Monday. June 15, 1998. Our company's management began serving termination papers as a result of its downsizing program as a consequence of the pilot's protracted strike staged ten days earlier. Criteria used for this drastic action was Last In, First Out. But, it was not strictly followed. Several rank and file employees who should have been sent out were retained allegedly because of favorable attendance, work attitude and competence. On the other hand, several senior employees who should have remained were sent out. If I were to rate myself, I'll be somewhere above the middle. I belong to the second generation of employees still active in the service. My seniors were hired ten to twelve (10-12) years earlier while the youngest in the group, the so-called 3rd generation employees were thirteen to fifteen (13-15) years my junior. In this structure, I was now among those considered as next in line for promotion. My last movement was seven years earlier and once a bidding for promotion is opened, I'm 80-90 per cent sure of making it. Two years earlier our manager had been making overtures of promoting me since two or our supervisors had intimated their desire of availing an early retirement. I politely refused telling him I'm flattered with the offer but I would rather remain in my present position. Some would readily agree and even grab the offer but my refusal was honest and sincere. I have different things in mind. At that time, I have two daughters attending college in the big city and two were in high school in the province.. It is true that with the promotion I'll be given a proportionate salary increase that goes with it. But the increase is loose change compared to what I'm getting in my present position. Nine to ten months a year I'm on company travel, i.e. on OB (official business). The per diems and overtime pay I'm earning in addition to my basic pay is substantially higher than what the most senior supervisor is getting. One time, before my traveling position was awarded to me I actually earned more than what my branch manager got in that particular year (his basic pay only… his representation allowance excluded). It's because I'm working almost two shifts a day (I have 38 hours overtime per week and 40 hours regular work/week). When the Statement of Earnings and withholding tax was released by payroll for the filing of our Income Tax Return to BIR, my withheld tax was seventy percent of the lowest earning made by my colleague in our branch. Obviously, my boss understood my position and persuaded the two supervisors to stay for at least a year since they are not 100 per cent sure of getting out. At the time of the ongoing pilot strike, our rank and file union was planning to stage our own strike in support of the pilot’s action, our supervisors wanting to be released renewed their pleas. Of the six supervisors in the roll, a third joined the original two. Less than a month later, three supervisors were out and three remained. Meanwhile, the pilots attempting to return to work in compliance with the labor department secretary's order to "Return To Work" were locked out. They were refused entry for not complying with the order a week earlier and found themselves without plane to fly. Management has effectively and permanently clipped their wings to fly the national flag carrier's planes. The following month, our division manager was forced to retire when management demanded all manager's resignation. He was not re-appointed and thus joined the three supervisors who retired earlier.. Our division, now without a manager was left in the care of an officer in charge. The most senior of the three remaining supervisor was appointed OIC. Two months later, one of the remaining two supervisors was forcibly retired after coming back to work for only two months after he was discharged from the hospital. Less than a year later, this supervisor died after suffering from his last stroke. With only one supervisor left to supervise 30 staffs spread in three shifts (ours is a 24-hour operation), our division made a re-organization and re-structuring. My travel assignment and position was scrapped following the closure of our outlying stations. I have no one to relieve in the provinces since our staffs there were absorbed by other department. This time I was given an offer I can not refuse.. I was promoted supervisor along with another colleague. Five months later I was confirmed. Less than a month after my appointment, the company chairman and CEO announced the inevitable closure of our company if no fresh additional capital is invested due to successive losses in revenue in the last several years. Less than two weeks after his announcement, the roof fell. The latest announcement was declared. "Tonight, the national flag carrier is closing down and will cease to operate. The airline business is finished. The national flag carrier is dead", so the Chairman and CEO said. Everybody were served our termination papers. This time we took a united stand. Divided in opinions on several issues, we made a quorum on what should be done. We will not sign and accept these termination papers, not accept our separation pay and we will fight it out to the end. We have determined that it's a psychological warfare (psy-war) we can't allow ourselves to lose. It's mental torture to get our separation pay, now out of work seeing new hires took over our previous position although they may be paid half or less than half of our salaries). Everybody is watching everyone else. There was even an agreement among us "whoever signs his termination paper and accept his separation pay will have his fingers chopped off". Heated debates followed, insulting words exchanged. Finally but grudgingly we agreed. DO NOT SIGN, DO NOT ACCEPT. Just like any normal human being, I was already doubting my ability to withstand pressure. After faithfully serving the company for more than 23 years, I was being served with a termination paper without any justifiable reason. Alone, I reconsidered my position. I've concluded, as If they don't have any loyalty to me, why should I have any to them?. I summoned my three children (all staying with me in the city , the youngest still with my wife in the province and the only one in high school) that night and broke the news.. my impending decision to TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. "I will take my separation pay, go home to the province and start a small business.", I declared. Then I rationalized. No one can cut/will cut anyone else fingers as we have agreed among ourselves in the office because what one is getting is not anyone else. They can do with whatever they want with their money so with me. My eldest (daughter) said "DON'T, HANG ON. FIGHT IT OUT TO THE END". She added, "I"ll work part time as a service crew, study at night and even temporarily stop in my college studies". My second child/daughter says "IT'S UP TO YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR US.". I'lll work for my college Dean and she'll pay for my tuition fees. I'll attend my classes in the evenings," she added. My third child/son, just in his freshman year said "IT'S JUST TEMPORARY. GOD WILL NOT GIVE US ANY PROBLEM WE CAN NOT SOLVE". He added, I'll join Ate, at the food chain and be a working student too". Always the religious, the altar boy, I expected his opinion. Unknown to me, my children told my wife when she happen to called up wanting to talk to me. They told my wife my plans and the position they want me to take. My children were given instruction to tell me to wait for her call once I arrived from our rally at the Senate Building . We were making this rally to demand from our lawmakers to pass a law to have the state take over the national flag carrier. After arriving home, not long after the call came. We argued heatedly, on the verge of shouting out invectives defending the merits of our respective positions. Suddenly, she said.. "Our youngest here is joining his classmate in their teacher's piggery as helpers to be able to continue his studies and help the family". With her last words, I was struck with so much beating not knowing what hit me. I told my wife to hang up and I'll return call tomorrow after I've cleared my head of cobwebs. She hang up after telling me "DON'T TAKE THE MONEY. FIGHT, EVEN IF YOU'RE THE ONLY LAST MAN STANDING". Still confused on what to do after our red-hot discussion, I began to dissect my plans, how I arrived at this, and why I considered this my best option. It finally goes down to one of the seven deadly sins. Pride. My wounded feelings tells me exactly what I decided earlier.. Take my money. I deserved this. It's no dole out. It's not a gift. I worked hard to be entitled to this. All of my 23 years in the service. More than half of my lifetime. My best years. During this period, the union conducted a referendum among the members whether we agree to have a ten-year moratorium in our collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or to have the airline permanently closed forever.. President Erap was brokering the idea of reopening the airline for the sake of the national interest with certain conditions. The union must agree with the business owners desire to have a suspension in CBA negotiation for the next ten years. When the referendum was over, the YES votes have it. There will be a ten year moratorium from 1998 to 2008. Our company actually stopped operation for two weeks before we were recalled for the resumption of operation. In three days, everybody has showed up. Our OIC then distributed our recall papers. Not everyone is hard headed but then, we took a united stand, our second. No one signed a recall paper. We argued "how can that happen when we were not actually separated. Maybe these recall papers be better served to our colleagues who were terminated in June. No one in that group was recalled. We told our OIC, if they're joking don't do it to us. He can't force us so he referred to higher management and legal department what to do with us and the papers. He was instructed to let everyone sign both papers, the termination and recall. We didn't budge. We told him to put it in black and white. He did and everybody signed and dated the same papers the same day we signed it and with the remarks "RETURN TO WORK ACCEPTED". Days passed, then weeks and our operation was becoming normal again albeit many flights to many out stations were still not resumed. Suddenly I realized I have abandoned so many things I habitually do in the past. The last five months in my professional career had been so turbulent. I got lost in the maze of developments with blinding speed. Things were different when I woke up compared to what was happening when I fell asleep. Now, it's November 1998. Last time I saw my wife was in June, two days before the pilots went on strike. A colleague died in the hospital less than a week after he underwent a by-pass operation. I can still vividly remember. I donated my own blood before he went under the knife. One supervisor who was forcibly retired after coming back to work suffered his last stroke while on duty. I was the most senior around so I directed one of my colleague to call up an ambulance, two escorted him to the hospital. He wasn't able to return to his job since he was permanently incapacitated. Three supervisors and our division manager were gone. Thirteen staffs were terminated in the provinces and those retained were absorbed by another department. Many pilots were out of work. So with rank and file. In May we were more or less 14,000 strong. In late October we were around 4,000. So many casualties. Or as they in the military "collateral damage", aside from the actual casualties.
So many shattered dreams. I could have been one of them, with 5 dependents. Was it luck that I still belong to those who still remained? Am I too good and too smart to get out of this alive? Were my friends less capable and less talented why they're at the other side of the fence? We were no longer colleague but we remained friends. Some friends turned into enemies because we happen to have different opinions. Why allow this to affect me? After all, opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one. They have theirs, I have mine. I realized I haven't visited the house I used to visit before, especially when I'm asking a special favor. Thrice I passed government-administered examination because I asked for his help and blessings before I showed up at the venue of the exams. In the elementary, I was a consistent honor pupil and habitually prayed and asked for his guidance. Even early recovery from my illness and those of my family when I became a married man. In high school, in technical school and in college, I asked and prayed for his guidance. He never failed me. Even asking to be granted an excellent lifetime partner, it was granted. I married the best wife and mother. Our four children can attest to that. In solitude, I realized I had been negligent and ungrateful for his blessings. I was so used to fighting, competition and vengeance. I'm not really that smart, excellent or exceptional. Despite my human frailties, I still managed to succeed. Not because of my own effort. I acknowledge and accept that GOD gave me the strength and wisdom to succeed. That one and somebody up there loves me.
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