By NEIL RAMOS
Celebrity food vlogger Erwan Heussaff earned praise from netizens after Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat announced he will be returning the R1-million payment he received for the controversial “Buhay Carinderia” project.
“Bravo Erwan, at least you’re not like the others,” said one.
“Well, makikita mo talaga ang totoong may delicadeza,” said another.
Heussaff, however, is yet to confirm Puyat’s statement.
Prior, Heussaff’s wife, actress Anne Curtis, defended her husband’s involvement in the contentious project, saying the former simply wanted to promote Filipino food globally.
“I know where Erwan’s heart is talaga when it comes to that: it’s always about pushing the Filipino food,” Curtis said.
She added, “’Yun lang naman ang gusto niya, ma-highlight ang pagkain ng mga Pilipino.”
The “Buhay Carenderia” project was spearheaded by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) under its former chief, actor Cesar Montano, who has since resigned following the controversy.
Meant to highlight Filipino street food and eateries, “Buhay Carenderia” was eventually put on hold after it was found out Mary Lindbert International, the advertising company behind the project, was already paid R80 million in advance for it.
In an interview, Puyat cleared Montano, saying the awarded actor acted in “good faith.”
On the other hand, she described Anne Curtis’s husband as a “good person.”
The Commission on Audit (CoA) is still investigating the issue.
