Non-Filipinos expressed outrage at a racist elderly couple who abused a Filipino nurse at a park in Halifax, England.
Video reports of Michael Bairstow, 77, and Fyona Bairstow, 72, abusing Apple Moorhouse, a Filipina healthcare worker, at Manor Heath Park recently went viral.
Omg
— Joseph Morong 🇵🇭 (@Joseph_Morong) October 12, 2026
The incident actually happened in August 2025, when Apple told the couple to have their dog on a leash after it barked at her children.
Michael told Moorhouse to “go back to your dinghy,” and Fyona pulled her ponytail when she tried to walk away.
Michael also told their dog to “get her, kill” and threw a dog bowl of water at Moorhouse.
Fyona also made a reference to slavery, while Michael repeatedly said, “Ban immigrants.”
Moorhouse moved from the Philippines to the United Kingdom more than 15 years ago and is now a British citizen.
She resigned from her post at the UK’s National Health Service following the incident, saying it was “hard to go back” to caring after the traumatic experience.
In April 2026, the couple was reported to be jailed for eight weeks and ordered to pay compensation to Moorhouse.
Videos of their assault on Moorhouse resurfaced on social media, prompting some non-Filipinos to react to the incident.
“Seeing that again has brought me close to tears. I’ve had Filipino colleagues and Filipino patients and just returned from a cruise where most of the staff were Filipino, all lovely people. 8 weeks isn’t long enough in jail for that vile couple,” an X user wrote.
“Bottom of the barrel human garbage. Christ, who doesn’t like Filipinos, the nicest people in the world!” another X user exclaimed.
“A Filipino nurse looked after my mum in Aged Care for nearly four years. When mum passed, my family waited in her room before her body could be collected. The nurse came into the room and knelt and prayed next to Mum for a few minutes. Mum was blessed to have such a carer,” commented another X user.
“[Filipinos] are lovely people. Why would you insult them,” wrote a different X user.
Filipinos are known for working in different parts of the world to seek better opportunities for themselves or their families.
They are recognized for their strong work ethic, ability to adapt to diverse cultures, strong English proficiency, and professional competence in fields like healthcare, maritime engineering, and service roles, among others.
These are called overseas Filipino workers or OFWs.
Data show that 10.7% of OFWs are in Europe, the third-largest destination for OFWs. Saudi Arabia and North and South America precede it.
