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This is my first post on Dona Victorina...
To be honest, I've been a lurker of the blog for the longest time and have talked about many of the topics posted in the forums on my Manila morning radio program with Mo Twister and Grace Lee (Good Times on Magic 89.9 http://www.magic899.fm/).
This time, instead of borrowing content from Dona Victorina, I just had to share a bit of news with the blog and post it here as it really got my goat.
In a news item discussed by Mo on our show, I was appalled to learn how ignorant some people can be.
In Australia, an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) was fired from his job for not using toilet paper. (For those of you who may not be familiar, many Filipinos use water to clean themselves after using the toilet... google the word “tabo” and you'll know what I'm talking about.) I'm sure this is a common practice in other countries as well, but from a Western viewpoint the idea may seem all too unfamiliar to say the least. However uncommon as it may seem to some... having a "tabo" taboo would just be plain ridiculous to many others!
Below I've pasted the original story where we got this news item and the details of the incident are discussed there fully.
Now I'm not making generalizations here and saying that people from Australia (or any other nation in its entirety for that matter are totally ignorant)... the Australian boss(es) responsible for firing the OFW is the ignoramus I would like to call out.
It's not a first world vs third world issue. It's not a race vs race issue. What it is is a toilet paper vs “TABO” issue!
Not too long ago, some ignorant people in Canada found it inappropriate for children to eat with a spoon and fork (which is a Filipino custom) as opposed to the “traditional” knife and fork method. Now, in the Land Down Under there are even more ignorant people telling others what people should and should not use to clean their asses?!
What is this world coming to?
No matter what country you're in, can't we all just get along and stop the closed-mindedness that is so surprisingly prevalent in this world? Or in other words: “Please cut the CRAP and let us get on with our lives by acknowledging that YES there are others who are different from me, and YES there is more than just one way to get the same things done."
Toilet Paper or Tabo ... as long as you take care of your personal hygiene, that's fine by me!
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Amador Bernabe fired for 'un-Australian toilet habits'
A MAN who uses water instead of toilet paper says he was sacked for his "un-Australian" toilet habits.
Amador Bernabe, 43, is a machine operator in Townsville on a working visa from the Philippines, the Townsville Bulletin reports.
On Thursday, he claims his foreman followed him into the bathrooms questioning his toilet hygiene.
Mr Bernabe said his employer, Townsville Engineering Industries (TEI), sacked him yesterday for not going to the toilet the Australian way.
"I went to go to the toilet and I took a bottle of water when my foreman saw me and he said, 'you can't bring the water in there'," Mr Bernabe said.
The foreman followed Mr Bernabe into the toilet despite his protests.
"I said it's my personal hygiene. I didn't break any law, I didn't break any rules of the company, why can't I do this, and he said he would report me to the manager.
The next day, Mr Bernabe says he was called into the manager's office.
"He asked me what had happened and I explained to him and he said if I didn't follow the Australian way I would be immediately terminated and I said 'sir, then you better terminate me'."
The move has angered union bosses and politicians on the Australia Day weekend.
Australian Manufacturing Worker's Union state organiser Rick Finch said the incident was shocking.
"I think it is atrocious, an invasion of a person's rights and cultural beliefs," he said.
"If it wasn't so disgusting it would almost be laughable."
Greens spokeswoman Jenny Stirling praised Mr Bernabe for standing up for his rights.
"I commend the man for standing up for himself and I encourage the employer to have further talks with the union and the employee and I am s
ure commonsense will prevail," she said. "I would like to see how Australians feel when they go to Europe where in places they don't have toilet paper."
TEI could not be reached for comment.
