Former PBA reporter Ira Pablo claims she lost job due to physical appearance: 'Mataba raw ako'

"Nagtataka ako kung bakit nagsimula na yung next conference, pero wala pa rin akong schedule," she added.

It was then that auditions for new PBA reporters were held, but Pablo said that she received no notice from the management or network that she would be replaced.

"Akala ko magdadagdag lang talaga ng reporters. The new reporters, who all had minimal to no basketball sportscasting experience by the way, started coming in and they all had one thing in common—they were all petite-sized women," she said.

"Mayroon ngang nakuha na hindi sports ang background niya. She is also petite in built," she added before clarifying, "Wala namang masama sa unexperienced, everyone can learn sportscasting. Pero PBA na kasi to eh, it’s not the place for a sportscasting training ground. At least not for me."

While Pablo had no issues with new reporters coming in, she wondered why she lost her job, especially since her replacements were beginners.

She eventually learned about "what was really going on" from some members of the production.

"The head of the network, who is a female if I may add, didn’t want a lot of plus-sized girls as reporters for PBA. In short, body type ang naging basehan," Pablo claimed.

She went on to express her disappointment at how women are objectifying other fellow women in a male-dominated workspace before sharing that it was actually her male co-workers who helped her in her field.

"Did you know that it was the men from the sports production team that gave me great and helpful feedback? Like, 'Ira ganda nung reports mo kanina,' 'Nice questions,' 'In your future interviews, try to be more straight to the point para mas snappy,' 'You’ll get there soon,' 'Okay rin kung mainterview mo din tong player na to next time para mas in depth ka,' 'Good coverage today,' 'Nagustuhan ni direk yan,'" Pablo recounted.

"The women, on the other hand gave me comments like, 'Send me a picture of your makeup and outfit first for approval,' 'Wear thicker contour para mas maliit tignan yung mukha mo sa camera,' 'Di'ba sinabi mo na gagawin mo lahat para maging reporter? Bakit di ka sumusunod? We said to wear your hair down, why do you keep tying it up?'" she continued.

Lamenting about how "it was a male who got [her] in PBA, but it was a female who kicked [her] out," she further claimed that this was not the first case that the management removed a reporter from her job because of petty reasons such as weight.

Pablo highlighted, however, that she has since moved on from the issue as she called her time as a courtside reporter a "great and unforgettable experience" despite how short-lived it was.

"I owe this post to my current self—to know that my worth isn’t measured in pounds, but it’s the number of opportunities I still create for myself despite rejection and discrimination," she stressed.

Overwhelmed by support

In a subsequent post, Pablo expressed her appreciation for the support and messages she received over the past few hours since sharing her story.

Her post also inspired former colleagues and even those who came years before she entered the sports media industry to share their experiences on how they "also suffered the same fate under the same person."

"These are our cameramen, writers, producers, and other co-talents that were left hanging. They lost their jobs over the most absurd reasons that blow my mind until now. Madami kami, but I was the first to speak up," Pablo said.

"Hindi kami yung kawawa, matatanda na kami eh. Pero paano 'yung mga anak namin na nag-aaral pa at may mga pangangailangan? You have removed our ability to provide for our children," she stressed.

She noted how those who are still in the network are clinging to their jobs to avoid suffering the fate of those who went ahead.