Yesterday (28 March), Filipino actor Donny Pangilinan urged the public to stop comparing and bashing people. This came after a clip of actress Shuvee Etrata fangirling over him at a party went viral. For months now, many people have been comparing Shuvee to Belle Mariano, Donny’s screen partner. The recent video added more fuel to the fire, causing a fresh surge in toxic and hateful comments against both women.
Donny’s post could not have been clearer. He used the words “people” and “artists,” plural terms, when he asked everyone to stop the toxic comparisons. He described Belle as “beautiful, talented, with a great heart,” and said that Shuvee is his friend. Yet fans have continued to compare and insult the women, arguing that he was defending just Belle or just Shuvee. Some netizens are even spreading a screenshot of ChatGPT’s analysis of Donny’s post, claiming that it’s in favour of just one woman only, despite Donny explicitly asking people to stop comparing. Asking ChatGPT to pick sides? We’ve truly lost the plot.
Lately, Filipinos have also been comparing Ashtine Olviga and Kai Montinola, solely because of their perceived rivalry over actor Andres Muhlach. Ashtine is Andres’ screen partner across various films and TV shows including Ang Mutya ng Section E (The Jewel of Section E). Meanwhile, a lot of netizens believe that Kai fits Andres’ vibes more, after the two took photos together at a few events.
It’s worth noting that neither Ashtine nor Kai have confirmed any sort of romantic relationship with or interest in Andres. Ashtine has repeatedly said she and Andres are just friends, while Kai has only been seen around Andres a handful of times, all in a work context. This supposed love triangle exists in fans’ imaginations only.
Ashtine and Kai have also been spotted together several times, clearly friendly with each other. Yet the fans have created viral posts comparing these women’s various attributes and talents, from singing to appearance, as if they need to compete for a man’s validation.
It’s truly bizarre to witness, especially during Women’s Month. All of these young ladies are booked, busy, and beautiful. They possess wildly different talents and looks. But this endless discourse proves that the Philippines has a long, long way to go when it comes to recognising women as fully-fledged individuals, rather than just romantic prospects for men.
According to a 2023 survey by the United Nations Development Programme, a staggering 99.5% of the Filipino population held deeply misogynistic beliefs. It’s heartbreaking to see that nearly three years later, hardly anything has changed, and it permeates even pop culture. Is it too much to hope that in 2026, Filipinos will stop harassing women for existing and pitting them against each other?
A woman’s worth does not depend on any man’s validation, period. There’s room for more than one woman in the industry. It’s not a competition, and none of them ever agreed to be tossed into one.
