I DID not want to write this because I am so tired of writing about it. Except for a few rantings on Facebook but I kept my writing in control and my mouth shut, pretended that nothing was amiss even though I knew the opposite was well, true.
It lasted a few days because of an article I read. A Manila-based journalist wrote that a lot of people from Mindanao were mad at some people in Luzon because of distance. I will not explain any further than that. Just read it. And that got my goat, my carabao, and my horse. This was never about distance.
I am not angry with Luzon because of distance. I am pissed because of their lack of manners.
And this is where it gets tiresome. Again and again. And again. I am so tired of Luzon treating us like nitwits and nincompoops fresh out of the jungles of Mindanao.
A former student posted that some of her friends from Manila commented that “meron pala mga sinehan sa Davao.” Or elsewhere in Mindanao for that matter. My own experiences are different but similar. “May airport kayo” is one. “ “May kuryente” is another. Even taxis are not spared. Plus of course there is the astonished face of one saying,” meron palang mall sa Davao.” No your highness from Luzon and Manila, this is not about distance, it is all about manners.
Just because you are from Manila does not mean that you hold a monopoly of intelligence and righteousness. So stop telling us what is right for us, we are not stupid. Being modern does not mean being intelligent.
Perhaps that is why when the “probinsyanos” topped the bar and other licensure exams you stretched your hair in disbelief and started saying stupid remarks like, may leak kasi or even worse bumaba ang standards. As for the latter do you know what that really implies? Of course I really do not have to state the obvious because I know you get it, after all you are smarter than most of us who are in the bukid. Or boondocks if you want to be “sosyal” about it. But then again, kapoy na rin mag sulat ng ganito kasi frankly, kapoy na kaayo.
And then now you want to protect us? What? We should be protecting ourselves from you. You want to save us? From what? You talk like you can read our minds and control our destinies. The simple truth Luzon is, we do not need you but you need us. Try eating fruit salad without fruits. Or having a salad without vegetables. Try it sometime because that would reflective of some of your minds. Full of air and no substance at all. Leave us alone. We do not need you.
Again I have been saying this again and again. I do not even want to go into the recent Davao bombing where some of you showed your true colors and manners. Or lack of it. I know some of you mean well but really, we know how to take care of our problems. You cry out about Martial Law. Good, I do not like Martial law either. Only an idiot will like Martial Law and yet you stand in your school steps and renounce it for us. For us? Do you hear us renouncing it?
Most people from Mindanao welcome it. So do not worry so much, thank you ha. We are under Martial Law not you. Now if Luzon will be under Martial Law then you can march and rage to your heart’s content. But here is the thing. We will leave you to yourselves not because we do not care but because we know our place. We trust you enough. You will do the right thing for yourselves and that is what we are asking from you.
You are not better than us. Who gave you the idiotic idea that you are superior over us? Or that you are brighter? Who? We are equals. The only difference is you are from Luzon and we live in the South. Aside from that we are the same. So stop the racism and the bigotry. And of course the stupidity. Show some manners naman eh. It is so nakakahiya. Show some respect and we in turn shall welcome you with open arms. And you can have all the fruits that you want.