On Freedom, Heroes and Ungratefulness

At last my inet at home is back! (hello Globe broadband!!!!!! Grrrr!!). There were a few entries i would love to share here in my blog like my last day at the office, my despidida get together with the Aprilfools, with my UP friends, and with other close friends, all about J, and some mussing that’s been in my head recently…. but this entry I’m about to write right now i guess would have to be posted first.

The Filipino blogosphere has been shaken (more like irked) with a write-up by People Asia and Manila Standard Today columnist Malu Fernandez. In her article she summed up her jet setter summer lifestyle; traveling from the hot steamy Boracay to the classic beauty of Greece. Her entry would have been rated ok (meaning: just some other mag article you can read, wit and humor not at par with some other filipino writers), except that she filled it with rants about the OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) she encountered during her flight. She has this habit of name dropping brandnames left and right, but she couldn’t get her bitchiness in line when it comes to belittling her fellow Filipino.

Excerpt from her article :

To save on my ticket, I bravely took an economy class seat on Emirates. Ron excitedly told me to go for it – Emirates had won best economy class and some award. 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.

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 saan ka? Domestic helper a rin ba?” Translation: “Hey there! Where are you from? Are you a domestic helper as well?” I thought I had died and God sent me to my very own hell.

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 AXE and Charlie cologne while my Jo Malogne evaporated into thin air.”

Yesterday, August 21, was Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino’s 24th death anniversary. One of our country’s well loved hero. Whose words “The Filipino is worth dying for” remains immortal. I’m sure Ms. Fernandez is familiar with him. But I hope too that she is also familiar with all the nameless and faceless, very much alive heroes she had the privilege of traveling with. The OFWs are considered as the modern day heroes, and the thought of some people belittling them just makes you want to make a war cry!

I love how one blogger put it :

“I think you are one big major poser. And as for the perfumed bit, I think you should think twice before saying something afoul about our OFW’s, first the reason why they wanted to smell so fine and dandy is because they didn’t want their relatives back home to smell them of the sweat and tears which they have incurred in trying to make sure that their family has a future to look forward to. You have no idea what hardships these people have to deal with. You, Madam, strike me as someone who has never heard of the word TOIL.”

The Manila Standard and People Asia received a few complaint emails regarding Ms. Fernandez column, and here is her response:

“As I type this, I’d like you to know that it’s not about whining, complaining and bitching 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 bitches 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.”

“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!”

Her response only shows narrow mindedness, bigotry and discrimination (to her own countrymen). Just because she’s able to enjoy some luxury that only exists in the far off dreams of some Filipino people, doesn’t make her any better than the rest of us. Just because she can write good (?) english and have a wide audience for her works, doesn’t give her the right lambast the name of her people so carelessly. What she finds funny is offensive. What she finds wit is hurtful. I find her matapobre , sorry can’t find a good translation on that one. Do tell me if you happen to know. 🙂

The pen is a powerful tool, use it wisely.