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NIRESBAKAN ng kampo ni Bb. Pilipinas Universe Maxine Medina ang mga bashers sa social media ng Pinay beauty queen. Kumalat kasi ang mga negatibong komento ng ilang netizens tungkol kay Maxine lalo na sa pagsasalita raw nito ng English. May mga video kasing ipinost ang ilang bloggers kung saan mapapanood ang pagsagot ng dalaga sa mga tanong. May ilang Pinoy na hindi bumilib sa pagiging fluent ni Maxine. Isa sa mga nagtanggol sa dalaga ang mentor niyang si Mark Arthur Payumo Abalos, isang English Language training specialist, idinaan nito sa kanyang Facebook account ang kanyang saloobin tungkol sa panlalait kay Maxine. Narito ang mahabang FB status ni Mark Arthur: “I am writing this post to finally break my silence as one of Maxine’s mentors. When I learned that I’m going to work closely with Miss Universe – Philippines, I knew that there will be setbacks along the way. “For seven months, we had to meet and spend time together to get things done. We had to work on her personal growth and communication skills simultaneously. “I feel bad because of the online bashing that is happening at the moment. “It is not something new to me but just to give you a different perspective on the matter, my research (Abalos, 2012) on attitudes of Filipino English language learners show that the interpersonal, sociolinguistic, and sociocultural contexts have to do with how individuals communicate. “Situations may be viewed negatively by people who are not completely aware of the process of acquiring and learning a second language in formal and informal learning environments. Larsen-Freeman, Tananuraksakul, and Roh have written on particular aspects of this area of study. You may want to read first before you comment. “She is hardworking and she’s doing her best to become a better version of herself. Please stop comparing her communication skills to previous representatives and candidates. “We are second language speakers of English. Errors are normal. Even first-language speakers of English commit mistakes, too. “At the end of the day, it’s just a beauty contest. Maxine will still be beautiful. She’ll still be designing interiors. She has a beautiful life ahead. How about you? “For those who keep on sending me messages of ‘concern’ and ‘support’, I never doubted Maxine’s capabilities. As a language and communication practitioner, it is an honor to be given this responsibility. I know that she has what it takes to represent our country.” “I am very lucky to have trained one of the most beautiful persons that I’ve known in this lifetime. In this world full of critics, can we just be supporters instead? “Maxine’s pageant activities started today at 10 AM with an interview shoot from the Miss Universe team. Show your love by using the #4M4MU when you post pictures and messages of support online. “Maraming salamat po. Para sa bayan.”