#WutTheEff - The Scandal that is Balesin Island Club's "Yaya Meal" - An Act of Flagrant Social Discrimination

"It is actually a fine and delicious meal, but it does not warrant the discrimination behind the act."

Photo is from www.manila.coconuts.co

By judging the temperature these past few days, it is officially summer and the scorching heat is on. However, nothing is more scorching than the hot water that an exclusive place in Polillo, Quezon Province - The Balesin Island Club - is in right now. Courtesy of former beauty queen Maggie Wilson- Consunji's rants in her social media account.



Here is what happened, On the morning of April 4, 2015 (Black Saturday), Mrs. Wilson-Consunji's mom, her son, and their nanny (Yaya Belen) decided to dine in at Balesin Club since they are staying there. Apparently, according to Mrs. Wilson-Consuji's FB post, the nanny chose to order a meal from the menu and when her mother wanted to order the same meal as the nanny chose, the waitress refused and said
 

"Hindi pwede Ma'am kasi, that's a 'Yaya's Meal."

(Ma'am, you can't order the same meal because that meal is for the nannies/maids/Yaya)

Here is Maggie Wilson-Consuji's post (screencap)

Seriously? A "Yaya's Meal?" A meal that is tailored for the nannies and for the nannies only? Wow!!

So, is it justifiable that Mrs. Wilson- Consunji finds this "Yaya's Meal" offensive? If you'll ask me...Fuckin' A!!!

I can't really fathom that a meal of that kind does exist in a place like Balesin (of course it is safe to say that other "classy" dining places may have an equivalent too), add the fact that as the management of Balesin said, it was made per the request of their club members.

Hanep! So these club members - these "damn rich" club members - do not want to shed some dough for a regular meal for their nannies and asked (or was it demanded) the management to create a meal exclusively for the nannies and of course, the management obliged like a dog and so...the "Yaya Meal" was created. Wow, IQ really drops low when there are rich fellows with lots of money involved, huh?

Just seeing that meal's name, to be honest, I was infuriated. This "Yaya Meal" reeks of Social Discrimination!

Okay, trying to apply logic, by looking at the meal itself (pictured above), I can say that it does not look "cheapo", mukhang masarap, and certain care was given to preparing it - so hindi bara-bara at presentable.

We can defend the creation of this so-called offending meal by saying, the employers have the decision to what their helpers' meals will be or will be not, since they will be the ones paying and in a high-end place like Balesin, the regular meals' prices can go Sky-high, hence an "affordable" alternative seems okay.

So was it Logically correct? Tell it to the Frogs though...

There is no excuse for the "Yaya Meal" and here is why (I prefer to do this in Filipino Language):

• Ang mga nanny/yaya, bitbit yan ng mga amo nila sa Balesin dahil sila ay mga empleyado at ang pagsama sa Balesin ay parte ng trabaho nila. Ngayon, responsibilidad ng amo na mapakain sila ng nararapat.
• Wala namang masama kung kailangan talaga ng affordable meal para sa mga nanny/yaya/helper pero bakit kailangan pa talaga na pangalanang "Yaya Meal?" Nandun na nga na iba ang meal na yun sa regular meals ng Balesin pero dapat pa ba ipagdikdikan na para kay Yaya lang talaga yun? Respeto naman! Pwede namang tinawag na lang na "Combo Meal" or kung talagang gusto idiin na affordable, eh di ang walang kamatayan pero at least respectful na "Value Meal" di ba? Obvious man na iba ang value meal sa regular meal, may kaunting respeto pa rin naman ang label na yun kaysa sa "Yaya Meal." Tao din naman sina nanny/yaya, hindi robot, may damdamin din sila.
• Eto ang matindi, Club Members nga di ba? So kaya nila magbayad ng napakalaking halaga para sa Membership. Oh, eh bakit biglang issue ang pagbayad ng regular meal para kay nanny/yaya at kinakailangan pa na i-request na may murang meal para sa kanila? Anak ng.. iyang mga nanny at yaya ang tumitingin sa mga anak nila habang nakikipagsosyalan sila kasama ng mga ibang Club Members. Kung may pera sila para sa sosyalan, ano lang ba ang presyo ng regular meal para sa nanny/yaya na walang pagod na ginagawa ang trabaho at pinagsisilbihan sila?

It is saddening that some, if not all, of these educated upper class Filipinos who are members of this exclusive club in Balesin blatantly pratice discrimination. Filipinos discriminating fellow Filipinos. Sheesh! Colonialization era pa ba? Hindi na di ba? So, why do some elite still have this mindset? Tsk tsk tsk.

This incident goes to show that even in the 21st century - in a modern age - there is still prejudice towards the less fortunate and inferior classes in our society.

Whenever there is an incident of a fellow Filipino abroad being treated unfairly and discriminated,  we go out in the streets and protest at the top of our lungs condemning the mistreatment and discrimination towards Filipinos in other countries.

And then, here is this case of the "Yaya Meal" in Balesin - not to mention other similar cases out there of social discrimination and mistreatment that fellow Filipinos commit against people of our own race - our fellow Filipino countrymen.

This issue is not only about a certain offensive meal, it is more an issue of modern-day slavery in our country. An issue that really needs to be addressed, if not abolished, since this kind of practice dates back to the colonization era and if you have been keeping up on current events, obviously we are not in that era anymore.

The thing is, no matter how high the rate of pay you can give to your nanny/yaya/helper, if you cannot treat them fairly, then you are in no position to even hire one. Just like the "Yaya Meal", It is actually a fine and delicious meal, but it does not warrant the discrimination behind the act.

It does not really matter what status we have in our society, the fact is at the end of the day, we are all the same and have the same right to be treated as equals regardless of the money that we have in our wallets.

Until next time,


Ciao!