HRAP Holds its Momentous 2024 General Membership Meeting
04 December 2024
The Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) successfully held its General Membership Meeting (GMM) on December 3, 2024, at the luxurious Solaire Resort North in Quezon City, themed as “Transformative Digitalization in Hospitality”. This highly anticipated event brought together key players from the hospitality and tourism industries, with HUAWEI Philippines as the co-presenter and sponsored by ANSSIL Co. Ltd. and PMFTC.
A Spirit of Unity and Gratitude
The meeting began with an invocation prayer led by Mrs. Eugenia Billones, setting the tone for an inspiring day. This was followed by a warm welcome and opeing remarks from Mr. Boni Pimentel, who acknowledged the HRAP Board of Directors, distinguished attendees, and guest speakers.
Celebrating Success in 2024
HRAP’s current president, Mr. Eugene T. Yap delivered a comprehensive yearly report highlighting the association’s accomplishments in 2024, including:
Partnership with LifeSkills PH for pre-employment training and internships.
Collaboration with PMFTC on promoting a smokeless hospitality industry.
Hotel Revenue Seminar conducted in partnership with DUETTO.
Tourism Development Plan created in collaboration with the Quezon City Tourism Department.
Technology Workshops with Huawei Philippines.
Representing HRAP in regional events such as SIGEP Restaurant Asia, FHA HoReCa, and MFFM across ASEAN.
“Achieving organizational unity and fostering camaraderie among our members and stakeholders have been key goals, and we have successfully achieved them,” said Mr. Yap. He also credited the association’s success to the unwavering support of HRAP’s Board of Directors and members.
Insights on Hospitality and Tourism’s Future
Atty. Jerilee H. Grantoza, Chief Tourism Operations Officer of the Department of Tourism, delivered an inspiring presentation on "Enhancing Philippine Tourism Through Digitalization and Filipinization." She emphasized the importance of Filipino identity, sustainability, resilience, competitiveness, and the role of artificial intelligence in hospitality and tourism.
She also emphasized on Artificial Intelligence playing an important role in hospitality management and tourism. Comparing human-operated call centers and front desk against AI chatbots and virtual assistants that can provide 24/7 support, handling reservations and inquiries. Check-in/Check-out process, room service, housekeeping and predictive maintenance using AI-enhanced technology providing more efficient services. Inclusion of Filipinization in the Tourism Industry, like using of “Mabuhay” gestures as greetings, use of materials that represent Filipino culture, inclusion of Filipino dish and beverage, and among others.
Complementing this vision, Mr. Dennis M. Layug, President and CEO of the Asian Institute of Artificial Intelligence, shared insights on “The Robotel Era, Future-Proofing Hotels Skills and Competencies,” while Mr. Jeff Tian, Senior Optical Solutions Architect from Huawei Philippines spoke on cutting-edge optical solutions, driving innovation, and delivering exceptional results, sharing insights on “Towards All-Optical Fiber to the Office.”
The program also featured an engaging session on “Digital Backbone: How Data Center Colocation Transforms Hotels & Restaurants” with co-speakers Mr. Gabriel Alonzo, Learning and Development Leader and Head of ePLDT’s Learning and Strategic Resource Development, and Mr. John Combalicer, Assistant Vice President and VITRO Sales Group Head of ePLDT, shedding light on the transformative potential of digital infrastructure and the significance of Vitro Data Center in powering the digital future of the Philippines
Recognizing Excellence
The event also celebrated the recognition of individuals whose achievements and exceptional contributions to the HRAP and to the industry have been truly noteworthy. Honorees included:
Mr. Tom Balete, Tosot Philippines EVP and Organizing Committee Chair of the GMM.
Mr. Patrick Chan, Managing Director of The Bellevue Manila and a 2024 “Men Who Matter” awardee.
Atty. Eugene Yap, who received the prestigious Mabuhay Gold Award for being one of the most exceptional professionals in the Philippine Hospitality Industry.
The Top Allied Division Members recognized for their unwavering and exemplary support to HRAP were:
CFS Enterprise, distributor of Ahmad Tea.
MEGA I.N.T.E.L. Manpower Management, Inc.
United Neon Media Group, Media Display Solutions.
