U.S.-bound trip fiasco

Many U.S.-bound passengers were not able to leave Manila airports because of an October 30 letter from the U.S. Embassy in Manila to all airlines with flights bound for the U.S.A. The letter instructed the airlines to ask their passengers with green cards that do not bear expiration dates to go to the embassy and get a new one with expiration dates before allowing them to leave. This letter came from an embassy official working under the Department of Homeland Security.

My uncle came home to see my grandmother about two weeks ago. Early morning just this Wednesday, I accompanied him to the airport for his return flight. We gave farewells and went our separate ways at the departure are of the airport.

While I was relaxing at home, he called me up and told me that he was held from leaving because he failed to comply with the aforementioned requirement to get a new green card. He had to carry his luggage back to my aunt's condo in Taguig where we stayed. He went to the embassy that same morning.

When we met again in the evening, he told me that he was not the only one who got held back. There is a long line of unfortunate balik-bayans who were also held back. Some old and have no other place to stay in Manila.

Since October 30, only a few US-based Filipinos knew about the regulation resulting in cancelled or re-booked flights, waste of time and money, and the feeling that you have been let down by the airline.

My uncle pointed out that he gave all available information to the airline from his mobile numbers, our home number in the Province of Iloilo, and his email address. For the last two weeks since the embassy letter, he never received any advise from the airline. Although he was fortunate to be given a booking for the following day and was able to process his papers within the one day, what about those who were not so lucky?

Businesses like the airline business earn income from their clients. No client, no money. Why did they not take care of their clients? Are they comfortable enough that they have other clients elsewhere? Or is this racial in nature?

Racism aside, if you do not take care of your source of income, you will run dry. And when you run dry, to go out of business.

May be they are complacent because they can take the risk of aggravating a minor percentage of their clients. May be it is because their services are better than others that they are sure their clients will come back to them.

This is business, but where is honest business?

Newbie in media relations

Just last May, my boss assigned me to the Communications Unit under his office. Being a management type, I know zip about media and public relations. But a flash back of an HSBC advertisement hit me: successful managers focus on what they are good at and let the experts handle the rest. And we did have experts -- policy adviser, writers, researchers, media and public relations officers, communications officers.

Unfortunately, before we can set into motion plans that will evenly spread responsibilities, our policy adviser, the brain of the entire unit's operation, had to go on vacation.

Since then, we had to rely on each other keep up with the standard previously set. This required me to learn things I am not entirely good at.

I admit I am an amiable person. I always smile from the time I leave for work until the time I meet the heavy traffic on my way home. And if media and public relations would mean lots of warm friendly smiles, I might have done well. But no. This is an entirely new ball game.

In the "relations" business, you can't get away with just a smile. You will need to do something. You will need to hold on to something (a-get-away-from-jail-free-card so my friend the policy adviser had said). Thanks to him, I had a few -- read minuscule -- ideas of what needs to be done.

Among the things I have learned are the following:

1. When misquoted, call up the person/reporter/media outfit that misquoted you and correct them.
2. When you missed a reporter's call, call back immediately and ask what is needed.
3. If you are asked a question, tell them you will get them in touch with someone who knows the answer.
4. If you do not know the answer, don't speculate, refer to #3.
5. If you "think" you know the answer, ask the reporter if you could call back to confirm what you know from someone who really knows.
6. If that someone who really knows is open for an interview, ask if you could give his/her number to the reporter and do so.
7. If you "really think" you know the answer, quote someone who gave that answer in verbatim.
8. If you know the answer by heart, refer to #7.
9. If the event being held needs updating, organize a press conference not later than 1:00pm. Print reporters need to file their reports before 2:00pm.
10. Always let the reporters assigned to gather news from your office -- aka beat reporters -- know the news first hand before any other random reporters get in touch with your office.

That's it for now. More to come as I learn more.