Kapuso star and single mother Jennylyn Mercado has always been outspoken on social media, especially when it comes to fighting for what she believes in. Last August 31, the mother of one used her Twitter platform to respond to a tweet criticizing single mothers. “Respeto naman sa mga babaeng inanakan lang,” the tweet mentioned, ending with three “oops emoji."
Jennylyn, being a single mother herself, reposted a screenshot of the tweet, saying, “To all the single moms out there, never let comments like this get to you.”
“Having a kid early doesn’t make you less of a woman. In fact it’s the opposite,” she continues. “Being a single parent made us stronger than ever. Mahirap maging nanay at tatay ng ating (mga) anak pero kinakaya natin.”
After making a case for the courage that comes with being a single mother, Jennylyn continued by giving a few inspirational words, “Kaya always hold your head up high. We are more powerful than they think we are.”
Her tweet instantly gained traction among Twitter users, including celebrity Chynna Ortaleza, who hailed Jennylyn for her words: “Go Jen! Hindi madali maging single parent at lalong hindi madali na maging maayos sa mga tao na [nagka] misunderstanding before. Eh Ikaw.. kinaya mo lahat yan. So, apir!”
Fellow single mothers also quickly rallied behind Jennylyn, who agreed with what she said and even shared some of their personal experiences.
“Single moms face different situations sa pagtataguyod mag-isa ng anak o mga anak. It will never be that smooth. Criticisms are always there, the world is unkind too. But your child and good moral is what matters,” @MarNobino said.
“I've been there, but being a single mom doesn't mean that we deserve less respect,” @absolutelykeipi said.
Even children who have been or are being raised by single mothers stood behind Jennylyn’s words. “Nasaksihan ko yung hirap ng nanay ko na itaguyod kaming apat na magkakapatid, di pa nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral yung nanay ko, pero kinaya nya itaguyod kami. Talagang bibigyan ko siya ng respeto,” @mightyraraffee shared.
“Kudos to you! You have my highest respect. I was born and raised by a single mom as well so I feel you,” shared @timid_allen.
In fact, the conversation also grew to include tweets from single fathers, who also shared Jennylyn’s sentiments on how hard it is to raise children on your own.
If there’s a general consensus from the viral thread, which has now garnered over 1.4K retweets and 16.3K likes, it’s that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.
Jennylyn has been a single mother since she was 21. Her son Jazz is now 11 years old. When Preview.ph featured the now 33-year-old actress last February, she mentioned that raising her child all by herself is her greatest achievement in life. She was able to do so while juggling her acting career, as well as managing a few businesses left and right.
To cap off her message to single mothers, Jennylyn leaves them with this: “Whatever you say, you can and will never bring a strong woman down.”
Keep inspiring, Jen!
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