Jeraldine Blackman shuts down travel criticism

Filipina-Australian content creator Jeraldine Blackman is known for her candid takes on motherhood, family, and online life—and this week, she brought that same honesty to the forefront after receiving a wave of unsolicited questions and assumptions about her family’s latest trip to the Philippines.

In a social media post, Blackman cleared the air about everything from her travel plans to the names on her passport, her children’s school attendance, and even the family’s choice to fly business class.

‘Not a vacation’ but a homecoming

“This isn’t a vacation,” Jeraldine emphasized. “We are going to the Philippines to visit my family.” She revealed that the trip is a deeply personal return to honor her grandparents—Inang and Tatang—who raised her.

“My Inang passed away in 2022 and Tatang in 2021. It’s my Inang’s birthday today, June 28, and it would be lovely to go back home and light up a candle for her,” she wrote.

Addressing school rumors

Blackman also addressed criticisms about her children allegedly skipping school for the trip. She responded firmly: “THE KIDS HAVE NOT MISSED ANY DAYS AT SCHOOL.”

She explained that her family’s travels are carefully planned around school holidays. “Whenever you see us travelling, that’s because the kids are ON SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!!”

Passport names and paperwork realities

Fans also noticed that her airline booking used the name “Jeraldine Dispo,” not her married name. “I NEVER CHANGED MY NAME ON MY PASSPORT!!!” she wrote, explaining that while her Australian IDs reflect her married name, her Filipino passport still uses her maiden name. “I am still Jeraldine Blackman,” she assured followers, noting the nuances many dual citizens—especially women—navigate with documents across multiple countries.

On flying business class: just let them have fun

Rounding out her response with trademark humor, Jeraldine replied to comments about why the family flew business class: “That’s because… uhm, yeah I don’t know too ? just let us have fun.”

Whether she’s honoring her roots or dealing with internet noise, Blackman once again proved she’s all heart, humor, and unapologetically herself.