Cedrick Juan. Image: Instagram/@cedrickgjuan
Cedrick Juan is lamenting the seeming prejudice against the local breed of dogs called aspin (asong Pinoy) for being “inferior,” while making a preference for foreign breeds.
Juan’s comment came after a public outcry stemming from a supposed “pet friendly” restaurant, Balay Dako, that turned away a pet owner who brought in an aspin, named Yoda.
On Tuesday, the GomBurZa actor shared a Facebook post from one Pilibustero on Facebook quoting historian Wensley Reyes, who said the discrimination about being Filipino has extended to its pet.
“Mula noon, hanggang ngayon. Kailan matitigil ang diskrimimasyon? Talaga bang inferior(maliit) ang tingin natin sa sarili natin bilang Pilipino at Asong Pilipino (From the past to the present, when will discrimination stop? Do we really think we Filipinos, and our breed of dogs, are inferior),” he wrote.
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Paul Cedrick Juan
The actor then pointed out that curbing “colonial mentality” starts with Filipino themselves.
“Sa atin magsisimula ito. Dami nating problema na naguugat sa colonial mentality (This starts with us. We have a lot of problems rooted in colonial mentality),” he said.
Juan’s post followed that of Heart Evangelista’s remarks alluding to the restaurant owner’s “lack of breeding” in not allowing Yoda to enter its establishment supposedly because of its “breed and size.” Yoda’s owner took to social media to denounce the restaurant’s unequal treatment of its pet guests, resulting in a backlash on the supposedly Filipino-inspired food joint.
The actor is a known animal lover, as he often shares clips of dogs on his social media platforms, while his longtime girlfriend Karen Toyoshima is a known animal welfare advocate.