ONCE again, xenophobia has reared its ugly head ("Organisers of Philippine event targeted"; yesterday).

In every society, there are black sheep, and Singapore is no exception.

It is inappropriate for some Singaporeans to harass the organisers of a carnival in Orchard Road to celebrate the Philippine Independence Day and demand its cancellation.

We live in a vibrant cosmopolitan city and must be accommodating towards foreigners, instead of regressing to a situation where it becomes the norm to make distasteful comments on issues such as competition for jobs and space.

Making vitriolic remarks only worsens matters, and is not conducive to the strengthening of good ties between Singapore and the Philippines.

As overseas Singaporeans are at liberty to celebrate Singapore Day and National Day in the countries where they live and work, it is only fair that foreigners be allowed to do the same here.

While we expect to be welcomed in other countries, we must also be welcoming of foreigners here.

Jeffrey Law Lee Beng