A restaurant in Cebu City has assured the public of a “safe and respectful environment” following an incident that involved its server and customer that angered netizens.

In a photo that has since gone viral on social media, the server is seen standing in front of the customer, a member of the LGBTQ+ community identified as Jude Bacalso.

Bacalso reportedly got mad at the server for addressing her “sir” and that she let the server stand for about two hours while waiting for management to settle the concern.

Bacalso allegedly demanded from management to give the server the benefit of a gender sensitivity seminar.

In an official statement, the restaurant said it stands by its worker and that it aims to provide a safe and respectful environment for its people and guests.

“The management of Ulli’s Streets of Asia stands by our employee involved in the incident. He along with his teammates have our support. We aim to provide a safe and respectful environment for both our guests and our people. We are taking steps to better handle these situations moving forward,” the statement reads.

APOLOGY

In a statement released a day after the July 21, 2024 incident, Bacalso said she has apologized to the group from the restaurant present in a meeting.

The server was not present in that meeting.

Bacalso said she and the restaurant have reportedly “agreed to pursue together more inclusive practices in the restaurant.”

“I also realized that in the impassioned pursuit of my advocacy, I could have done with a little measure of kindness, sadly quite absent in the ruckus this has all unnecessarily created when it was made public without our knowledge. I made a personal apology to the group present, and requested if I may do so for the concerned waiter. I am also making it very public with this post, as it has become quite public fodder,” Bacalso said.

Bacalso said he did not demand for the server to stand for the whole length of time she was explaining her side of the gender sensitivity issue.

“It was he who chose to stand in front of me as we waited for input from management, who I attempted to contact,” she said.

“My apologies also to the rest of the staff who are disheartened by the way things have escalated, as well as to the customers present at that time. This is a huge chunk of humble pie that I must ingest, because I have erred. May we start here with, as the supervisor pointed out, an uphill path to reconciliation and we hope you will be able to allow us and yourselves to do so unhampered so we may all learn and heal from this,” she added.

FIRST POST

The netizen who posted about the incident was John Calderon.

He said he was with his mom strolling in the mall when they reportedly happened to witness how Bacalso reprimanded the server. 

“Nanuroy mi sa akong mommy since 4 p.m. sa Ayala Center Cebu, then ninaog mi sa elevator, then we saw this employee doing parade rest since 6 p.m. I really thought tag-iya ka [Bacalso] and you were just discussing things with the employee so we shrugged it off. Wala jud ko nahimutang and I told my mom that it has been nearly two hours ingon ato ang pose sa server facing this guy namely, Jude Bacalso. So ni-interfere ko and asked this guy Jude unsay nahitabo if tag-iya ba sya or customer.”

“The guy Jude sarcastically said na “Go ask him (referring to the server) what happened”,” Calderon said.

Calderon proceeded to ask the server what happened exactly and learned that he addressed Bacalso as “sir.”

“Then gibira nako ang server ngadto sa ilang staff room, then this server broke down into tears and mura sha’g ga-panic attack,” Calderon added.

Calderon said he is disappointed at Bacalso’s act, saying it is a shame to the LGBT+ community.

“Part ko sa LGBT myself and you bring shame sa atong community na grabe ka nakayatak sa katungod sa tawo,” Calderon pointed out.

Calderon’s post has 56,000 shares as of July 23, 2024, at past 4 p.m.