I seldom do political blogs nowadays. I am not just disappointed by what is happening in my country but I am disgusted with some of the elected officials of the land. I wonder how they still manage to stay there. Or people somehow have become just indifferent that this could pass up as a joke? As they are fond of saying here, “joke, joke, joke”.
There was this senator who is a member of the powerful Commission On Appointment. They were on the verge of finally confirming the appointment of Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo the other day when he casually asked about her status as a single mom in such a derogatory way that it became viral on the internet. Gosh, the nerve of this well-known plagiarist. Clearly, he has no respect for women. He drew flak on social media and he was asked to apologize publicly but he said the social media can’t take a joke. My goodness, such sensitive issue should not be taken as such. It is offensive. He apologized later but said it was meant as a joke.
He said: “In the street language, when you have children and you are single, ang tawag lang ay na-ano lang. Thank you, you have my 100 percent support, Madam Secretary”.
What is exactly the meaning of na-ano? It probably means having children without the benefit of marriage or the marriage has gone kaput or just something like “so, so” if you know what I mean. Any which way, I don’t find it shameful if someone is single but is taking care of her kids. I wonder if he has even thought of his own daughter who is a single mom as well.
Taguiwalo replied saying: “Senator Sotto, I teach women’s studies in UP so we respect all kinds of families, and that include solo parents. Thank you.”
Just the other day, I blogged about the gift of being a mom, a precious gift that all of us moms, sons and daughters and even husbands should appreciate. I repeat, there is no shame in being a single mom. There is no shame in telling the whole world that you are both a mother and father to your kids. There is no shame in providing for their needs and seeing to their welfare. I would rather prefer being single than to have an irresponsible and philandering husband in the process.
I admire solo or single mothers. The responsibility of being a single parent is enormous. Such emotional effects on the children. The weight of single-handedly doing the job of parenting. Salute to all single parents out there.
Dreams And Escapes 