'Story of my life': The irony in Marian Rivera's spaghetti for COVID-19 frontliners

MANILA, Philippines — Kapuso actress Marian Rivera thoughtfully prepared dozens of containers with spaghetti to support our country’s frontline healthcare workers as they face the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak head-on.

“Another special day in the kitchen as I prepare some snacks for our frontliners at the UP [National Institutes Of Health] and National Center for Mental Health. Hope you’ll enjoy this meal I made for you...Stay strong and healthy. Maraming salamat sa inyo (Thank you very much)!” Marian posted Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

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Another special day in the kitchen as I prepare some snacks for our frontliners at the UP NIH and National Center for Mental Health. Hope you’ll enjoy this meal I made for you ???? Stay strong and healthy. Maraming salamat sa inyo! ????

A post shared by Marian Rivera Gracia Dantes ???????? (@marianrivera) on Apr 27, 2020 at 1:33am PDT

Unfortunately, her well-intentioned gift packs an unintentional superstition among the ranks of Filipino health practitioners.

So... Who's gonna tell her? https://t.co/6j2kAppHMd

— Kim (@kmrvmd) April 28, 2020

Apparently, spaghetti, along with fellow crowd-favorite merienda pancit, are dreaded symbols among hospital circles that represent long and tiring shifts.

Is the pancit/spaghetti myth in hospitals the equivalent of FPJ giving pancit to nanay Anita Linda tapos raratratin ng kalaban yung bahay nila at mangangako ng paghihiganti laban kay Paquito Diaz/Eddie Garcia/Johhny Wilson si FPJ?

— Bahala na si Batman (who doesnt sparkle) (@kehgandahan) April 28, 2020

A social media user who claimed to be a former nurse humbly pointed this out to Marian on her post.

“Thanks po sa tulong niyo with this spag for frontliners...natawa lang po ako kasi bilang isang nurse po dati, we have a saying po na 'WAG MAGBABAON NG PANCIT O SPAGHETTI sa shift kasi NAKAKAHABA NG DAMI NG PASYENTE'...pero that's just a myth naman,” read the comment.

(Thank you for helping with this spaghetti for frontliners...I just found it funny because as a former nurse, we have a saying that 'DO NOT BRING PANCIT OR SPAGHETTI LUNCH to the shift because IT MULTIPLIES THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS'...but that's just a myth anyway.)

sinabi ko na!! hahahaha pic.twitter.com/cGrqzkuLvd

— pistolPete (@enjey27) April 28, 2020

Unwitting joke aside, Internet praised Marian for her generous gesture for the country's COVID-19 frontliners.

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