Councilor Celia Flor called on employers in Bacolod to train their employees on how to deal with the public and help create safer spaces in the city after a university student was body-shamed in a modern jeepney on Wednesday, September 20.
In a statement on Thursday, September 21, the councilor said she was disturbed by the body-shaming incident that subjected the victim to discriminatory treatment by a modern jeepney conductor.
On the same day that the incident happened, netizens slammed the conductor of the modern jeepney for body- shaming Lanimae Joy Mag-aro, a psychology student at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos.
“This incident is a stark reminder that discrimination can manifest in various forms and can have a profoundly negative impact on individuals,” Flor said, adding “It is disheartening to witness such behavior within our community, and we must take a firm stand against it”.
The councilor, who heads the SP committee on women, gender, family, and childcare, cited City Ordinance 640 which “explicitly prohibits discrimination based on various factors and encompasses actions such as verbal ridicule and vilification”.
Flor reiterated that discrimination should never be tolerated regardless of one’s weight or any other characteristic.
She called on employers in Bacolod to train their employees, especially on how to deal with the public, and to be more conscious of their comments and actions to help create safe spaces for Bacoleños.
“We must foster an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone in our city, and I encourage members of our community to report any incidents of discrimination promptly,” she said.
Meanwhile, the UNO-R Psychology Program also released a statement calling out the incident, saying that the action harmed the victim’s self-esteem and perpetuated a damaging cycle of body negativity.
Judging someone solely based on their appearance is not only unfair but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes, it added.
“May this be a reminder for every one of us, that before making any judgment about someone’s appearance, it is crucial to put oneself in their shoes and consider the impact of hurtful comments”, the statement said.*