The College of Hospitality and Institutional Management (CHIM) of Our Lady of Fatima University concluded with an impressive mark this year as it successfully staged the prestigious 7th OLFU-MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) on 28 November 2023 at the Royce Hotel and Casino in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.
The jampacked event gathered over 800 Fatimanian delegates under CHIM from six OLFU campuses of Valenzuela, Quezon City, Antipolo, Pampanga, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija.
Following the fellowship meet and registration, a grand reception formally opened the event where distinguished guests led a ribbon-cutting ceremony for an exhibit that featured the gastronomy, artisanship, and ingenuity of Kapampángans.
Opening the festivity was Dr. Ignacio Cordova, Jr., Dean of CHIM along with Ingrid Ursua, President for eVersity Online Campus; Gloria Baken Wong Siy, Founding President for Association of Administrators in Hotel and Restaurant Management Institutions; Aaron Black, President and CEO for ZIP Travel; Evelyn Antiporda, college dean for University of Perpetual Help System DALTA; and Jonathan Yabut, renowned motivational and business speaker.
Nineteenth Congress’ Deputy Minority Floor Leader Risa Hontiveros and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez in a video statement and through a representative, respectively, expressed their support for the hospitality and tourism sector, highlighting the academic need for the industry to adapt to the changing demands, especially after the post-COVID-19 landscape.
The lawmakers both lauded the MICE initiatives which are opportunities to define the sector and simply among clear efforts of the OLFU administration to produce highly competitive industry contributors.
For the preliminary round, popular author Jonathan Yabut delivered an empowerment talk before the diverse delegates. The motivational speaker touched on key points in unlocking someone’s potential through holistic professional and personal perspectives.
Serving the table with a more gripping discussion was a ceremonial plenary session led by top experts who were Aaron Black, Dr. Gloria Baken Wong Siy, and College of St. Benilde’s Chancellor and Commission on Higher Education Technical Committee (Ched-TC) for Tourism and Hospitality Programs Chairperson Benhur Ong.
The thought-provoking exchange tackled challenges and opportunities concerning talent mobility in the hospitality and tourism sector. The esteemed thought leaders mainly covered ways to establish a borderless workforce, as well as the direction of the academe in solidifying the support and the steps to navigate the dynamic industry.
For upcoming industry professionals to thrive despite the demand, there is a need to develop flexibility in catering to the global sector, especially to the diverse culture it serves, pointed out Black.
President Siy in another view presented the recommendation to design a curriculum that invests in technical and soft skills. The sector executive also proposed the assessment of the academic institutions in terms of managerial and financial capability in delivering up-to-date programs.
For the part of the government, Chairperson Ong offered to formulate standardized policy and regulations for the industry, a void to fill especially in preparing professionals that will take on foreign opportunities.
There are 5.6 million posts open for industry newcomers in the local market alone. The projection is even higher in the coming years as the global industry reopens after the pandemic. For the industry movers to serve the demand with finesse, Ong reiterated the essential requirement for tourism professionals to be protected against challenges including cultural disparities and racism.
In essence, the ceremonial session successfully advanced a strong opening where clear strategies have been determined as requisites to building a reliable academic anchor for the industry to welcome equipped global talents.
7th CHIM MICE hosts 1st IACHTP regional assembly in Asia-Pacific, Oceania Region
The 7th OLFU-CHIM MICE coincided with the first-ever convention of the International Alliance of Certified Hospitality and Tourism Professionals (IACHTP).
In this juncture, an inaugural ceremony formally conferred the IACHTP board of officials headed by its chairman and dean of OLFU-CHIM, Dr. Ignacio Cordova.
In a closed-door forum, Cordova took the opportunity to loop in the industry leaders in the academia on the route towards internationalization. For the OLFU leader, this direction promotes “visibility of international research and collaboration on a global scale” which will lead to an understanding that is sensitive to a diverse set of cultures.
AI: The future of hospitality and tourism sector
With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), the sector is inevitably conditioned to adapt to the vast possibilities, especially in shaping seamless operations in the tourism and hospitality industry.
The hefty concept was the central idea of the entire afternoon plenaries where distinguished panelists contributed varying and interrelated coverage that attempts to navigate AI.
For the first panel session, Ingrid Ursua was joined by Denise Molintas, General Manager for Hilton Sun Valley Clark Resort, and Nicole Downs, Group Manager for People and Performance for OVOLO Hotels.
The pilot group handled loaded questions covering apprehensions on AI usage that is assumed to threaten standard privacy and security policies as well as ethical and transparency aspects. While the industry leaders welcome the employment of the tool, the need to “act quickly” is a must.
Proposed methods to employ AI include exploring robot-based communication and innovative service delivery. A noteworthy point by Downs opted to challenge the limit of AI believing that “human connectivity will never die,” particularly in the hospitality and tourism sector.
Offering an academic-based discussion, the second session consisted of three university leaders who shared their respective ways to operate AI tools in the academe. The panelists included Lurhen Cortes, Department Chair of Tourism Management for Far Eastern University (FEU); Joseph Dimaano, faculty member for OLFU; and Raymond Mitra, faculty member for California State University – Northbridge.
The deans captivated the third session with a persistent goal to rethink the curriculum and enhance the administrative efficiency of the academe with the assistance of AI. This section of the plenary was spearheaded by Dean Shirley Guevarra of the University of the Philippines’ (UP) College of Home Economics, Dean Gezzez Gieze Granado of the University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Dean Lilibeth Aragon of the Lyceum of the Philippines University’s (LPU) College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management.
The final part of the extensive deliberation involved researchers and accreditors who carefully weighed the challenges and best practices in the validation and verification of AI tools which will be used in the production of academic papers and authentication of the necessary processes concerning “ethical considerations, successful collaborations, adaptation of AI to different research paradigms,” among others.
Three proponents led the research and accreditors’ talk including John Paolo Rivera, OIC – Executive Director for Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism Asian Institute of Management; Jojo Villamin, Founder of Philippine Association of Researchers in Tourism and Hospitality; and Dr. Archish Maharaja, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE).
A total of seventeen participating institutions and valued partners collaborated for the prestigious success of the MICE.
To end the meaningful event with whimsy and wonder, an enchanting gala night was staged to celebrate the vision of the 7th OLFU-CHIM MICE. The same delegates once again convened at Royce Hotel and Casino’s Grand Ballroom donning their garden-themed ensemble – celebrating music, good food and ultimately, an unforgettable Fatimanian experience. – Raymond Lumagsao
