With over 3 million followers on TikTok, content creator Euleen Castro faced much criticism after leaving a negative food review of Iloilo based coffee shop, Coffeebreak Café, as she visited the establishment with an unidentified male companion last May 27.
Castro took to her account to share that while she and her friends enjoyed going to pastry shops and even ordered a variety of the concerned establishment’s desserts, that “out of all of you (motioning at the food), all of you, all of you, walang masarap (none is good). Even the drinks, even the lasagna, lahat tabang (all are bland).”
The TikTok creator’s companion behind the camera added to the sentiment, saying, “Pang PWD kasi ‘to (This is for PWD’s)…person with diabetes, bawal ‘yung sobrang tamis (it can’t be too sweet).” The two poked fun at the banter, and the video ended with Castro reiterating her dissatisfaction with the food, cursing openly, and later asked her followers from Iloilo to suggest other pastry shops in the city instead.
While the video’s caption wrote a consideration that what may not be delicious for Castro may be the opposite for others, viewers, especially locals, left comments on their disappointment and offense to the video as they voiced that Castro could have gone with a more constructive direction in the criticism that she expressed.
On the same day of the post, Coffeebreak Café was quick to respond to the situation with an official statement. The establishment expressed that while they appreciated all reviews as it allowed their shop the opportunity to improve, they were “taken aback by the strong and explicit language used” in Castro’s video. The coffee shop ultimately stated that in their ongoing commitment to grow from their guest’s feedback, that this would continue to be done with sincerity and respect.
2 days later on May 29, well-known personality Ogie Diaz took to his Facebook page to indirectly speak on the matter as well. As he often receives food deliveries from small businesses for promotional purposes, Diaz raised that while we have different preferences in food, as a matter of fact, there is still a greater encouragement to be responsible in stating your preferences when you have a platform with followers to consider.
He closed his statement, writing, “O, basta doon sa mga vloggers/influencers na nagpu-food review, pag di nasarapan, tawagin ‘yung staff at sabihin nang maayos ang complaint. Hindi porke me platform ka eh dapat ka nang katakutan, dahil kilala kang nagsasabi nang totoo.”
(To those vloggers/influencers that do food reviews, if you don’t find it delicious, call the staff and raise your complaint properly. Just because you have a platform it does not mean you should be feared, because they know you would tell the truth.).
Diaz concluded that it may be better to suggest certain ideas to business owners or staff members off-camera and in private, when differences arise, and emphasized, “Hindi lahat sana for the views (Not everything should be for the views). For the love and concern din (also).”
Castro is yet to respond to Coffeebreak Café and her followers on social media.
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