There’s a commercial by fast-food giant Jollibee that was released online days ahead of tomorrow’s annual celebration of Mother’s Day that should not only warm the hearts of many but is also a reminder to Sen.
Tito Sotto whose “na-ano lang” remark on Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo’s single motherhood drew the ire of many Filipinos.
The commercial told the simple story of a college graduate who gave tribute to his mother in his graduation speech, and it is about as effective as it is moving in delivering the message of how single mothers deserve to be recognized for their efforts in raising their children despite their difficulties.
The senator had been roundly criticized before for his alleged plagiarism of a memorable quote from a US official in one of his speeches against the then Reproductive Health bill.
While he brushed that criticism aside, his remark on Secretary Taguiwalo wasn’t so easily dismissed since he touched on a collective raw nerve and made light of a social reality for a lot of Filipino mothers who raised their children alone due to being widowed (as in the case of the working single mother in the Jollibee commercial) or being left behind by their husbands.
The subject of Taguiwalo’s single motherhood was raised during her appointment hearing on the Commission on Appointments, and so it was ill timing on Senator Sotto’s part to make that disparaging remark against the secretary, which had unfortunately drawn laughter from the gallery.
That laughter belies the outrage vented by netizens over Sotto’s remark as it shows that while there is growing acceptance of single mothers, there is still an undercurrent of discrimination towards them even if their singlehood either by choice or by circumstance is not their own fault.
It’s not just about single mothers though but also single fathers. In fact, we do have Republic Act 8972 or the Solo Parents Welfare Act to which Sotto vowed to introduce amendments before December this year.
And in Cebu City, we have a proposed ordinance to include single parents as cash aid beneficiaries of the city. But the amendments to the Solo Parents Welfare Act covers all single parents, and we welcome the senator’s promise to lobby for its inclusion in the Senate which we hope he delivers.
Whether or not the senator’s apology and change of heart was brought about by the netizens who pointed out that his own daughter is also a single mother or was driven by seeing public outrage over his remarks is insignificant at this time.
What is important is that the senator made a promise to help single parents receive benefits that can help them better take care of their children and themselves, and we hope that he also mobilizes support from colleagues for his amendments to the existing law.