MEMBERS of the Philippine women's football team on their arrival at the hotel. Photo from FB post of Hali Long.

The management of Whitewoods Convention and Leisure Hotel has categorically denied in a letter to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) that it served “kikiam” to Southeast Asian Games athletes billeted in its hotel in Cavite.

Whitewoods president and chairman of the board Edgardo M. Capulong told PSC chairman and SEAG chief of mission William Ramirez that what were actually served the athletes for breakfast were “chicken sausage.”

“We have proof of this and the PHISGOC food audit team in the hotel that are on top of the food inspection during, before and after cooking and during meal time, can attest to the fact that it was not ‘kikiam.”

Capulong was reacting to news reports in which the Philippine football team coach Marnelo Dimzon alleged that they were served “kikiam,” a Chinese dimsum of low nutritional value.

“The other Pinoy athletes also know thay they ate chicken sausage. We never serve kikiam because we do not have it and it is not in our menu,” the Whitewood official said in his letter to Ramirez dated 25 November.

“Our food serving is generous because we decided a free and open buffet service complete with egg omelet station that is not part of our contract,” he continued.

Capulong said the hotel chose to respond to the accusation professionally by not going to the media but by responding through official communication with the SEAG organizers.

Nonethelesss, Capulong lamented the actuations of some athletes who chose to rant on social media instead of bringing their concerns to the hotel and the SEAG representatives present in their facility.