FORMER PBA courtside reporter Ira Palo-Neypes said she decided to come out about how she lost her dream job for the sake of people like her who were stripped of their livelihood as well as future generations of dreamer.
The daughter of former Shell star Vic Pablo shared numerous people from the network that broadcast the PBA's games reached out to her to show support and share their own sad stories a day after she revealed losing her job because 'mataba daw ako.'
READ PBA courtside reporter says she lost job due to 'weight discrimination'
"Overwhelmed by the outpour of support and messages I received over the past few hours, because of this, former colleagues and even those that came years before I entered the sports media industry, have shared their experiences with me and they also suffered the same fate under the same person. These are our cameramen, writers, producers, and other co-talents that were left hanging. They lost their jobs over the most absurd reasons that blow my mind until now," she wrote on social media.
Pablo said: "Madami kami, but I was the first to speak up."
Pablo shared she lost her dream spot as one of the PBA's courtside reporters because she was disciminated upon due to her weight and physique. That happened in 2022, yet it was only last Tuesday that she finally had the guts to speak her truth.
On Wednesday morning, she once again took to social media to explain.
"If the reason I became a PBA courtside reporter was to eventually be the voice of those who cannot speak up, then I have served a bigger purpose that is far more important than basketball, kasi ito na 'yung laban ng totoong buhay."
Aside from her younger self, whose dreams were left shattered, Pablo said she owes it to the future generations to speak her truth.
She added: "Hindi kami 'yung kawawa, matatanda na kami eh. Pero paano 'yung mga anak namin na nag aaral pa at may mga pangangailangan? You have removed our ability to provide for our children... This one is for my two kids.
"Never underestimate the power of a providing mother."
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