Training video insulting to Filipino healthcare workers withdrawn

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Filipino community leaders and the Philippine Embassy on June 28 lauded a California-based company for its decision to delete a scene in its customer service training video that negatively portrayed Filipino healthcare workers.

CRM Learning of Carlsbad, California, said it will also withdraw the training video from the market after the Philippine Embassy, the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) and the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) told the company the customer service training video violated cultural sensitivities.

“We welcome the expeditious and comprehensive action taken by CRM Learning in addressing the concerns expressed by members of the Filipino Community in connection with their customer service video,” said Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.

The CRM Learning video, entitled “It’s a Dog’s World,” showed two Filipina healthcare employees gossiping in Tagalog in front of an American patient. A Filipina nurse who took offense after seeing the video during a hospital training workshop reported it to Filipino community leader Victoria Navarro who in turn brought it to the attention of Ambassador Cuisia.

“While we understand that it was intended as a parody, we felt that it was unfair to single out and depict Filipinos as insensitive and disrespectful employees who do not care at all about good customer service,” said Navarro, Co-Director of the Philippine Humanitarian Coalition and the immediate past president of PNAA, who actively engaged CRM Learning on this issue.

MHC Executive Director Arnedo Valera said the video not only offended Filipinos but also went against existing guidelines on the “English Only Rule” in the workplace that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission struck down as language discrimination and violative of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“This advocacy and ensuing collaborative effort, respectful and direct communication exchange make this process a good model to follow promoting respect and celebration of diversity, the hallmark of America,” said Valera who is also PNAA Foundation legal counsel.

In his letter to Ambassador Cuisia, Navarro and Valera, CRM Learning President Peter J. Jordan said his company is committed to the principles of diversity and did not intend to create a scenario that is disrespectful or stereotyped Filipino employees. He said health care training professionals reviewed and critique the training videos before it was released.

Jordan said that once the revised version of the video is completed, all copies of the original version of the video will be withdrawn from their inventory. He said CRM will also notify all previous buyers of the video that they may exchange their copy or copies of the original version for the revised version at no charge.