University of Southern Philippines, Foundation
School of Business and Management’s
Tourism and Hospitality Management Department
The THM Training
Center
Lobby
and Front Desk
Main Function Hall Kitchen
Laboratory
The Journey So Far . . .
Brand New Tourism and Hospitality Training Center
Two years ago, the University’s Board of Trustees realized that the need
for Tourism and Hospitality facilities was eminent. With the help and guidance
of our consultant and professor Phineas Alburo, former Associate-secretary of
the Department of Tourism, the University embarked on a project to build the
first and only training center for Tourism and Hospitality in the
Visayas-Mindanao region. The construction of the facilities finished last May
2012.
Located inside our campus, the center was granted permit to operate and
was officially accredited by the Department of Tourism as classes began in
June. The facility has a built-in boutique hotel with fully-furnished rooms, a
large function hall, a resto-bar and a complete industry standard kitchen
laboratory. It also has a demo room for housekeeping, seminar halls and a
tourism resource center that houses a real travel agency.
Since it opened in May, it has hosted various seminars, meetings and functions including DOT’s regular orientation and forums, Jamie Oliver’s food revolution, Toastmaster’s Club monthly meet and a few academe centered talks and conferences. It still continues to accept booking for its seminar halls and function rooms and various orders for food catering needs.
Everytime there is a function or activity, the students become involved
and their skills are enhanced through exposure and training.
Cebu Goes Culinary 2012
This year,
Cebu Goes Culinary was held at the Cebu International Convention Centre, its
largest venue to date, attracting over 5,000 participants, guests and audience.
And for the first time in many years, the University of Southern Philippines,
Foundation participated with five (5) individual entries each in the following
categories:
Chef Wars, theme: Provincial
Filipino Cuisine
3-Tier Wedding Cake
Health and Wellness, theme:
Soups and Salads
Dream Team Challenge, theme:
Middle-eastern Experience
Tablea Challenge, theme:
Anything Tablea
This year’s
participants not only attracted the top schools from the province of Cebu but
also from Mindanao and other parts of the Visayas as well. In the Chef Wars
competition, our very own students (3-man team) clashed head to head with the
top universities of Cebu, Ilo-ilo, Bacolod and even Cagayan de Oro. Not only
universities were present but also top culinary schools like AICAC, CCA and
BCA.
Despite 11
universities, colleges and culinary centers competing in the Chef Wars, our
contingent still managed to garner a Diploma award for their entry and finished
fourth place securing a spot in the much coveted Top 5.
For our
3-Tier Wedding Cake, we formed a five-person team that baked and decorated a
3-level wedding cake that won third place with another Diploma award. There
were 14 entries from all over but yet we secured the top 3 spot.
Our Tablea
Challenge team also made it to the top 5 with only 1 point away from receiving
a Diploma award.
Although
our Soups and Salads entry did not win any distinction, it garnered high
praises from the judges and other associates for its use of pure organic
ingredients and naturally rich in nutrients recipe.
The Dream
Team Challenge did not win any awards as well but over-all it was a very
enriching experience for the 10-man team that developed and executed the
concept of an Arabian casual dining setting which did get a lot of praise from
the diners but unfortunately did not do too well with the judges because of
technical and regulatory issues.
To sum it
all up, for a new comer into the cut-throat business of fine dining, F&B
and gastronomy, many believe that team USPF showed exemplary skills and great,
great potential. Being their first time, the students could not yet quite know
what to expect but rather, they went in with their heads held high, summoned
all their strength and confidence and with the help of the Almighty, showed
everyone that they were nevertheless a force to be reckoned with.
The
administration believes that there is still so much to be done to develop and hone
the talents of the students. USPF has a population of just less than 300
students in the HRM program, compared to other universities who have 3,000. The
fact that they went home with two awards, competed in five categories and still
managed to help organize the entire affair by providing man power during the
event, there is no doubt that team USPF will outshine, out-cook and outlast the
many more competitions in the future.
1st Le Toque Ceremony
The Hotel and Restaurant
Management course features a series of culinary subjects that are designed to
equip the students with in-depth knowledge and mastery of skills in the art and
science of the culinary world. The students learn through a number of subjects
within their four year bachelor’s program ranging from the basics of culinary
concepts and techniques to the most intricate up-to-date trends in the
gastronomic industry.
USPF is aware of how
important cooking skills are especially since the food and beverage industry as
a whole contributes to a considerable sum in the hospitality and tourism
sector. It is for this reason that we have a long standing partnership with
TESDA and our training and assessment center is considered as one of the best
in the region.
The department wanted to
recognize the effort, knowledge and skills that the students have acquired
through a ceremony in which they are officially handed their chef’s toque. It
was a grand ceremony for the students and their proud parents and/or guardians
as they made that big step towards becoming professionals in the tourism and
hospitality industry.
The ceremony was held in
the USPF THM Training Center Main Function Hall last October 1, 2012. Parents,
students, faculty and staff and their guests were part of the affair.
After a sumptuous dinner,
prepared by the students, the program commenced with a talk from the guest of
honour Ma’am Lita Urbina, the founder and president of Café Laguna, Inc.
Dr. Venus Empuerto, Dean
of the School of Business and Management endorsed the candidates for the ceremonial
toque and Dr. Alicia Cabatingan conferred. The students were called one by one,
their parent or guardian walked down the aisle with them and they received
their toque and certificate. Their parent or guardian placed their toque on
their head making them official commis-chef.
The ceremony was very
heart warming and filled with memorable moments. Parents were very proud of
their children who reached that point in their life. The evening ended with the
students’ batch hymn and their recessional parade.
2012 Tourism Congress
Aside from competitions
and school related activities, SBM THM also engages in linkages with government
agencies, professional organizations and interest-based affiliations.
Through our Dean, Dr.
Venus Empuerto, we are currently an active member of the Hotel, Resort and
Restaurant Association of Cebu. The THM Chairman Mr. John Paul Briones is also
working closely with government funded activities like Tourismo Sugbo and
finding industry partners for activities.
Last June 28, 2012, the
THM department sent over 60 students to attend and be a part of the 2012
Tourism Congress held at the Cebu International Convention Center. It was a
hallmark for the department because the congress was attended by the prime
movers and VVIP’s of the country’s tourism industry.
Anybody who was somebody
in the tourism world was there to raise issues, discuss possible solutions and
debate about coming trends. Representatives from the private sector, government
and academe also annoounced new developments, shared important updates and
information vital to the industry.
All in all the congress
motivated the students as it reaffirmed their decision to be part of the
hospitlality industry, the industry that they want to be a part of after their
studies, the most dynamic, fastest growing and most profitable industry in our
country.
-Sir JP
