Social media was abuzz recently after a content creator blamed the reckless handling of his luggage by a local airline for the crack on his MacBook.
“Thank you so much Philippine Airlines! I already told you there was a fragile thing inside my luggage but still boogsh!” wrote James Afante, a digital creator with over four million followers,on his Facebook page on Wednesday, 26 February.
Some netizens, however, suspect the crack was there before the flight and the content creator was using it to build online engagement and to receive compensation from the airline.
‘Thank you so much Philippine Airlines! I already told you there was a fragile thing inside my luggage but still boogsh!’
“MacBooks have a metal casing, unlike the usual Windows laptops that are plastic. The crack can happen in certain instances: 1. An item was left by the user on the keyboard and he closed his laptop; 2. Something hard hit the LCD (liquid crystal display).
“Let’s say scenario 2 happened, why was only the cracked screen photographed? Where’s the picture of the casing/cover?” one netizen asked.
“His laptop might [have been] damaged already before boarding and he is just looking for someone to blame to have it replaced for free. Since it’s a MacBook, we all know that it’s pretty expensive,” the netizen added.
While airlines allow laptops to be checked in, it is highly recommended that passengers keep them in their carry-on bags as checked baggage are subject to rough handling, increasing the risk of damage, loss, even theft, a technology expert explained.
Further, lithium-ion batteries — found in most laptops — are better kept in carry-on luggage due to safety concerns, as overheating in a closed cargo hold can pose a fire hazard, he added.
And this is where it gets sketchier.
On Thursday, 27 February, Afante announced a “MacBook giveaway” to his followers in partnership with Digital Walker.
The mechanics are: Should follow both Afante and Digital Walker, should share Afante’s post, and should comment “boogsh” or “anything you want.” Winners will be drawn live on Saturday, 28 February, according to Afante.
He also urged his followers to purchase their gadgets from Digital Walker as their products are “usually cheaper.”
Now many are curious how Philippine Airlines will respond to the hullaballoo.
To mark the 28 February anniversary of the 2023 devastating oil spill in the Verde Island Passage, the municipality of Pola in Oriental Mindoro opened a community solar-powered water pump project.
The project is a testimony to the residents’ hopes for a future free from the polluting impact of fossil fuels.
It also showcases the resilience of the residents in the aftermath of the sinking of the tanker MT Princess Empress off the coast of Oriental Mindoro while carrying 900,000 liters of industrial oil, after the big business concerns that were one way or another responsible for the tragedy offered little help.
It was a classic example of corporate apathy despite the justified demand for compensation by the victims of the gross negligence.
Mindoro’s local government and its residents had to come up with long-term plans for the recovery of the biodiverse marine corridor and the impacted communities, and to prevent future fossil fuel-related pollution in the VIP all by themselves.
The MT Princess Empress, owned by RDC Reield Marine Services and chartered by a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), carrying 900,000 liters of industrial oil, sank off Naujan two years ago.
The toxic emission resulted in P41.2 billion in environmental and socio-economic damage, according to a study by the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development. Add to that the cost of a weakened fisheries trade.
Fishermen are now worried commercial vessels might enter the 15-kilometer municipal waters, which should be reserved for small-scale fishers.
The spread of pollutants led many municipalities of the province to declare a state of calamity and freeze the livelihood of thousands due to the imposition of a fishing ban.
Pola was among the hardest-hit municipalities, earning the label of ground zero.
Communities and environmental advocates have reason to worry about the health of the marine corridor, as the VIP continues to be among the busiest shipping lanes and the epicenter of fossil fuel developments in the country.