Veteran Filipino directors Erik Matti and Joey Reyes did not mince words when they recently criticized an episode of the new Netflix series Street Food that features delicacies from Cebu province.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Matti said the episode borders on poverty porn, a take Reyes agreed with in a comment.
The Netflix series dropped on the streaming platform on April 26 and features street food from cities like Cebu, Bangkok, Yogyakarta, and Singapore.
Many were ecstatic that the Philippines was included in the show, especially Cebuanos who are very proud of their culinary heritage. However, Matti was not pleased.
“The dishes except for lechon are food that are not really a staple of Filipinos. All the other Asian countries had their classic world-renowned street food while we had…bizarre,” he said in the Facebook post. “Bad research.”
“There are hundreds of original Filipino street food and they chose to show an esoteric eel dish and a goddamn Chinese fried vegetable lumpia! Whada₱@ck!”
The Cebu episode features Florencio “Entoy” Escabas, a cook who used his specialty nilarang bakasi (stewed seawater eel) to break the generational cycle of poverty while simultaneously helping his community.
It also features Leslie Enjambre who inherited her grandmother’s lechon (suckling pig) business; Ian Secong, the owner of the popular restaurant Azul which serves tuslob-buwa (Cebuano dish made up of sautéed onions, garlic, and pig brains); and Rubilyn Diko Manayon, a lumpia (spring roll) vendor.
Reyes, another prominent Filipino filmmaker, seconded Matti’s opinion and said that the episode was an “epic fail.”
“Whereas other Asian countries highlighted the celebration of food as a way of life, the Philippine segment showed food as an act of survival against poverty,” Reyes said.
“Excuse me, CEBUANOS are far above that.”
In a Facebook comment, Matti replied to a netizen agreeing with him and said:
“[W]hy do they keep on thinking Cebu is the food capital of this country. There are lots of regional food that are distinct: Ilocos, Bicol and Ilonggo food are distinct and diverse. Cebu and Davao have good food but not as diverse and unique as the others.”
Last night, Matti explained himself on Twitter and said: “I am not saying eel bakasi is not good. I am not saying Cebu food is not good. I love Cebu food. The eel bakasi is just not IDENTIFIABLY regarded as a quintessential Filipino street food that can represent our food to the world.”
“The question I wanted to ask was: given all street food in Cebu and the entire Philippines, is the eel bakasi the best and most important street food to showcase from our country to the world? Chinese lumpia as another street food entry in the episode,” he added.
Matti said that Ilocano fried empanada is much more truly Filipino.
“I was really hoping that we at least have chosen something widely regarded by most Filipinos and Cebuanos too as the street food that can represent us,” he said.
“I am not fighting for Manila food to be showcased. I’m Ilonggo. Wherever that is it’s fine. Cebu lechon is one of the best in the country. But I don’t think it would hurt to choose a generally regarded Filipino street food to best represent our country to the rest of the world.”
Many were angered by Matti’s comments and shot back at him, like Twitter user @oahow who said:
“I am not Cebuano and I think it’s insulting. Calling their food bizarre. Some of us are insulted when foreigners call balut (unfertilized duck egg) disgusting or bizarre. Let’s face it food to Pinoys is deeply personal. And it does say ‘Cebu’ specifically in the title.”
Welcome to Twitter! But to be fair, I am not Cebuano and I think it's insulting. Calling their food bizarre. Some of us are insulted when foreigners call balut disgusting or bizarre. Let's face it food to Pinoys is deeply personal. And it does say "Cebu" specifically in the title pic.twitter.com/Dp9DW0Xn0z
— Robin Sevilla (@oahow) April 30, 2019
So if a dish is not, by your standards, identifiably regarded as quintessentially Filipino, even if it is prepared and eaten by Filipinos in Cebu, then it is somehow less worthy of being featured? Does it hurt our image as a country that bakasi was picked to represent Cebu?
— choriza may stan account (@JosephYzrael) April 29, 2019
@liffrms said: “The show clearly says Cebu, Philippines sir so it doesn’t define the whole Philippines. I am also disappointed by the way you question the producers of the show on why they feature Cebu and not your hometown. Tsk”
The show clearly says Cebu, Philippines sir so it doesn't define the whole Philippines. I am also disappointed by the way you question the producers of the show on why they feature Cebu and not your hometown. Tsk
— kindle jenner (@pbrmss) April 30, 2019
@_pamelle called Matti out and said: “You just called Cebuano food as poverty porn! This is why people shouldn’t comment on things they habe (sic) 0 knowledge about.”
https://twitter.com/_pamelle/status/1122862326653181953
Matti defended himself from the netizen and said: “I said the EPISODE is poverty porn. It’s a term used in films where the filmmakers highlight the drama of a poor man’s story to get a sad reaction from the viewers. I did not use poverty porn to describe Cebu or Cebuanos.”
I said the EPISODE is poverty porn. It’s a term used in films where the filmmakers highlight the drama of a poor man’s story to get a sad reaction from the viewers. I did not use poverty porn to describe Cebu or Cebuanos.
— Erik Matti (@ErikMatti) April 29, 2019
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