Friday, June 5, 2009

OFW Bloggers Manifesto: NO to the ANTI OFW Blogpost of Mike Avenue's 'Tsokolate'



On Mike Avenue Pinoy Blog's 'Tsokolate'*
OFW BLOGGERS MANIFESTO
So that the bloggerworld and everyone may know...

We believe in the right to freedom of speech as a human right.

We believe in the freedom to hold opinions without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

We believe in the right to freedom of expression to receive and impart information.

We believe that blogging is an expression of one’s opinions, personal experiences, hobbies, commentaries, diaries and we further believe that every blogger has the right to publish his personal expressions and opinions.

We believe that the exercise of these freedoms is not an absolute right but carries with it duties and responsibilities, that may be subject to restrictions or penalties on specific grounds as prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests and protection of the reputation or rights of others.

We believe that majority of the Overseas Filipino Workers have chosen to leave the Philippines to seek and search for better livelihood opportunities abroad so they may be able to support themselves and their families back home.

We believe that the OFW’s search for a greener pasture is not at all that easy and yet hundreds of thousands of OFWs have created names for them and have excelled in their chosen fields of endeavor, setting the world standards for nobility and for hard work.

We believe that there is nothing wrong with doing an honest day’s work as a domestic help or as construction worker or doing any other menial and blue collar jobs.

We believe that OFWs whether professionals or not should be given honor and respect.

We believe that the OFW is the Hope of the Nation, Gift to the World!

With these guiding beliefs:

We regard Mr. Mike Avenue’s Pinoy Blog post on "Tsokolate" as one that lacked research and a flagrant ignorance of the truth about Overseas Filipino workers and expatriates.

We regard this lack of truth and ignorance as especially inexcusable from one who feigns intelligence and high learning and coax people into belief and following.

We regard his statements: “minumura ng amo kapalit ng dolyar” and “humahalik sa paa ng mga dayuhan” as blatant mockeries of the sacrifices of the Overseas Filipino Workers and expatriates and are hasty generalizations of the living and working conditions of the Filipino expatriates and OFWs.

We regard his post as tactless and offensive, trying to make a lame attempt to sarcasm that failed to be funny, at the expense of the Overseas Filipino Workers.

We regard his post as a clear display of arrogance, done in a distasteful manner with blind indifference and unjust condemnation of the millions of hardworking OFWs who work long hours to earn an honest buck.

We regard his post to have overstepped the bounds of sensitivity and responsibility of a decent mind and an accountable and sensible blogger.

Therefore, we the OFW BLOGGERS will not allow this kind of humiliation to pass without making a stand.

We strongly condemn this irresponsible blog post of Mike Avenue.

We consider Mike Avenue as an Anti-OFW persona.

We demand a retraction and an apology from Mike Avenue of Pinoy Blog for this irresponsible blogpost!

We are Filipinos and we should stand together and strive for a better Philippines!

______________________________________

*For the interest of fairness and balanced reporting and for the
sake of those who cannot access the webpage that is hyperlinked
to Mike Avenue Pinoy Blog's 'Tsokolate' we have linked you to other
pages that have the full transcript of his original post. Please check
these links where Mike Avenue's original post on 'Tsokolate' are found:
Kablogs, OFW (Mukhang Pera Nga Ba?)
The non-availability of the webpage may probably be due to his
personal decision, which we respect, to moderate his blog and to open
it only for the invited readers
______________________________________

05-Jun-09, 10:00am
Mike Avenue's Pinoy Blog is now available to the public.

9 comments:

  1. baka naman gusto niya lang sumikat.nabasa ko yung article, sabi ko nga, may punto siya kao maymas magandang paraan ng paglalahad non.

    ReplyDelete
  2. nasubaybayan ko ang teleserya ng blogosperyong ito...

    magaling.
    magaling.
    magaling...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anong nangyayari dito? Ito ba 'yung away na nabalitaan ko sa kabila?

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  4. Nakuha ni Mr mike ang attention natin mga OFW, but I hope he deliver it in a healthy manner. Malungkot kana nga sa init ng deserto lalo ka pa magiinit kapag nakakantiaan ka.
    Have a nice day bro!

    ReplyDelete
  5. just read his post in pinoysg. what he wrote is full of garbage. if he has to write garbage he has to write about himself and his life, not about the pinoys working abroad. what does he know about it? maybe he could not leave the country himself that's why he is so angry with those who could. it's good he limited his blog so nobody else will read it.

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  6. hmmm... nabasa ko ang post ni mike. maybe hindi naman talaga siya anti-ofw. me point din siya, however, iba lang siya magexpress ng kanyang opinion. me pagka-sharp talaga itong si mike, ever since. there's a better way of writing his ideas para hindi naman maging insensitive ang dating ng post niya. mahalaga talaga sa kahit sinong nagsusulat na pakinggan ang tone ng sinusulat niya para hindi makasakit ng damdamin ng iba. maybe he should learn kung paano magsulat ng may tamang tono. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. A deliberate and direct insult on the dignity to Filipinno Migrant Workers without any remorse as shown on his followup post which equate OFWs are rodents.

    In a borderless and limitless platform where the freedom of expression is practiced without any restriction, a writer must never dwell on hatred and arrogance, it should not blatantly attack the human dignity of an individual and of the society. He should be a responsible and accountable on every words that he writes guided by truth and justice.

    People just never learned from the lessons shared by Malou Fernandez, Tsip Tsao and Desperate Housewives', or they just wan

    ReplyDelete
  8. Earlier today, I wanted to make a ‘template’ comment for all those who posted the OFW Bloggers Manifesto on Mike Avenue’s many posts.

    What was intended as a comment in your posts ended up as a post in my blog. Hindi na magkasya sa maximum characters in the Comments Box.

    Kaya, if you have time, please check my post on Moving Forward With Lessons Learned In Standing Up For What We Believe Is Right!

    I hope walang kokontra.

    ReplyDelete
  9. NJ, Congrats sa Manifesto. I extremely apologize for not responding well to your request.

    I reposted the Manifesto in my blog and I will (belatedly) write a post about it. Hindi lang ako makagalaw for no. Jahe talaga but I'm really, really sorry. I have no valid excuse.

    ReplyDelete