The Bitch has resigned, and if there’s one thing that the Malu Fernandez issue has taught us, it is the viral capability of blogs and assorted online media, to make things happen. In 1986, people converged in army camps with rosaries and warm bodies to topple down a dictatorship. In 2007 and beyond, it appears like the rules have changed. Causes and advocacies will no longer be waged in the actual battlefront but in the arena of blogs, wikis and other influencers of public opinion. Still bloodless like People Power but just as potent nonetheless.
Truth is, Malu Fernandez worked for a newspaper and a glossy upscale magazine. I don’t know what effect the whole affair had on the hierarchy of power, especially as a call to boycott the two publications had been made at the height of the controversy (first aired in Tingog.com). Manila Standard Today and People Asia were sorely limited in their circulation, but not when the pages in question were scanned, emailed and reprinted for everybody to see in an internet-waged campaign. Knowing the actual and possible damage the brouhaha had on the reputation of MST and People Asia themselves, it was highly possible that Malu Fernandez was forced to resign. Or maybe even her haughty manner just couldn’t take the heat. Hell hath no greater fury than when our (long-suffering) OFWs are scorned.
Tama nga Malu, magbakasyon ka muna hija. Nalulungkot ako at ikaw ay nakatanggap ng death threats. Hindi na dapat umabot pa sa ganito. Hindi na dapat umabot pa sa puntong insultuhin nila pati katabaan mo gayong alam naman naming gumastos ka ng libu-libong dolyares para sa weight loss mo. Hindi naman kasi kasalanan ang maging mataba o mayaman, ang maging payatot o dukha…. ang malaking pagkakamali mo lang ay insultuhin ang sensibilidad ng kapwa mo Pilipino na naghihirap makipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa. Inisip mo man lang ba na malagay sa kalagayan ng mga OFWs na nilait-lait mo? Inisip mo ba kung paano malayo sa sarili mong pamilya ng sampung buwan o di kaya’y dalawang taon? I bet hindi ka tatagal ng isang buwan na wala kang masahe o manicure mula sa pobreng alindahaw na manicurista/masahista mo, pero ang mga OFW na ito na umaalingasaw sa pabango nilang Jovan whatev ay kailangang tiisin ang pang-aalipusta/panggagahasa ng kanilang mga amo. Siguro nga ay hindi man lang sumagi sa isip mo ang mga bagay na ito and it took this incident para ikaw ay bumaba sa ivory tower at ma-realize na ang gulong ng ating lipunan ay hindi umiikot sa mga burgis na katulad mo.
In the comments section of Manolo Quezon’s post on the matter, reader Arman De La Cruz has an amusing take on what happens now to Malu Fernandez, and we quote:
1. RIDE THE PLANE
kawawa naman sya, isang taon syang di makakasakay sa ano mang eroplano domestic or international man, baga magulpi sya kasi her pictures are all over the Internet at lahat ng ating mahal na OFWs ay sumasakay everyday to almost all of domestic and foreign flights…
2. GO TO THE MALLS
pano sya pupunta ng MALL? Shangrila Mall, Powerplant, The Block, Podium at iba pang sosyal na Malls? marami ring OFWs ang ipinapasayal mga families nila sa malls na to. mapapadeliver na lang sya ng perfume at LV bags? Or sa tutuban sya at divisoria mamimili with all the disguise…
3. GO TO THE SOSYAL NA RESTAURANTS, RESTOBAR, EASTWOOD, EMBASSY BAR, at lahat ng sosyal na BARs
Madali syang makikila ng mga OFW, kamag-anak ng OFW, at mga totoong sosyal at mayayaman na tao na may hinanakit sa mga OFWs
4. HOTELS, RESORTS, BAHAY BAKASYUNAN, ETC.
kasi nakapaskil mukha nya sa mga magazine, headline ng dyaryo, at mga OFW na naka check-in sa mga hotels, kawawa sya.
5. DRIVE-THRU NG MCDO, JOLIBEE, ETC.
karamihan ng crew sa drive-thru ay former OFWs at may kamag-anak na OFW, madali rin syang makikilala
6. BELO MEDICAL GROUP, CALAYANS, etc
magagalit sa kanya mga crew at staff ng mga magagaling na skilled worker na to, baka laitin din sila netong MALU na to. karamihan dito may mga kamag anak na OFW baka di nya alam.
7. SALON DE MANILA, BASEMENT, FRANK PROVST, BRUNO’S
most of the crew here may kamag-anak din na OFW
8. FITNESS FIRST, GOLD’S GYM, ETC
oh my… kakawawain sya dito ng mga pumupunta sa gym, nabasa na kasi nila lahat ng blogs…
San kaya sya pwede pumunta, eh halos lahat ng pinoy sa pinas ay may kamag-anak at kakilalang OFWs….
(to be continued)
wooohoooo!!!
1st evidence of People Power in the Pinoy Blogosphere.
hanep! ang galeng galeng!
dabest!
Congrats to all Pinoy bloggers, all those who read the blogs and emails, and all those who just considered the issue as a serious manifestation of disloyalty to one’s own.
Mabuhay tayong lahat!!!!
it\’s not clear if she really apologized. she should say it orally
here\’s a blog entry that doubts her apology
http://jester-in-exile.blogspot.com/2007/08/look-malu-i-dont-believe-it-was-you.html
Hi Spanx. Blogger power + leki leki power = success!
In all probability the apology is real Noemi. An editor of People Asia has confirmed to me her resignation. She\’s been through a lot so she probably doesn\’t have the strength to come out orally and publicly with it, at the risk of being pelt with tomatoes.
good to know it’s for reals. Wow, she won’t be able to go out.
i read her apology, but i believe she’s not the only one to feel the cudgels of hostility. such reckless imprudence points back to command responsibility. who allowed the articles to come out?
That’s another food for thought there Joyce. We still haven’t read her previous articles…baka ganon talaga style niya?!
Now if only the blogosphere can do something about the corrupt politicians eh? Then that would be a day to celebrate. Just thinking out loud 🙂
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife2_april16_2007
That\’s really her style, namedropping, flaunting her favorite \”things\”that the common people cannot afford to buy.
The link above was already the intro to the controversial column that she wrote.
But the article was directed to all Filipino migrant workers who she taught has no right to wear perfume if the brand is Axe and those bought from a certain perfumery.
Thinking that the OFWS would not mind if she limits the insult to the DH, she wrote a part 2.
What\’s funny is that she is proud of her choice of Jo Malone when that is in the low-priced COLOGNE (not perfume) in the perfume section of MAcy\’s. Never heard nga eh.
Ajay, ok… post hoc, propter hoc. baka inaantok (o may sakit, o may emotional burden, etc.) yung editor niya nung binabasa yung articles, hindi napansin yung content nung sinulat niya at hinayaan na lang dahil one of the trusted writers naman siya…pwede, pwede hehehehe i’m just playing, you know how this argument will end 🙂
Dexie, politics is a lost cause I think, hehe, but who knows where the next battle will be waged?
Hahaha. Oo nga Cath sino ba yang Jo Malone, is that related to Jovan Malone? lolz.
Hi Joyce, yeah… “style nya bulok.”
Hei Ju,
It is really sad that an educated person like her would write things that are very unbecoming. Well, obviously, she does not really care about these nameless heroes who sacrifice a lot and who keeps the Philippine economy from falling apart completely.
Anyway, the good thing that came out of it is that Pinoys are not just taking things like this lightly anymore. We fight back.
Kumusta na lang sa mga friends and classmates that you get in contact with, okies???
Take care!
Can’t help feeling I am missing something here…..
wahahahaha!!!! panalo ang caption mo, Ajay! made my rainy mon(day)! 🙂
Well said AL. Am not in contact with our classmates. I guess like you, they can contact me here but they don’t, hahaaa
Yes Lawrence, sorry..maybe you should get a Filipina girlfriend and learn Tagalog 😛
Thanks for dropping by Taroogs…
Sometimes it’s really that simple, isn’t it? I feel a little stupid for not thinking of this myself/earlier, though.