A former beauty queen, now fashion model, turned to Facebook to bash the upscale Balesin Island Club for including in the menu a dish exclusively for nannies.
British-Filipino Maggie Wilson-Consunji described the introduction of the “yaya’s meal” as offensive and shocking.
“Yayas, drivers, nanny’s, the help, they are all people too and they should also have a choice on what they want to eat! I was so shocked that the management actually allowed such a rule! I am disappointed in Balesin!” said Wilson, who is married to real estate mogul Victor B. Consuji. They have a son named Connor.
The incident was initially reported by the Coconuts Manila website on Black Saturday and picked up by major news organizations.
Wilson, who represented the Philippines in the 2007 Miss World beauty contest, gave her full account of the incident on her Facebook account:
“My mom, Connor and his nanny, Nanay Belen, went to have a breakfast this morning. Our nanny ordered a meal and my mom wanted the same thing. The waiter said, ‘Oh, hindi pwede, kase that’s a yaya’s meal!’
“So when I checked the management, they said that they won’t stop the yayas from ordering what they want. Which is true because we were here for three days and not once was our nanny told she couldn’t order what she wanted. But they do however have a yaya’s meal; the waiter that served them was clearly not informed correctly.
“But still the fact that there are people who don’t want their yayas to eat whatever they want to is beyond me. Hence the resort having to offer a ‘yaya’s meal.’ I find that offensive,’’ said Wilson.
The former beauty queen said that her family has been a member of Balesin for over a year now and this is the first time that it happened.
Balesin Island Club was the venue for the lavish wedding reception of Senator Chiz Escudero and actress Heart Evangelista last Feb. 15.
Manila Bulletin
