MANILA – The general manager of Shangri-La at the Fort in Bonifacio Global City apologized on Wednesday amid the raging controversy over the hotel’s relocation of cats.

In a post on the hotel’s Facebook page on Wednesday, John Rice said they are “truly and deeply sorry for the current situation regarding the cats of BGC.”

“We want to apologize for the way we have handled this and acknowledge the groups affected due to our failure to consult on the proper procedures of cat adoption and coexistence,” he said.

“In an effort to address concerns raised by tenants and guests regarding cats on our premise, we did not engage with the right partners and now know that instead we should have reached out to our community.”

“Please know we understand the concern this situation has caused and we are deeply sorry,” he added.

Rice assured that they are working with the animal welfare group CARA Welfare Philippines in searching for the relocated cats and raising awareness on how to properly take care of them.

• READ: Cat controversy provides ‘learning experience’ for Shangri-La in BGC

“We know that with every apology there must be action, and we are doing everything we can to rectify the situation,” he stressed.

“We have also apologized to and have been collaborating with CARA Welfare Philippines, taking the necessary steps to increase awareness on how to properly take care of the cats. We will also continue to help with recovery efforts in future searches for the cats and are sharing the photos of the cats adopted by our colleagues with CARA.”

He continued: “Shangri-La at the Fort has always been grateful to be part of the community of Bonifacio Global City, and we want to positively contribute in any way. Your concern has made us more aware of the actions we will undertake moving forward. We hope we can all work together to ensure the well-being of the cats of BGC and perhaps together come up with long-term solutions for their welfare. In the near future, we will be holding a community gathering to discuss this with concerned parties and other stakeholders.”

Also on Wednesday, CARA Welfare Philippines announced that they will be meeting with representatives from Shangri-La the Fort and Pestbusters, the company that the hotel tapped to relocate the cats, regarding the issue.

“This was one of the demands we made to Mr. John Rice during our last meeting and we are relieved that this meeting with Pestbusters will finally take place,” the group said in a Facebook post.