to the BOSS office."

"Now, the Quezon City Government has linked the BOSS process to the Philippine Business Registry (PBR) which is government-initiated, web-based system that links a new business to at least seven government agencies, reducing the need for an entrepreneur to transact with the several offices just to get his business fully operational."

"This system streamlines the steps for starting a business in the city to a convenient 30 minutes, with local government reforms complemented by systems innovations from the national government"

Let's hope that similar initiatives be done by other cities and municipalities. 

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista

Two thumbs up for Mayor Herbert Bautista  and the Quezon City Local Government on this one! 

Please click link below to read related article :
http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/get-started/article/register-your-business-in-30-minutes

Source : http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/

Environment : West Valley Fault News Update

This is a follow-up on the last post I did "How an earthquake fault line actually looked?" As mentioned in that post, research and study are being made, and corollary to that is the finding based on a recent report on a study made by the Quezon City local government and Philvocs on the West Valley Fault   (which traverses a big portion on the real estate map of the city). Both groups involved in the study said that the area is "unlivable" as they renew the warning on living along the West Valley Fault. 

Let me sidetrack a while on the subject. Why my fascination on posting about earthquakes and faultlines? With the recent consecutive earthquakes (as recent as yesterday in Masbate) and the recurring movements of the different fault lines and trenches in the country I think it is just timely to inform  the readers of what's going on and why this is happening. This is not to sow fear or panic but explain to people the scientific cause and effect of this natural phenomenon. Preparedness coupled with a clear understanding of earthquakes and fault lines will be a big help if ever they happen. 

Fear sometimes is a product of ignorance and I think  giving the people the facts is a way of eradicating fear of the unknown. That these earthquakes happening now are not prelude to the "Finale" on December 21, 2012 as predicted in the ancient Mayan Calendar ( now that is sowing fear!!!)

I guess living in Marikina Valley between two fault lines, and living in a subdivision less than a kilometer away from the West Valley fault is also a big contributing factor why I always tackle the subject, so my interest on the subject is understandable. On a bigger scale the Philippine lies between two tectonic plates so I guess we( Pinoys) all ought to understand this phenomenon and learn to live with it. 

It was just coincidental that my very first blog post was about the Geohazard Maps of Metro Manila which is about fault lines. I just thought then that people should be aware of this not commonly disseminated information on fault lines. And that this would interest people specially if it concerns the safety of the property they will be buying. Sort of  a "Caveat emptor" Latin for "Let the buyer beware."

Here's the news update on the West Valley Fault :

The West Valley Fault

The West Valley Fault - Quezon City Section

Marikina Fault Line System :

http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/images/IEC/phivolcs_mvfs1997.pdf

Please click link below for the news update on West Valley Fault : 

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/26093/its-unlivable-qc-phivolcs-study-renews-warnings-over-west-valley-fault

Source :  http://www.interaksyon.com/ 

Related Link :

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/72980/video--if-it-moves-west-valley-fault-will-produce-quake-as-powerful-as-central-visayas-tremor

History and Places : Cubao Circa 60's

One of the most familiar commercial and shopping centers in Metro Manila is Cubao in Quezon City. Strategically located in the crossroad of the two of the busiest  main roads and commuter train routes of Metro Manila : EDSA and Aurora Blvd. Situated in the center of Cubao is the iconic landmark Araneta Coliseum ( now named Smart Araneta Coliseum ). Cubao is currently undergoing a major construction boom which will turn the area into  a jungle of high-rise buildings similar to Ortigas and Ayala.

Have you ever wondered how Cubao looked before it turned into what it is now? Here's how Cubao looked then.

Click photo to enlarge

Cubao circa 60's