Jhon,
I wanted to discuss about what we call certified and non-certified net collectors and what if MAC becomes the judge, jury and executioner but the other day I received a call from one of the exporters that was allowing me to work with their technical and field staff in creating some kind of proceedures asking me to drop by because another exporter wanted to see me. I met that exporter and had a long talk. The conversation was candidly honest as can be and very interesting. One can say it comes from the horses’ mouth.
Certification was one of the main topics. As much as I wanted to avoid the issue I was helpless because it seems this exporter was always guiding the conversation towards it. During that conversation the person mentioned that they were one of the many applicants for certification. As was expected from me I had to ask, “What do you think of it? What do you think of the process and its methods?” The person laugh a bit loudly and said “ your were part of MAC you should know.” I said I was part of MAC but did the best practices guideline for collectors and capacity building of but never was asked to participate in the final interpretation and implementation method of the standards. It was kept from me. The facial expression showed the person did not believe me but with very expressive action the hand flew out right in front of my face, thumb and forefinger spread apart indicating the thickness of the documents “we were given a folder this thick to follow.” “YOU SHOULD KNOW!” With a shrug of my shoulders I immediately ask, “Can it be religiously followed and implemented?” “No even if I hire two more staff just for it but yes if we cheat.” “How will you cheat?” I asked. The answer was very sarcastic. “You where there ten years ago, you were not born yesterday, you know better, some people are glad you are out.” I had to ask the person “do you still want to get certified even if you cannot follow or implement it correctly?” The answer was a big yes because according to the person it is the FAD and it will quiet down critics and business will go on as usual. In my mind I saw a decade of hard work flying out the window and felt bad so I asked why the person was talking to me. In a low voice the person told me “Net-caught fish.” “Better quality.” “That is the real change that is coming not certification.” I told the person that I still believe in a system that will separate the good collectors and exporters from the bad but the system must have a few flaws as possible. That I had nothing against the PTFEA or any other exporter or collector, they are just doing what common sense for them dictates for their company’s survival and that the only thing I do not like is the “Pontius Pilate act” that has affected others that depend on the same collecting sites for their livelihood and survival. The person agreed. We also talked about how an organization that botched up approaches to an island municipality where collection practices went from bad to worse when the organization came in. It created more graft and more use of cyanide, crating a chasm between the mayor who wanted to clean the place up and his council to the advantage of the corrupt people in that municipality.
What this encounter shows is that everybody must take part in looking at the methods of implementation of the standards. Is has major flaws. It can be corrected but it has to be done now. Arm chair generals must combine with their field generals to find out what is really the real picture in the field instead of penning, interpreting and implementing things that they perceived to be doable without the benifit of getting the honest feedbacks from the field. What a waste of good money that can be put to better use!
But here is what is positive. I met a collector from Pagbilao, Quezon on my way to the South when I stopped for breakfast just a town before theres last week. He came up to me and said that we never use nets eversicnce we started, even for damsels and clowns. Now, we are convinced that nets can really be use. We meet a lot of net collectors in the facility we have been delivering and they have been telling us that it can be done. Is there a way to teach us. We know you do not want to go to our place because you think people before are mad at you. We can go to you and we will teach others. This kind of thing coupled with some exporters realizing that net-caught and quality is the key is what makes me go on. I would not trade places with any moneyed organization who will claim they can solve the problems with paper work. This is what can solve the problem; when people are willing to change.
I wanted to discuss about what we call certified and non-certified net collectors and what if MAC becomes the judge, jury and executioner but the other day I received a call from one of the exporters that was allowing me to work with their technical and field staff in creating some kind of proceedures asking me to drop by because another exporter wanted to see me. I met that exporter and had a long talk. The conversation was candidly honest as can be and very interesting. One can say it comes from the horses’ mouth.
Certification was one of the main topics. As much as I wanted to avoid the issue I was helpless because it seems this exporter was always guiding the conversation towards it. During that conversation the person mentioned that they were one of the many applicants for certification. As was expected from me I had to ask, “What do you think of it? What do you think of the process and its methods?” The person laugh a bit loudly and said “ your were part of MAC you should know.” I said I was part of MAC but did the best practices guideline for collectors and capacity building of but never was asked to participate in the final interpretation and implementation method of the standards. It was kept from me. The facial expression showed the person did not believe me but with very expressive action the hand flew out right in front of my face, thumb and forefinger spread apart indicating the thickness of the documents “we were given a folder this thick to follow.” “YOU SHOULD KNOW!” With a shrug of my shoulders I immediately ask, “Can it be religiously followed and implemented?” “No even if I hire two more staff just for it but yes if we cheat.” “How will you cheat?” I asked. The answer was very sarcastic. “You where there ten years ago, you were not born yesterday, you know better, some people are glad you are out.” I had to ask the person “do you still want to get certified even if you cannot follow or implement it correctly?” The answer was a big yes because according to the person it is the FAD and it will quiet down critics and business will go on as usual. In my mind I saw a decade of hard work flying out the window and felt bad so I asked why the person was talking to me. In a low voice the person told me “Net-caught fish.” “Better quality.” “That is the real change that is coming not certification.” I told the person that I still believe in a system that will separate the good collectors and exporters from the bad but the system must have a few flaws as possible. That I had nothing against the PTFEA or any other exporter or collector, they are just doing what common sense for them dictates for their company’s survival and that the only thing I do not like is the “Pontius Pilate act” that has affected others that depend on the same collecting sites for their livelihood and survival. The person agreed. We also talked about how an organization that botched up approaches to an island municipality where collection practices went from bad to worse when the organization came in. It created more graft and more use of cyanide, crating a chasm between the mayor who wanted to clean the place up and his council to the advantage of the corrupt people in that municipality.
What this encounter shows is that everybody must take part in looking at the methods of implementation of the standards. Is has major flaws. It can be corrected but it has to be done now. Arm chair generals must combine with their field generals to find out what is really the real picture in the field instead of penning, interpreting and implementing things that they perceived to be doable without the benifit of getting the honest feedbacks from the field. What a waste of good money that can be put to better use!
But here is what is positive. I met a collector from Pagbilao, Quezon on my way to the South when I stopped for breakfast just a town before theres last week. He came up to me and said that we never use nets eversicnce we started, even for damsels and clowns. Now, we are convinced that nets can really be use. We meet a lot of net collectors in the facility we have been delivering and they have been telling us that it can be done. Is there a way to teach us. We know you do not want to go to our place because you think people before are mad at you. We can go to you and we will teach others. This kind of thing coupled with some exporters realizing that net-caught and quality is the key is what makes me go on. I would not trade places with any moneyed organization who will claim they can solve the problems with paper work. This is what can solve the problem; when people are willing to change.
