Donnalyn Bartolome. Image: Instagram/@donnalyn
Despite finding herself at the receiving end of criticisms after advising her followers to “change their mindset” on returning to work after the holiday season, Donnalyn Bartolome has stood firm on her controversial remark.
The vlogger has been accused of promoting “toxic positivity” on social media when on Jan. 3 she urged netizens to just “be grateful” for having a job despite working after Christmas and New Year. In response to the backlash, Bartolome defended her statement in a follow-up post on Thursday, Jan. 5, as she shared a series of throwback photos that documented her past being poor.
“I’m posting to let you know that yung positivity na yun hindi nanggaling sa privilege, matter of fact, it came from experience… hindi lang talaga ako pala-share ng hirap kasi lagi kong iniisip na baka lalo akong makabigat sa buhay niyo. Mali pala yun… okay din pala na minsan malaman ng mga tao yung hirap mo at hindi lang yung success mo,” she said.
(I’m posting to let you know that this form of positivity didn’t come from a position of privilege. As a matter of fact, it came from experience. I’m just not fond of sharing my hardships since I might further burden you. It turns out that it’s not right, that it’s okay after all to sometimes let people know about the hardships you’ve been through and not just your success.)
Bartolome explained that she knows what it’s like to be unemployed, as well as to struggle in earning money for the family needs.
“Sa lahat ng nasaktan, gusto ko malaman mo pinagdaanan ko din mga sinasabi niyo God knows. Nagcollect ako ng pictures. Dumating ako sa point na lumuluhod ako nagmamakaawa kay God para may makain the next day, pangbayad sa tuition… sa bahay, bills,” she said. “Naranasan kong wala nang trabaho kaya siguro sobra ko pahalagahan.”
(To those who were hurt, I just want you to know that I’ve experienced the same thing. I collected pictures of my past. I even reached the point wherein I begged God for food to eat the next day, for money pay for tuition and utility bills. I also experienced being unemployed, this is why I appreciate what I have now.)
The vlogger then admitted that she had made a mistake with her “choice of words” and clarified that her follow-up point is not meant to save face in the public eye in the comments section. Bartolome added that her throwback photos are a way of being “sincere” in “admitting that error.”
“Sa di tatapos ng post, I admitted mali ang choice of words ko. And I’m only sharing these experiences in hopes [of showing] sincerity of me admitting that error and not just to save face, kasi like all of you may pinagdaanan din ako [so the last] thing I’d want to do is hurt any of you… That is the purpose of this post,” Bartolome said.
(To those who didn’t finish reading this post, I admit that my choice of words was wrong. And I’m only sharing these experiences in hopes of showing my sincerity in admitting that error and not just to save face. Because like all of you, I went through a lot of hardships too. The last thing I’d want to do is to hurt any of you.)
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Donnalyn
In a now-deleted post on Friday, Jan. 6, Bartolome called out one Mary Rose Sindol for accusing her of “justifying her poverty porn and thirst for clout.”
“Nagpakumbaba ako sa lahat pero hindi sayo. Mary Rose Sindol, sayo ‘to. [Ang talino] mo eh. Gawin na natin tong national issue cause on a deeper level, it actually is. How connected OFWs and POVERTY is. Inadmit ko nang mali ako, di ka parin solve. Nagshare ako ng struggles hoping marealize nila sincere ang pag admit ko sa wrong words I used, na di ko mean manakit kasi naghirap din kami kaya bakit ko gagawin yun,” she began. “Oo nagkamali ako, mali man wordings pero yung intention ko dun malinis. Maglift ng spirit, namali lang ng salita, hindi sinadyang mang-invalidate.”
(I’ve humiliated myself just to apologize to everyone, except for you, Mary Rose Sindol. You’re smart. Let’s turn this into a national issue because overseas Filipino workers and poverty are connected on a deeper level. I admitted that I was wrong, but you didn’t accept my apology. I’ve shared glimpses of my past struggles to help people realize that my apology was sincere. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Yes, I’ve made a mistake with my wording, but my intention was clean. To lift people’s spirits, but I made a mistake in my use of words. But I didn’t mean to invalidate other people.)
Bartolome went on to challenge the Facebook user to reveal her job on social media. However, Sindol has yet to address the vlogger’s remarks in the comments section.
“10 YR OLD BANANA Q SELLER NANAY KO NOON. Saan ka nagtrabaho Mary Rose Sindol, since you’re claiming you know more about how it feels like to be poor,” she added.
(My mother was a banana cue seller; I was 10 years old then. What is your job, Mary Rose Sindol, since you’re claiming you know more about how it feels like to be poor?)
Apart from netizens, Bartolome’s controversial remark caught the attention of Filipino drag queen Eva Le Queen, social media personality Janina Vela and TV host Kim Atienza, who noted that the vlogger is a good person but that her statement “hit a raw nerve” among the “majority of the working public.”
The “Kakaibabe” singer previously drew flak for hosting a “kanto” birthday party in August 2022 and having a sexy baby-themed shoot in July 2022. /ra
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