From Boracay to Greece
(Editor note: Read for yourself what the hoopla is all about regarding Ms Malu Fernandez’ article which appeared recently in People Asia magazine.)
BY MALU FERNANDEZ – Summer comes and goes. Most of the time I am out if the country for work. But I’m stuck here, I ignore the heat and stay in a temperature-controlled room of 18 degrees – cold enough to make the windows sweat. This year I decided to go off tangent and pick places I have never been to before.
Much to my chagrin, I had never been to the beach. You see, I hate the sand, the bugs and the mosquitoes, but I figured it would be fun with everyone around. As we reached the villa I was spraying Baygon everywhere. I thought I had nearly killed myself with all the insect repellant and Lysol disinfectant I kept on spraying. I am so not into roughing it up. For me, the minimum requirement for traveling is a Holiday Inn.
A couple of days later saw us walking down to Station 2 where D’mall was and I was trying my best not to freak out as the beach was filled with algae, which were collecting on my Adidas all-terrain. (I refuse to wear Havaianas and scratch my pedicure.) Finally as we walked back , I was dazzled by a beautiful white structure, so white it glistened under the sun. This brilliant apparition was Discovery Shores, an oasis in the middle of the island. Not only do the staff headed by Jun Parreno make you feel at home, the food by chef David Pardo de Ayala is fabulous as well. And after seeing the whole poolside and the fabulous rooms done by Budgi Layug, I wanted to move there. But I was too ashamed to ditch my friends and forego the huge amount I already paid for my share of the villa. So I promised to go back another time in order to luxuriate in their fabulous surroundings.
Meanwhile, when all of this was going on, I was on the cell phone with my jet set buddy Ron Sato planning an impromptu trip. You see, Ron is my travel buddy who lives in Los Angeles, so between his schedule and mine, the logistics are a nightmare. The week of Easter, however, was open for both of us so I said: “Pick a country!” We decided on Greece and off we went. But getting there was a bloddy nightmare. To save on my ticket, I bravely took an economy class seat on Emirates as recommended by my travel agent. 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. Of course, everyone in economy class was yelled at for having overweight hand-carries. Mine was 17kg (ssshhhh!). That was all my makeup and accessories I would never risk losing if my luggage ended in the middle of the Sahara desert.
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.
After a nine-hour flight, I finally landed and made my way around Athens to the Ledra Marriott hotel, washed the plane off me and got a text from my other editor Gianna Maniego. She told me my weekly deadline was moved up due to the holidays. In a state of panic, I was about to have a major meltdown because I hadn’t slept for 48 hours, the Louis Vuittons under my eyes were enormous and all I wanted was a hot shower and a bed. At that point, I didn’t know where to go as there wasn’t enough time to plan a sight-seeing trip and take in the sights in order to meet my deadline so I decided to go off on a train and head to the Athens Mall.
As they say – when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. My buddy Ron and I were laughing so hard because we flew all the way to Greece to go to a mall and eat in Ruby Tuesdays (an American chain like Chili’s). After covering my deadline, we planned to soak in the sites for the next day and headed off to the Parthenon on top of the Acropolis, climbing every step in my gold, open-toed sandals. You see, I followed the weather report on CNN but apparently the forecast was wrong because it was still winter. So I bravely went about in a lightweight sweater and a throw, climbing the Acropolis and driving to the edge of the Aegean sea by the Temple of Poseidon.
After a whole day of sight seeing I decided I have had enough of the historical sites. I adamantly wanted to go to Santorini to see the Caldero houses but due to time constraints, we were unable to go. I guess God was watching out for us because the ferry we were supposed to take sank in the middle of the Aegean Sea. I could already see myself screaming “SAVE MY ACCESSORIES!!!!” And swimming with head above water so I don’t mess up my makeup… See, I told you I hate the beach! For the rest of the stay we ended up going around the shopping district in Monasteriki and the garment district in Ermou. Old habits indeed never die!
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. However, for the first time in my natural life I was elated to go back to the Philippines so I could go back to Discovery Shores in Boracay and sip a tropical drink under the fabulous hat I bought in Greece. There I was sending MMS pictures to my buddy Ron trying to entice him to come over, but I didn’t succeed. Instead, I got two other friends join me in sipping cocktails with a fabulous sunset and ocean view while planting my feet firmly on the bug-free cement flooring by the poolside of Discovery Shores.
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.
(Editor note: After netizens threw up their arms in protests with some of what she wrote in her articles about OFWs, the write wrote this reply)
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!
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August 18th, 2007 00:13
wow, the response was even more dimwitted! hahaha
August 18th, 2007 00:14
Oh my gosh…she was worried about losing all those accessories…why??? does she really need to work super duper hard to look the way she does??? tsk tsk…
maybe somebody needs to publish an article on what some OFW feel when they are seated beside someone like this person…and being stuck with her on a flight for nine hours. that would be a pretty funny article to read. just imagine all the wit and sarcasm one could put. so many metaphores, character references to mention…
hmmm…not a bad idea.
August 18th, 2007 00:14
This really gives Lifestyle writers a bad rap. I started off as a Lifestyle reporter and never in my wildest dreams would I ever say something as condescending as this. Nor would my editor or publisher tolerate it. First of all, Pilipino tayong lahat. Bakit ka mang-aapi ng kapwa mo? Secondly, you don’t have to flaunt your wealth to the world if you truly have it. Real wealth is not loud. Thirdly, your writing speaks so loudly of who you are, your values and what your heart is like, so one wonders about Malu F. Although newspaper columnists espouse individual opinions that are not reflective of the paper’s management, I think management needs to call the attention of their columnists when they write something that is in bad taste. Lastly, the response is clearly not an apology at all. It only even made her case way worse.
August 18th, 2007 01:27
This woman besides of being a pig is really insain. kelan kaya sya makipagkaraoke sa mga OFW para may dahilan na syay maupakan.
August 18th, 2007 02:05
Where in the world she got her points of view, nakuu, wag na wag kitang makakasakay sa plane at kahit aspile lang ang dala ko,..ayos na ayos yon sa yo.
August 18th, 2007 03:35
“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.”
I want to know what books she has read. I must be reading the wrong ones to not find the article “funny” as she claims. What the hell is the point in traveling thousands of miles just to shop and drink. Try Ebay.
How can you proudly write and publish an article that clearly shows the readers how shallow she is and how empty her life is. Is this the type of article that our children read today?
August 18th, 2007 03:44
Can someone get the contact email for the author.
She should stay away from the beach, they might think she’s a beached whale. The reason why she got all bruised up in the plane is… well, we see the pictures. (I wonder if they charged her for double seats) She needn’t worry about being chilly (again refer to the pic) Who is she kidding? I don’t care what she wears or how much make up she has on, she’d be just as ugly with any cultural standard.
Homegirl so fat with such a low self esteem that she feels the need to condescendingly talk about the OFWs so she can feel better about herself.
August 18th, 2007 04:10
I want to see what GMA has to say about this. Tingnan natin kung talagang Bayani ang turing ni Gloria at ng ibang namumuno sa kanila.
August 18th, 2007 05:49
Change the title of this article “From Kural to the Zoo”.
August 21st, 2007 11:43
[...] dikit mo ilong mo sa putik! from boracay to greece you b1atch! The Malu Fernandez Experiment From Boracay to Greece SUPILIN SI MALU FERNANDEZ NG MANILA STANDARD… Between the Writer and the [...]
August 21st, 2007 15:47
Balugang Sosyal
August 21st, 2007 18:53
WOW, where the hell did this Malu Fernandez go to school? Or did she just BUY her diploma after buying her LV purses and her accessories!!
NAKAKAHIYA KA!!!and HELL NO we don’t need a
b!tch like you in our industry.. Do you really think your articles will do any good for any of us? uumm that’s a NO sweetie!! if anything, you’ve insulted every single Filipino who works they’re fingers to the the bone just to provide fot their family!!
You SHOULD feel really LITTLE by now, although literally YOU”RE NOT..
it’s a small world, i just hope i won’t run in to you..
August 21st, 2007 18:59
OMG! Guys try to look at the writer, I would probably give justice to her if she looks like Daphne, Amanda or Angel former hosts of TV show “F”! Saying bad things against his fellow Filipino was worst much more to their chosen career. I think editors in her magazine and newspaper must ban her from publishing articles. She has no heart to people she considered with “lower-socioeconomic-background”. Having born with wealth doesn’t mean decrying those whom not blessed with. Please for the sake of OFW’s fired her.
August 21st, 2007 19:19
Anyway, whatever comments published against her are true and correct. She dont deserve to be a Filipino. Look who was talking me breeding ba siya.
August 21st, 2007 19:29
ako po eh isa ring OFW. hindi ko dapat itago ang pangalan ko o ang email add ko para makapagsalita ako ng di maganda sa gagong malu fernandez na yan.
ang kapal ng muka mo para magsulat sa article about OFW sa dubai. wla kang alam kung anong hirap ang nangyayari sa mga nilalait mo! baka magpalakihan tyo ng sweldo, dumugo lalo utak mo! buti na lng may make up ka at LV na iniingatan, kc kung wla yang mga lahat ng yan… ano pa itsura mo?? ang lakas naman ng loob mong laitin ang mga tao sa Duty Free… kagandahan ka ba?? and last na lng… kung anong baboy ang itsura mo… baboy din ugali mo! and wag mo ng ireason out kung ano mga pinagsasabi mo sa article mo… wla rin nman kwenta. pinapangit mo lng ang greece.
To all OFW: yang Malu Fernandez na yan… fwede vah! pasosyal na baboy… pasensya na kyo kc kya ganyan magsalita yan wla kcng pumatol, mukang baklang baboy… feeling maganda. pweh!!
ISA LNG MASASABI KO: MAS MAYAMAN KAMI SYO! HAHAHAHA
August 21st, 2007 19:36
Hoy! huwag na huwag mong mainsulto ang mga OFW, for your information, we are bringing dollars to our beloved country. At we dont smel like air freshener, anong akala mo sa amin tanga. Dubai is famous from expensive perfumes at baka ang ginagamit naming mga expensive perfumes eh hindi mo kayang ma afford, Sorry! i dont want to go down to your level but i need too. Hindi lahat ng nasa Dubai eh domestic helper at kahit na, you should admire those people naghihirap at maliit na kasiyahan sa loob ng eroplano eh big issue pa at ibinandera mo pa. Go ahead jan ka masaya
HIndi ka dapat maging editior, sino kaba?
August 22nd, 2007 02:50
To People Asia Magazine editors, you should be ashamed for publishing, hence tolerating, an article by one of your own, an article that is totally demeaning to about 95% of Filipinos who fall within the “socioeconomic level” that Fernandez alludes to, those who could not afford to jet set around the world at a whim; Filipinos who work hard to make a living, many of whom suffer because of politicians who plunder the people’s money. Fernandez should be ashamed and not gloat about the politicians in her family, for I will bet my toes and fingers that she manages these caprices by dipping her finger in the loots of his politician relatives.
Fernandez, I haven’t come across a person as shallow as you. You are pathetic if you feel hose in your socio economic circle will condone your tirades. You really sounded like a lunatic. I was cringing in disgust reading through your insane rantings. The true mark of wealth and good breeding clearly is lacking in you. I couldn’t agree with you more, when you say ” Although it may sound elitist…. this country is built on the foundation of haves, have-nots and wannabes.” And you are clearly a WANNABE. A Paris Hilton you are not, wake up! Perhaps you should try the prison cells too, and instead of feeling like a sardine, consider yourself a lechon (a roast pork, luau style, how’s that)
To the have-nots, you owe them a thank you, because it’s them you’re sucking the life from, for you to be able to “luxuriate” (as you say) in the pleasant things in life.
You are pathetic. Each sentence in your article drip of your low self-esteem. (you said so yourself, for why would you need 17 kgs of make up and accessories to hide behind with).
You also display your ignorance of “culture”. My family will be travelling to Europe this fall, to immerse ourselves in a wonderful culture and its history, but you, you make a mockery of what travel is all about. You are a disgrace to all Filipinos, the haves or the have nots. Th poor, honest hardworking person, has more values that you can ever have.
I don’t know how your parents raised you, but they must be feeling immense embarrassment from how you carry yourself today. If my daughters become even a fraction as applalling as you, I would feel myself a failure as a mother.
I have some advice for you. Live by them, maybe you can redeem yourself from this shame you buried yourself and your family under.
- Next time you go visit other countries, do not represent yourself as a Filipino, because you give us Filipinos a bad rap. it should not be hard for you, because you are just out of this world.
- Go out there and enjoy the summer heat. You will surely sweat abut not only will you feel how it is to be truly alive, you’ll also burn up the fats you hold so dear.
- If you’re going for the Brit wannabe drama, remember it’s “bloody” hell, not “bloddy” hell. You truly are hilarious, especially for thinking that you’ve earned the right to be this dissy.
- Stop pretending that you’re rolling in money, because if you were, then you wouldn’t have taken the Emirates in the first place for a measly savings, nor thought twice about your share of the villa expense. You are so full of it, you contradict yourself in so many levels. Your friends are right, you are truly hilarious. You make yourself the object of fun of a lot of people. Your friends are not laughing with you, they’re laughing at you.
- God is not a shallow being who watches over accessories. But if you ask for his forgiveness, I’m sure he will forgive you. Besides, the Aegean Sea didn’t swallow you perhaps because it is not ready for someone as hideous as you.
- Next time you think of slashing your wrist, go ahead, you’ll do Filipinos and mankind a favor.
Thanks for making my day. You remind me of how grateful I should be to be free of mental illness.
August 22nd, 2007 03:59
Wow thats hard stuff !!! talaban sana sya kahit balut na balot sya ng make up at taba.
August 22nd, 2007 04:50
to quote a friend of mine… “Can someone please tell her that there’s this line between ‘acerbic wit’ and ‘being a complete and utter f*ckwad’? Just so she’s aware.”
August 22nd, 2007 08:45
Good god. I’m no stranger to reading crap, but I believe I’ve hit the jackpot with this. I actually pity the people who spent their money to buy this issue.
It is also disturbing that you actually got paid to write this. There must be something very, very wrong with the world, when people like you get their stuff published–more so since this gem of an article is what you come up with.
August 22nd, 2007 09:18
Yeah, I agree. The country is built on haves, have nots, and wannabes.
For example, there are those who have an intellect and there are those who don’t. Then there are those who wannabe intellectual.
The author of this article clearly falls into the third category. Acerbic wit my hairy ass.
If you want funny, pinoy humor at it’s best, listen to Rex Navarette. He can make fun of the average pinoy without insulting them.
Lastly, I feel sorry for Malu. She probably grew up like a pampered spoiled little shit, her parents gave her everything except maybe an intellect and an education. Just so you know, I do have a well-to-do family but my parents educated me properly (no, its not about what school you went to for college) and taught me that we became well-to-do because of the lowly class CD and E people.
To Malu’s editor: You gotta fire the bitch. Trust me, it will be good for your magazine.
ps. Malu, get rid of all your makeup and cosmetics because nothing will hide the fact that you are fat, ugly bitch.
See reference picture at:
http://ederic.tinig.com/malu-fernandez/
August 22nd, 2007 09:21
While I was reading her article I was already rolling in my seat, laughing!(It did help that my friend forwarded it with the subject: Matapobreng Pangit). I come from a family of OFWs. My brother and sister fly for two airlines, my other brother is the generic Saudi boy who has then flown to Nigeria, Russia, Ecuatorial Guinea and is soon off to Peru. My husband and brother-in-law were consultants in Singapore and my other sister’s family is now based in Canada where they work. I come from an educated family and my brothers and sisters being OFWs have always been a source of pride not because they bring in dollars but because they are brave to step our of their comfort zones. My brother, a flight attendant based in Japan has utmost respect for Japayukis. Sabi nga niya, mas sigurado siya na orig ang LV nila kesa sa mga socialite dito, kasi bawal ang fake sa Japan. =) I know some of them really smell of inexpensive perfume or are insanely loud or maybe a bit crass. It should never really matter. I don’t really care that Malu F. is so fat and not pretty enough. But what really matters is how they treat and look at other people. =) That’s the real value of a person. Saludo ako sa mga OFW! And really, what that girl posted on top…these guys really earn big bucks! They earn more than local execs, these guys. All my nephews and nieces attend the best exclusive schools and hopefully will not grow up to be matapobreng pangits cause they know where the hard-earned money for their top education came from. The blood, sweat and tears of their OFW parents. Kaya kids ha…don’t grow up to be like Malu F. Ihahampas ko sa inyo yun mga Loewe at Goyard bags na hiningi niyo sa mga mommy at daddy niyo. And to our boys…you don’t want your dad’s zegna belts hitting your tush.
August 22nd, 2007 10:00
“I obviously write for the a certain target audience and if what I write offends you, just stop reading.”
Do you also fart in the middle of a flight? You writing that rubbish is quite similar. You did not write a personal letter but an article in a widely read publication.
As one other person stated earlier… BAKLANG BABOY! Please… If you’re going to fart (due to all of the food you ate to maintain those flabs), please do it where nobody can smell it but you.
Spare us from the side effects of your insecurity. It’s not our fault that you were born aesthetically challenged dear. Instead of travelling, why not invest your money on some gym equipment? It might help you boost your self esteem. This way, you won’t need to demean other so that you could feel good yourself.
To the bosses of this person, please do not allow an article like this to be published again. It is also your responsibility to screen what is to be printed.
Having lots of money from birth is good. But earning money on your own to support the people you love and help people around you is even better (this is what those OFW’s are doing). Why not use the money that you have to help others so that get a chance to improve?
You are full of crap maam. Once again, BAKLANG BABOY!!!!! Hahahahaha!
August 22nd, 2007 11:08
I can’t believe she actually gets paid for this drivel! To think she just badmouthed the Philippines and its people in a Philippine magazine promoting travel.
To whoever is paying this person to write for you: You’re getting ripped off. You’re getting ripped off so bad, discount coupons pity you.
I’d give the commenter “BAKLANG BABOY” her job. He\she does a stellar job in writing, in comparison.
August 22nd, 2007 11:28
I am a flight attendant and I have encountered a lot of passenger that are very snooty. What is puzzling is that the real ELITE passengers are the nicest people on board the plane. The passengers with the smallest LV bag they can afford and the basic Rolex watch is someone who should i be wary with because they treat us flight attendant like sh!t and complain about the people beside them. They would complain that their seatmate doesn’t smell good or snoring so they must be upgraded to Business Class.
I encountered a typical 50ish medyo sosyal Tita type complete with ther usual wannabee get up which is the big diamond zirconia on both her ears, a typical basic Rolex and the cute small Speedy LV, the uniform big white blouse and a pearl choker from Greenhills , Tiffany charm bracelet and the black leggings and of course a pair of comfy driving shoes, you get the picture right?
This lady sat on an aisle seat not assigned to her and made a scene when i told her to move to her own seat, she wouldn’t budge and told me that she always seat on that chair everytime she travels( like her chauffer driven Corolla). I asked her repeatedly to please move and she won’t budge. The flight was full so I decided to move the rightful aisle seat passenger to BUSINESS CLASS. The Tita almost jumped from her aisle seat and demanded that she be upgrade first because she is dressed for business class and my reply was…..” my airline does not reward rudeness with an upgrade”
mabuhay kayong mga OFW and as a flight attendant, I’ll make sure we will take care of you.
August 22nd, 2007 11:44
Oh my jolly-golly-gulay-gassshhhh…
Madam Malou is really socialite!!!
How i wish i had your buhay!
Then i’d be parang socialite na rin!
My super-wish ko lang is to super-fly sumday to Greece, and be super-freak there like rick james, and see a lot of Greeks, coz they’re soooo maganda, like Mama Mary!
and the guys there are so kisig, like Leandro Baldemor… you know him diba?
i think you know him, kasi you’re socialite and you know lahat ng cool pipols e.
Kwento me naman more about Bora…
Never pa ako naka-fly there e.
Is it like Matabungkay beach?
Kasi naka-dyip na ako papunta there e.
Alam mo… super saya!!! mejo ka-ka lang ng konti…kasi i was so very perspiration kasi poh ang init sa dyip! tumagilid talaga ang rexona ko!!! alam mo… i don’t like making para dyips and make-sakay there talaga…and i think the draybers are so dyologs pa e!!! pero no choice e… mahal kasi mag-cabs e…
Kakainggit ka, you saw an oasis na.
ako, i only see the pasig river… you know?
My peyborit hobby kasi is swimming there e.
But like you, I bring my Baygon there… hirap na ma-dengue e.
Alam mo, my pangarap is to marry a very rich white-man or white-womam or white-child(whatever… come what may… basta RICH!!!)… then i can be rich, and enjoy what you have!!! kasi my paniniwala, nagkaiba lang tayo sa isang bagay: may pera ka e. Everything else is same-same lang.
Teka… teka… teka… pero judging from your photo… mas hot pa ako sa iyo e!!! And so… lamang na ako if had mucha money like you!!!
When I marry and be rich… let’s have coffee sometime, ok? We can have kape barako somewhere like Starsbuck. We will really jive talaga. We can be B-F-F’s.
I can hardly wait!
LET’S BE SOSSSSSSY TOGETHER!!!
August 22nd, 2007 11:58
ay…teka lang ha. parang alam ko na baket ayaw niya sa beach. baket kayo ba gusto niyo siya makita naka-two piece?!?
lagot ka ke crewbunk…pag airline niya sinakyan mo ilalagay ka niyan sa loob ng banyo. tignan mo sino mas mabango sa inyo ng OFW. hehehe.
August 22nd, 2007 11:58
Please people, stop with the references to her being rich, fat and sosyal. Malu’s heaping serving of karma is not due to her looks nor her perceived place in society, but rather her lack of wit and good sense. I’ve met more than (malu its “than”, not “then”) my share of people from the same circle, and it seems that malu is the victim of pretention. Your friends lied to you sweetie – the article was far from witty. Believe me, I read it and I understood it. It was a poor attempt at humor that fell thunderously flat.
You give rich, fat and sosyal people a bad rep. The classy thing to do, and trust me on this, is simply to apologise. Hey, nobody’s perfect, not even you. Oh, and news flash, apologising is the right thing to do regardless of class or culture.
August 22nd, 2007 12:46
Airlines and travel agencies will never invite this woman again on any sponsored junket press trips abroad.
Ciao!!!
August 22nd, 2007 13:44
Acerbic? I’ve read acerbic and witty sarcasm from Jessica Zafra’s books. Now that woman, despite her rants about everything else (from herself to the rest of the world), is unquestionably smart. She’s also sidesplittingly funny. That is what a true writer does: make people laugh and see sarcasm even if readers don’t always agree with her.
This, however, is not exemplary writing. It’s a blatant display of idiocy. (I kept thinking, “Can this woman get any more shallow?”) Opinions like these are not rare, but at least a lot of people are smart enough to keep their traps shut. This woman is doing a disservice to both her country and her countrymen with such poisonous words. SHE.SHOULD.NOT.WRITE. Period. (Except maybe in a personal diary that no one else sees.)
I was thinking of writing about this, but she is not worth the web space that I’m paying for.
August 22nd, 2007 14:13
if i could just share. i remember bawling my eyes out in changi after a holiday with my fiance who I won’t be seeing in another 3 months. yes…be forewarned i was carrying my LV bag and was mistaken for an american by everyone in the airport.
i could not stop crying going into the terminal until a woman, who very much fits the type Malu Fernandez lambasted, approached me.asked “Ma’am are you Filipina?” I nodded, still crying. she put her hand on my back and said, “Ma’am tahan na. Me iniwan ka ba dito?” I nodded. She continued..”Mas mahirap ang iniiwan kesa iniiwan. Alam niyo po ikaw rin ang iniisip nun ngayon habang pauwi siya.Kami pabalik sa atin pero babalik na kami dito in two weeks para magtrabaho. Pag andito na ulit kami gabi-gabi na naman namin iiyakan mga pamilya namin na nasa Pilipinas pero wala kaming magagawa kasi wala silang kakainin.”
Then it hit me. This woman who does not even know me from eve. Took a risk, sat beside me and comforted me until we got on the plane just because I was in need of company and partly because I was also Filipina.
She was a domestic helper in Singapore and all I did wile i was there was shop and roam about. I was crying over not seeing my hunny who I’ll be talking to and emailing everyday and I’ll see whenever I have the time to just fly off and see him. And they have to be there, scrubbing someone else’s toilets, probably treated poorly by their bosses and not be able to see their families for a year or more.
when it was time to board the plane, i said thanks profusely to my new friend and as soon as i got on i realized just how much i do not deserve the business class seat i paid for while all the good ones, who are heroes to their families, are all cramped up in the economy class.
August 22nd, 2007 16:16
I want her to be exiled to Afghanistan or Iraq so that she could prove yet again that she has indeed an acerbic (mordant) reputation. How dare her ingratiate the workers who provisionally saved her own country out of distress and saved her full to bursting ass from eating mud and leeches. GRRRRR!!!!!
August 22nd, 2007 17:26
Para syang sumakay sa jeep tapos umangal na nahahanginan sya.
Kung kaya nyang pumunta nang greece dahil gusto lang nya, siguro naman kaya nyang sumakay sa airline na hindi sya mabuwibuwiset.
Ibig sabihin, naghanap lang sya nang malalait.
Yon, o kunwari lang na mayaman sya.
…”Wit” na pala ngayon ang manglait.
August 22nd, 2007 17:42
17 kg is 37.4 pounds of accessories and cosmetics she carried on her handcarry?
that’s make-up good for 20 people.
but i suppose she needs all that, right?
August 22nd, 2007 18:11
Mga taong tulad ng baklang baboy na’to dapat pinapakain nalang sa buwaya… Sana mabasa ng mga hardcore leftist yung sinulat niya… Sigurado, dead siya. Sana mabasa din niya ito and then slash her wrists (or front legs? oink eh) right after… For a better world for you and for me.
August 22nd, 2007 19:47
I don’t think any of these comments would actually have any effect on Malu Fernandez.
If anything, she’s probably reveling in the stir-up she’s causing because people of her caliber are amazing at self-delusion. From her perspective, her article is a refreshing respite from mundane life. People actually need to be insulted.
Ultimately, all the ranting and ill references to her face and figure are just convincing her that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with what she wrote–that we have to resort to targeting her physical flaws to get to her.
Personally though, I hope she never gets published again. My parents work abroad, and they’re struggling very hard to keep us afloat. The last thing they need is to be looked down upon by a pompous bigot like this.
August 22nd, 2007 21:26
Malu Fernandez’s article in discussion has clearly made a mark in the military community here in Italy. For her own sake, I hope she doesn’t go to any of the U.S. Air Force bases in the continental U.S. or overseas because her article is still being forwarded to Filipino military communities via e-mail.
Additionally, after bloggers lambasted her and her article “From Boracay to Greece” article, instead of apologizing, she then tried to justify her IDIOCY by writing a more moronic article titled, “Am I being a Diva? Or do you lack common sense? She calls herself a “DIVA.” I guess this woman (if I can call her a woman) doesn’t know the true meaning of a Diva (a usually glamorous and successful female performer or personality; especially: a popular female singer. She is definitely not glamorous nor a successful female performer or personality by any means (does anybody know her before her articles?) but obviously, she is definitely an IDIOT. Then she asked “do you lack common sense?” If she had any at all she wouldn’t have written what she has written. So now we’ve proven she isn’t a Diva and she is the one who lacks common sense. One thing I can say though, she did accept that she is a BITCH. This is the only thing she got right! HEY BITCH, you need to get a hold of Mel Gibson and learn one thing from him…APOLOGIZE!
Although, Malu MIGHT be stating SOME facts about the Philippines; however, she still doesn’t have the right to call anyone stupid. She is not only a racist but a stereotypical bitch. What she needs to do is leave the Philippines and find the convenient life she is looking for…GOOD LUCK! Maybe on a deserted island…it’s where she belongs and/or exiled!
MALU, YOU PROBABLY CONSIDER YOURSELF BOOK SMART BUT IT DOESN’T MEAN YOU ARE STREET SMART. This woman has definitely never been to the trenches so she if very uneducated when it comes to reality. Her experience in life is obviously limited to the “social” world…if that. Being in the U.S. military and having been all over the world (Kuwait, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan and here in Italy), I’ve met several OFWs and I highly respect and admire all of them for all the sacrifices they have done for their families and for OUR COUNTRY…PHILIPPINES whether they’re nurses, domestic helps, teachers, even the ones who work at bars in Korea and Japan. These are the same people who send money back home. Malu, guess where the money goes? It definitely doesn’t get buried in the ground. OFWs play a vital role in the Philippine economy but most importantly, several countries to include the U.S. depend on OFWs especially nurses, teachers and nannies because not only OFWs are hardworking but English speakers.
I hope one day Malu will wake up and look at herself in the mirror and ask herself what she can do for her country and countrymen/woman instead of being so pre-occupied about her make-up, accessories and her social standing. She needs to look within herself first, make a self-assessment/evaluation and she’ll discover that it’s her that is stupid and do not have common sense. She definitely have serious self-esteem problems because she is ugly inside and out so she projects her problems towards other people who SHE ALONE thinks are lower than her socially, monetarily, and intelligently.
I can’t wait to retire in 3 years and go back to the Philippines and I hope I won’t run into you…MALU FERNANDEZ!
August 22nd, 2007 22:19
Seriously. This woman’s ability for self-delusion is amazing enough to land a spot in the Guinness World Book of Records.
To the editors of whatever publication Malu Fernandez is working for:
There are so many other, BETTER writers out there who deserve her job more than she ever will. Please do the right thing and give the spot to someone who actually has talent and REAL WIT.
Thank you.
August 23rd, 2007 11:04
Wit, no. Dimwit, yes.
And God has far more important things to deal with than her accessories.
August 23rd, 2007 13:41
gosh!!! this article is so stupid!!!
August 23rd, 2007 13:48
ang mga writer na gaya niya ay dapat ibasura..MALU FERNANDEZ!!!eat ure accesories!!go to hell…u dk deserve to live..better slit ure risk and die… the hell with you!!! //_+
August 23rd, 2007 15:09
This creature probably thought that the way to make her article more interesting (since without the OFW quips it was like a cut and paste of words/phrases from googled information) is by belittling people who make honest money through sacrifice and hardwork.
Obviously, there was also a lack of foresight as to the potential risks of coming out with such an article. Either it completely escaped her mind that a lot of Filipinos would either have OFW relatives or friends and they will feel slighted one way or the other with her claimed ‘acerbic wit” or she completely didn’t give a pig’s ass about it.
I work in the communications industry and I can fully relate to her statement “I write for a specific target audience” – in our line of work, the target audience psychographic is a very important factor in promoting a certain brand. Obviously, not everyone will find the same brand/product appealing. HOWEVER, although we develop communications intended for a ‘specific target audience”, we are always careful NOT TO ALIENATE people outside of our target as they can be potential hits and may even be potential customers later on.
I could have passed off her writing as a feeble attempt to be perceived as classy and well-traveled for reasons most of the good people in this blog have written in various colorful ways. I have met a lot of her kind (people you can’t stand conversing with for more than 30 mins) but she’s one sorry excuse for a human being. Her response was something else. I wonder if she ever heard of the line “if you have nothing nice to say, shut up”? If she was so unwilling to apologize, she should have kept quiet.
It is unbelievable how people like this creature can so easily demean others just because they have been lucky to be better off than most. I wonder how she treats her household help, the driver, the office janitors or simply anyone she thinks is below her pay grade.
There are some piercing comments here. Normally, I’d feel bad for the recipient of such remarks. This time, all I want to say is serves her right. Karma works!
August 23rd, 2007 15:21
Mukhang BABOY talaga si Malu Fernandez kasi binaboy niya tayong mga OFW. Huwag sanang mag-krus ang aming landas kasi baka mawala ako sa katinuan eh mawala naman siya sa kamunduhan
August 23rd, 2007 15:31
well what have we here…
yeah, i’d have to agree with what was posted above: nobody knew who she was before she started ranting in public. like here is a random (and i suppose moneyed) girl talking about the finer things in life. all the while being rude and uncouth. talk about irony. and no, i don’t think she crafted the article to show irony; it was pure carelessness on her part.
there are a lot of things that i want to say regarding the garbage she had published but to her credit, i learned one thing from her – it’s that the classy or the well-bred (or decent, at the very minimum) choose what to say.
the worst part is that this malu-whoever is probably enjoying all the attention.
pfft.
August 23rd, 2007 15:51
last hirit:
i’m not saying this as a writer or as a student of creative writing. i am simply stating this as an objective reader.
but her writing sucks. i should get paid for wasting time in reading such crap. she said that her article was directed towards a specific audience, but man, every kind of reader would certainly look for substance. i mean after two pages, i couldn’t even begin to figure out what she wanted to say.
so malu: i strongly suggest that you keep your dayjob, whatever it is. or that you don’t finish off that trust fund. you have no future in writing.
but if you insist on writing, start a blog and keep your settings to private. stop wasting our time. not to mention the natural resources sacrificed just to produce two useless pages.
pfft.
August 23rd, 2007 16:15
Pigs have no business talking about humans. Somebody should tell her this.
August 23rd, 2007 18:59
She has issued an apology! By the looks of it though, it appears to have been written for her – there are no any mis-spellings nor are there grammatical errors….
Statement from Malu Fernandez on the OFW Controversy
I am humbled by the vehement and heated response provoked by my article entitled ‘From Boracay to Greece!’ which came out in the June 2007 issue of People Asia. To say that this article was not meant to malign, hurt or express prejudice against the OFWs now sounds hollow after reading through all the blogs from Filipinos all over the world. I am deeply apologetic for my insensitivity and the offensive manner in which this article was written, I hear you all and I am properly rebuked. It was truly not my intention to malign hurt or express prejudice against OFWs.
As the recent recipient and target of death threats, hate blogs, and deeply personal insults, I now truly understand the insidiousness of discrimination and prejudice disguised as humor. Our society is bound together by human chains of kindness and decency. I have failed to observe this and I am now reaping the consequences of my actions. It is my fervent hope that the lessons that Ive learned are not lost on all those who through anonymous blogs, engaged in bigotry, discrimination, and hatred ( against overweight individuals , for example )
I take full responsibility for my actions and my friends and family have nothing to do with this. To date I have submitted my resignation letters to both the Manila Standard and People Asia, on that note may this matter be laid to rest.
August 23rd, 2007 20:01
hahaha.. too bad for her… imagine, kailangan pa syang manlait ng ibang tao (who in the first place has no business with her) just to be in the headlines… how pathetic…
…and about the beach trip.. probably she hates beach because she might melt in the heat of the sun… lol..
one thing more… linagay na lang sna nya sarili nya sa maleta nya, so that she wount be able to smell “the air freshener smell in the plane” hahaha…
August 24th, 2007 01:02
ang yabang! Mapadalhan nga ito ng sampung balikbayan box na axe cologne at maregaluhan ng 10 year supply ng darak at feeds.
hindi ko makakalimutan ang pangalan na yan at kung pano nya nilalait tayong mga OFW.
August 24th, 2007 07:19
[...] statements spread like wildfire on the Internet and earned the ire of communities of Filipino workers abroad, especially in the Middle [...]
August 24th, 2007 10:39
ang taba mo baboy!
August 24th, 2007 10:40
haha kaya pala hindi mag kaysa sa plane, tabachoy! baboy! oink oink!
August 24th, 2007 11:18
Huy wag kayong ganyan, maawa naman kayo.. ang taba taba na nga ng tao eh…
She’s of ‘lower socio-physical standards’ so she has to compensate by being an intellectual elitist. God is fair.
hehehe :)
August 24th, 2007 11:37
I agree with solo. Someone could have been behind the latest apology since it has taken a different phrasing and tone.
As to the “…anonymous blogs, engaged in bigotry, discrimination, and hatred ( against overweight individuals , for example )”… i suppose the comments related to “overweight individuals” were not meant to be a generalization. This was in direct reference to her. People who are deeply angered will have that first instinct to hit where it will hurt the most.
You get what you give, is what I always say. One way or another.
Congratulations for having the enlightenment to resign. At least you did one decent thing. And it is my ‘fervent hope” that this begins for you a real self introspection.
This is the first time I have actually followed a blog and actually posted a comment. With this woman’s most recent apology and resignation, I feel better.
To the OFs, and to all Pinoys who put food on their family’s table through hard-earned money – Mabuhay tayong lahat!
And next time you happen to be at the airport going wherever and you see any Kababayans (leaving the country for the first time) struggling to understand how to fill out those immigration slips, it will not hurt to volunteer help. Believe me, it feels damn good to do so.
August 24th, 2007 12:04
classic case of foot and mouth disease
August 24th, 2007 13:33
I read Malu Fernandez’s article and being an OFW, I honestly wasn’t affected by her “elitist” way of describing her trip to Greece in her article. But what pissed me off was her arrogant and sarcastic response to the violent reactions of the readers who felt offended by her article. Her response sounded like a “supposedly educated and elitist” Fernandez belittling the readers’ feelings and comprehension.
Paano hindi sya ma-trap like a sardine in a plane, eh ang laki-laki nya…Pasosyal na hindi naman mukhang sosyal…Pretending to be someone she’s not….
August 24th, 2007 13:34
OFW ang tatay ko. Isinasakripisyo niyang mawalay sa amin ng ilang taon para lang makapagbigay ng maayos na buhay. Marangal ang trabaho niya, hindi ko ito ikinahihiya bagkus ipinagmamalaki ko ito. Hindi tama na bastusin ng mga pahayag ni Malu ang aming ikinabubuhay.
Nakakataba ng puso na napakaraming tao na hindi katulad ni Malu F. Salamat sa maraming tao na nagtatanggol sa mga OFWs.
August 24th, 2007 14:14
Tsk Tsk…Malu. You are a shame to the brands you use.
You are a disgrace to journalism, to the Filipino and to the universal law of goodness.
August 24th, 2007 15:06
You’re one sorry a$$ biatch!! where do you think you’re gonna go now? cuz you know what? Every place you could possibly think of there will be filipino’s who will have NO sympathy for you AT ALL!!
You should be digging your hole now and stay there for the rest of your life!! as a matter of fact, take ALL of your kind with you cuz we don’t need ya’ll!!
a week ago i had the word PINAY tattooed on my left ankle.. that’s how PROUD i am to be a Filipino… and YOU on the other hand, you’re just an UNGRATEFUL BIATCH!!!
August 24th, 2007 15:23
I have to say that your post is a BIG disappointment. You should be embarrassed at what you have written. The comments left by most of your blog readers are glaring proofs of your lack of taste, sensibility and writing skills.
After going through your articles, I think I have a clear picture of your personality. The way you brag about your “well-offness” and how you look at little people makes me puke. I feel bad that Manila Standards and Other magazines spare a column for your BS and arrogance.
If you’re writting for a lifestyle section of magazines, I hope you do something about your lifestyle too. You’re too FAT to write about lifestyle when you don’t have the discipline to stay fit.
There you have it. I feel better now!
August 24th, 2007 15:41
Sa sobrang galit ko hindi ko mapigilang mag-blog tungkol sa elitistang ito.
Paki basa na lang po:
http://joalcabrera.multiply.com/journal/item/23
Here’s an excerpt:
Are people around you lacking in common sense?
Nope.
Common sense dictates that you should never ever insult the one part of society that everybody holds in high regard.
Common sense dictates that when you see an OFW, you should pat them on the back and tell them how brave and noble they are.
Common knowledge reveals that AXE cologne, when worn by an OFW, smells better than any expensive crap you are wearing.
Common knowledge also reveals that expensive crap worn by you becomes cheap crap.
August 25th, 2007 00:15
OFW vs OFWs = Over Feeling Writer vs Over Frustrated Workers
RESPONSE OF OFWs AFTER READING THE ARTICLE:
1. BOARing! — Inday
2. Let’s compare PIGGY banks, wanna dare? — Lydia
3. Naka ‘Bench’ cologne po ako lagi…kasi mura na, mas mabango pa. Ang baho kasi dito eh. — Guma
4. She wants to slash her wrists? Ako, I wanna stab her with my pen! — Neneng
5. Huy, say no to violence, don’t stab her! Just tie her wrist and give her an apple. Gusto ko yung crispy ha! — Mila
5. Malu is in…the boat is sinking! the boat is sinking! — Capt. Andoy
6. Wow! cleavage…pede na yan! — Celybate
7. Talented! With acerbic smell…este acerbic wit pala! More Jo Malone nga! — Mang Charlie
8. Economy class stewardess to Malu: For the nth time, passenger seat no. B10, kindly fasten your seatbelt, fit or cannot fit.
9. Effective! Dami napikon…isa na ko dun :) — dubaigirl
10. Gosh, bruises on her leg…cebo de macho lang katapat nyan! — Alice Galis
11. This is your Capt. Ligo speaking, kindly bear with us. Our flight has a 555 sardines-situation right now, a certain Malu is occupying 3 seats. We can’t wake her up, she just popped the magic dragon.
12. Malu’s private hell > Ihaw-ihaw — Mr. Andok Baliwag
WINNERS OF THE ‘PICK A COUNTRY CONTEST’
1. Ms. Malu.ka Luka won trip to Africa – (don’t let the bed bugs bite you!)
2. Mrs. Malu.wang Tornilyo – Iraq – (you’re safe, naka bullet vest ka na diba with belt bag pa!)
3. Ms. Malu.syang – Hawaii (beachtime! you won’t get drowned, you have salbabida)
4. Ms. Malu.tong – New York (don’t forget the big apple!)
NEW JOB OFFER FOR MALU: Lifestyle writer for ‘Manila High Standard’ and ‘Class-A People Asia’
***This is just for fun***
August 25th, 2007 06:32
[...] from boracay to greece and then straight to reality hell i do not know what is wrong with her. [...]
August 25th, 2007 07:32
I support all OFW, I started to work as OFW in Oman since 1985 and now still consider myself as OFW in the US. Mabuti na lang di american citizen si malou kundi ikahihiya na siyay pilipino. OK na sa kanya ang BABOY CITIZEN sorry para matauhan ka naman di ba sweetheart?
August 25th, 2007 12:33
she not even pretty?..in fact she’s not even attractive..she’s fat for crying out loud..hehe
——–
at any rate …i have my share of discrimation even at this level of medical profession..but i can take it squarely from a white guy in a white world..but from a brownie like me..?…that’s another story.
obviously her target audiences are ignorant and lack the virtue of sentimentality…even an dash of humility and sympathy.
————————-
i could be a domestic helper and not a doctor..and still i would look and feel more dignified than her..and her so called target audience.
—————–
__________________
†Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam†
August 25th, 2007 12:37
tsura mong yan…
kaya ka pala nagrereklamong masikip ang mga airline seats…kasi hindi ka kasya noh!
paano mo nadala ang 17 kgs.of hand carry bag mo at naipasok sa eroplano. Kung sabagay, sa laki mong yan, kahit isang sakong bigas ay makakaya mong pasanin.
at sana sa susunod mong paglalakbay, please behave like one.
August 25th, 2007 13:29
She left an obvious question at the end about the kind of person that she really is…someone lacking common sense is more fitting than claiming to be a diva…the latter not essentially insensitive about the others feelings. She doesn’t realize that mediocrity and boredom, both have relative meanings and is not attributed to whether you belong to the ‘haves’ and ‘not haves’ of the filipino society. there are people who earn only 100 pesos a day and dine on tuyo, sardines, kangkong and rice everyday but are very contented and happy about what they ‘have’ for the day and not thinking about what they ‘not have’…and they sleep even better at night than Malu Fernandez kahit sa papag lang sila natutulog.
August 25th, 2007 14:18
Is she a self made queen? Sitting on her ivory tower and think she is above everybody else?
Now the tower has crumpled and i hope she will
disappear forever.It would also helps if she will learn her manners.
August 25th, 2007 14:43
Malou,
Do you remember me…klasmate mo sa UST advertising section 3. Now I’m based in Bahrain…Graphic designer ngayon ng SONY, BOSE, Swatch etc….Your comment about us OFW was totally uncalled for!!!!! MAGKANO BA YANG PINAG MAMALAKI MONG PABANGO MO NA SINASABI MONG NAUBOS UNG AMOY!!! GOLLY GIRL!!!! THAT WAS EXTREMELLY RUDE OF YOU!!!! ALAM MO BANG KAMI ANG BUMUBUHAY SA ECONOMIYA NG BANSA MONG TINUTULUYAN….KUNG WALA KANG MASABING MABUTI E JUST SHUT UR MOUTH!…NAKAKA HIYA KA SA BUONG BATCH!!!!!…MAGKANO UNG PINAGMAMALAKI MONG PABANGO???????!!!!!!!!!
August 25th, 2007 14:46
NGA PALA…MAY FREE TICKETS AKO PARA SA IYO…
- IRAQ
- AFGHANISTAN
- PAKISTAN
- SOMALIA
TAKE YOUR PICK….
August 25th, 2007 15:53
Those louis vuiton,gold pointed sandals expensive perfumes are you really earning that much money as a journalist? or are you a tax dodger and dipping your hands into something else?
Three mistakes you made on that trip First- you did not bought a mirror -and a big one at that too-that way you would have seen who the real problem in that trip. Second- when you pop those sleeping tablets you should have swallowed one ton that way you will be.
sleeping forever and Third why didn`t you slashed your wrist? (i am sure there are plenty of volunteers on the plane if you can`t do it yourself.
My writing is bad but you as a journalist? is pathetic to say the least.
August 25th, 2007 19:07
Hey Malu,
KUNG WALA KANG MAGAWA SA SARILI MO MAGTAGO KA NA HAHABULIN KA NANG MGA TAONG SINASABING MONG NANGANGAMOY PARA ILITSON KA. JOURNALIST KA? GANYAN NA PALA ANG JOURNALIST NGAYON NANGLALAIT SA MGA TAON NAKATULONG SA EKONOMIYA NG BANSA. ANONG KLASENG JOURNALIST KA NAMAN. TSISMIS LANG YATA ANG ALAM MO. KAHIT ANONG GAGAWIN MO SUSUNDAN KA NG MGA TAONG NILALAIT MO. BABOY NA JOURNALIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 25th, 2007 19:12
MALU
MAY NALIMUTAN PAPALA AKO. ANONG SABI MO DIVA?
HINDI KA NANDIRI SA SINASABI MO? ANG TAWAG KO SA YO DIVALAKANG NG BABOY. SA TABA MONG YAN MADALI KANG MAWALA SA LUPA. AATAKIHIN KA NG HIGH BLOOD SA KATATAGO MO NGAYON. NAKU! SAAN KAYA ANG BAHAY MO NO? DANGER!
August 25th, 2007 23:57
Malou,
Journalist ka pa naman, you should have weighed down your thoughts prior to putting them in print. Kung sa bagay ala “blog” and style. Huwag mo naman e-downgrade ang mga pinoy. Maybe you haven’t been to “all” places in the world-I understand you. Here in Switzerland, the Pinoys are respected. So if you come here with your article and attitude towards Filipinos you might end up in Champ Dollon.
August 26th, 2007 00:05
Huwag ka na mag-elitist. Saan ka ba nag-aral? I abhor your English. So you think you are hilarious and witty? to yourself? Come on kid. Would you like to juxtapose your journalistic background to the sentences of the article and the other articles you have done? Even after your resignation the wrath of the OFWs will haunt YOU. P.S. don’t forget 10 billion U.S. dollars of OFWs are in the Philippines at any given time; the amount fuels our economy.
August 26th, 2007 00:08
If she’s part of the “haves” why then did she have to lower her image to that of a WANNABE? She wrote this piece without a smidgen of elegance nor sophistication–the only way a “haves” person COULD have. It was written the way a thirteen year old would.
Maybe her friends were laughing AT her, not with her, because that is definitely how I found this article hilarious. Poor woman.
I am neither insulted nor delighted about what I just read, I am merely pointing out how ridiculous she made herself sound–as if she’s making herself sound like a defective Paris Hilton clone WHICH CLEARLY SHE IS NOT. Clearly, there’s a good reason why she didn’t fit well in that economy class seat. At least Paris is smart enough NOT to write.
It’s good entertainment though–absolutely airy–THAT is what she writes for, right? Although it would be much more intellectually pleasant if she wrote with a little more substance and sincerity.
I think I actually burnt brain cells while reading it. :)
August 26th, 2007 01:40
Malu,
You see how MY KABABAYANS reacted on your column? AMBASTOS MO KASI hehehe.
Alam mo ba dahil sa amin na mga OFW ay naiaangat ang economy ng bansa NAMIN?
August 26th, 2007 10:01
Who does she think she is? She is such an arrogant but stinky pig.
August 26th, 2007 10:15
Philippines would be better off if people like Malou Fernandez are hanged upside down in town squares. Hindi sana mahirap ang Pilipinas kung hindi hinuthot ng mga katulad nitong si Fernandez ang yaman ng bansa. They come in various forms: politicians, (monkey) business people, etc. They plunder the country and they trample down on less fortunate Filipinos. Grrr!
August 26th, 2007 14:30
ANG KAPAL NG MUKHA MO MALU, PA LV KAPA TAPOS DI KA MAKABILI NG FIRST CLASS TIKET, BAKIT KA NAGTIPID AT KUNG MANLAIT KA KALA MO KASING GANDA KA NI MAHAL, EH SI MURA MAS OK PARIN, AT 17 KILOS MAKE UP LANG, ABA SOBRANG PANGIT MO NGA DAY HOY WAG MO NGANG GAMITIN ANG PANGALAN NG DIYOS, KAYA KA NGA SIGURO NILAGAY NG DIYOS DUON PARAMALAMAN MO KUNG ANO KLASENG TAO KA, IMPOKRITA, ANG MGA OFW NA MINAMALIIT MO AY BAYANI NG PILIPINAS, IKAW NGA MALAYO SA PAMILYA MO AT MAG UWI NG DOLYARES…. ALAM MO KUNG TUNAY YANG LV MO HINDI MO IPAG IINGAY DAHIL MATATAKOT KANG MANAKAW, KASO SA DIVISORIA MO LANG BINILI YAN, AT ISA PA PARANG SINASABI MO NA MAHINA UTAK NG PINOY PARA SABIHING MONG ITIGIL ANG PAG BABASA KUNG HINDI MA GETS NA FUNNY ANG SINULAT MO, PUT..IN.. MO KAKATAWA BA ANG LAITIN MO ANG KAPWA NATIN… OO HINDI AKO OFW PERO MAY MGA KAMAGANAK AT KAIBIGAN AKO AT YANG ILONG MO HINDI MARUNONG UMAMOY NG MAMAHALING PABANGO PALIBHASA NAKIKIAMOT KALANG SA PABANGO NG MGA HOTEL NA PINUPUNTAHAN MO….HAYOP KA TALAGA BRUTAL KA, BABOY ANG PAGKATAO MO , BUHAY KAPA SINUSUNOG NS KALULUWA MO SA IMPYIERNO…. HAYOP KA!
August 26th, 2007 16:46
RD2MMS NEWS ALERT! 25 August 2007
Ligtas na sa Foot & Mouth Disease and Hog Cholera ang buong Pilipinas! Ngunit isang baboy na lang ang nagtataglay ng mga nasabing sakit, plus many more (like gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes and AIDS). At iyan ay walang iba kundi ang baboy na nagkatawang-tao na si kolumnistang Malou Fernandez. Tunay na ANTI-OFW ang kanyang mga naisulat kamakailan (as seen on TV Patrol World) bago siya pinatalsik ng pamunuan ng Manila Standard Today. So alam n’yo na kung anong gagawin ninyo pag namataan ninyo ang tabatsoy na ito. Isama dapat sa mahabang listahan ng extra-judicial killings.
(sorry for the written retaliation, for my dad is also a long-time OFW, and I’m joining the entire Filipino nation in this offensive. Read the following for details:)
http://www.quezon.ph/?p=1473
http://selvo.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/mahaderang-matapobre-sa-ofws
http://tesstermulo.com/2007/08/18/show-malu-fernandez-what-wit-is-be-intellectually-mean
August 26th, 2007 23:26
my gosh……kailangan mo mag fitrum…..eh kaya lang baka di umubra…hoy…papayat ka muna..teka. i dont think she’s filipina….baka galing yan sa ocean..haha..balyena….oops..sorry….shame shame shame on you….multuhin ka sana ni jose rizal…
August 26th, 2007 23:29
oh dont mind her..she’s a human trapped in a filipino suit with whale blood….hoooong wunnggg…or worse….she’s an alien…
August 26th, 2007 23:32
Oh my God. This has become a mob. Whatever happened to the concept of forgiveness?
August 27th, 2007 13:13
This piece reminds me of the Shopaholic series. You know, the book? haha
Maybe she’s trying to emulate the character there and Paris Hilton.
Do try harder. :)
August 27th, 2007 18:08
” LIFE IS NOT WHAT YOU FIND IT IS WHAT YOU CREATE MALOU”
AND THE CLEVERNESS OF A CERTAIN PERSON CANNOT BE MEASURE BY MEANS OF WRITING AN ARTICLE… I KNOW YOUR WHOLE CLAN AS IN ALL YOUR AMIGAS AND SOCIALITE CIRCLE OF SAZZY PRETENDING THAT THEY’RE BELONG TO FRIST FAMILY EVENTHOUGH THE’RE NOT…I KNOW YOU HEALTH HISTORY AS WELL SO BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU WRITE SOMETHING…AT ALAM KO RIN KUNG SAN KA NAGSHA SHOPPING, PIECE OF ADVICE GROW-UP…
August 27th, 2007 19:22
nandito pala ang Lelechonin..nyahahahhaha!!hinahanap ka na ni Mila’s Lechon..nandito ka lang pala!!!Bwhahahahahahha!!!!!
uy Malu baluba…before ka mag insult ng ibang tao..tingnan mo muna ang sarili mo sa salamin…BABOY!!
if u really rich..bakit nasa economy ka ha!!??
August 27th, 2007 21:42
maiko, her weight has nothing to do with the issue. Stick with what she wrote and not what she looks like.
August 27th, 2007 22:32
Fellow OFWs and kababayans
Let’s stop this blog campaign. What this person has done is despicable and hurtful. But we are giving her too much attention and who knows, once the world media gets hold of the “controversy” she has started she will end up being paid the big bucks for being infamous. Look at S. Rushdie and the jihad against him which has propelled him to the top of the best seller list. This Malou person could even end up writing a book about this. We never know, this could all be a plot by her to stay in the spotlight. She’s already claiming to have received death threats. Stop making her famous is going to be my campaign. What she needs is to be rendered OBSCURE for life.
August 27th, 2007 23:13
I think her weight is a relevant point.
August 27th, 2007 23:51
I DON’T think her weight is a relevant point.
August 28th, 2007 12:16
If some of the contents of her article was just as what she claims as “hilarious” according to her friends, she’s right! But it should not have been published!
A lot of OFW’s are tanga that’s why we read almost anything we come accross “kase gusto namin matuto!! Too bad this material which to some people as she claims is “hilarious”gave a different meaning to us.
Ayaw na namin pumunta sa iba’t ibang bansa, baka ganun din ang maging epekto sa amin!
So sad she had to resign.Di bale di naman sya magugutom di ba?Rich sila remember?
Tama si VivG, kalimutan na natin sya!
August 28th, 2007 18:39
[...] Pinay” Award goes not to Imelda Marcos or Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but to Manila society columnist Malu Fernandez. This dubious honor was attained by Ms. Fernandez with just one article which appeared in her [...]
August 28th, 2007 19:38
…..how could she say such words to the filipinoes knowing that she,herself is one of them.does she even bother to know what most of the filipinos specially the ofw’s would have feel after that she have wrote the article about them.you should have think about what you are going to say before you published such thing.you did not think about the consequeces that it can bring to you or to the other filipinos.You should have known how you should respect others so that the people would do the same unto you.Didn’t it bother you what you can feel if it was you who is being talked about just like that..
August 28th, 2007 23:15
ang te-arts naman…wala eto..tae to..
August 29th, 2007 11:26
Stop giving her ideas. Baka biglang pumasok sa showbiz yan, worse, pulitika!
August 29th, 2007 11:36
TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS By Babe Romualdez
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
As publisher of People Asia magazine, I had hoped I would not need to make any further comment about our former contributing columnist Malu Fernandez. Because of the “violent” reactions from people concerning the issue – perhaps it is better for me to put the entire issue into the right context. The column which came out in the June issue of the magazine talked about her experience in Boracay and her trip to Greece in a sardonic manner characteristic of Malu Fernandez.
Reactions (via text and email) were sent in by readers, two of which were selected and consequently printed in the August issue of the magazine, along with a note from the editors saying that while they may not agree with what Malu Fernandez had written, they recognize her right to say it. There is a fine print in the magazine’s staff box stating that the opinions and views expressed by writers are their own and not necessarily endorsed by the editors and the management.
The matter would have been settled with the magazine’s publication of those reactions. But unfortunately, Ms. Fernandez wrote a follow-up regarding the issue as well as her response to those who expressed disagreement with the said column in another publication – making it worse since it was written in an arrogant and condescending manner. Even I, together with some readers, felt that she made a mockery of those who did not share or understand her “acerbic” wit and humor.
Right there and then, it was collectively decided by Stargate president Kevin Belmonte, editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez and myself that it was time to give Malu Fernandez the axe. But perhaps Ms. Fernandez knew what was coming because she submitted her voluntary resignation and beat us to the punch, so to speak. It was that follow up in another publication which started the conflagration, followed up with a lot of reactions especially when TV Patrol came up with a report on the issue last week.
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.
One thing we want to make perfectly clear is that the magazine should not be defined by who Malu Fernandez is, or be judged according to what she wrote in that controversial column, because we and the staff of People Asia recognize and hail the contributions and sacrifices that overseas Filipino workers have made – and continue to make – for their families, for their loved ones, for this country. As a matter of fact, the OFWs were the first to become “People of the Year” awardees when the magazine first launched the award in 2004, precisely because we admire and recognize the tenacity, the industry, the talent, the skill and most of all – the contribution of OFWs to the economy.
Not that we are trying to build ourselves up, but we have been one of those who, since day one, have consistently expressed support and recognition for Filipinos working abroad – from the time the late Labor Secretary Blas Ople launched the overseas workers employment program in the late ’70s to help the economy which was then reeling because of the oil crisis.
There are close to 10 million OFWs deployed all over the world – and whether they work as domestic helpers, nurses, engineers, caregivers, doctors or teachers – there is no doubt they are people who deserve to be looked up to, and are certainly worthy of the admiration and support of each and every Filipino.
August 29th, 2007 14:40
hehehehehe they’ve said it all …
im a traveler and that column does not speak very well about traveling.
goodluck for her she needs it hehehehehe
pathetic!
August 29th, 2007 14:51
miss malu’s article is truly hurtful to our OFWs whom we consider heroes of our country…but she have a point of writing her own insights / thoughts in her travel abroad. she just had forgotten that many people will be hurt with her article and that many reactions will be thrown to her. yes, she’s just realistic BUT she should have realized that it is better to shut up saying nothing than talking with sense (as she would say) but hurting alot of people.
August 29th, 2007 14:55
malu, if you dont want to be trapped with cheap perfumed passengers…just buy your own airplane!!! agree?
August 30th, 2007 00:22
The reason why the seats seemed small is because Malu Fernandez is a little bit on the chubby side. Poor girl. She has no clue on how to be human. She’s simply the lowest form of a sow…….Let her wallow in her own filthy sweet smelling mud.
August 30th, 2007 01:13
Nag-resign daw! If i Know na-TERMINATE sya. She got FIRED coz the paper can’t take the heat.
BMALU FERNANDEZ – ang BABOY mo talaga! pa-sosyal sosyal kapa dyan! pweh…
August 30th, 2007 02:39
I have never written any blogs. But this article made me write one. Im not quite sure if she can be distinguished as a journalist. Doesnt look like she’s one. Not even near in the context of being a journalist. A colleague just sent the article and i said ” who is Malu Fernandez anyway? I should say that all of the bloggers here have far more wit than her.It is absolutely outrageous to see someone say something against Filipinos. She should have never done that. I wonder if she can still have another work after resigning. May I suggest for her to use all of her wealth to have a major make over? I wasnt surprised to see why she had those bruises and why she cant fit on the plane. Does any body know her size? Any guess?
August 30th, 2007 02:41
correction… i think over haul instead of make over is much more suitable
August 30th, 2007 12:10
Papansin lang yan. Hindi sumisikat eh ngaun ko lang narinig name nyan.
Siguro ibang lahi pamilya nya pati magulang nya binaboy nya.
Baboy………
August 30th, 2007 12:14
Can we please stop all these ‘baboy’ name calling?
August 31st, 2007 00:18
Baboy? Wow… someones getting hurt ha… I hope you self proffesed Catholics know about the sin of gluttony. Have some self control and stop eating all that garbage and get some exercise in.
August 31st, 2007 11:17
her reputation stinks …
August 31st, 2007 16:42
I find the reaction of People Asia a bit too late and a bit too convenient. In fact, they should have seen this coming after printing an article like that.
Also, that disclaimer about the paper and the publishers not sharing the opinion of the author is a legal requirement of most publishing companies. It protects publishers from lawsuits but it does not necessarily shield them from their mistake of maligning a country’s citizenry by printing something so demeaning to OFWs.
I hate it when corporations and executives hide behind legal curtains and spin doctors to clean up a mess after them. Dropping malu fernandez like a hot potato after a scandal like is not exactly a class act and maligning her in public to earn our trust is in pure bad taste. They should have called her attention before they printed it if they felt at the time that her article and opinions do not match the principles of their publication.
The only other thing more disgusting than a bigot are irresponsible shrewd businessmen pretending to be patriots.
I do not mean to hurt them…this is just my opinion.
September 2nd, 2007 19:33
ako nalang bisaya-on para masabtan og klaro aning BABOYA!!! who the hell does she think she is!!! put HER(malu fernandez) in a ROCKET and BLAST HER TO SPACE…..PIG’S IN SPACE
September 3rd, 2007 03:35
What Malou in that article wrote was really FOUL, uncalled for and i don’t find it funny as what shes trying to point out ( indeed having “fun” is subjective)
Honestly when i browsed this article it in one of our complimentary magazine.. i never even tried reading it coz the shes not my cup of tea (her writing style and whatsoever) and when it already in the news and when my boss told me about it.. thats the only time that i read it, and indeed my instinct was right.. its full of BS.
But then i come to think too,
WHY the editor/ publisher of the said magazine allowed such article to be published?
Its not really entirely the writers fault..
Maybe things could be prevented if and only if her editor doesn’t allowed it or at least demanded some part of the article rewritten/ rephrased.. or just omitted/ deleted it some part of it specially those things that concerned the OFWs.
I worked before in a Magazine Publication.. (a fashion magazine) and i do know that our Editors followed certain rules and guidelines for all the magazines that the company published..may it be as to the brand/products that we featured,the images and pictures
the cover, and the inside pages, specially the stories & articles in them..and i want to believed that even other publication
follow such practice…however with the concerned article..
i really don’t know why the Editor allowed it published in the very first place? (If you’re the editor what will be your reaction/decision/s?)..one need not be have a PhD to forseen what could be the effect of this to other people specially to an OFWs.
In my opinion, the Editor’s/ Pubslihers given explanation is not sufficient to justify what they did and they too is partly to be blamed and not just Malou Fernandez. If they are really concerned about the OFWs, they will know that such article will do NO good to their readers, to their writer and to their magazine thus need not be published in the first place… but they DID & the damage has been done yet they said that they are not liable for it but just Malou Fernandez.
September 3rd, 2007 03:49
sorry… i also what to add that its not just Malou Fernandez worth bashing for giving/ writing such crap.. but also the editor and those who have power/ responsibility over that article.
September 3rd, 2007 08:26
Please stop calling her baboy kasi nakakainsulto sa baboy.
September 5th, 2007 03:08
Reacting from the recent article below:
We don’t need a journalist like her. Let her stop from public writing and reflect on her soul. She probably thinks she’s better than the most of us. And most probably she exaggerated her “ordeal” to get more laughs out of her and fellow high class uneducated kind. I do not accept her apology simply because it is not sincere. It was done not out of self-reflection but out of self-preservation. She had death threats AND she has politicians in her family who surely will be affected next elections by her point of view.
I believe and know we’re EQUAL. Wads of money does not define who you are. It’s what’s in the heart. Malu Fernandez should adhere to the old adage “Think before you speak (or squeal- sorry, I couldn’t resist).” Honesty doesn’t give you the right to say anything you want. It doesn’t give you the right to abuse freedom of speech.
BTW, Just because I buy imported goods doesn’t make me a pretender. I am a Filipino who happens to buy imported goods from my hard earned money which btw, most probably is made in the Philippines. If one wants change, it doesn’t start with looking at other people and making fun of them.
So Mr. Sy, I do not join you in asking Malu Fernandez to come back. Let her stay where she is right now wherever that may be.
*************************
HERE I STAND
By Geronimo L. Sy
Malu Fernandez: Hate ugly Filipinos
Don’t we ever run out of scandals? Lately it has been the fierce and fabulous author Malu Fernandez of People Asia magazine. Allegedly she already resigned from her writing job due to the numerous complaints against her article of June 2007 titled, “From Boracay to Greece!” It is a travel piece recounting her summer spent in the beautiful island of Boracay fighting off insects and protecting her immaculate pedicure from the white sands and then jetting off to Greece to see the goddesses but having to go through ugly Filipinos en route.
What exactly did she write? She said that to save on ticket going to Greece, she bravely took the economy class via Emirates with a stopover in Dubai, only to remember that the latter was the hub for OFWs. She “wanted to slash her wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them.” She was tormented in her sleep with “endless yelling of “HOY! Kumusta ka na? At taga saan ka? Domestic helper ka rin ba? I thought I had died and God had sent me to my own private hell.” On the return trip [of course she had to fly back somehow], she “resigned [her]self to being trapped like a sardine in a sardine can with all these OFWs smelling of AXE and Charlie cologne while my Jo Malone evaporated into thin air.”
With these lines, Malu offended our sensibilities, went against political correctness and doomed herself to public condemnation.
Our sensibilities say that to travel for leisure is a privilege and a luxury. Millions of our countrymen brave foreign shores in search of the proverbial three meals a day. Hence to vacation in Bora or, rather and, Greece in one break is something we whisper a prayer for and count our blessings. How can Malu be so ungrateful, we ask not out of envy?
Malu writes for the sosi crowd. For outsiders, sosi means sosyal—a Filipinized word of “social” referring to high society and the rich and/or famous. It is obvious from her article that Malu is part of this class (otherwise she will not be a credible source so essential in sosi magazines). Well, she scrimped on her plane ticket to shop for more accessories and her nose spotted the difference of AXE and Charlie, scents of the masa (masses) and her exquisite Jo Malone. That is how socialites are.
She flaunted political correctness when she dared to be true to herself and called OFWs for who they are: A noisy lot intruding into personal space sacred to others in small places like economy seats. At least she is honest with her thoughts. She could have injected the value of empathy—understanding that it is beyond the OFWs themselves and largely attributable to socio-economic factors like education and professional attainment. She may perhaps have been trying to be cute about it or simply reflected the elite mentality.
She is publicly condemned for pointing out, albeit unintentionally, the stark truth that we are a society of pretenders—of OFWs buying branded goods and perfumes instead of saving up and matronas spending three hours at hair spas and then going to their favorite charity balls, of migrants fighting for survival and public servants swimming in pork barrel, of urban professionals concerned with the next gimmick or new car or exotic vacation and our national budget in perpetual deficit because of low tax base and tax evasion, of mall goers hugging dogs and cats and young children on the streets begging for alms. Damn, we sure deserve what we see and don’t see. Don’t we just hate Malu and hate ourselves the ugly Filipinos. How could we look away?
Malu, you are not alone, come back and write. Let us hate the ugliness of the OFWs in us, enough to do something about it.
September 5th, 2007 10:46
“She is publicly condemned for pointing out, albeit unintentionally, the stark truth that we are a society of pretenders—of OFWs buying branded goods and perfumes instead of saving up…”
We are a society of pretenders? Don’t you think you’re generalizing?! Let me get this straight, are you saying that OFWs shouldn’t buy branded goods and perfumes? That only the likes of MF have the right to purchase those D and G stuff, LV stuff, etc?
September 5th, 2007 12:33
Malu, thanks naman at nag apologize ka na.. but damage has been done. You know what masakit para sa aming mga OFW ang mga sinabi mo. Ikaw kaya dito ang magpakahirap na malayo sa pamilya. You just don’t know how hard it is. Wala kang alam kung ano mga sacrifices namin. Ok we will all go home at tulungan mo kami lahat para la ka ng malait na OFW. You are so mean,.. i bet you are not rich as you were claiming in your article. pasosyal ka lang. Never try to come here in Canada specifically dito sa place ko at pupunitin ko yang LV bag mo, at ihahagis sa isa sa mga lakes dito ang 17 kgs. make-up and accesories mo.. Don’t hide with those flambouyant things just to boost your self-esteem. Nakakahiya ka!
September 5th, 2007 13:24
may nakisawsaw si GERONIMO L. SY.. tumigil Ka…
September 5th, 2007 16:34
Si Geronimo Sy, gusto ring makuha ng award !! ha ha ha.
September 7th, 2007 20:27
OFW unite!! Don’t read People Asia Magazine if they don’t get rid of Malu Fernandez. Upakan nato!!
September 7th, 2007 20:43
Some writers are pretending to be bruhaha!! Coz they earn more furious attention and what comes out the article profits. What a strategy of the management!! However, I hate malou so much that I crave to smack her face so hard but I pity her. She was a pawn in the real sense. Again, Stop reading magazines with this kind of irresponsible and very shallow concept of creating public attention.
September 8th, 2007 06:24
I agree with -ofw canada…That Malu is not rich…
Malu, kamaganak mo ba si BENJAMIN ABALOS? kasi pinagreresign na siya ng taong bayan ay ayaw pang magresign.. parehas kayo ng ugali NAPAKAKAPAL NG mukha.. si ABALOS naman tumandang walang modo…MR. ABALOS magbago ka na at amoy lupa ka na kawawa naman kaming OFW padala ng padala dahil ilan lang kayo ABALOS na nakikinabang..
September 8th, 2007 11:37
To Geronimo Sy whoever you are my man. Please teach malou how to write articles that conveys more positive approach being a critic. We understood she is honest enough to express her side comments but she is indeed careless to disclose publicly how delicate the issues are. Like Malou, she must be more careful or else her writing career is doomed to be blotted. So, G. Sy, please don’t encourage Malou to be errant again if you are his friend.
September 10th, 2007 20:01
MALU
i am counting the days off…
i can’t help but to get excited to have your flesh right under my BED.
…hmmm…so yummy.
wait till the fireworks..
September 11th, 2007 16:40
Sarsa Platoon by
Datu’s Tribe
Libu-libong liempo
Daan-daang pige
Mag-ingat kayong mga baboy kayo
Parating na kami
Kami, mga alagad
Mga alagad ni Mang Tomas
Kami, mga alagad
Mga alagad ni Mang Tomas
Libu-libong liempo
Daan-daang pige
Dala nami’y pantuhog na kahoy
Galit kami sa baboy
Galit kami sa baboy
Galit kami sa baboy
May dala kaming sarsa
May dala kaming barbeque sticks
Pagtatagain namin kayong lahat
Para sa taong bayan
September 12th, 2007 14:41
• There are many sadnesses in the hearts of men who are far away from their countries.
– Alexander McCall Smith
I hope that you are not in any way related to the Fernandez’s I’ve known…
September 13th, 2007 17:24
It is possible that through our talents and abilities, we may get to the top, but we always have to keep in mind that it is always our character that would keep us there…
… it’s the character Malu… always keep that in mind… now where are you?
September 17th, 2007 12:46
Ms. Fernandez is obviously a social climber. She brags about her trips to different places around the world. But one must remember that the money she spends on these trips come from the company she works for.
Moreover, this low-class journalist (if we can call her that) said it herself, “She told me my weekly deadline was moved up due to the holidays. In a state of panic, I was about to have a major meltdown…..After covering my deadline…..” Obviously, this is the article she wrote to cover her deadline.
Another point I’d like to raise is that you yourself, Ms. Fernandez (if you are reading this), are not so perfect yourself. What kind of a person would need “17 Kg of makeup and accessories”!
“Although it may sound elitist to you the fact is this country is built on the foundation of haves, have-nots and wannabes. ” Ms. Fernandez is one of the WANNABES. I have read articles by socialites and big people, and none of them does it this way. And FYI, I am a medical doctor. I have read thousands of pages of different books – even non-medical.
But for the medical part, the Psychological (or psychiatric) point, I think Ms. Fernandez is stuck in the ORAL PHASE of psychosexual development. Either she has been overly, or underly fed.
Ms. Fernandez, sorry is not enough. That plane was not hell. It was only the gate to hell. Now, you will live in hell. I bet you will.
October 15th, 2007 17:15
let me play devil’s advocate and let me throw caution to the winds and say my piece:
personally, if i’d meet malu, i’d kiss her for what she had done.
what is it that makes the world turn upside down for a few downside, feel-bad remarks about a few people one gets to travel with?
even a magazine has to apologize. frankly, geronimo sy is an all right guy, saying that malu should continue writing.
some writers dole out shit, that cannot be helped. even on the internet, worse than shit is everywhere.
what would really get to me, is if malu will stop writing and she doesn’t get to improve herself, for after all, there is really no substitute for sharpening the pen constantly and improving the way you present your thoughts in the printed medium.
i really don’t know if malu studied journ or advertising as her classmate from u.s.t. above made passing references to, but that is beside the point. the point being that, we should all give malu a chance to earn a living.
and that is by letting her write again. and again and again and again.
we all make fun of ourselves, others, and at the other end, sometimes we even wish the worst of our neighbors, relations and friends. the latter is what we’re doing now to malu.
i do not propose to offer a solution to the pain she caused, but that poor woman was in the middle of a personal quandary of how to make both ends meet and now she is in even deeper confusion. she did try to get out of her sordid state but entered into an even nightmarish hell in the interim.
let us be magnanimous about the whole thing and churn what mr. sy had said, that there are really quantifiable reasons why there have to be ofws in the first place and yet we are doing so little about these concerns.
if only we could be a better country, then our fellow men and women would no longer be going out there to earn a buck or two and instead be able to make ends meet right here at home.
the way i look at it, our people’s suffering has led many of us to seek greener pastures abroad but the curse is still with us and keeps getting worse.
we do not have the dignity and courage or perchance, have never hand a real shot to change our circumstances. otherwise, we would have done away with the cheapness and low we feel when confronted with stylized run-away shitty comments that penetrate our gut.
so it is painful. so what? so it is insulting. so what? let’s do something about it.
truthfully, those of us who earn a buck outside of our shitty country itself, become snubs ourselves. indeed the o.f. earnings and repatriated capital spruce the economy up. but look at the way it is spent?
the swiss, caymans, fort knox, even people’s republic of china has the marcos deposits. the deposed president estrada was astonished when after computations by the department of finance ed espiritu, once the initial deposits are transferred to the philippines, the rate of the peso to the dollar would be one is to two. imagine the change in our circumstances dearly beloved.
estrada must almost have fallen from his seat. ask him in his tanay detention center and he will tell you, he is really a gregarious fellow, that one. might even put in a boast or two about how the return of the deposits almost happened during his watch.
we have wonderful sights, amazing natural resources, we have superb intellect and a lot of industry in our bones, except that we do not love our selves, our country, our fellow men, our heritage, our self-ness, our national soul, our national songs, our inherent filipino-ness.
i wonder, if we were really hurt deep down to the bones as filipinos by the ungentle manner in which malu gave her shit to us?
just asking.
November 14th, 2007 22:17
ohh i bet that MALUmba-lumba is totally rich.
Hey MALUmba-lumba Fernandez..Y not use Baygon as ur perfume? cuz u urself is a freakin pest sayang ren nmn yang pinagmamalaki mong pabangu
kung may buhay lng yang pabango mo cgurado masukasuka sayo un sa baho ba nmn ng ugali mo eh…diba? and i kno y u think the seats are too small,it’s not the seats it’s ur fat ass honey. I bet ur 17 kg hand carries are not all accesories and make up i bet it’s lipsuction kits isn’t it?
November 21st, 2007 12:45
Teens For Cash Videos…
Teens For Cash Videos…
December 1st, 2007 14:56
huh! “wise men talk because they have something to say, fools just beceause they have to say something”
now i really believe in it, because only a FOOL LIKE MALU FERNANDEZ can write such article without even considering the purpose of those people working hard just to support they’re family. she’s even proud and bluntly declaring that its purpose is to humor people. well i think that only FAT FOOL PIGS like herself would laugh at her so called FOOLS JOKE. a fool like her deserve to live her SHALLOW FOOLS LIFE the hard way. is this the kind of articles, we youth is suppose to read?
December 20th, 2007 03:30
Bangkok and Thailand Private Video Compilations…
Bangkok and Thailand Private Video Compilations…
January 23rd, 2008 14:41
Boracay is the most popular beach in the Philippines see our site below for more info…
http://www.lareserve-boracay.com/boracay/boracay-island/
February 26th, 2008 02:48
hair removal processes…
hair removal information…
March 4th, 2008 23:22
Laser Body Waxing…
Information on Body Waxing…
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April 9th, 2008 00:29
Haha…wow. I’m a foreign expat in Manila. For a moment there I’d forgotten there were such try-hard people as this in the Philippines.
I mean, I realize that descendants of people handed tracts of land by the Spanish sometimes think they’re pretty special, but this is ridiculous.
I hope someday she does something worthwhile with her life.
May 30th, 2008 13:09
boracay is a very nice place to have a vacation
June 3rd, 2008 05:34
Who the hell is Malu Fernandez? I never heard of her? is the mistress of the old politician from the south?
A piece of advice to Malu – Charter your own plane
next time.
June 10th, 2008 15:59
grabe naman yan, wala na akong masabi nasabi nyo na lahat, tama lang yon sa kanya, di muna nag isip bago sinulat,
August 5th, 2008 12:49
*In response to the infamous MF’s “From Boracay to Greece!”… We never forget.
Since the previous year, almost everybody has commented to the fullest extend regarding your IRRESPONSIBLE conduct and CAPRICIOUS behavior resulting to a FICKLE article that i personally can’t tell apart from a SHALLOW person’s diary.
“Bravely”, you said? Funny. You, Malu Fernandez, are so annoyingly and ironically redundant. Getting sand on your Adidas is your self-proclaimed BRAVERY, and riding a “planeful” of Filipinos is torture? Your insanely TACTLESS attempt to humor is not even close to being wry that I have to think twice before reading the whole extent, top to bottom, of your delusions.Your empty alibi for picking a flight is that “Emirates had won best economy class and some award”? You’re a lifestyle critic… How could you not know that Dubai is THE hub, and where you’d surely stumble upon a crowd you so despise? Emirates Airlines=Dubai, get the gist? And sorry, lady. Whether you like it or not, Filipinos are everywhere. Do some more research and stop relying on your self-centered instinct.
You might have been deceived by your so-called friends! Tell me, do you honestly believe they would stay loyal and confirm you are indeed their friend when you’re not looking? Think again!
If you have all the riches, why not buy English countryside manors and move there? Let’s see how HAUGHTY you could get there [Pun intended, no offense meant to Brits].
But oh, maybe your family of politicians already has all that! And I feel sorry for them now… You miscalculated that the raucous you’ve stirred would inadvertently affect them. But then, maybe you don’t care about them or anyone at all! The same way they couldn’t swallow you. Now am I being crude? No! Mercy and respect is for people worthy of them, who recognize their offenses and humble themselves in front of a nation offended. And I apologize to all who are reading this if they even find my BLUNTNESS a fraction of yours.
I’m just a common Filipino with nothing but my principles intact and strikes back when my fellowmen are being assaulted.
Is that your way of dealing with the world? Add insult to injury? You’re a kid crying for attention and you mask humiliation with insolence by not admitting your faults and defeat. You call yourself Élite? On what grounds?
Going back to mansions… No, not Dubai estates too since you’re sure to stumble upon a GREAT nation of Filipinos built outside the Philippines, who you knowingly mock so hard that you’re so sick you want to pull your own guts out just hearing them talk and flinch at their accents (I’m not Tagalog myself). You’re implying you want to commit suicide just because you’re seated next to them!? How INFANTILE! That’s the sort of joke only IMMATURE people will say and not the kind of comment thrown around by the well-bred “common tao” no matter how far their academic education lag behind yours.
Yet again, back to the mansion talk…
Well, you could always discuss with Tommy Lee into trading Pamela Anderson’s Greece island off The PALM. You got connections, no? Money talks, eh? You have all that, don’t you?
And hmmm, let’s see… if you walk along the Italian piazzas, or you want to be in “dernier cri” in Champs-Élysées in France, or if you find yourself again in the Greek megapolis… I know some people who can help you determine if your LV’s (not ur sinful eyes) are indeed crafted by a real “Malletier a paris”. For all you know, you could be one of the victims of the prying eyes of IMPUDENT people alike, since you’re also undeniably Filipino. Thanks to your sordid contribution to People Asia, even clueless foreigners had a brief faux bottom lesson on “How to Easily Spot a Pinoy by Sight, Smell and Sound”.
I’m also amused, no – Bemused, as to how you could possibly contradict yourself in so many ways all at once. First you FLAUNT your riches and your refusal to stay [alive] in a hotel not befitting royalties. Holiday Inn falls below your average but you want to save on a ticket?? And not only that… You want to save on tickets so badly so you could shop and chitchat and hurt your poor toes on Athenian rocks? Pffft! If you want to splurge, why not pick Scandinavian countries? Too expensive for your PECULIAR taste? Don’t give me the crap about being genuinely interested on the History & Architecture of one of the world’s foundations of civilization. It doesn’t suit you. A lifestyle-conscious integral part of you screams fame and fortune recognition, not sensibility.
You think Filipinos especially OFWs can only afford cheap stuff? Or desperately substitute them with authentic-looking fakes because we’re not You? Blah! You speak for yourself, you ingrate. You’re nothing like all of us Filipinos at heart. You’re the one who smell fake. You look FAKE. You sound FAKE. And you paste on a plastic smile amidst your adventurous turmoils! You’re the embodiment of FAKENESS. You know that thing you’re feeling now in your chest? It’s your fake heartbeat. Check if you have 72 per minute. I’m sure by then it’s over 90 with guilt.
My fiance, who’s not even Filipino feels deeply for all of us (excluding you & the likes) and has the initiative to defend when our proud but helpless people are being harassed. Wait till he hears another nonsense from such DISTURBED individual.
I’ve read countless irresponsible journalism but none as vile and morally damaging as yours. Now here’s something that will stick for a lifetime.
You took this matter to a global scale, you ill-meaning, insecure, sorry excuse for a writer. I wonder how you “worked” your way to your position (that you eventually lost, a relief to the people, Whew!). I cringe at your über INADEQUACY. You might find yourself better off writing for Perez Hilton. And together you gather your minions and destroy the world with your pen-swords! But hey, with that attitude of yours, I bet he wouldn’t even hire you if you’re the last assistant writer alive. Better hunt down fresh career because yours is sullied.
My sympathy goes out to you. Thank goodness I’ve heard of people like you in my 25yrs of existence. You’re the true example for people who have minds to speak and pens/keyboards to spare – what we all SHOULDN’T be. And for THAT fact – we thank you. But don’t get me wrong, we’re not thankful for YOU.
You think you still got all that? Remember, you’re treading ENEMY ground now. YOU DON’T BELONG TO THE PHILIPPINES. Feed on your bitterness. Suffer from your own weaknesses. YOU ARE ALONE IN YOUR FOIBLES.
“BRAVE” all of these! You’re yet to travel paths murkier and slimier than the shores of Boracay and Greece.
August 6th, 2008 03:21
Ay. Tanga? Mula ngayon iisa nalang pangalan nating lahat mga kapatid ha? Pero ako pa rin si Anonymous 1, kayo lahat anonymous 2, tsaka ung mga pinsan natin anonymous 3 lahat. Uy, pati si Inday anonymous 4 na rin! Tsaka si polgas si anonymous 5! Together we fight d world from Malu-cavity! Ang tindi kasing mambutas… ng pagkatao! Tulo laway ko tuloy!
Hello,anonymous! Kumusta? Ikaw cguro nawawala kong ate!
December 29th, 2008 18:55
The comments pretty much covered everything (plus some more!) in response to Malu Fernandez’(choke,choke) article. I feel sympathetic towards the author (don’t get me wrong) because obviously her sphere of existence and grasp of what this life is about is pretty limited and if you call that journalism or whatever you want to call it this days well, we’re all doomed! Ascerbic wit? Try idiotic and stupidity at its finest. Dry sense of humor? Please, you probably know this yourself, as you put it, “its not about bitching and whining…” It is exactly that.
So, majority of the people here agree that she is:
1. A stupid moron
2. Shallow blob
3. Yep, you’re right…I don’t need this writer to rock my world. (C’mon a blob that has half a brain, insults people with no compunction and think its okay, please…kill yourself already, this world would be a happier place without you. )
4. Did I say stupid?? right.
5.FUGLY BITCH. I wouldn’t even call her a bitch, coz some bitches are cool bitches and she aint cool…just a fugly bitch
6. She’s from outer space. (the way her mind is wired…and the strange way she writes…)
7.Pretentious blob. Ruby Tuesday? Holiday Inn??Adidas?? WTF??Please! I would never!! The horror! Blasphemy! Please, Louis Vuitton?? Try Four Season dahlin’ and Hermes maybe you have a right to BITCH and belittle your fellow brown ass monkeys. (PS I’m a brown ass monkey and proud of it!!)
8. YOUR LIFE IS BORING & MEDIOCRE. Mine is just fine and lovely. Stay out of it! Infact jet yourself to the Aegean sea and do us all a favor, stay there!
9.DIVA???!! NOT! Please. Self explanatory.
10. TRAVEL and see the world. Yes, see the world because obviously you have an offal on your eyes.
Lastly, die already, the world will be a happier place without you.
June 7th, 2009 16:23
May breeding naman siya ah. Yun nga lang, “courtesy of” Swine Breeding & Animal Husbandry Department of the Hibok Hibok College of Mystic Agriculture.
Man! If she’s that fugly now, you can’t possibly imagine how fugly she’ll be in 15 years. I was wondering if she should just donate her body to some crocodile farm somewhere. But then again, that would be demeaning to the crocodiles.
Makes me want to give out copies of the article where she lives and works: to all the ‘little people’. Malaman niya ang ibig sabihin ng “praning”.
July 28th, 2009 14:17
[...] dikit mo ilong mo sa putik! from boracay to greece you b1atch! The Malu Fernandez Experiment From Boracay to Greece SUPILIN SI MALU FERNANDEZ NG MANILA STANDARD… Between the Writer and the Editor Here’s [...]
August 3rd, 2009 21:07
???????? ?? 2009 ???
August 6th, 2009 01:45
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April 7th, 2010 23:44
??? ??? ? ???? ??????? :-) ..
July 22nd, 2010 15:35
Whew, ano ba yan, panira naman ng blog to topic na to.. hahaha.. wag niyo naman sana gamitin pa ang maganda at tahimik na boracay para sa mga kalokohan. Mabuti pa, magboracay nalang kayo ng malinawan ang pag iisip niyo.
Tanya Gemarin