Humakot ng negatibong reaksiyon ang pagsusuot ng hiram na sablay ni Filipino-American sportswriter Pablo Torre sa Gold House 2nd Annual Gold Gala.
Ginanap ang event sa Los Angeles, California noong Sabado, May 6, 2023.
Ang Gold Gala ay dinaluhan ng ilan pang Filipino celebrities, tulad nina Lea Salonga at Liza Soberano, Tiktok star at U.S. Navy veteran Bella Poarch, at makeup artist/social media influencer Patrick Starr.
Naglabas ng saloobin ang netizens nang makita sa Instagram post ng Harvard graduate na si Pablo ang pagsusuot nito ng sablay na ginamit ng kanyang ama noong ito ay nag-graduate sa University of the Philippines.
Ayon sa post ni Pablo, naisipan niyang isuot ang sablay upang magbigay-pugay sa kanyang ama at ina, maging sa kanyang mga lolo na mga UP graduates.
“I didn’t go to UP. But both of my parents, and both of their late fathers, did. So shoutout to my dad for letting me borrow his sablay for one night, so I could pay tribute to all of them.”
Bagamat “in good faith” ang kanyang pagsusuot ng sablay ay binatikos ito ng ilan, paticularly mga alumni ng UP, dahil sa umano’y maling pagkakagamit nito.
Ini-repost ito ni Philip Jamilla noong Wednesday, May 10, sa Twitter kung saan ito muling humakot ng atensiyon.
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Narito ang ilan sa mga negatibong komento ng netizens:
“Kaya pala sablay siya kase the sablay is not even his but his dad’s.”
“Misrepresentation of Sablay”
“Di nalang siya nagbarong no”
“Could've just worn barong, e di wala sanang sablay.”
Narito naman ang komento ng ilang netizens in defense of Pablo.
“Okay, I know some of us in the UP Community have this obsession on who can [or] should wear the sablay, and I kinda went ‘what??’ when I saw this.”
“Having said that, his dad is a UP [alumnus] and Pablo’s from Harvard, so yeah, he can wear that whenever he wants. REPRESENT.”
“I’m from UP. Wore the sablay back in ‘93. If I’m not mistaken, I think we’re the first to do so. I don’t see anything wrong if he wants to wear it to honor his parents and ancestors. I’d find it wrong if it’s worn by someone pretending to be a UP grad.”
Sa opinyon naman ng ilan, narito ang basehan ng outrage sa pagsusuot ng sablay (published as is):
“As an alumna, this is so disrespectful...I worked hard for 5 years to earn [that] sablay and wear it. And you, who isn’t even a graduate of the university, used it as a costume and even wore it on top of a black suit...TAKE. IT. OFF.”
“The only time I got to wear mine like that was during my graduation ceremony and it symbolizes the fruit of my five years of ups and downs at the university. I don’t know when I’ll ever get to wear it again. Now you’re telling me some people just wear it like a costume?”
“UP was already difficult to get into, it’s even harder to get out of while earning that Sablay. It’s a badge of honor and a source of our pride as alumni of that university, so seeing it being worn by just anyone kinda devalues the meaning of it all”
“Bakit ka nag-sablay kung ‘di ka UP alum? Read his reply and it’s his dad’s. Personally offended by this [because] it’s so hard to wear that freaking cloth. Cried so much the first time I wore it during grad [graduation] shoot. It’s the cherry on top of all my blood, sweat, and tears.”
“[Wouldn’t] have any problems or issues if he was an alum, but it comes out to me that the sablay was used as a fashion accessory. Although, I understand the respect that he has for it. But you have to earn that sablay [before you] can wear it.”
THE PROPER USE OF SABLAY
Base sa website ng University of the Philippines, itinuturing ang sablay ng UP students bilang “official academic costume of the University.”
Pinalitan nito ang paggamit ng toga noong ma-introduce noong 1990s at naging official ang adoption noong 2000.
Ayon pa sa website, may mga opisyal itong gamit.
“Due respect should be given to the Sablay, it being the official academic costume of the University. Therefore, it should be used only during academic functions and activities such as:
- Recognition Programs
- Commencement Exercises
- Investiture of Chancellors and Presidents
- Awarding of Honoris Causa
- Other academic activities requiring the academic costume
- Official photo taking
Malalim ang simbolo ng Sablay, hindi lamang para sa university community kundi maging sa buong Pilipinas.
“The Sablay symbolizes our nationalism and the importance we put upon our indigenous culture, which are among the values learned from the University.
“The word ‘Sablay’ refers to an indigenous loose garment that, simple yet elegant, is used traditionally used for formal occasions,” dagdag na pahayag sa website.
Bagamat ito ay simbolo ng kultura ng mga Pilipino, malinaw ang respetong kinakailangang ibigay sa paggamit nito.
“Formal clothing should be worn with the Sablay as a sign of respect for the official academic costume and to preserve the solemnity and dignity of the occasions when it is worn.”
THE GOLD HOUSE GLITTER
Samantala, mahalagang okasyon ang pinuntahan ni Pablo.
Ayon sa Accesswire.com, ang host ng Gold Gala na Gold House ay kilala bilang “leading cultural ecosystem that unites, invests in, and champions Asian Pacific creators, companies, and communities.”
Kanilang itinatanghal ang Gold Gala to “honor the 100 Asian and Pacific Islanders who have most significantly impacted culture and society in the last year, voted on by the top Asian Pacific nonprofit, business, and creative leaders.”
Dinaluhan ito ng mga kilalang personalities sa Asia Pacific.
Kabilang sa hanay na ito sina actor/producer Sandra Oh, Global Chief Growth Officer ng McCann na si Michelle Tang at Midas investors Hans Tung (GGV), Eric Kim (Goodwater), Steve Jang (Kindred), Steve Lee (SV Angel).
Dumalo rin ang world-class talent na si Lea Salonga.
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