The Shangri-La is one of the premiere hoteliers not only in the Philippines but in the region as well. It has been one of the choices of many dignitaries and delegations as the hotel is known for its great service and its accommodating staff.
Recently, however, The Shangri-La at the Fort has been getting negative reviews from netizens who have been concerned with the plight of a number of harmless cats which have been supposedly gotten rid off by pest controllers in an effort to keep the immediate vicinity clear of stray cats. The numbers vary but most of the netizens claim that based on their count there were 38 felines, now dubbed as the BGC Cats, which have been forcibly removed from the premises of the hotel. The netizens claim that these cats posed no harm as they were quite personable and were accustomed to being petted by humans.
However, the Shang countered that there have only been 23 cats of which 12 have already been relocated through adoption with the hotel’s staff. The remaining 11 cats have been relocated to the residential areas of Ilaya Street and Anastacio Street in Taguig City as per the press release of the hotel.
Well, things would have died a natural death as they say had there been no other fuss brought to the attention of concerned netizens. The fact that Shang seemingly retaliated on the concerned netizens by launching a hacking spree (intentionally or unintentionally, it has yet to be determined as of this writing) on social media accounts has only deepened the scar and the issue. Further aggravating the scenario is that some of the hacked accounts were the ones who were not really satisfied with the hotel’s current services.
Several angry netizens have seemingly threatened the Shang’s PR and Social Media teams over their posts citing that the Shang is resorting to underhanded tactics to keep itself spotless despite the rash of problems that the netizens are putting the spotlight on. It has been observed by the netizens that several social media posts giving low marks and reviews for the hotels’ services have been deleted by concerned Shang teams in an effort to keep their reputations intact. These netizens pointed out that this is a clear case of disinformation with the aim of diverting the issue at hand.
With the scenario continuously unfolding, it bears to note that a lot of attention is being given to the situation at large. Many commenters have stated that Shang has made a wrong move in relocating the cats since these animals have been there long before the Shang got erected in Bonifacio Global City. Others have directly stated that the Shang’s protocols need to be improved for their own sake as well as their customers.
Many more netizens have to be appeased by the overall action of Shang to the issue of the Cats of BGC. They have to make a proactive statement and a presentation perhaps showing definitive proof that the cats are indeed alive and well. Should there be a lapse in the protocol and the cats would be proven to have been violated or injured in any way, then expect that the floodgates would be opened against the administration of the Shang at the Fort.
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