Skating not allowed in the Westgate parking lot?

Some members of Dumet Skate, a group of skaters spread around the south and the neighboring areas, emailed Alabang Bulletin recently and asked for our help regarding a problem that they are having.

According to them, they are not allowed to skate at the Westgate Parking Lot anymore and they do not know why.

“For the past nine months, we’ve been regularly playing at the Westgate parking lot and we’ve done nothing to harm the establishment and we have positively patronized the area,” explained a Dumet Skate member.

He went on by saying that just three weeks ago, they were surprised to find out that they were no longer allowed to skate in the area.

Composed of many members, the group member said that the skaters range from six to 20 individuals at a time when they skate in the said parking lot usually every Friday and Saturday. He added that their members are no hooligans and are in fact well-known in the skateboarding field.

“Skating is our form of exercise but because of lack of education, we are treated poorly,” lamented the skater, saying that they are no different from the people that go to Westgate to jog or bike.

According to them, the guards did not give a valid reason when they were told not to skate there anymore but just say that their “bisor” told them to ask the skaters not to hang around the area.

“Walang rason. Basta binawalan lang kami,” he said.

He also said that they had already asked the help of former Munti councilor Ryan Bagatsing.

Is this a form of discrimination by the Westgate management? Are the group members scaring customers away?

Alabang Bulletin can only assume.

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  1. yes, infact filinvest is quite biased when it comes to longboarding and skateboarding in general in there area because they are not properly educated whit this new emerging culture, they are quick to brand you as hooligans and are defensive even arrogant when they approach you. i have beeb skating the area a long time already and muntinlupa doesnt have a problem when it comes to skateboarding,its only the filinvest management that discrimnate, in fact the cops wont even stop you, they just remind you to be careful and be safe. muntinlupa city encourages skateboarding, proof of this can be experienced when you skate on the old national highway as you would not encounter harassment from police, theyll just wave at you ask you to be safe and carry on. in fact they encourage the sakter to skate infront of the city hall at night, better they skate there and be safe than be out somehwere else doing drugs or something. most longboarders come from affluent families or work respectable jobs, they shouldnt be discriminated. they are well educated and responsible member of the society. shouldnt mistakethem for thugs, in fact some of them even bring their whole families because they feel safe skateboarding/longboardingin the parking lot without cars running along. its not like their bothering anymone late at night. better be in a safe controlled areas than risk it on the streets with running cars.

  2. Melcy Junio says:

    i, second, triple the motion of bongkee. that’s just full on discrimination.

  3. Julio says:

    That’s absolutely disgraceful and narrow-mindedness. C’mon, they allow joggers to go around the area, but skaters? They’ve got to come up with a good reason why. No wonder The Fort’s a much better place to roam around. Tsk.

  4. Kevin C. Aguilar says:

    I, for one am not an experienced skater yet, so i haven’t had the chance to go to a lot of areas yet, but this is a clear display of discrimination. Cyclists and joggers are also like us, ATHLETES. We may not have a yet-to-be-established permanent platform in the knowledge of these security personnel but their refusal to our Brothers at Carving is a concrete example of their prejudice towards us. They have branded us as hooligans and thugs altogether in their own comfort. Sure, they might have had a case with the old riders in that are that’s why they acted like that toward us but that doesn’t mean that we are them. We follow every rule there is from the protection of ourselves to the protection of the integrity of the places we hold dear with our boards. This discrimination is a subject to further scrutinization and consideration along with it. I rest my case.

  5. Dinio Alam says:

    Do you know that the son of one orf the riches man in the world skates?
    A prince collects skateboards?
    That an acoustic diva once skated?

    Prominent people i may add.
    Who in their spare time besides making big bucks skate in their free time!

    ‘Di ninyo alam no?

    Now… discriminate!

  6. Jovan Esguerra says:

    I agree with Bongkee. They’re not educated about skateboarding/longboarding. I just started with this sport and yet I’ve already experienced being shouted at and whistled at, by security guards at Alabang Filinvest.

    Maybe they should concentrate on securing their area against robbers, car thievs and other criminals, not against longboarders and skatreboarders..