Malacañang

For an ordinary citizen like us, it is rarely that one would get an invitation to Malacañang. I was therefore excited when one afternoon, while having a meeting in the board of the Rural Bankers Association in Manila (RBAP), we received a call that we are being invited to the Palace.

We are to witness the turn-over of the net profit earned by Bangko Sentral, and that of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, of a few million pesos each, to the National Treasury through the Office of the President of the Philippines.

There was bad weather and it was raining hard when we arrived. We have to stand out there in the rain, fortunately with umbrellas lent by the guardhouse, as we lined up at the building near the main palace gate to the right, while the guard meticulously checked our name in the list before him, as well as our personal IDs. We thought that was long and, when finished, our bladder was literally about to burst!

Straight to the rest rooms we rushed as soon as we were issued the visitor's ID, after getting directions from a staff member at the reception counter.

When we saw the sign “Rest Rooms”, we got in fast at an open door. Whoosh, we felt great afterwards.

Out we went shortly thereafter and met three ladies standing by the opened door of the restroom, looking at us surprised. When we looked back at the opened door, we were horrified to read “Ladies” at the top portion. We were in the wrong rest room!