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Teacher Recounts Experience with Rude Immigration Employee Who Told Her to ‘Shut Up’ 
By E.J. Carleon – March 28, 2014

MANILA, Philippines – A teacher has taken her experience  to social media over an alleged rude immigration employee who humiliated her and her husband in front of a number of people, including foreigners, while trying to ask questions and assistance pertaining to a travel document they were processing.
Roselle Carreon wrote an article recounting their ordeal and humiliation they suffered at the hands of an apparent ‘ego-tripping’ employee she identified as Carlo Salazar at the Bureau of Immigration, Makati Office.
Click on the link to read her full account of the incident.

I'm not surprised. I had a slightly similar experience with the Philippine Consulate here. When I went to renew my passport, I was in line like normal. Then when I got to the booth, bigla silang nag-lunch break nang walang pasabi. I was standing there for a good 10 minutes before someone said ALL of them were on break. It was around 2:30PM already. Hindi man lang sila mag-shifts lalo na alam nilang busy. Or magsabi man lang na on break sila.  Bigla na lang nagsialisan.  When their break ended, nakasimangot pa yung guy who took my documents, as if ayaw nya akong tulungan. When I asked for a simple clarification, sarcastic pa sagot nya sa akin, staring at me as if hindi nya ako naintindihan.  (That mandatory absentee voting is BS btw.)

Same with the immigration booth at NAIA.  Todo smile sa Amerikano in front of me at the queue pero pagdating sa akin, inirapan ako sabay, "Taga-saan ka talaga?"  WTF.  Uh, it's right there.  On my passport.  And visa.  In front of you.  In your hands.  At talagang may kasama pang irap.  Lalaki si kuya ha.  Wala man lang "Mabuhay" or "Welcome back".  Nakakairita.  After 15 hours mong biyahe, ganun ang sasalubong sa iyo.

I don't know.  I hate thinking things but what else could be the reason.  Sila yung nagtatrabaho processing other Filipino's documents to go live and work outside the country pero sila itong hindi makaalis.  That's what I think... bitter-bitteran ang drama.  Pero ano naman yung drama ng mga taga-Consulate dito.  Andito na sila, I bet citizen na.  Pero tangina, ang tataray... ang yayabang.  Nakakawalang gana makihalubilo sa sarili mong lahi kung ganyan ang trato natin sa isa't isa.  Kaka-meet nyo pa lang, yayabangan ka na kaagad.

I love being Filipino, kahit ano pang reputasyon natin sa ibang lahi.  Pero naman, napapansin ko lang ba bakit ganito ang mga Pinoy sa kapwa Pinoy kapag (1) nakakaangat ang isa kaysa sa isa, at (2) nakatikim lang ng "mas masarap" na buhay.  Mahiya naman kayo... iisa lang ang pinanggalingan nating lahat.