Mc Richard Paglicawan
A youth Christian organization has issued a public apology to a Taytay-based coffee shop, The Fifth, after leaving a barrage of negative reviews on the establishment’s Facebook page—a backlash that erupted into a viral controversy online.
In an official statement released on April 1, Purpose Venture Young Professionals admitted that their actions toward the small café were inappropriate, following a visit where 20 of their members occupied the venue for over four hours without a reservation.
“We deeply regret the impact of our reviews and acknowledge that our approach was not the most appropriate or constructive way to express our concerns,” the group said.
“As a Christian organization, we are held to a higher standard of conduct, and we recognize that our actions did not reflect the values of humility, respect, and kindness that we strive to uphold.”
The group also confirmed that they had asked all members to delete their reviews and pledged to secure their own venue for future gatherings.
The controversy began when members of Purpose Venture left multiple one-star reviews on The Fifth’s Facebook page, claiming poor service and alleging they were asked to leave despite spending thousands of pesos. The coffee shop responded with a detailed post on March 30, sharing their side of the story and revealing that the group arrived in batches of two to three people—without prior notice—and ended up occupying the café’s full capacity during peak hours.
“We were beyond generous to let you have all the place to yourselves for your ‘meeting’ for over 4 hours, during our peak hours on our busiest day, without any reservation beforehand,” the café said. “We treat our customers with utmost respect… We never asked you to leave.”
They also clarified that CCTV footage showed all orders were served, contrary to the group’s claims.
The Fifth’s post quickly went viral, garnering overwhelming support from the online community. Many defended the café and criticized the group for review-bombing a small business. Others expressed disappointment, particularly after discovering the reviewers were affiliated with a Christian youth group.
Purpose Venture acknowledged the damage, extending their apology not just to The Fifth but also to fellow Christian organizations and the broader community.
“We want to make it clear that our actions do not represent the Christian community as a whole… We acknowledge our mistakes and take all the feedback and comments from the community as valuable lessons for our personal and collective growth.”
In the comments section of their now-viral post, The Fifth also urged followers to support another Taytay café, SUVI Coffee, which they claimed had a similar experience with the same group—this time involving fewer orders and even outside food being brought in.
As the dust settles, The Fifth remains thankful for the support and emphasizes their commitment to fairness, hospitality, and growth.
“There are always two sides to a story. It’s truly heartbreaking that small businesses like us have to suffer the consequences of one-sided reviews like these simply because entitled customers refuse to see the kindness you’ve given them,” their statement concluded.
