Malacañang responds to Desperate housewives issue
The furor over a slur uttered against Philippine medical schools on the premier episode of the fourth season of the American TV show “Desperate Housewives” has prompted a response from Malacañang Palace.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the TV show belittled the abilities of Filipino doctors and sent a message that Philippine medical schools produced “substandard, inferior” medical practitioners.
The offending remark was made by one of the show’s desperate housewives, Susan Mayer (played by American actress Teri Hatcher). In one scene Mayer asks for the credentials of the gynecologist who examined her and told her that she was approaching menopause.
Mayer said, “Can I check those diplomas ‘coz I just want to make sure that they’re not from some med school in the Philippines.” The premiere episode, which has been posted on YouTube.com, drew criticisms from the Filipino community on the Internet.
Senator Rodolfo Biazon meanwhile has proposed a ban on the popular TV series. Biazon, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, said he doesn’t watch the show himself but pointed out that a ban on the show or a boycott by Filipino viewers are possible responses.
Earlier, Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the slur will tarnish the good image of Filipino doctors in the international community. He added that the slur was both irresponsible and without basis.
The Philippine Consulate in New York has said it will send a letter of protest to ABC Network and ask for an apology for the slur. The move came after the consulate office received complaints from the Filipino community, particularly health workers, in the US about the show.
Read more from source: ABS-CBN News
Update:
i agree, this deserves an apology. this is not a question of whether or not we produce inferior doctors. the issue is whether or not broadcasting such ungrounded assertions on an international favorite show.
the sad thing is that we, once again, are being nativized by such “educated” westerners.
Let’s not be so paranoid and insecure about this and go overboard. Sheesh. You’re just jacking up the DH show’s ratings and interest in the show, which is what any network wants. It’s not as if some silly comment on a silly tv show has any true bearing to Filipino doctors who are brilliant in their practice.
I have a video response on this issue at http://ejpadero.com/
Thanks.
Almost everyone watching that show didn’t think disparaging things about Filipino doctors when she said that line. Now, with the loud outcry, you’ll have people wondering why they’re being so defensive about it.
Most of the reaction has been emotional rather than rational. Hoswever, I found an interesting perspective on the subject from another Filipino blog here:
http://asbb-foreignexchange.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-was-going-to-conclude-ten-letters.html
Some food for thought to digest, certainly.
To me it is necessary to find
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