CEBU, Philippines - Wala pa mutubag ang ABS-CBN sa hangyo sa UP Los Banos nga ipaklaro kung gibase ba sa tinuod nga hitabo ang istorya sa “Blusa” MMK episode starring Angel Locsin o mugna lamang sa imahinasyon.
Kini tungod kay matud pa ni Prof. Ma. Stella Tirol, sa Office of Public Relations Director of UP Los Baños, bisan unsaon nilag pangita sa ilang records wala silay graduate nga mohaom sa istorya sa MMK.
Niya pa buot nila nga klarohon sa MMK ang gibasehan sa maong episode tungod kay ang gipakita” affected the reputation of UPLB as an educational institution.” Ang suwat ni Tirol nga gipatik sa PEP nagkanayon: ”Our attention has been called by constituents and alumni to an episode featured in Maala-ala Mo Kaya entitled “Blusa,” which was aired on ABS-CBN on Feb. 28 and on TFC recently. Our constituents and alumni were concerned whether the episode was based on truth.
The story was of a woman who allegedly graduated BS AgriBusiness, summa cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños or UPLB, who could not find a job, and ended up a stripper. We tried to find out who the subject was by tracking all 27 of our summa cum laude graduates from the time the University was established in 1909. We could not find anyone matching the subject as portrayed in “Blusa.”
Whether or not the subject was a UPLB graduate, we deeply sympathize with her and her family. However, in the interest of maintaining its reputation as a truthful storyteller, the MMK should have a mechanism to validate claims by letter senders especially those that require a stretch of imagination as to be believed.
While indeed touching and a perfect example of a human-interest story, “Blusa” regrettably affected the reputation of UPLB as an educational institution and its constituents and alumni. We therefore request ABS-CBN to set the record straight and correct the wrong impression that it created among its viewers. We also make an appeal to producers of similar programs to be more prudent in reporting stories with claims that would affect the reputation not only of a school but also of its alumni in the Philippines and abroad.”