It seems to me the whole thing is amusing, for one thing, if you are a British Citizen by birth, and can trace your family back many years, as I did, you are quite amused by foreigners who come here and start pontificating about who should be here.

There seems to me to be some sort of social ladder among Filipino's about how you came to UK, if your a wife, your on the low rungs of the ladder, if you are a profession on a work visa, you seem to be at the top rungs of the ladder.

In 1939 my Grandfather was given a battle field commission to Captain at the time he was a Warrant Officer in 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards, something of which I am so proud of, he was later killed in action leading his men into action, I have photos of him on parade with his battalion at Caterham Surrey, in 1930 some 79 years ago, I also treasure that my Father gave me his Passport, which clearly shows -

"British SUBJECT - Citizen of the British Empire - her Colonies and territories"

In the old days, back before 1982 and the British nationality Act, which is brought in, because marriage was being abused by the influx of immigrants, if you married a foreign girl she did not have to apply for Entry to the UK, nor did she have to apply for nationality.

These are only recent laws that were passed to control the influx of foreign spouses, we used to believe back then, that if you married a foreign girl, she automatically is your wife and henceforth would be a British Citizen without any applications questions or hoops and hurdles, times have changed and for good reasons.

As far as I am concerned, if you marry a Filipina, regardless of whether she has to apply to have what is rightfully hers, by tradition and history, she should be considered British by marriage - the paperwork and the hoops and hurdles are a social construct of successive governments - it has to be done - but the principle remains.

Those who come to work in our country because they are granted work permits are come here because they choose to do so for reasons of economic migration, if they are lucky enough to fill a post which is in short supply in our own country, then they are given that opportunity, which is seldom available in other countries.

The Policy of our government was one of managed economic migration to fill those jobs that could not be filled by our own citizens, those who are granted work permits, have the right after five years within the UK to apply for citizenship, this is a priivilidge granted to them, which may change in the future.

There are those that believe and I am one of them, and there are others that agree with me, that these ones, should not be given British Citizenship, and the right to have the protection of the British Government and to carry a British travel document.

Regardless of the fact that they have worked for five years, that it is the reason they came to work, not to settle, nor to exchange loyalties between countries, nor were they given work permits to come to our country and comment about the status and validity of their own countrymen who are here as citizens by marriage.

There social discrimination and their rather peculiar social ladder protestations are of no consequence, and the majority of Filipino's are kind and generous and friendly there will always be the odd ones, who have some sort of inferiority complex, about their own status in life, and reasons for being here.

Maybe there is some resentment perhaps of a young Filipina who may be 20 years old or less who comes to this country, and they might say, "She has not graduated" she does not have any skills, she has not worked, what right is she to be here, they might surmise that she is not educated, why should she have a quick ticket here, when we work, we graduated, we have profession, we are professional, and then look at them, they get to have a house of their own, they are supported and do not have to work.

We on the other hand, have to work long hours, day and night to make it in life, you can see how these ones might be resentful, but one has to say, that is life, thats how it is, and they often make pronouncements, about things they know little about.

Looking over the fence at others, is a cause of envy, envy makes people say and do things they really ought not, there have been Filipina's who have married millionaires, here in UK, I heard of one who has married a German Prince, what will they say about her, its life !

Some get lucky, some don't, whatever we have in life, there is one sure thing that will protect all of us, and those ones from being envious, your own dignity and self respect, and I refer all readers to the people of the North Manila Cemetery who for all of their hardships, they get on with their lives and maintain their self respect and dignity in all adversities.

I think that just about sums it up.