PCW: ‘It Really Hurts’ video of LTO employees lacks gender sensitivity

The “It Really Hurts” video of Land of Transportation Office (LTO) employees did not sit well with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) for its supposed lack of gender sensitivity.

The PCW said it was disappointed with how women were portrayed in the video, created by some employees of LTO Region III.

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PCW “believes that there are better and more effective ways to express the message other than having people, presumably their employees, perform gyrating dance moves that are totally irrelevant to the message that they want to convey.”

The video, which was an adaptation of vlogger and comedian Mimiyuh’s viral “It Really Hurts” challenge, showed traffic violations and their corresponding penalties.

The lyrics were changed to warn violators as female LTO personnel dance to the “It Really Hurts” challenge.

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PCW said the agencies should “raise the general public’s consciousness in recognizing the dignity of women and the role and contribution of women in the family, community, and society through the strategic use of mass media,” citing the Magna Carta of Women.

PCW said LTO should comply with the non-discriminatory and non-derogatory portrayal of women in all forms of media, communication, information dissemination, and advertising.

“Following this, all must be cautious as to the gender sensitivity of all media content, especially when it is targeted for the general public,” PCW said.

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“This is critical during this digital era when many government agencies harness the power of social media and hook into trends to spread information on their campaigns,” it added.

LTO “It Really Hurts” Video not official campaign material

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran clarified that the video is not an official campaign video of LTO.

“The content was neither posted on official social media platforms of the LTO nor the DOTr,” she said.

“The act was not initiated by the agency, but was made voluntarily by a group of well-meaning women who wanted to help promote the campaigns of their agency,” she added.

“Instead of just making it for fun, these ladies thought of adjusting the actual song in a way that can inform, using the same language of their stakeholders, primarily the drivers, commuters, and millenials who are aware of the challenge,” Libiran told GMA News Online.

“The message is—It Really Hurts Na Magmulta, Kaya Magtino Ka Sa Kalsada,” she added.