Aly Alindayu, one of the participants of an online dating game, has spoken out on her viral “englishera” remark in the show.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, March 12, Aly opened up to the public for the first time. She began her statement by stating she wants to be an advocate for anti-bullying, asking her followers for advice on how she can start.
She recalled how the viral clip had been the worst experience of her life.
“I didn’t do anything wrong and yet I got hate DMs, was made into memes, a sound bite, death threats and more. The hate wasn’t even from a few hundred, it was from tens of thousands of people,” she said in a statement.
“People who I don’t even know made assumptions and defined my entire character. This has caused me severe mental and emotional distress and has made me afraid of crowds due to the fear of being recognized,” she added.
Aly reflected on the situation and said that maybe she could have used different words, echoing what people told her. She continued, “I have experienced this ever since I was young. I get bullied no matter what language I use.”
She clarified that the guy in the video later on became her friend and was not offended by the things she said. What she told the participant was merely a preference and not a deal breaker. She stressed that she was not looking down on the guy or anyone.
“I may not have the typical American accent that you’re expecting but English is my first language. I spoke Taglish because it’s a Filipino show and I was adjusting. I hope you can see that I was trying,” she stated.
Despite this, Aly expressed her gratitude to the people close to her, including those she barely talked to who stood up for her. She also thanked celebrities and content creators who defended her.
“If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read this. To those who have sent me hate, I hear you. We have our own preferences and I forgive you and wish you peace,” she wrote.
Aly’s “englishera” remark drew flak online after an episode of Marion Aunor’s “Pusuan or Laruan” dating game was uploaded in September last year. During the segment, Aly popped her balloon, stating that she was concerned about the language because she is an "englishera."
She explained how she came off as strong to a lot of people that she had tried dating in the past and was concerned that the contestant might be overwhelmed.
However, the contestant assured her stating “In terms of language naman, I can adjust since mostly in my teaching career, I am teaching also international students. So I manage to adjust [with] both English and Tagalog.”
Aly then asked if it didn’t intimidate the contestant, but he replied that making a connection and adjusting on both ends was more important.
“One thing kasi sa relationship for me is you will adjust on both ends. If one is lacking, then maybe you can reach more on that person to make the connection,” he said.
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