Lloyd Saladaga
Comedian Jobert Austria, popularly known as Kuya Jobert, has joined the growing number of personalities criticizing Ivana Alawi over her promotion of an online gaming platform through an iPhone giveaway.
The issue stems from Ivana’s social media campaign, in which she announced she would be giving away 100 iPhones to selected followers. However, the promotion drew backlash after netizens pointed out that participants were required to follow the online gaming platform Casino Plus to qualify for the giveaway.
On Facebook, Kuya Jobert shared a post from netizen April Cortes Titong, who expressed concern over the campaign’s potential influence on the public.
“Seeing the 100 iPhone giveaway used to promote online gambling was heartbreaking. All I could think about was the thousands of Filipinos who might be encouraged to gamble because someone they look up to made it seem exciting or rewarding,” the post read.
Kuya Jobert echoed the sentiment in his own caption.
“Namimigay ka nga, inengganyo mo naman sila magsugal. Kulang pa ba ‘yung blessing na meron kayo?”
His post quickly generated mixed reactions from social media users. While many agreed with his criticism and raised concerns about celebrities promoting gambling platforms, others came to Ivana’s defense.
Some commenters argued that influencers should be mindful of the potential impact of gambling endorsements, while others maintained that participation in such promotions ultimately remains a matter of personal choice.
The controversy began after Ivana posted videos showing stacks of what she described as 100 iPhone 17 units, which she planned to give away to supporters. The campaign immediately went viral, but criticism followed after users noted that following the promoted online gaming app was among the requirements for joining the giveaway.
As of writing, Ivana Alawi has not publicly responded to Kuya Jobert’s criticism or the latest wave of reactions surrounding the promotion.
