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.

16 comments:

  1. grrrrr. kaya ako! mega smile na lang ako para mapansin at tulungan ko. charm can do wonders.

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  2. [monica] - nagkataon na i was so tired nun. di pa ko natutulog. sarcastic ngiti ko nun malamang. :D

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  3. the (so-called) 'asian' culture of being extra polite to foreigners perhaps?

    i know it does occur to some extent over here in malaysia but is getting better
    (obnoxious foreigners help to educate the masses =)

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  4. Happy Click and Comment Monday.

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  5. Maybe we're trained to do it. You'll notice how we treat visitors in our home.

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  6. [stev] - you're probably right but I guess it is the idea that when that person is a foreigner, they believe that these people are rich and will probably give them something if they are good to them. It sucks...

    [bozette] - I'll check that C&CM.. =)

    [john] - oh, that's hospitality/virtue totally abused.

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  7. Hello! Happy Click & Comment Monday! Information about that is at Cat's Blog called Living with Multiple Personalities (and today on mine as well).

    Off to visit your renter now!

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  8. [dutchbitch] - oh, hi there! I'll check it out and thanks for the visit here & to my renter's.. =)

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  9. I mean, in our house we treat our visitors well. The same way we treat foreigners as visitors in our country.

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  10. [john] - there's a editorial about this. I forgot what broadsheet yun. Yung hospitality culture nga natin mejo abused na as a virtue and as a word.

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  11. I think there are assholes like that to be found in any country, regardless of color. My car went off the road once and while we were waiting for the tow truck in February COLD weather (Canada) the local police did NOTHING and did not even invite us into their car. They just sat in their heated car while me and my neice and a friend were standing on the side of the road, freezing our asses off at 3am in the morning. We were driving long distance through the night. I think it was because I was English and I was in Quebec (french province) at the time. And we were all white.

    Sorry to hear you are treated so shabbily in your own country. I have found the same in mine at times.

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  12. [sky] - that's really bad. freezing out in the cold. i really can't bear that.

    well, i feel sorry for them for treating me like that.

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  13. I know what you mean, here in Mexico, it's the same thing. I hate when that happens, you can easily see it in mexican TV shows, they rather choose a white blonde actress, than a mexican brunette. I think that's just stupid. They think they'll earn more money by doing that, but they're losing a whole more opportunities, by being diverse. Unfortunately I think they do that because they know the audience (mexicans) will prefer it that way, which is actually true, and that's a bigger problem.

    XoXo
    Gaby

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  14. yan ang pinoy, minsan pinoy din ang kumakawawa sa kapwa pinoy, pano na kaya yung mga puti, paano tayo i ta trato ng maayos?

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  15. Calling over for Click & Comment" Monday, best wishes, The Artist

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  16. [gabriela] - i think it is also the fault of the media for creating this kind of discrimination in the society. it's bad enough that they perpetrate it.

    [iskoo] - you're right about that. it's a sick culture we have here and even elsewhere.

    [green_earth] - happy monday to you! =)

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