Screengrab from Instagram
Instead of “It’s more fun in the Philippines”, British tourist Elayne Peddy described her recent trip to El Nido in Palawan as the “worst four days of my life.”
Peddy was emotional while narrating what she claimed was her disheartening experience in her 13-minute video uploaded on her You Tube channel on March 27.
Peddy alleged that the island locals branded her with names such as ‘fat ugly monkey’ and ‘big black fat girl’.
She described El Nido as a ‘beautiful paradise’, but broke down in tears when she shared how the locals allegedly discriminated her. “My experience in the Philippines wasn’t that great. The whole experience has changed me a little bit,” she articulated. She also mentioned that she had been asked to pay twice the fare of a tricycle ride because of her size.
Peddy even cited an incident where a woman grabbed her belly while she was in the beach and called her ‘fat’.
“A whole group of people turned to laugh at me, and my confidence was disintegrated to pieces…It was awful,” she reiterated.
She added that she did not get that treatment when she toured Manila and Cebu.
A number of Filipinos swiftly apologized and comforted her on YouTube and Instagram.
Shalimar Hadjerel commented on Peddy’s video: “Sorry for the misconduct of some locals in El Nido. They are just ignorant and rude cause they were never been expose anywhere outside Palawan. I really admire you’re politeness and courage to face all their negative talks without even getting into a fight and I’m sorry it happened on your birthday.”
Another YouTube user, Leslie Tripoli, apologized in behalf of Filipinos, writing “I’m sorry if Filipinos treated you that way. Thanks for sharing this; it will serve as a lesson for all. Not just for Filipinos but for everyone. Everyone deserves to be respected.”
El Nido is one of Palawan’s renowned and splendid beach frontiers. Gianna Francesca Catolico, INQUIRER.net
