Nadine Lustre spoke out about issues involving governance, tourism, environmental destruction and animal welfare in a lengthy message posted on her Instagram broadcast channel.
The actress said recent events online left her feeling overwhelmed and reflecting on what she described as a growing “absence of respect” in society.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about how respect goes far beyond politeness. I think it’s consciousness. A way of moving through the world with awareness,” she wrote on Friday, May 22.
Lustre particularly highlighted the treatment of locals in Siargao, where she has been living in recent years.
“You see it in the disrespect locals here on the island continue to receive. The way some people come here and treat locals as if they are below them,” she said.
She criticized incidents involving “aggression, entitlement, violence, and complete disregard for the community,” adding that it was painful to watch visitors treat the island “like a temporary playground” while locals deal with the consequences.
Her comments came amid recent reports of alleged disrespectful behavior and environmental abuse by tourists in Siargao, including an alleged assault incident involving Israeli nationals and pro-Palestine locals.
Lustre also aired frustration toward the Philippine government, describing the current situation as a “blatant shitshow.”
“It’s so obvious that so many of them are just toying with us, treating people like we’re too blind to notice the corruption, incompetence, performative concern, and endless cycle of disappointment,” she wrote.
The actress likewise raised concern over environmental destruction, particularly the cutting of trees in the name of “development” and “progress.”
“It’s unsettling watching people destroy the very things that keep us alive so casually, as if nature is just another object to consume, reshape, or remove whenever it becomes inconvenient,” she said.
Lustre also condemned cruelty toward animals, lamenting how some people treat animals’ lives as disposable simply because they cannot speak human language.
Despite expressing frustration over social and political issues, she ended her message by encouraging people to practice compassion, mindfulness and respect for communities, nature and animals.
“At the end of the day, the world doesn’t become gentler on its own. We have to choose it,” she said.
Known for being vocal about political and social issues, Lustre has frequently used her platform to speak against misinformation and advocate for environmental and societal causes.