Four
At last, after four years of preparation, I have finally taken the Master Plumbers Board Examination. I first aspired to take the examination after the Architecture Board Examination, but after repeated denials at the PRC, it was only this year that I was able to take the boards.Plumbing, as a subject and as a trade was not very glamorous for me back then. It was only during the Architecture exam review classes was I fully exposed to it, partly because I enjoyed the way the lecturer delivered her discussion of the class. She encouraged us to take the MP examination, not just for the sake of taking after the Arki boards, and not just for the sake of getting projects, but also as a specialization.
I was first denied to take the boards due to a change in policy at the PRC regarding the use of original birth certificates. It was right after my board exam when the PRC decided to allow only board takers who have NSO certified birth certificates to take the exam. When I showed my papers to "Tiger Lily", the infamous government employee stationed at window nine of the admissions counter, it was rudely shoved back to me, and she used the infamous microphone at the counter to tell everybody what my "error" was. (On a side note, this lady has this very nice way of telling everybody at the admissions area via this microphone what their mistakes are such as "O yung mga take two diyan, dapat kasi ganito ang gagawin ninyo blah blah blah...)
The second time I attempted to take the exam, it was only two days left to go for filing for the boards, so I failed to again take the examination.
For the third time, it was again another change in policy that prevented me from taking the board examination. Now they need the examiners to have updated NBI clearances. This time I had a problem with my name, since I carry the priviledge of being a "Junior", therefore I have a "Hit" at their database, and would have to clear it out with the main office at Manila.
Another change in policy almost prevented me from taking the examination, this time concerning the Official Transcript of Records. I did not know that the TOR has to have a small stamp at the bottom stating "For Board Examination Purposes". Again my papers was shoved back to me, but oddly, Tiger Lily was not there. In her place was a less discourteous lady, but nonetheless needs some sessions in customer service. Maybe Tiger Lily finally retired, after serving would be professionals for the past few decades. Now its Pocahontas.
My first impulse to correct this problem was to find a stamp maker outside who just might have the needed stamp, but then again Pocahontas wrote down the time when I was at the counter, thus it would be physically impossible for me to have it stamped all the way from Diliman and back to Manila. I contemplated on whether I should go to UP Manila for the stamp, but instead chose to simply go back some other day.
I was finally allowed to take the examination after rectifying the problem. It took me four years and four denials before taking the examination.
And happily, I came in fourth. :)
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On a side story, while preparing a few days for the examination, a former officemate who will also take the examination decided to stay over for a few days at the apartment. Due to over studying, we would apply all we learned to everything we do inside the house when it comes to plumbing. If we need to use the faucet, we would declare that we will use "two water supply fixture units", and use up "two units of drainage fixture units". And we would keep on repeating "four fixture units" when referring to the use of the john.
And happily, we both tied up at number four. While over the phone I jokingly told him we overused the john, thus landing at number four, when we should have overused the faucet, thus landing at the higher number one and two slots.
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Now I think I love this number, the number four. :)
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