Entrepreneur Glenda Dela Cruz received criticisms after stating in a vlog that the Bul-ul are being made by the Aetas from Itogon, Benguet.
In a YouTube vlog of Karen Davila entitled 'How Did GLENDA DE LA CRUZ Become A Billionaire at 27', the entrepreneur made the statement while doing a house tour and showcasing house decors.
“Pinapagawa po nila [talaga] yan sa mga Aeta na nandito po [talaga] sa Itogon,” Dela Cruz said pertaining to the Bul-ul figure in her house.
This remark gained negative traction from different locals in the Cordillera region highlighting the misinformation that the statement may entail.
Daniel Feliciano, a writer who focuses on the Cordilleras, said that the statement made by the entrepreneur is innaccurate because Bul-ul is typically made by Ifugaos in the Cordillera region and not by Aetas.
He also mentioned that Aetas don't consider Itogon, Benguet as their ancestral home.
"The ancestral homes of Aetas can be found in the provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Panay, Bataan, and Nueva Ecija," Feliciano said on his Facebook post on Friday.
Bul-ul is considered as figure of a Male Rice Deity that are commonly placed in granaries to guard the rice crop. Contrary to what was also mentioned in the vlog that Bul-ul is a 'Fertility God'.
Netizens mentioned the need fpr research and fact-checking when releasing these kind of contents that may need cultural sensitivity.
