JOSE ABAD SANTOS, Davao Occidental — What was intended as a simple birthday gesture for municipal employees turned into a public dispute after Jose Abad Santos Mayor Jason John Joyce received a complaint from the spouse of one of the employees over a cake prepared for an office celebration.
In a Facebook post on Friday, August 14, Joyce said he regularly buys birthday cakes for municipal employees as a modest way of celebrating their special day and providing a simple treat for colleagues at the municipal office. He explained that two employees had birthdays close to each other, prompting him to purchase a single cake for a shared office celebration rather than buy separate cakes.
According to the mayor, one of the two birthday celebrants was absent when the celebration took place. Half of the cake was consequently set aside so that the absent employee could still have some when the employee returned to work. Joyce said he was surprised when the employee’s spouse later contacted him to complain that only half of the cake had been given.
“Nagulat na lang ako na nagalit ang asawa dahil bakit kalahati lang daw ang cake para sa asawa nya. Nag-message talaga sa akin. Grabe. Nakakagulat,” Joyce wrote in his post.
The mayor also shared the message he received, in which the sender questioned who handled the budget for employees’ birthdays and expressed disappointment that only half a cake had been received. The sender said the family could afford to buy a cake despite financial difficulties but described receiving half a cake as insulting, while also acknowledging that providing birthday cakes was not technically an obligation of the mayor.
In a follow-up portion of the exchange, the sender appeared to clarify that the intention was to inform Joyce about what had happened and that the complaint stemmed partly from the expectation created by the mayor’s practice of providing birthday cakes over the years. The sender also acknowledged that the cake had apparently been intended as a snack for the office and apologized if the mayor had misunderstood the complaint.
Joyce said the incident was only one example of messages he receives that he described as surprising, disappointing, hurtful, angering and discouraging. He emphasized that the birthday cakes were voluntary gestures rather than an obligation, saying he had simply wanted to make employees’ birthdays a little more meaningful.
“Kasalanan ko pala dahil sinanay ko daw ang empleyado na may cake sa bday,” Joyce wrote, expressing frustration over the situation.
The mayor used the incident to appeal for greater appreciation of simple acts of kindness, urging people to look at the intention behind a gesture rather than focus immediately on what they believe is lacking.
He said gratitude should be practiced even in small matters and admitted that repeated criticism over voluntary acts can discourage people from continuing to extend kindness.
The issue, however, took another turn after Joyce appealed to his supporters to avoid violence amid reactions to the controversy.
Under a separate portion of his post, the mayor wrote, “NO TO VIOLENCE!!!” and urged his friends and supporters not to resort to violence in defending him.
“Our administration had always been about care and compassion,” Joyce said, adding that he did not want anyone to be harmed while attempting to defend him.
He thanked his supporters for their concern and urged them to remain safe, saying their actions should reflect the values they stand for.
The mayor’s appeal effectively shifted the focus from the cake dispute to the need for restraint, particularly as political and personal disagreements can quickly escalate online and in the community.
The incident itself remains centered on a misunderstanding over a voluntary birthday gesture: Joyce said the cake was purchased for a shared office celebration involving two employees with birthdays close together, while one celebrant was absent and had half of the cake set aside for later.
Rather than treating the cake as an entitlement, Joyce’s message emphasized that such gestures are meant to be acts of goodwill. At the same time, the exchange highlights how repeated practices, even when voluntary, can eventually create expectations among recipients.
For Joyce, the episode became a reminder that even small gestures can be interpreted differently depending on expectations and circumstances. His final appeal was for his supporters to respond not with confrontation, but with restraint and compassion.