27 January 2022, from Gems:

Esteemed, Fellow 678 Lot Owners: 

We had another productive JTF meeting last 21 January, the outcomes of which included the following:

DENR Special Order 2022-03 has been signed, designating key DENR personnel to compose, along with AFPOVAI officers, our JTF, authorizing them to do official business with us, including attending meetings, signing of minutes, signing of joint resolutions, and resolving conflicts in the conduct of our joint tasks.

The DENR memorandum lifting the suspension of the processing of AFPOVAI 678 applications since 2005 has been drafted, and is currently being routed to concerned offices. Expected issuance is in March 2022.

Since January 10, 2022, the pace of our interviews have increased. In fact, it has doubled from 20 to 40 a week although we missed our target of 45 per week on account of one or two applicants missing their schedules for a variety of reasons: impatience, connectivity, time zone difference, etc.

In the process, several issues have cropped up related to additional requirements from applications which are atypical of the ones processed by far, e.g, whose original holders are now deceased. 

But once pandemic restrictions ease up next month, DENR would be deploying additional investigators to AFPOVAI to further accelerate MWF interview schedules. To date 210 lot owners have been interviewed by DENR. 

We’re on track to completing at least 400 applications by the end of March, but our target is 500. To help the process, we have requested that a representative from our side should attend the interviews if only to listen in and note issues or problems. This was granted by DENR effective immediately.

Also happy to note that outside of our JTF meetings, the members of our chat group have increased from 162 in January to 245 today, with Sonny Saclayan and Sir Jun Guillermo popping in to thank us. Please keep on inviting the others you know. We have to bring in the rest of the 708 and we have a long way to go. But thanks to your questions and candid participation, we have been able to communicate our efforts, clarify key issues, and address as best we could our longstanding doubts and concerns. 

We have even unearthed some conflicting claims and an inconsistency with dates. Boosted by our progress, some have also deemed it best to post the sketched maps of their lots, and many others have started calling me up. It is encouraging to note our growing excitement, but there are limits to which we may disclose personal data and information. Should you therefore feel the need for assistance on any document, notwithstanding the state of our current filing system, kindly “personal-message” (PM) us or email us first, or ring Gigi.

For good measure, allow me to enjoin everyone, as Sir Bernardito Arcamo reminded us today, to refrain from posting political messages on our viber chat group in due fairness to all and respect for everyone’s personal views. Drawn together on this platform of factual reporting on our Ph 678 developments, we eschew comments of any other kind which might polarize or divide us, rather than unite us. 

There are other avenues for posting one’s political or religious or social views. But our viber community is dedicated mainly to the advancement of our Ph 678 cause. We would rather just put our heads down and focus unremittingly on the administrative process for now. Adhering to this track, we are heartened to have gained such active supporters and critical thinkers as Sir Lito Hernandez and Sir JP Bondoc. And we have quickly managed to join in step and even bind ourselves as one. 

I almost forgot. One of the many members who offered to step forward is no less than former AFP Chief of Staff, General Gene Senga, who promised to contact the others to bring them into our community. I promised we would be posting the names of 678 members whose old phone numbers no longer seem to work. But right now we are trying to reach them through the traditional networks of the AFP. 

There are many ways we can contribute through this viber group, which reminds me of a term that denotes movement forward through one’s skillful use of the turbulence created up front by a lead object or vehicle. The term is slipstreaming or drafting, used by auto racers and bikers to improve fuel efficiency due to reduced atmospheric drag, and gain more speed. 

Without being aware of it, most of the members of our viber group have begun to move into the slipstream of our efforts, at least by sharing their insights, providing added information and volunteering support. We surely welcome every piece of useful advice, driven first of all by one’s intent to help and unite behind our efforts. The last thing we need is to induce drag that would distract our attention through unnecessary postings. 

As it were, we are beginning to achieve solidarity, one of our key objectives, albeit through our virtual meeting space, and we are starting to pick up speed. 

Let us ride our slipstream and win as a team, sirs.