The controversial SEA Games cauldron estimated to cost around P55 million. Image: courtesy of the BCDA
Just right after foreign countries complained about the food and logistics issues they faced before the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 2019 even started, the Philippines’ own athletes were not saved from the organizers’ shortcomings — and local celebrities refuse to just let it all slide.
Comedienne Ethel Booba suggested that the name of the SEA Games should be changed to “C Games,” as in “C for Corruption,” after news broke out that the Philippine women’s national football team were served “kikiam and egg” for breakfast.
“Awit sa KikSiLog. C Games dapat hindi SEA Games (It should be C Games, not SEA Games). C for Corruption. Charot!,” she said in a tweet yesterday, Nov. 25.
https://twitter.com/IamEthylGabison/status/1198961923028443136
In a reply to a now-deleted tweet, Booba quipped that the “Si” in the KikSiLog was not even “sinangag (fried rice), but was for plain “sinaing (steamed rice).”
Si for Sinaing not for Sinangag. Charot! https://t.co/TPCWD3RWU9
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) November 25, 2019
Artist-activist Juan Miguel Severo meanwhile was aghast by the KikSiLog meal, as seen in his Twitter post yesterday.
“KIKIAM FOR BREAKFAST. FOR ATHLETES. ANO NA,” he said.
Singer Leah Navarro meanwhile replied to a Twitter user who joked where the bacon in KikSiLog went, which was supposed to be “KikBacSiLog,” with “Bac” referring to bacon.
“Napunta sa KikBac (It went to kickbacks),” Navarro said in a Tweet yesterday.
Napunta sa KikBac
— Leah Navarro (@leahnavarro) November 25, 2019
Singer Saab Magalona joked that the rest of the food was still being cooked in a “kaldero (cauldron),” after Malaysian coach Joseph Jacob and others complained about the improper food being served to the athletes.
“Grabe naman, di ba sila makahintay eh niluluto pa sa kaldero hello (Can’t they wait? The food is still being cooked in the ‘cauldron’ hello),” Magalona said in a tweet yesterday.
Grabe naman, di ba sila makahintay eh niluluto pa sa kaldero hello https://t.co/7fBZExyOM1
— Saab (@saabmagalona) November 25, 2019
Actor and producer Bart Guingona addressed other netizens’ questions if host countries are really supposed to feed the athletes, saying they should indeed, and that the Philippines already did so before, as per his tweet yesterday.
“Someone asked if athletes are fed by the host country. Of course they are!” he said. “When I worked in the 2005 SEAGames, we knew ahead of time when the athletes would arrive, how many there were and what the food restrictions were.”
“And we fed them from [the] day they arrived to the end of games,” he added.
Someone asked if athletes are fed by the host country. Of course they are! When I worked in the 2005 SEAGames, we knew ahead of time when the athletes would arrive, how many there were and what the food restrictions were. And we fed them from day they arrived to the end of games.
— Bart Guingona (@guingonabart) November 25, 2019
Internet sensation and comedian Jeremy Sancebuche, popularly known as Mimiyuuuh, meanwhile weighed in on the issues hounding the SEA Games, saying that he is getting tired and he is not even playing, as per his tweet yesterday.
“Hindi naman ako atleta pero napapagod ako sa SEA GAMES na ‘yan (I am not even an athlete but I am getting tired of the SEA Games),” he said.
Hindi naman ako atleta pero napapagod ako sa SEA GAMES na ‘yan. 😔
— mimiyuuuh 🦖 (@mimiyuuuh) November 25, 2019
Presscon venue or abandoned warehouse?
Celebrities also slammed the unfinished Rizal Memorial Sports Complex press conference venue for the football games, which netizens have begun comparing to abandoned warehouses or movie sets for action films.
“Liway” director Kip Oebanda compared the venue to an abandoned hospital movie set, as per his tweet yesterday.
“Media center looks like the unfinished mall we turned into a haunted abandoned hospital in my last film. Except lang random dangerous-looking scaffolds sa wall,” he said. “Baka kagaya ng cauldron, art din ito?”
https://twitter.com/kipoebanda/status/1198908340350283778
In a separate tweet, the director slammed Philippine Southeast Asian Games Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation Inc. chairman Alan Peter Cayetano, after the latter claimed that the hosting was not a responsibility of the administration alone, but the whole country.
“Says the man who has all the control over all the money and would have taken all the credit if it was good,” he said. “I hope this ends your political aspirations. A permanent stain on our reputation. #SEAGamesfail.”
https://twitter.com/kipoebanda/status/1198619849670287361
Severo also slammed the unfinished venue, who quipped that it almost looks like a film set for “the last two weeks of a teleserye.”
https://twitter.com/TheRainBro/status/1198856300420980736
Actress Agot Isidro meanwhile took a jab at the administration, saying it could have done a better job had it achieved unity and not division, as per her tweet earlier today, Nov. 26.
“What this admin has greatly achieved is dividing the nation. Int’l events like #SEAGames would be successful in unity, pero ito ang nangyari (but this is what happened),” she said. “If you had only asked, been more inclusive, I can only imagine a better turnout in everything.”
“Eh may nagmamagaling eh (But someone is trying to act all mighty),” she added.
What this admin has greatly achieved is dividing the nation. Int’l events like #SEAGames would be successful in unity, pero ito ang nangyari.
If you had only asked, been more inclusive, I can only imagine a better turnout in everything.
Eh may nagmamagaling eh 🤷🏻♀️
— Agot Isidro (@agot_isidro) November 26, 2019
Cayetano yesterday said that the SEA Games mess could have been avoided, blaming the Senate for delaying the budget approval for the event. JB
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