With the recent irresponsible, elitist, bigoted, and discriminating comments made by Manila Standard Today columnist Malu Fernandez in her People Asia magazine article “From Boracay to Greece” in which she makes many belittling comments about Overseas Filipino Workers and Filipinos in general, the response from Filipino bloggers have been overwhelming, and have not been light on the criticism. When do we say enough is enough and that we will no longer stand for the bigotry and discrimination that takes place, not only in this country but all around the world?

For her part, in her “apology”, Malu Fernandez addressed the emails responding to her article. However, the apology, was nothing more than another attempt to take a jab at Filipinos and to once again assert that she’s an elite that those in lower socioeconomic classes just fail to understand or comprehend her “wit”.

Key Statements In Malu Fernandez’s People Asia Article:

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 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.

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.

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.

Response By Malu Fernandez:

Understandably, The Manila Standard Today, received a few emails of complaint, so Malu Fernandez decided to respond.

"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!"

Well, there was this doggy. He was a very clever doggy. He said things like... like... "I would feel infinitely more comfortable in your presence if you would agree to treat gravity as a law, rather than one of a number of suggested options."

---  Delirium on Barnabas, in SANDMAN: "The Kindly Ones"

I was tagged by Nic (and Raph, a while back - sorry, just got to work on it now), so here I go...  :)

The Rules: Each player of this game starts with six weird things about themselves. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own six weird things as well as state the rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose six people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

One.  I'm a very picky eater.  You have NO IDEA how picky I can get - well, okay, my friends do, and you can ask them.  I am not, however, picky in the sense that the food has to be expensive, cheap or anything like that - it's really more of me not being very... adventurous when it comes to food.  (Saying I'm a boring eater might be more appropriate, actually.)

Two.  In relation to number one, I, on the other hand, often hum when I enjoy what I'm eating.  (This is usually true when I eat sweet stuff, like ice cream.)  It's not the "mmm" kind of hum that only lasts a second or two - it's the full blown "hmmhmmhmm" kind of humming, wherein you invent your own tune and freak out your friends.

Three.  I can't stand watching or reading things that have sad endings.  Whenever I encounter a story I'm not particularly familiar with, I often have to ask someone how it ends (oh, not the exact ending - I'm not that much of a killjoy), just so I can brace myself for death, drama or unrequited love as a conclusion.  This is because if I don't, and the story does end badly, I tend to cry for hours afterwards, and feel depressed whenever I remember it - even months after having read or watched it.  (Yes, I do know that most of it is fiction.  I'm not that crazy, really.)

Four.  I used to want to be a chemist.  For those who know me, you know that that is very weird.

Five.  My favorite drink while watching basketball games is hot tea.  It's very soothing.  Of course, drinking it doesn't stop me from screaming my lungs out at referees and generally being very... erm... vocal.  (But no, not violent.)

(...Not very violent, at least.)

Six.  I fall down, slip, trip and hit my head on a regular basis.  In fact, slipping as I climb or go down the stairs is so normal for me that members of my family simply go "sus" whenever they hear me shriek, and promptly return to whatever they were doing.

Now that everybody knows just how neurotic I really am, I'm tagging you guys ---

Tricia

Haidee

Ritz

Deng

Mona  (llostwilya!)

Lora

--- so you can (hopefully) show that crazy is the mental state to be.  (Birds of the same feather and all that.  ;P)

Have fun!  :)