Who says Food and Politics don’t mix?
our choices of food determine a lot of things from politics to economy – wendell berry
I think most of you know that I have a Food Recipe Blog ( with over 6400 subscribers. I like to keep in touch with my readers so I invite them to add me in my facebook and the Facebook Fan Page for the Pinoy Recipes which has around 3,185 fans.
Everything was fine and dandy until I posted a link Join the Manolo Quezon For Senator a group for people who would like to see Manuel L Quezon III elected as senator on 2010. Of course I know, it is a food fan page but I forgot other facebook members can join. I took for granted that the members were also my readers. It didn’t help that the profile photo of the Facebook Fan page was Leche Flan.
Naturally, I got a few violent reactions
Ed says:
I dont like this. Airline business is your objective here in facebook. Dont ever try politics, its so not. Is your candidate that cheap on campaign? I’l just remove myself from being a member of this group. Sorry..!
Jimmy says
keep politics out of the club, ull lose a lot of fans that way, its sad but true…
then Margarita
This is an example of how sad the state of our country is..Even a Pinoy Food Recipe site has to be subjected to our maladies. I can understand the sentiments of those who said they do not like mixing food with politics. It is after a ll a food fan site.
Who did they think I was? A factory or robot giving away free recipes that I tested in my kitchen? So I changed my profile photo of me cooking in my old kitchen. Then added:
I changed the profile photo of this Food Recipe Fans Page so you know the person behind this fan page is a mom blogger with varied interests. If you are just after the recipes, this fan page is not for you. Starting today, I will share links totally unrelated to food recipes so be forewarned. Just leave if this is not your kind of thing. Good day and Happy cooking from my kitchen to yours
Anyway, who says food and politics don’t mix even in Facebook Fan Page? In fact there is such a word as Food Politics. Food politics are the political aspects of the production, control, regulation, inspection and distribution of food. The politics can be affected by the ethical, cultural, medical and environmental disputes concerning proper farming, agricultural and retailing methods and regulations.
Now if our economy suffers due to inept leadership, basic food prices may increase. The ingredients in my recipes may be hard to procure or too expensive to purchase. As a mom, I make it my business to be aware of my politicians, or future politicians.
Government policy now plays a significant role in the production, safety, and distribution of food. The government can regulate the proper storage and preparation of foods, and the enforcement of these regulations has been strongly influenced by public outcry following outbreaks of food poisoning. As a result the inspection of food has become a function of the government.
Our government policy plays a significant role in the production, safety, and distribution of food. The government can regulate the proper storage and preparation of foods, and the enforcement of these regulations through the Food and Drug Administration. Remember the Peanut Butter food poisoning? As a result the inspection of food has become a function of the government.
I also don’t blame them for feeling like I imposed the link to them but like SPAM, they could have just ignored the Manolo Quezon For Senator .
You can also do the same….I urge you to join the group to draft Manolo Quezon For Senator . We need good men in the Senate. Oh yes, and Manolo loves to eat whenever we hold a plurkfiesta.
This is about me ( a 
well politicians indulge in food as well…
as suggested in our last meeting it would be nice to check which food these politicians eat to keep them on their toes…
or what is the favorite food binge of their campaign staff…
i believe it is a fiesta everytime they go around, check on a campaign sorties budget – food would make a fourth of it… if not one of the most pressing concern of a host…
Eat well, Vote well, folks !
peterahon´s last blog ..One Day Hiring at SM
Ma’am Noemi,
If you take on the perspective of your Food Blog Subscribers, you will easily see their point.
If they wanted opinions on politics or housekeeping, they will subscribe to the AboutMyRecovery Fan Page and not the Food Blog Fan Page.
Imagine if you subscribe to a newsletter from Manolo Quezon and then got an email from there to buy Herbalife, Fern C or join the El Shaddai I am sure that you will also get offended.
If you search for Pinoy Food Blog on Facebook, you will get a search result like this:
Pinoy Food | Free Filipino Food Recipes
Pinoy Food | Free Filipino Food Recipes – Pinoy Cooking, other Food Recipes
pinoyfoodblog.com
There’s no warning there that Politics is included. Or Travel, or Fashion. Good thing it was just Manolo Quezon you were promoting. What if it was an unpopular person like Mikey Arroyo or Mike Defensor?
I would suggest you open up a separate Fan Page for Politics and Civic Works and hopefully it will also draw the same thousand of fans like Pinoy Food Blog.
I think this is just a small issue that can be easily corrected by creating several fan pages for specific purposes and topics.
Miss Noemi, I agree with bernice. Food Blog became what it is because of its subject – food. It talks about food in the same way that the PCIJ blog talks about current events. If you wish to talk about politics, then you should have just created a separate fan page for this topic.
“Imagine if you subscribe to a newsletter from Manolo Quezon and then got an email from there to buy Herbalife, Fern C or join the El Shaddai I am sure that you will also get offended.”
—>True. Please understand that many of our fellow Filipinos are so disillusioned with politics that they want to avoid it as much as possible.
They do. They really do!