MANILA, Philippines - The tone of her voice is almost lyrical, a telltale sign of the sincerity within her. She trains her eyes at you with a gaze that is penetrating but neither intruding nor intimidating. She deals with you with confidence, not in an authoritative way but with an obvious compelling charisma. And when she laughs, you hear pure joy, a welcoming sign that the two of you can become friends almost instantaneously.
If you happen to meet someone like her in Dusit Thani Manila, a hotel that literally means “Town in Heaven,” chances are her name is Danelle Ruth Palang. Her mere presence, coupled with her earnest gesture to be of service, is enough to — to borrow the tagline of the hotel — create heaven on earth.
Danelle, who has been with Dusit for more than two years now, is the hotel’s senior PR and events manager. Anybody who is into the practice of public relations is concomitantly expected to be “sweet and smart.” That mold for others has almost become antiseptic, a role they need to portray. But because Danelle has a sincere heart, navigating towards being sweet and smart is as natural as breathing because, in real life, she lives the part.
“This is the most I can offer to the people I deal with every day in my life — my utmost sincerity. From there, everything follows,” says Danelle, who finished Communication Arts at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila.
She credits Dusit Thani hotel for further bringing to the fore her inherent sincerity. “The hotel encourages me, also others, to be genuine in our service, to be sincere in our dealing with guests and clients. It’s in our culture here at Dusit,” she says. Danelle is part of the hotel team that zealously makes the gleam of Dusit more polished each day.
Danelle’s sincerity is not a product of an overnight experience. It is inoculated in her system via an unflinching faith that has defined her DNA. “I grew up in Cavite with my mom (a career woman) and lola. I witnessed day and night the unfaltering devotion they both had for me as I grew up. My mom raised me with God’s words. I grew up attending Sunday Schools and Bible studies, fellowships at church and choir practices. She taught me the value of serving the Lord and obeying His word. I have learned how to set aside my tithes and offerings,” she says.
When she was a child, she recalls, every time she would have new clothes, she would always have to wait for Sunday service and use them there first and offer them in thanksgiving to God before she used them elsewhere. To this day, Danelle says, in whatever she does, she will always offer it in prayer to God. This is the same faith she teaches to Maru, her six-year-old son. “I have realized that the blessings I am enjoying now is all because of God’s favor in my life,” she says.
With her steady faith, Danelle does not only prove that she has a sincere stance; she also has a thankful heart.