26/07/2025
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Humor has long been a way of coping for Filipinos, however, a line must be drawn between comedy and convenience. On July 23, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) received criticism from popular celebrities and ordinary netizens with the late announcement of suspension through a Facebook post. In times of crisis, using humor in official posts and public announcements during natural disasters and severe weather disturbance is a form of insensitivity, which forsakes real suffering and must be called out.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla and the administration posted with an unmindful choice of words. Informal language and sarcasm were evident as they named the people as "abangers" for asking about class and work suspension announcements. The delivery style of the aforementioned government agency gained comments for being inappropriate and faulty. Many Filipinos expressed discomfort, given the widespread flooding where many were stranded and hardship is being experienced across affected areas.
In times of uncertainty, people turn to official and credible sources, especially the government agency pages, for updates and reassurance. Humorous language may seem harmless to some, but it ignores the suffering of the very people these agencies are supposed to protect. Humor is not a way to address the lack of urgency. Government responses must be timely, factual, and most importantly, sensitive to those most vulnerable.
Even online posts of local barangays have drawn concern. Although these initiatives may not be malicious, they reflect a disturbing case of dehumanizing Filipinos by turning sufferings into social media content. The Hugot sa Tag-ulan Contest of Montalban councilor and E-Ayuda of Calumpit mayor raised callouts and genuine concerns. Flooded homes, lost belongings, and displacement are not themes to hold such contests. These inhumane acts turn aid into something to be earned, rather than something offered unconditionally.
Do the Filipino people expect humor to be the government's way of public service when lives and necessities are at risk? If so, then the so-called resilience of the people will remain as is, and meaningful change will continue to fall behind. One must ask: how much can the people bear? How long can the system afford to not evolve? How can humor be considered as a coping mechanism while the weight of recurring crises grows heavier? ๐ฆ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น, ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ. One must know that not all humor that sounds harmless is harmless in effect as well.
Cartoon by Querrol Rey Loto
