Belo apologizes for ‘insensitive, upsetting’ ad

Dr. Vicky Belo. Image from Instagram / @victoria_belo

MANILA, Philippines — The Belo Medical Group apologized on Wednesday over its recent advertisement after drawing flak from netizens.

“We apologize about our recent Pandemic Effect film. Thank you for being gracious in letting us know your thoughts about it,” The Belo Medical Group said in a statement.

“We hear you. You helped us see what we failed to see, which is that the film is insensitive and upsetting. Because of this, we have taken the ad down,” it added as it vowed to learn from this experience, “and to bring our learnings into the future.”

https://www.facebook.com/Belo.Medical/posts/4180159405425474

The “Pandemic Effect” film showed a woman gradually having dark bags under her eyes, facial and body hair, acne, and gaining fat while watching the news about the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of the ad, Belo stated, “Tough times call for beautiful measures.”

Businesswoman Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera took to Twitter her concern on the ad.

Addressing Belo, Cabrera said: “It’s not the pandemic, Dra. It’s society’s beauty standards and the way capitalists ride o n it to exploit our insecurities. It’s the way you make it look like our fatness is a disease and your clinic can cure it away.”

Let’s talk about what’s wrong with the Belo ad.

It’s not the pandemic, Dra. It’s society’s beauty standards and the way capitalists ride on it to exploit our insecurities. It’s the way you make it look like our fatness is a disease and your clinic can cure it away. pic.twitter.com/4nvx4gujHn

— Nina 💖 (@theninaellaine) August 10, 2021

Several others also commented how the ad is “distasteful and ignorant,” among others.

Saw the latest ad for Belo Medical.

Read the room. Promote your services, but not at the expense of people's insecurities. We're in a pandemic, and we're all just trying to survive. The last thing people need is an ad that points out body changes. Distasteful and insensitive.

— patricia ✴︎ military wife era 🐣 (@expectopatramos) August 10, 2021

the rc cola ad by gigil was great because it was just plain stupid. i love me a stupid humor.

but the new belo ad — it wasn't stupid. it was ignorant. it felt like a male gaze who supports d*terte, jacks off with left hand while slut-shaming women on the internet with his right

— Sef (@sefloseo) August 10, 2021

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