The Machine That Launch A Thousand Words

I feel proud and honored to be part of the Philippine history!

PCOS: Precinct Count Optical Scanner

         

     A paper-based ballot voting and counting machine. The PCOS is a scanner with an advanced optical character recognition for scanning, recording, and collating the ballots as they are fed into the machine. It has a security key which turns on the PCOS on Election Day. The key is coded individually and can't be used with others; each machine will be switched on by three teachers from the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI). The activated security key will ensure that there is no entry or vote in the machine's memory. 

source: http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Precinct_Count_Optical_Scan

Getting to know the PCOS Machine......

                                                         Basic parts and its functions

 

May 10, 2010 - The first ever automated election in the Philippine history. 

----- Before the election, left and right controversies about the PCOS machine shaken the whole nation. Everyone was curious what this machine can do to change the old flaws of election like the "dagdag-bawas".

----- Madaming napag-usapang negationg issues tungkol sa PCOS machine at sa Smartmatic na developer nito. 

-----Madaming nagtaas ng kilay, nagprotesta at sumalungat sa paggamit nito sa eleksyon.

----- Madaming nagduda sa kredibilidad ng machine na to kahit hindi pa nga nila nasusubukan gamitin.

-  Sa kabila ng mga negatibong usapan, isipin at isyu, natuloy pa din ang paggamit sa PCOS Machine sa Halalan 2010.

          

              --- Kahit na nagkaroon ng mga aberya at konting pagkalito sa pag gamit ng machine sa nakaraang eleksyon na hindi maiiwasan sa kadahilanan una beses palang naman ito nagagamit ng Pilipinas natural lang na mangapa pa ang mga Pinoy sa pag gamit nito, naging matagumpay pa din naman ang eleksyon at mabilis na naiulat sa sambayanan ang naging resulta ng botohan. Naging mabilis ang announcement of winners kumpara sa dating nakasanayang mano-manong bilangan. 

Looking back before the election time

The story on how the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) were selected.

     Before the election the BEI were selected from the list of all public school teachers. They were trained by the COMELEC officials on how to operate the PCOS machine. After this training they have to passed the written and practical examination administered by the BEI Certifiers from Department of Science and Technology (DOST). If a BEI fails to get a 60 percent passing grade, he or she will still be allowed to take the practical exam. If the BEI passes the practical test, he or she will be allowed to re-take the written exam. Once they pass the tests, they will be certified as IT-capable by the DOST and that's the only time the BEI will be allowed to operate the PCOS machine in the election.

March 2010 : Queen Margarette Hotel, Quezon Province

 ----- As part of the Team Quezon BEI Certifiers after the training in Nawawalang Paraiso we are deploy for almost one month in Lucena City in Quezon Province for the administration of the practical and written examination to the BEI in Quezon. 

-----  On our first day in Queen Margarette Hotel (where the training and the certification process will be held) we are all excited, nervous, and curious what will happen on our special task for the 2010 National Election.

----- There will be batches of BEI to be trained on the first day and certified on the second day. Every batches are ranging from 250-400 teachers, so imagine that, we have to administered the examination for 1 day. We have to finished the checking of the written exam before lunch break to know who can proceed to the practical examination. Sobrang stressful to!!!

First day - Lectures and Hands-on Training

Second Day - Written and Practical Exam

----- On our team, halos lahat kami young looking and we don't look like as a professional in a suit. Kaya on our first few days we really had a hard time on dealing with the teachers. They even questioned our credibility. Every time na papasok kami sa training room to administered the examination madami ang nagtataas ng kilay at meron pa nga nagsasabi "ay bata lang naman pala magbibigay ng exam". We are triggered by that issues and by that negative comments to be strict during the examination. That's why we leave an impressions to the first batches that we our really serious with our job, so from then on natakot na sila samin.....hahahaha.....Imagine, dahil samin mga school principals and teachers natakot kumuha ng exam feeling tuloy namin para kami si Ms. Minchin. But kidding aside ginawa lang namin yung trabaho namin, ang hirap kaya sawayin ng mga mas matanda sayo na nakikita mong nagkokopyahan sa exam.

 

Team Quezon with COMELEC-Quezon Officials

Some SPOOF during the certification days:

Scene 1

Me: What option will you press in the Main Menu to turn off the PCOS machine? = answer: Shut Down

Sir: Shut up! (with the proud tone...)

             ---- wahahaha, windang naman ako kay sir pinatahimik na ko, buti na lang tapos na sya.

Scene 2 

Me: Ano po yung iprint nyo para makita yung mga activities ng PCOS machine? = answer: Audit Log

Ma'am: Jet log

            ----- nyahaha....may jet log ka na ma'am? sumakay ka na nag eroplane?

        

         * same question....dami nagkamali dito

Sir: Back log

           ------ sir, madami ka ba naiwan trabaho?

Ma'am: di ba may log yun hane? 

           ------ nakalimutan ni Ma'am, pero ano yung HANE? akala ko Honey ang tawag sakin ni Ma'am yun pala expression lang yun sa Quezon...hahahaha...buti na lang di ako nag-react kay ma'am.

Scene 3

Madame: Can you help me with this? Kanina ko pa ginagamit tong iButton pin (Security Key) pero ayaw gumana. Sira ba to?

(tiningnan ko yung LCD monitor ni Ma'am, ang hinihingi naman kasi eh BEI Security Pin....di talaga gagana ang iButton mo ma'am...) 

Me: Ma'am basahin nyo po mabuti sa LCD kung ano po yung hinihingi.

Madame: Yes, nabasa ko na. Ano palagay mo sakin hindi marunong magbasa?

             ---- ang sungit ha, syempre malumanay pa din ako sumagot kahit naaasar na talaga ako

Me: ay hindi naman po sa ganun ma'am, intindihin nyo po kung ano po yung hinihingi, di ba may iba't ibang pin po kayo?

Madame: Yes, I know. Marunong ako umintindi.

             ----- wahahahaha....imbyerna na talaga ako sa isang to ha! Tumahimik na lang ako, baka mapatulan ko pa eh...haha...joke lang.....hulaan nyo na lang kung pumasa sya o hindi....

Scene 4 

---During first day ng mga BEI, para lang kami mga batang guests na nagtatakbuhan at naglalaro sa hotel kaya hindi halata na kami yung nagbibigay ng exam.

Dinner time: Papauwi na ang mga naunang batch at nagdadatingan na ang next batch.

Teacher1 - 1st batch: Naku, magreview kayo mabuti ang higpit nung mga nagbibigay ng exam. 

Teacher2 - 1st batch: Oo nga, ang daming tanong. Mga bata pa, pero mukhang mabigat na ang mga pinagdadaanan lagai nakasimangot, ang susungit.

Teacher 3 - 2nd batch: Mga bata lang pala eh. Mabilis lang yun.

Teacher4 - 2nd batch: Dito din ba sila nag-stay?

Kami (certifiers): tawanan ng malakas kunwari hindi naririnig ang mga nag-uusap...deadma mode...may sariling mundo kunwari.....pero tinatandaan na namin yung mga mukha nung nag-uusap.

Teacher1 - 1st batch: Yun sila, (lumapit pa sa table namin) Hi ma'am, sir! Mauna na kami.

Kami (certifiers): Sige po, ingat kayo! (orocan o tupperware?!?!...hehehe...)

 

----- Ang mga ganitong eksena ang kalimitang kwentuhan namin sa gabi habang nag check at nag record ng results ng exams. Natatawa na lang kami pagkatapos sa mga nagiging reaksyon nga mga BEI. 

This is once in a lifetime experience that I will surely cherished forever.

----Ang dami-dami ko natutunan at na-experience during the certification days.  .Kulang ang isang araw to tell all those stories. But aside from those stories one thing for sure that I will treasure forever was the privilege to be a one of the BEI Certifiers....to be part of the first automated election...to be part of the Philippine History! :)

-----   Au revoir.   :)  MJ