Dani Barretto finally spoke up about the controversy surrounding her comments regarding “utang na loob” to parents.
In a post shared on Saturday, April 6, Dani addressed the issue and what she really meant on the latest episode of her podcast, “Bare It All”.
“I don’t understand why something so simple and came from a place of love and concern blew out of proportion. But I guess that’s just how the world works nowadays,” wrote Dani.
The issue swirled around the online world following her point-of-view about parents who use the Filipino culture, “utang na loob”, to their children.
She later explained on her post that she didn’t mean that children shouldn’t practice of giving back but it’s unfair for parents who used it as a weapon to obliged their children to support them instead of letting them to give back voluntary and because of “out-of-love”.
“I was only addressing one group of people on that statement, which is the Filipino parents who guilt trips, forces, sinusumbatan mga anak nila, obligates and requires their children to provide for them and uses the word UTANG NA LOOB as a weapon to get what they want. Not the word utang na loob in general. Never ko po sinabi na wag kayo magtanaw ng utang na loob sa mga magulang niyo, never ko din sinabi na wag niyo sila alagaan,” Dani continued.
“Ang point ko lang po is that I think its unfair na gamitin ang word na utang loob sa isang bagay na dapat naman talaga ibigay or i-provide ng bawa’t magulang para sa mga anak nila. Such as (food, schooling, roof over their heads) ang pagtanaw ng utang na loob comes naturally to people, para saakin hindi mo dapat yun pinipilit or sinusumbat. Kusa po yun binibigay dahil mahal po natin ang mga magulang natin,” she added.
She also asked peope to “stop twisting” her words and encouraged them to watch the episode first before making conclusions about her and her character.
In a separate post on Tiktok, Dani also clarified on Sunday, April 7, what she really wanted to convey on her podcast.
“I never said na ‘wag kayong ma-gi-give back sa pamilya niyo, or ‘wag niyong susuportahan ‘yung pamilya niyo, or ‘wag kayong magiging mabuting anak at spoiled sila, at whatever you said in the comment section. I never said that. Wala po akong sinabing ganu’n,” Dani stated.
“Ang point po ng video na ‘yon is ang opinyon ko po is that giving back should be voluntary not obligatory. ‘Yun lang po ang opinyon ko. Hindi ko po sinabing mag-agree kayo or dapat ‘yun ‘yung sundan niyo. Opinyon ko lang po ang shi-na-share ko,” she continued.
She also emphasized that it’s the responsibilities for parents to provide education, shelter, and food to their children, and relate herself as a mom to Millie.
“Obligasyon po ng bawat magulang na paaralin, bigyan po ng bahay or roof over their heads ang kanilang mga anak, pakainin, bihisan, and all of that. Obligasyon po ‘yan ng mga magulang sa kanilang mga anak,” added Dani.
“Ang sinasabi ko lang po ay I thinks it’s unfair na ‘yun ang ginagamit na panumbat sa mga anak ‘pag lumaki na sila at kumikita na rin sila ng sarili nilang pera at ‘yun ang ginagamit na panumbat…Feeling ko po kasi ang pagbigay sa magulang at giving back in general is because mahal mo ang magulang mo, you wanna spoil them. Gusto mo silang bigyan ng magandang buhay. Gusto mong iparamdam sa kanila ‘yung pagmamahal na binigay nila sa’yo. You wanna give back because out of love hindi dahil sinumbat nila sa’yo lahat,” the celebrity said.
Dani is the eldest child of Marjorie Barretto with actor Kier Legaspi.