BINI leader Jhoanna Robles gamely addressed criticisms thrown at the Nation’s Girl Group, admitting with a laugh that the members can indeed be “maarte.”
In her guesting on Ogie Diaz Inspires (Aug. 22 episode), Jhoanna said, “‘Yong maarte po, totoo naman po. Maarte naman po kami.”
She explained that their way of speaking, especially when using English abroad, was simply out of respect.
“Pero siyempre, nag-i-English po kami kasi nasa ibang bansa po kami. Para sign of respect din po do’n kasi ginuest po kami. Kahit papaano naman po, nakakapagsalita naman po kami ng English kahit kaunti lang ‘yong baon namin,” Jhoanna clarified.
BINI recently trended after their appearance in the People vs. Food YouTube series, where they sampled iconic Filipino street and snack foods like kwek-kwek, isaw, yema, betamax, turon, taho, hopia baboy, and balut.
Clips circulated online suggested that the girls reacted “maarte” toward the food, sparking criticism. But Jhoanna clarified that much of the hate stemmed from a spliced video taken out of context.
“Parang natatawa lang din ako sa mga comments ng iba na nakisakay sa hate train. Na feeling ko hindi naman pinanood ‘yong buong video. Saka iba po ‘yong pag-prep sa food. Kumbaga iba talaga ‘yong ditong gawang Pinas,” she explained.
Because of the damage caused by the edited clip, BINI—alongside their lawyer Atty. Joji Alonso—filed a case on August 18 against the individual who uploaded the misleading video.
Despite the controversy, BINI remains focused on their fans. The group is gearing up for a string of shows and fan meetings across Visayas and Mindanao.
“It’s time to bawi para sa Blooms namin sa Visayas at Mindanao,” Jhoanna said during their photo journal signing last Aug. 21.
They will hold fan meets on Sept. 28 in Cagayan de Oro (Limketkai Atrium) and Oct. 12 in Iloilo (Grand Xing Imperial Hotel). Pre-selling for Global Members opens on Aug. 29, with general sales on Aug. 30.
The girls will also perform at Coke Studio (Sept. 5), the Ibalong Festival (Sept. 6), and the Aurora Music Festival in Davao (Oct. 25).
To cap the year, BINI announced their first-ever BINIfied Year-End Party at the Philippine Arena on Nov. 29, promising fresh stages, solo numbers, and performances from their upcoming album.
“Sana available kayo sa November 29 dahil marami po kaming ihahandang performances sa inyo d’yan. First time namin itong year-end party na ito,” Jhoanna teased.
After wrapping up their BINIverse World Tour, releasing their BINIverse EP, and dropping the ‘Shagidi’ music video inspired by the Filipino game ‘Shagidi Shagidi Shapopo,’ the group is charging ahead stronger than ever—choosing to face bashers with humor, while doubling down on their commitment to their fans.
