The publishing house of the controversial Hong Kong textbook defining Filipinos as domestic helpers issued their official statement through a correspondent send to our editorial team. The company behind the textbook is the Educational Publishing House based in Hong Kong.
Photo Credit: Hongwrong.com
The controversial definition of the Primary 3 General Studies workbook garnered negative reactions among Filipino netizens and the topic went viral on various social media sites and forums not only in the Philippines but also in other countries were Filipinos thrive.
Filipino netizens expressed their sentiments through Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites about the description provided by the publishing company. The news which was first posted on www.hongwrong.com went viral online and it was picked up by major news media organization not only in the Philippines but in major international news website.
According to the explanation of the publishing company in response to the controversial workbook content, the Editor’s intention was to highlight examples of non-Chinese who live in Hong Kong and are familiar to local primary students, in order for the students to understand how different cultures live in harmony in Hong Kong.
The e-mail sender who identified herself as Vivian Wan, from Educational Publishing House, noted further that Hong Kong has never shown any prejudice towards different towards different occupations, but has always respected people who are hard-working and responsible. The examples used in this textbook are meant for the students to be thankful of people in various working positions.
The publisher of the controversial textbook defended its publication as the government of Hong Kong demanded apology, noting that their topic is all about “Racial Harmony.”
Here’s the Complete E-Mail Response of Educational Publishing House:
4 June 2014
Dear Editor,
In response to the recent news regarding the content of our Primary 3 General Studies workbook (https://philnews.ph/2014/05/31/hong-kong-textbook-defines- filipinos-as-domestic-helper- dh-photos/), the company would like to make the following statement:
For the topic ‘Racial Harmony’, the Editor’s intention was to highlight examples of non-Chinese who live in Hong Kong and are familiar to local primary students, in order for the students to understand how different cultures live in harmony in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has never shown any prejudice towards different occupations, but has always respected people who are hard-working and responsible. The examples used in this textbook are meant for the students to be thankful of people in various working positions. Domestic helpers are highly respected and greatly appreciated in Hong Kong. There are over 180,000 Filipinos living and working in Hong Kong, the majority as domestic workers, and they make an indispensable contribution to society. As members of their employers’ households, they are often treasured as part of the family.
All occupations have equal value, and we fully respect this.
The company always aims to publish high-quality textbooks to meet the needs of Hong Kong schools. We understand the concerns expressed and take them fully to heart. In view of the comments, we will consult different ethnic groups and other stakeholders for improvements so as to avoid any unintended interpretation of our teaching materials.
Should you have any questions, please contact Ms Vivian Wan at 852-2408 8801.
Best regards,
Educational Publishing House