Following a widely shared social media post in which she expressed her dissatisfaction with the quality of cakes and pastries in the city, digital creator and former beauty queen Imelda Schweighart has provided an explanation, stating that her remarks were purely subjective and not meant as a general jab at local bakers.
In her post on June 9, Schweighart lamented about how Puerto Princesa is missing fluffy bread and delicious cakes. She said that most baked items had a “pwede na” taste and called out local bakers for what she saw as a lack of innovation and travel-inspired standards.
She mentioned that many cakes in Puerto Princesa tasted like they’ve been on display for three weeks and were overly reliant on margarine, lacking the refinement she expected.
“Walang gumagawa ng kakaiba dito… puro ensaymada na hindi fluffy, or mga chakang kanto baked bread,” she wrote.
“I’m not sorry for saying this but there is no good baker here. Unfortunately,” she added.
Her post sparked backlash from some netizens who felt offended on behalf of the city. Among them were locals who didn’t hold back, turning the Palawan News comment section into a mix of sarcasm and sharp rebukes.
They even brought up her supposed dethronement as Miss Philippines Earth in 2016, suggesting she might not even know where to find good cake in Puerto Princesa.
“Hindi nya lang alam kung saan sa Puerto bibili ng masarap na cake,” one user wrote.
“Marunong kaya siya magbake ng masarap? O baka hanggang tikim lang ang alam niya… Ahaha… Kaya siya nadethrone eh, hindi pang beauty queen ang communication skills, walang empathy at humility. Hindi po standard ng lahat ang mapanlait na panlasa mo,” another commented.
“You’re searching for fluffy bread, but perhaps you should reflect on your manners first. Criticizing an entire province doesn’t say much about your taste in food or in character,” another netizen added.
Some people even compared her to TikTok celebrity and Youtuber Euleen “Pambansang Yobab” Castro, who was recently criticized for her “tab-ang” description of the meal at popular Iloilo café Coffeebreak.
Board Member Rafael Ortega of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan also delivered a privilege speech about Schweighart’s post, calling it irresponsible because it will destroy Palawan as a tourism destination.
“Alam po ba niyang maraming Palaweño ang nabubuhay sa turimso? At kung kanya itong sisirain sa pamamagitan ng kanyang paglalabas sa social media ng mga ganoong pahayag, nakakalungkot naman kung di natin bibigyan ng pagtatanggol na hindi naman totoo yong kanyang mga pahayag,” Ortega said.
In response, Schweighart posted a follow-up to defend her statements, stressing that her post was not meant to be a sweeping generalization.
She clarified, too, that her comments were motivated by a craving for quality cakes, not by a desire to insult anyone.
“Let’s be clear: What I posted was my personal opinion — hindi generalization,” she said.
“Wala akong sinabi na lahat ng bakers ay walang kwenta. Wala akong binanggit na pangalan. Pero somehow, some of you felt attacked. That’s… interesting,” the former beauty queen added.
“This isn’t hate — this is a call for excellence,” she emphasized.
Schweighart also added that she is open to being proven wrong and would love to discover a truly exceptional cake in the city.
“If you’re confident in your baking, it shouldn’t bother you. Unless, of course… natamaan ka,” she asserted.
Her posts were tagged with humorous hashtags like #PanlasaKoTo, #FluffyOrFlop, and #InSearchOfFluff, indicating that her critique, while blunt, came from a place of culinary passion.
While her remarks may have ruffled some feathers, Schweighart maintains her intent was to encourage higher standards rather than to bash the local baking community.
