Malu's clone...Dumadami sila

I really had a hard time convincing myself to believe this. But yes it's true...Seems that dumadami ang mga "Malu Fernandez"...or matagal ng madami?...

Veteran journalist Emil Jurado in his "To the Point" column in Manila Standard wrote an article about the Malu Fernandez issue. It was published on Aug-31 and titled "Educating migrants".

Excerpts:
"The Fernandez incident brings to fore the need to educate our workers how to behave, not only at work and in relating with their employers, but also when they get together or take transportation, airplanes included. Malu was not the only one complaining about the uncouth and rowdy behavior of these “new heroes.”

He even mentioned Filipinos in Singapore:
"In Singapore, Filipinos are no longer allowed to congregate at the well-known Lucky Mall along Orchard Road because of the noise and the litter they make. Filipino domestics seem to be at their loudest when they are together."

I couldn't believe kasi, of course, obvious ba? The public uproar about Malu should be a lesson to all journalists, writers and other media people: saying/writing negative or unpleasant remarks about OFWs is NOT OK! It's like putting yourself in front of a firing squad. Actually, whether you're from media or not, definitely it is wrong. "Freedom of speech" is bullsh*t if your article lacks moral and respect. Is it more important na masabi mo na ang mga OFW ay maiingay, na ganito, ganyan ang experience mo sa flight mo, KESA sa damdamin ng kapwa mo Pinoy?

Click here to read Jurado's article.

Reactions:
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7 comments:

  1. I hope people who write such articles realize that there are also lot of professional filipino migrant workers ... i hope they realize that when they write about the "noisy migrant workers" they would realize that they are also writing about the many doctors, engineers, IT professionals, etc. working abroad who are very well respected in their fields ... should they really need to write such articles, hopefully, they don't generalize the "filipino migrant workers" ... not all migrant workers are domestics ... and not all domestics are noisy indeed!

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  2. I think it's obvious to all that they aren't talking about the Professional / Highly Educating / High Income OFW's at all...

    Jurado and Fernandez were clearly referring to the not so educated ones who are very noisy, and most of these ones become maids. While it is true that there are many educated Pinays (school teachers, etc) who become maids, if you carefully survey the maid population in HK, Singapore, etc, many of them have only a few years of unfinished college. Some didn't even finish high school although other countries have already made high school graduation a requirement.

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  3. I reason that one should not write cruel things about OFWs is not because it would come back to you in one way or another, but because it is just wrong.

    I'd like to repeat myself. IT IS WRONG TO LAMBAST OFWs REGARDLESS OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND OR OCCUPATION.

    Imagine yourself it their shoes. Domestic helpers are the first to get up and the last to rest in each household, some of them do not even get weekly day-offs, but monthly. They have a few hours each week to talk to their friends, be carefree, laugh and joke, talk about one day coming home to their families. Give them a break!

    I always take time to have a little chitchat with our helper, because I know that it makes her feel that we are here for her.

    The article should have focused on suggesting alternative activities and/or meeting venues to the domestic helpers, in case they did not notice, these people have nowhere to go because Lucky Plaza is the only place they know of.

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  4. I can't believe this, meron pa ring sumusulpot na mga columnist na walang amor sa kapwa Pilipino. Tsk tsk tsk, magsama kayo ni Malu "Porky" Fernandez at igisa sa impyerno!

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  5. I think he made a point on what he felt was the "rudeness" of a kababayan during their air flight when the bag almost hit his wife. Because of "that incident", I do respect his ire on his kababayan's misbehavior. The "kababayan" started a "wildfire" behavior that in defense for his wife, Emil has the right to fight back.

    On the other hand, his support for Malu's freedom of speech does not make him correct here since it was Malu who instigated the "wildfire" by belittling the passengers in the econoy flight (who did nothing to her directly, but were only noisy and minding their own business, albeit just being true to themselves amidst their friends and other kababayans). Support and condoning her "freedom of speech" is synonymous to agreeing to what she had written (all the negative and putting down words included against fellow OFWs). I am an OFW and I know how life is already hard outside of one's country and away from family, friends, and loved ones. The best way other fellow Pinoys could do to alleviate our plight and loneliness is support and friendship, rather than insult and indifference.

    In any case, ok, since he stated that Malu has just written what she thought and sensed during her (hellish) moments, then she should be always aware that her fellow Filipinos will not stop talking and writing about and against her because these are what they thought and sensed about her article - the insensitiveness and arrogance peppered in her article.

    P.S.
    There are indeed cases where sometimes we need to remind other OFWs to behave in flights (or any public place), but not in a way to shame them or yes write about them and publish these for the world to see which will make big impressions that we're just a bunch of animals running loose in airplanes. The fact that by nature, Filipinos are a gentle and kind bunch and will readily behave and put forth their good attitude as long as we tell them gently without resorting to belittling and spitting derogative remarks.

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  6. Thanks for all the comments so far! I've posted a new entry about this topic:
    http://reddotpinoys.blogspot.com/2007/09/comments-on-jurado-article.html

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  7. read jessica zafra's 500 people you meet in hell, and get a kick out of it : ) meron atang tungkol dito

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