Celebrities like Jericho Rosales, Donnalyn Bartolome, and Catriona Gray have been doing their fair share of help to Filipinos who are affected by Typhoon Ulysses.
Some, on the other hand, have been using their voices to call for rescue operations and, not only that, called for their fellow Filipinos to rethink using the term “Filipino resilience” or the concept of Filipinos being quick to recover over natural calamities when it comes to describing what the typhoon victims have been going through.
Nadine Lustre expressed her disappointment towards people who use Filipino resilience when it comes to seeing the different social issues the country is currently going through.
“[I]t upsets me so much when people pull out ‘Filipino Resiliency’ as a quick fix,” the actress wrote on Instagram last Thursday, November 12. “It’s def something to be proud of, but really, how long are we gonna keep using that to hide the real problem?”
“I feel for our brothers and sisters who are gravely affected by everything that’s happening. Our country deserves so much better than this,” she added.
She concluded by telling off people who do not care about seeing sad news happening in the country, saying they should check their privilege.
“Now if you’re scrolling on your phone & seeing all the heartbreaking news but really dgaf cuz you’re not so much affected by the all stuff, PLS check your privilege,” she said.
Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa posted an Instagram photo with the words “Change your headlines. It is not ‘Filipino resiliency.’ And ‘This is what Climate Change looks like. Declare Climate Emergency now,’ before quoting nature advocate Issa Barte.
“Our ability to withstand the worst should not only be a beacon of strength, but a narrative to question who is putting is in this position to be resilient in the first place,” Kylie quoted Barte.
In her own words, the actress said when it comes to headlines, the media should focus on holding people in power accountable for what is happening in the country and on what will help people in the long run.
“Headlines are coming out again and we want to place our focus on what will help people in the long-run. We have to ask these questions and hold those who have the power to make a difference, accountable,” she said, before saying that donation channels remain open to support people affected by the typhoon.
Actress-host KC Concepcion expressed her sadness towards the victims of “back-to-back” typhoons Rolly and Ulysses.
“The three most powerful storms in recorded history, that came down hardest on land, happened here in the Philippines,” she said.
For KC, despite being labeled as ‘resilient,’ she said she is praying for those who are devastated by the two typhoons, especially those who have lost their homes. She also prayed for the safety of the rescue teams and the faster rehabilitation of the communities.
“This is the last thing we need in the middle of a pandemic. And the most important thing is to take care of each other in more ways than one, in whatever capacity we can... the main culprit of these typhoons are the warming of our oceans. Remember when we hear about protecting the Earth? This is it. This is up to us. Take care everyone,” she ended.