Strengthening tourism through the academe

CEBU, Philippines - As the newly-opened P50-million tourism and hospitality management training center was introduced on March 20, the School of Business and Management of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation looks forward to establish a resort in the same facility.

Not just to equip the students with knowledge and practical skills, Dr. Venus Empuerto, Dean of the School of Business and Management said that a resort in the academe can also help strengthen the tourism industry of the province since more and more resorts and tourist destinations are booming in the Queen City of the South.

“Tourism is a non-dying industry and profession. We have to be innovative. I am not just promoting the school but also the tourism in Cebu in the academe and not only in commercial areas,” she stated.

Inspired with the slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines”, she added that it could also be more fun by benchmarking the innovations of hotels and other tourism-related areas and training the youth as world-class hoteliers, travel and tour operators, restaurateurs, chefs and related services.

With the resort to be called as “Southern Resort” in accordance with the university’s name, the dean noted that they do not aim to just mold students as employees or service crews but to groom them in the field of tourism as investors.

Once proposed and approved by the administrators of the university, Empuerto is hopeful that it will be accomplished next year and USPF will be the first university in Cebu to have a resort within the campus.

The resort, to be located at the rooftop of the training center, will be part of the new three-story training center for Tourism and Hotel and Restaurant Management related courses.

Empuerto admits that they spent P40M for the construction and P10 M for the dormitory as they prioritize quality over quantity in pursuing improvements to meet the growing demands in tourism, hospitality and travel industries.

The new facility, considered as a laboratory in itself, features P1.8 million brand new equipment and state-of-the-art facilities that will give the students hands-on training and industry-based skills competencies guided by faculty members who are also graduates and professionals in the related fields.

The first floor of the training center will house the function hall, kitchen manager/office pantry, wine storage, culinary arts lecture room and laboratory, executive office, dining hall, bar and lobby and lounge with concierge.

The admin office/faculty/linen and storage are at the second floor along with equipped audio-video classrooms and al fresco student’s lounge while hotel rooms and guest rooms (suite and deluxe accommodations), wellness spa simulation, and captain’s bar are housed in the third floor.

Empuerto said the center will also conduct events and will cater real weddings, banquet, birthday parties and the like. There is also a 120-capacity and in-house dormitory to accommodate the needs of both local and foreign students.

She added that USPF students are very supportive in marketing the facility and they have received positive feedbacks from incoming college students during their career talks.

Empuerto, who started as a dean of 200 tourism and management students of USPF in early 2011, aims that through this facility and other innovations, she will reach a quota of 200 enrollees this school year 2012-2013 which she set for herself.

USPF offers Associate in Office Administration, Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Bachelor of Science in Tourism, Bachelor of Science in Travel Management, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration majors in Management, Management Accounting, Marketing Management, Human Resource and Development Management.

Its Institute of Tourism and Allied Hospitality Management offers Certificate Courses, Pre-baccalaureate degrees and advanced Diploma leading to Baccalaureate Bridging Programs with subject component accredited by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Commission of Higher Education (CHED) which includes enrichment programs of international tie-ups and linkages with Australia, Europe, Asia, America, and Canada. (FREEMAN)