LESSON IN DISCRIMINATION

To those of us who commute to and from work, who walk into Merville, walk within Merville and walk to adjacent subdivisions outside of Merville - you might get a RUDE surprise from the security detail posted at gates 1,2,3 and 4 of Merville Park subdivision.

It seems that without any previous notice to satellite subdivisions and villages such as Buena Vida, residents on foot/ resident pedestrians or whatever term is used to describe residents who walk - will be stopped at these gates and asked who you are, where you live, etc, etc. And you will also be asked to present an MPHA ID to identify yourself as a "resident" of the village you belong to. IF YOU ARE UNABLE to present an MPHA ID at gates 2, 3 and 4, you're supposed to take a tricycle to get home especially if you're walking back from South Admiral Village or Gate 4 near Amsterdam Street.

The same process happens at Gate 1. They'll stop you, ask you where you live, who you are and ask for identification. What's the beef with this? Here goes.... a walk down memory lane.

There used to be a time when residents from Molave, Inland and Buena Vida - coming home in a cab/taxi - was stopped and asked at gate 1 and when you tell them where you lived - they'd tell your taxi driver to take gate 2 instead because gate 1 was ONLY FOR RESIDENTS of Merville until residents from the same 3 villages complained because it increased the taxi fare by almost P10 cris-crossing through the streets from Gate 2 to Buena Vida when gate 1 was the most accessible and most economical way to get home in a cab. Residents complained and this inconsiderate practice was stopped.

There used to be a time wherein several of our UNIT OWNERS walked out of Gate 1 to buy newspapers or fruits at the nearby stores and coming back - they were stopped at Gate 1 and were asked to present an MPHA ID, in short - they were mistaken for household employees. Of course it was totally UNHEARD OF to get an MPHA ID just to certify you were a resident of Buena Vida or Molave or Inland because it is NOT MPHA's responsibility and prerogative to issue residents of satellite subdivisions the SAME ID given to maids, drivers and workers - not to be "matapobre" about it but there was NO OTHER ID being issued by MPHA except that to begin with at that time.

Of course, the most natural reaction would be to be insulted, disgusted and down right indignant. One would say - I am a resident of Barangay Merville and no one has the right to keep me out of my own home. Not even Barangay Merville issues IDs to certify residency, not then, not even today. They'll give you a piece of paper but other than that - these are only required to get business licenses, marriage contracts, etc. BUT NOT to certify your residency and ownership of property within any village within Barangay Merville.... but MPHA will "insist" that you get their ID or they'll make it hard for you to go home.

One BV resident had to drive to Gate 1 just to pick up her brother who was detained at gate 1 at 10PM simply because he didn't have an MPHA ID and was wearing khaki shorts and flip flops. Another BV resident who owns a steel company decided to go walking one morning and was rudely detained at Gate 1 and was "talked down to" as if she was someones "alila" even after she showed them her driver's license. She was able to enter and went straight to the MPHA office and demanded for some one's head and blood. Anyone would.

There are several horror stories of discrimination and total stupidity but the most recent one happened yesterday evening.

A resident's 13 year old daughter walked out of Gate 2 going to South Admiral Village to visit friends. On her way back at 8PM, she was stopped and detained at Gate 2, refused entry even after she called up her mother on her cellphone, gave it to the guard and the guard still refused to let the 13 year old enter. The guard at Gate 2 told the mother that her daughter needs to call a tricycle to pick her up from South Admiral just to be able to return home to Buena Vida but they will NOT allow her to enter on foot. Due to load problems, the line was cut. The mother of course, called up a tricycle and went to fetch her daughter who was standing at gate 2 in the presence of two guards who were fully armed with shot guns. Her daughter's friends did not want to leave her alone there since in between the two gates (South Ad Gate and Gate 2) is an empty lot even if its beside the barangay hall. Totally livid, the mother confronted the guard and guard simply stated that its the rule and regulation of MPHA, even brandished the (loaded) shotgun in front of the mother.

Now I ask you - as parents - what if your daughter had no load to call home? What if your daughter had no money on her to call a tricycle (P30++ special trips) to come fetch her to get home? What if both parents were not home and still at work? BV to gate 2 is a 10 minute walk. The guards at Gate 2 did not even bother to radio gate 1 to send a tricyle to gate 2 to MAKE SURE the kid got home safe. The Guard at gate 2 even refused to talk to the mother on the cellphone telling the daughter "HINDI KO PROBLEMA YAN HA! Problema mo kung paano ka uuwi!" Thats the way they value the lives of people who live in Barangay Merville.. a 13 year old girl at that.

These are the type and kind of security guards of MPHA. Command responsibility - this is the kind of mentality of those who order these guards around. How is she going to be able to go home if they would not let her in on foot and they didn't want to radio for a tricycle at gate 1? Any parent would be fuming mad because these kids safely walked to and from BV to South Admiral, to any other adjacent village without getting this kind of harassment. It seems that even kids from other satellite villages are no longer allowed to enter Merville unless driven, or on board a Merville tricycle.

Now, what if you're walking to attend mass at HIJ? The SAME THING will happen to you, only no one has complained yet because this is a "new" policy. Its a rehash of their (MPHA) discriminating attitudes towards residents of satellite subdivisions. Even bicycles are required to get a P300 MPHA sticker if you live outside of Merville Park. Teenagers from other villages are not even allowed to join the summer league, it has become an exclusive Merville function. So much for inter-village friendship and relations.

We paid right of way fees when Buena Vida was "born". We follow their rules and policies on stickers and they've never had problems with BV residents when it came to supporting their causes - Anti-Air Pollution, Anti-Noise Pollution, Clean Barangay Movement, Maintaining the new Access road. We rallied alongside them demanding for a roll back on SLEX fees, we honked our horns with them in protest. We were first in calling the fire department for help and assistance when a plane landed on one of their houses. We patronize the businesses within Merville because its convenient even if its expensive. I can cite numerous ways wherein Buena Vida helped, supported and cooperated with MPHA and they do this to our children?

On top of such a discriminating historicals between satellite subdivisions and MPHA, they will impose but will not give you a solution. They will not even offer an option nor offer decent help.

Would it be wise to call for a total boycott of all Merville Businesses?
Would it be prudent to not allow non Buena Vida residents/ brokers to lease out OUR units and keep the commission within BV residents or association?
Would it be wise to call for a boycott of the P20 per unit charge for the use of a government owned road?
Would it be wise to boycott their events and a refusal to purchase tickets of events sponsored by MPHA or events that will be held inside Merville?
Would it be normal to propose a refusal of entry to Merville residents into Buena Vida even if its just to visit, scout for houses, guests in our pool and clubhouse?
Would it be wise to demand for the proper use of our "right of way" as homeowners of Buena Vida?

I cannot offer an answer. It is up to each and everyone to choose and decide.

Personally, I choose to protest and boycott everything and anything "Merville" for what they did to my daughter. I refuse to get an MPHA ID for my family just to be identified as a resident of Buena Vida. It is an insult and down right discrimination of my rights as a resident of Barangay Merville. They traumatized my 13 year old brandishing a shot gun in her face and refusing to offer polite assistance to her to help her get home!

I am sending this out that you all may be forewarned of what will happen within the next few days if this MPHA policy continues. If MPHA doesn't even have the decency and courtesy to inform satellite subdivisions BEFORE they implement such ridiculous rules and regulations, then that speaks volumes of the kind of mentality that prevails in Merville Park. Lesson in discrimination? Walk at your own risk into Merville.

Regards and God Bless.



Jenifer C. Aquino-Xavier
Director / BVHA
PROUD TO BE A RESIDENT OF BUENA VIDA HOMES.