CEBU, Philippines - The global tourism industry boom has prompted the University of Cebu (UC) to invest millions in upgrading its facilities for its Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) program to be able to equip their graduates with the skills needed in both the local and international tourism industry.
Victoria S. Amadora, dean of UC-main’s college of HRM said the school’s mock hotel, which is equipped with real hotel facilities such as front desk, computers, and two fully-equipped suites, have fully operated in the second semester of last school year. The college also has its own bar and restaurant that serves as the laboratory of their students
The facility is located at the seventh floor of the UC-main campus. UC’s other campuses in Banilad and Mandaue also have their own mock hotels, bars and restaurants to serve their HRM students, she said.
With the school’s mock hotel, bars and restaurant, UC aims to immerse their students with the tourism industry while in school through hands-on training so that they will require less training, if not immediately ready to work, after they graduate.
“Our objective is to expose our students to hotels and put their hands on the facilities because even in field trips, our students are not allowed to touch or operate on the hotels’ facilities. At least, here in school they are able to (see, touch and operate the facilities) of five-star hotels,” Amadora said.
Venus Llaguno, college of HRM ’s secretary, said UC-main has a total of 2, 200 enrollees from first year to fourth year this school year. The 1, 045 of them are enrolled in the associate HRM program of two years while the 1, 282 are taking the four-year HRM course.
Aside from the mentioned facilities, UC also invites players from the local tourism industry to share their knowledge to the students. Marco Protacio, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino’s general manager is UC’s consultant for its HRM program.
In training their students, Amadora said UC’s curriculum instill in the minds of their students from the start that an HRM graduate is not equated with white-collar jobs or office jobs.
“We train them on housekeeping and on waiting. They have to know that not all of them will become managers, front desk officers and supervisors. They have to start from the bottom and this they should be aware so that they will not expect too much after they graduate,” she said.