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Full Version: A great example of an elitist attiude within the Philippines
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kaysea
This is somewhat old news (summer 2007) but is news to me, so I thought I would share since I actually got angry reading her article. I was aimlessly searching Filipino sites and came across this entertaining page

http://www.tingog.com/social-concerns/malu...-columnist.html

She was Filipino columnist for some sort of Filipino magazine. She writes about her trip from Boracay to Greece while belittling oversea Filipino workers. Here are some quotes from her article

QUOTE
However I forgot that the hub was in Dubai and the majority of the OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) were stationed there. The duty-free shop was overrun with Filipino workers selling cell phones and perfume. Meanwhile, I wanted to slash my wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them.


QUOTE
While I was on the plane (where the seats were so small I had bruises on my legs), my only consolation was the entertainment on the small flat screen in front of me. But it was busted, so I heaved a sigh, popped my sleeping pills and dozed off to the sounds of gum chewing and endless yelling of “HOY! Kumusta ka na? At taga sann ka? Domestic helper ka rin ba?” Translation: “Hey there? Where are you from? Are you a domestic helper as well?” I though I had died and God had sent me to my very own private hell.


QUOTE
On my way back, I had to bravely take the economy flight once more. This time I had already resigned myself to being trapped like a sardine in a sardine can with all these OFWs smelling of AXE and Charlie cologne while Jo Malone evaporated into thin air.


QUOTE
All in all, it’s been a pretty good summer. Jetting from the Aegean Sea to the Pacific may sound a bit pretentious until you wake up in economy class smelling like air freshener.


She received complaints and these are her responses

QUOTE
As I type this, I’d like you to know that it’s not about whining, complaining and b!tching but just stating the facts. Just recently, I wrote a funny article in my magazine column and my friends thought it was hilarious. It was humorous and quite tongue-in-cheek, or at least I thought so, until the magazine got a few e-mails from people who didn’t get the meaning of my acerbic wit. The bottom line was just that I had offended the reader’s socioeconomic background. If any of these people actually read anything thicker then a magazine they would find it very funny. Most people don’t get the fact that they need b!tches like me to shake up their world, otherwise their lives would be boring and mediocre. I obviously write for the a certain target audience and if what I write offends you, just stop reading.


QUOTE
Although it may sound elitist to you the fact is this country is built on the foundation of haves, have-nots and wannabes. One group will never get the culture of the other. Although I could mention that it is easier to understand someone who has a lower socioeconomic background that would entail a whole other page and frankly I don’t want to be someone to bridge the gap between socioeconomic classes. I leave that to the politicians in my family who believe they can actually help. Now I seriously ask you, am I being a diva or are people around me just lacking in common sense? Perhaps it’s a little of both!


I was later elated to find that she had resigned her position from the magazine expecting to be fired, which she was about to be.

Here's the response from the publishers of the magazine.

http://www.tingog.com/current-events/babe-...-fernandez.html

... she even appeared on televised news.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ewQ7SDZp-3k
ham_let
LOL WOW. What a b!tch.

That's when "rich" Filipinos realize how little power/money they actually have outside of the Philippines.

Thank god it was on a Filipino magaZine btw. If I read that in a Canadian magazine I'd probably have a heart attack.
*promo
repost...she fat right?

kaysea
QUOTE(*promo @ Jan 13 2008, 10:14 PM) [snapback]3424348[/snapback]
repost...she fat right?


yes. yes she is

RL33
Filipino yuppie trash?
2ndsun
I find alot of columnists and one host of a travel show in the Philippines to be stupid concescending biatches.
astig
Putang ina nitong Malu na ito ah. She's fu-ken' ugly. what gives her the right to belittle our hardworking OFW earning a decent living abroad?
And who gives a rats @$$ if she has politician relatives. She is not bulletproof when she's outside her house i'll betcha.
Bastos this b!tch of a pig. This is a classic display of "walang pinag-aralan". SHe is a disgrace to the community. I wish she gets ran over by a jeepney and not some imported vehicle.
Iki
This is too sad... its really unfortunate that these kinds of people are not rare, there are alot of people in the p.i. that has the same attitude. You know the "sosyal" attitude. I hate it when our own people belittle us...


"Ms. Fernandez had expressed contrition and humility, and that it was not her intention to hurt, malign or express prejudice against OFWs all over the world but it was too late."


Not her intention??? Contrition and humility???. LMAO... who the hell is she kidding...
Iki
QUOTE(astig @ Jan 14 2008, 09:35 AM) [snapback]3425175[/snapback]
Putang ina nitong Malu na ito ah. She's fu-ken' ugly. what gives her the right to belittle our hardworking OFW earning a decent living abroad?
And who gives a rats @$$ if she has politician relatives. She is not bulletproof when she's outside her house i'll betcha.
Bastos this b!tch of a pig. This is a classic display of "walang pinag-aralan". SHe is a disgrace to the community. I wish she gets ran over by a jeepney and not some imported vehicle.


lol wow... astig talaga....
P. Bredahl
b!tch got issues...
RL33
QUOTE(P. Bredahl @ Jan 14 2008, 08:35 AM) [snapback]3425300[/snapback]
b!tch got issues...


No she has no issues and thats the problem, she thinks whatever it was that she wrote was perfectly acceptable.
Najjiah
one thing we filipinos never could get a grip on is sarcasm. seriously, had this article been written by an american woman criticizing her country, it would not be a big deal. hello?

freedom of speech! i may not fully agree with what she said but i'm not going to go on an internet crusade to rally up all pinoys against this woman.
P. Bredahl
QUOTE(RL33 @ Jan 14 2008, 05:42 PM) [snapback]3425305[/snapback]
No she has no issues and thats the problem, she thinks whatever it was that she wrote was perfectly acceptable.


b!tch got issues
Iki
QUOTE(Najjiah @ Jan 14 2008, 11:48 AM) [snapback]3425310[/snapback]
one thing we filipinos never could get a grip on is sarcasm. seriously, had this article been written by an american woman criticizing her country, it would not be a big deal. hello?

freedom of speech! i may not fully agree with what she said but i'm not going to go on an internet crusade to rally up all pinoys against this woman.




Nah, there would be a backlash still. Just look at what happened with that teri hatcher show... and no, I dont think this is sarcasm... filipinos like that really exist... If she said that to your parents, you would probably go ape$hit and forget about that freedom of speech bull$hit... almost all of our parents who are now living overseas had to go through that at one time or another, and this b1tch had the nerve to describe that as dirt... you cant expect people just to sit down and relax when it is so close to heart....

Yeah freedom of speech, sure... but people have the freedom to critisize the fuk out of her too...

Iki
QUOTE(RL33 @ Jan 14 2008, 11:42 AM) [snapback]3425305[/snapback]
No she has no issues and thats the problem, she thinks whatever it was that she wrote was perfectly acceptable.



That is the issue, .. LOL...
*promo
QUOTE(kaysea @ Jan 13 2008, 07:33 PM) [snapback]3424393[/snapback]
yes. yes she is


beerchug.gif
kaysea
QUOTE(Najjiah @ Jan 14 2008, 11:48 AM) [snapback]3425310[/snapback]
freedom of speech! i may not fully agree with what she said but i'm not going to go on an internet crusade to rally up all pinoys against this woman.


Your too late. http://www.yugatech.com/blog/blogosphere/d...ndez-to-resign/ The main title of the article "Death Threats forced Malu Fernandez to resign?". If she has any hope of salvation living amongst Filipinos she had better move abroad or live with Filipinos who are unaware of her. Tough
kpauner
QUOTE(astig @ Jan 14 2008, 09:35 AM) [snapback]3425175[/snapback]
Putang ina nitong Malu na ito ah. She's fu-ken' ugly. what gives her the right to belittle our hardworking OFW earning a decent living abroad?
And who gives a rats @$$ if she has politician relatives. She is not bulletproof when she's outside her house i'll betcha.
Bastos this b!tch of a pig. This is a classic display of "walang pinag-aralan". SHe is a disgrace to the community. I wish she gets ran over by a jeepney and not some imported vehicle.


You say she is a disgrace to the filipino community, yet you write stuff like She is not bulletproof when she's outside her house i'll betcha. Is that something Filipinos can be proud of? Murdering another person? Do you really think that you are some sort of hero if you do that?
i cant believe how many of you actually lowered yourself to her pathetic level!

Yes! Dont just get mad, GET PISSED! But dont drag yourself down.

speedygonzalez2
QUOTE(kpauner @ Jan 14 2008, 01:46 PM) [snapback]3425468[/snapback]
You say she is a disgrace to the filipino community, yet you write stuff like She is not bulletproof when she's outside her house i'll betcha. Is that something Filipinos can be proud of? Murdering another person? Do you really think that you are some sort of hero if you do that?
i cant believe how many of you actually lowered yourself to her pathetic level!

Yes! Dont just get mad, GET PISSED! But dont drag yourself down.


Isn't that common among filipinos to do that when they get pissed...
like in politics, you always hear it every now and then during election that a candidate was gunned down..

thumbsdown.gif
Datu Mandub
I merely puke on her rancid mind....as it shows
Dhong
there's no excuses for what that pig has done... pasosyal pa kase eh baboy naman!! fatsee na nga, thick faced pa! yuck!.. matagal na nga tong news na to pero everytime makakabasa ako ng ganito, naaalala ko na naman ang kalapastanganan nya.. nakakainis talaga.... thumbsdown.gif
kpauner
QUOTE(speedygonzalez2 @ Jan 14 2008, 05:43 PM) [snapback]3425881[/snapback]
Isn't that common among filipinos to do that when they get pissed...
like in politics, you always hear it every now and then during election that a candidate was gunned down..

thumbsdown.gif


Are you trying to justify her being murdered because politicians are killing each other?

like in politics, you always hear it every now and then
this is a funny sentence embarassedlaugh.gif please reread it.
kpauner
QUOTE(Dhong @ Jan 15 2008, 03:13 AM) [snapback]3427071[/snapback]
there's no excuses for what that pig has done... pasosyal pa kase eh baboy naman!! fatsee na nga, thick faced pa! yuck!.. matagal na nga tong news na to pero everytime makakabasa ako ng ganito, naaalala ko na naman ang kalapastanganan nya.. nakakainis talaga.... thumbsdown.gif


congratulations you just proved how you deal with idiots, by being one yourself.
of course there is no excuse, but that doesnt mean you have to lower yourself to "imbecile" to prove your point.
Sorry if i misunderstood you though, my Filipino is not great, but from the words i understood, you where being a barbarian.
landoftherisingbum
QUOTE(kpauner @ Jan 15 2008, 05:37 PM) [snapback]3427123[/snapback]
congratulations you just proved how you deal with idiots, by being one yourself.
of course there is no excuse, but that doesnt mean you have to lower yourself to "imbecile" to prove your point.
Sorry if i misunderstood you though, my Filipino is not great, but from the words i understood, you where being a barbarian.


mismo. tama pagkakaintindi mo. the likes of malu fernandez should not multiply kaya wag nyo na tularan kalapastanganan ng babaing yun. laugh.gif
seeboo
bakit kayo magagalit e sa yan naman talaga ang reality ng buhay ng mga OFWs diba?sinabi nya lang ang totoo! just like what happen sa movie na kkk nila judie ann santos! ng pumalag ang mga bisaya sa isang eksena ng movie, ano ang sabi ng mga tagalog? e yan naman talaga ang reality sa buhay.wtf!!! so ngayon na damay lahat pati mga tagalog,sisigaw kayo ng foul??? what a bunch of hypocrites!!! thumbsdown.gif
landoftherisingbum
QUOTE(seeboo @ Jan 31 2008, 10:43 PM) [snapback]3462424[/snapback]
bakit kayo magagalit e sa yan naman talaga ang reality ng buhay ng mga OFWs diba?sinabi nya lang ang totoo! just like what happen sa movie na kkk nila judie ann santos! ng pumalag ang mga bisaya sa isang eksena ng movie, ano ang sabi ng mga tagalog? e yan naman talaga ang reality sa buhay.wtf!!! so ngayon na damay lahat pati mga tagalog,sisigaw kayo ng foul??? what a bunch of hypocrites!!! thumbsdown.gif


hoi! malu fernandez, nagpapanggap ka pa rito sa AF.. nice choice of name ha.. seeboo.. talagang mataba ka nga, maseebooo wahaha! laugh.gif
redhotchili
Actually, may mga points naman siyang talaga namang nangyayari. BUT the problem with the article is the tone she used. She was very imperious.

True, her article may be an example of elitism BUT the author is also an example of humility. She published an apology to everyone she offended. She resigned from her job as well.

QUOTE(Najjiah @ Jan 15 2008, 12:48 AM) [snapback]3425310[/snapback]
one thing we filipinos never could get a grip on is sarcasm. seriously, had this article been written by an american woman criticizing her country, it would not be a big deal. hello?


Oo nga. Her attempt on humor [terribly] backfired. embarassedlaugh.gif
RL33
QUOTE(redhotchili @ Jan 31 2008, 06:58 AM) [snapback]3462440[/snapback]
Actually, may mga points naman siyang talaga namang nangyayari. BUT the problem with the article is the tone she used. She was very imperious.

True, her article may be an example of elitism BUT the author is also an example of humility. She published an apology to everyone she offended. She resigned from her job as well.
Oo nga. Her attempt on humor [terribly] backfired. embarassedlaugh.gif


Despite that fact that we are usually quite easy going we are a really self conscious people. Just look at all the past threads in other forums like "What do Koreans/Thais/Chinese think about Filipinos?" its ridiculous.

The journalist made a mistake and the situation got worse when she tried to defend herself with exactly the same attitude that got her in trouble in the first place. In other words she deserves what she got , and I think she only reason she tried diffuse the situation with an apology,(as well as stepping down from her position) is not because she saw the error in her ways but was concerned for her own well being.
seeboo
QUOTE(landoftherisingbum @ Jan 31 2008, 09:53 AM) [snapback]3462436[/snapback]
hoi! malu fernandez, nagpapanggap ka pa rito sa AF.. nice choice of name ha.. seeboo.. talagang mataba ka nga, maseebooo wahaha! laugh.gif
sinabi nya lang ang katotohanan at ang totoong buhay ng OFWs. sabi nga nila "thats the fact of life" biggthumpup.gif
flipcombatmedic
she 'had to brave the economy flight'...no the people next to her lardy shanks had to brave her two seater size @$$ and ugly face.
Chi73
QUOTE(flipcombatmedic @ Feb 1 2008, 12:36 PM) [snapback]3464635[/snapback]
she 'had to brave the economy flight'...no the people next to her lardy shanks had to brave her two seater size @$$ and ugly face.


If she's got money. she would be seating in the first class where she can socialize with her own class of the elite!!
landoftherisingbum
QUOTE(seeboo @ Feb 1 2008, 09:26 PM) [snapback]3464213[/snapback]
sinabi nya lang ang katotohanan at ang totoong buhay ng OFWs. sabi nga nila "thats the fact of life" biggthumpup.gif


Hey no one argues about the facts of life. Totoong ganun sa loob ng economy flight with OFWs around. Totoong 'maingay' sila pag nagsama-sama. Totoong cheap perfumes lang ang nakakayanan ng karamihan sa kanila. But the way Malu expressed her feelings towards them was demeaning and discriminatory. That made it unacceptable. Especially that these issues are close to the heart. You don't mess with the heart, do you?

I had the same experience as Malu's, iba nga lang ang naramdaman ko. On my way back to Manila from a training stint in Thailand, I was with a bunch of OFWs in a Kuwaiti Airlines bound for Manila. They're all happy because they're going home. I was happy too. Except for one. My seatmate, a woman in her 30s, smiled and laughed occasionally at the jokes and stories heard around but her eyes tell another story. So I asked her if there's something wrong because she looked sad and worried. She began to tell me her story. She was a DH in Kuwait. She was physically abused by her employers. She escaped and with the help of other OFWs she was able to go back home. She had nothing to bring home (she left her belongings at her employer's house), except for some toys (for her son), clothes and money all chipped-in by the OFWs who came along her plight. She even pointed at some of the people around who donated something. She'll go back to her old work (paglalabada) in Mindoro, she said. While telling these, she tried to sound tough but all I saw was a loving mother longing to come back home.
calliezhou
she should have used the right words and a different manner of narrating...
who is her feature editor, anyway?! lol....
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