Nadine Lustre raises concerns over Siargao tourists, tree cutting and government corruption

Nadine Lustre again gave netizens a piece of her mind. Often called "President Nadine" by supporters for speaking openly about topics some celebrities avoid, Nadine shared a strong and unfiltered message about social and political issues.

On Friday, May 22, Nadine posted a thread on her Instagram broadcast channel, “daily rant,” where she opened up about feeling overwhelmed by recent news and events. In the post, the actress reflected on what she described as a growing lack of respect in society today.

“Lately, things have been sitting heavily on my mind,” she explained. For her, it often felt like “another story, another video,” serving as a reminder of how troubling things have become. She pointed out that it wasn’t about isolated incidents, but a broader pattern of disregard she continues to witness.

From there, Nadine reflected on how respect, in her view, “goes far beyond basic politeness.” She described it as a form of awareness, an understanding that no one is above anyone else, and that people should move through the world with more consideration for others.

She pointed to several examples that have been weighing on her. One of them is the way some tourists treat locals of Siargao with entitlement and disrespect, as if hospitality means servitude. 

"You hear stories of aggression, entitlement, violence, and complete disregard for the community that existed here long before tourism ever did,” she lamented.

 For Nadine, it has been painful to see the island treated like a “temporary playground,” while locals are left to deal with the consequences.

She then turned to issues hounding the government, describing the situation as an obvious mess where corruption, incompetence, and performative concern seem to repeat in cycles. She said ordinary people are the ones who ultimately carry the burden for those in power.

Nadine also extended her reflections to the environment, lamenting how generations-old trees are being cut down in the name of “development” and “progress,” even when it often feels like a step backward. Watching nature being destroyed so casually, she said, feels unsettling given how essential it is to life itself.

She also strongly condemned the treatment of animals, saying their lives are often “disregarded” as if they only matter in relation to human convenience. Innocent creatures, she noted, are sometimes harmed without reason and treated as disposable simply because they cannot speak for themselves.

As she wrapped up her thoughts, Nadine said what makes all of this even heavier is how constantly people are exposed to such stories every day. “These are only some of the things I’ve been taking to heart lately,” she shared, adding, “there’s so much more.”

She concluded, “At the end of the day, the world doesn’t become gentler on its own. We have to choose it.”

With more than a hundred thousand members following her channel, she continues using the platform to address a range of social and environmental issues.