Preferential Treatment To Foreigners

Dear Me,

Isn't it pathetic to be treated lowly by your compatriots in your very own country every time they give special treatment to foreigners? Nah. I find it very revolting. How dare those people you share the same color with treat you like that? They don't even think for the slightest second how they look when they allow themselves stoop so low? Dogs.

I've read one time about this guy who complained about such ill treatment from a security guard in one of the posh buildings here in the metro's business district. A freelance producer of tv commercials, he was wearing the usual working attire of shorts and shirt. Being in a place like that, it was just natural that the guard manning the area would stop him from entering the premises. The case being acceptable to him, he just requested the person he was supposed to see to meet him at the coffeeshop located at the ground floor of the building.

While waiting, he saw the same guard allowing these two (2) female Caucasians wearing shorts and flip-flops to enter the building and acquire visitors' passes. He politely inquired why the guard allowed them to enter and prohibited him from doing the same thing when the only difference between them is their gender and skin color.

"If you're Pinoy not in proper attire, you won't be allowed entry in their oh so precious building and if you're white, it's ok?"

That was so bad.

Well, this one recently happened to none other than Her Excellency's First Daughter Luli Arroyo while lining up at the immigration counter together with her sister-in-law. This immigration officer allowed a foreigner to enter the immigration booth and had his travel papers facilitated just because he was late for his flight. The First Daughter called his attention since the immigration officer's action was unnecessary. I think his primary mistake is not being able to recognize Luli as the President's daughter. Maybe if he did know her, he would not react the way he did with her when she checked him out. Discourtesy in dealing with passengers and violation of administrative policy would just be his other mistakes. Poor guy.

I, too, had experienced this kind of treatment in our office building here in Paseo. I was carrying a lot of stuff and I was having a hard time opening the door of the tower. I needed to exert too much effort in pulling those big, glass doors so I could enter. But how could I when my hands were tied? There were two (2) guards inside and all they did was look at me. Bastards. I wanted to shame them so what I did was to put all my things down the floor, pull the doors open, put my things down again and close the door. I made it to the check-in counter table for their inspection. Since I was carrying a lot of stuff, I had a few seconds of being there and see what was going to happen. From the outside, this big, white guy pulling his two (2) big luggages made his way to the door. Did you know what the guards did? Those 2 'salivating dogs' almost bumped their heads in their haste to open the glass doors for the foreigner. I was so shocked.

I was muttering curses under my breath. To me, they looked like canines waiting for dog food to be thrown their way. In spite of my anger, I felt deep scorn and pity for them.

How can they allow themselves to act like that, without dignity and all? How can they expect to be treated fairly and with respect when they do not know how to do such? They are the ones degrading themselves, from the eyes of the foreigners and their very own people. It is even pitiful to realize that they, themselves, do not know how they demoralize their being as a person.