The Return of Conferences Post-Pandemic: APacCHRIE

(CLARK, Pampanga, 10 June 2023). Sometimes, things are just meant to be. Thursday two weeks ago, I received a call from my friend Arjun Shroff asking if we could ride together to Clark on Saturday. Arjun is the visionary founder of 33-year old Shroff Travel, a leading Destination Management Company (DMC) in the Philippines. Puzzled, I asked him why as I did not have anything scheduled for Clark. I did have a trip to Cavite scheduled Saturday, but it was cancelled because of the impending storm.  

Arjun said he and I were slated to speak on a panel on Networking on FIRe (Fourth Industrial Revolution) at a conference in Clark and sent me a picture of the program with my name on it. I was surprised and requested him to send me the contact person for the conference. I quickly checked my emails for 2023 to check if I had missed out on anything, but nothing came up.

When I finally got to talk to Arjun’s contact Kathrinne Camille Nagal of the University of Sto. Tomas, who said they had invited me last year, but removed me since they had not heard from me. I suggested that a call would have ensured a response. She then asked if I could instead participate in the next panel entitled Closing the Encounters (Community Extensions), which was on what we do to help the community.

As my schedule was clear, I agreed, and the rest is history.  

As a quick background, the event consisted of three concurrent conferences: the 21st APacCHRIE Conference where we were invited to speak; the 14th APacCHRIE Youth Conference; and the 31st COHREP National Conference. APacCHRIE stands for the Asia-Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education, the leading hospitality and tourism education association within the Asia-Pacific Region, with members coming from more than 18 countries or regions, and from more than 75 leading universities within Asia-Pacific. The three-day event was held face to face at the Clark Global City, with the theme “4N in Hospitality and Tourism on FIRe: Where Creativity Meets Technology.”  (*4N – Now, Next and New Normal, ** FIRe – Fourth Industrial Revolution)

Arjun and I rode with Bobby Horrigan, the chairperson of the Tourism Industry Board Foundation, Inc., (TIBFI) to Clark. We agreed to go there early, do our sessions, then return immediately as we had other things lined up in Manila. There was never a dull moment in the car, as we traded industry stories. Bobby is such a powerhouse with deep insights and interesting stories about the Philippines, especially in hospitality, while Arjun kept the conversation light with his jokes, sharing heartwarming stories. Proving why he is an ace travel and tours expert, Arjun had thoughtfully packed hard-boiled eggs and cold water for us since we left Manila at 6:00 am. Badly needed sustenance indeed! Truly indebted to these two gentlemen for taking me under their wing.

Arriving at Hilton Clark, I was delighted to see that MICE (Meetings Incentives Conventions Exhibitions & Events) is clearly back after a long hiatus caused by the pandemic. The convention venue was humming with activity, with Instagram-ready photo booths complete with a hot air balloon facsimile, beautifully decorated partner booths, and a large ballroom full of international guests. The Filipino Brand of Service Excellence was evident as we were greeted by smartly dressed young men and women with the Mabuhay gesture of hospitality and led to our tables.

We arrived just as the APacCHRIE Annual General Membership Meeting was about to begin, and we were able to witness outgoing president Prof. Sam Kid turn over to the new president Ms. Joji Ilagan Bian. An outstanding leader in business and education, Joji has established five hospitality colleges in Mindanao with international linkages and was the first woman president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and the Mindanao Business Council. Joji is the chair of T.H.E. International Management School which hosted the two APacCHRIE conferences.  Watching her on stage, I felt so proud of knowing such an empowered woman leader.

Coming right after each other, our panels were a stark contrast in terms of composition. The Networking panel was all male, moderated by Professor Perry Hobson, PhD; with panelists Dr. Ralf Burback, president of ICHRIE; Robert John Horrigan, chairperson of TIBFI; and Arjun Shroff, managing director of Shroff International Travel Care, Inc. They discussed the impact of AI and new technology on the tourism industry, especially with regards to job displacement due to automation, job transformation, the need for upskilling and reskilling for new job opportunities, and the current penchant for flexible work arrangements. While some panelists argued that there is no way but to embrace new technology, Arjun was adamant that human relationships are most important in the business, and that robots can never take its place.

Meanwhile, our panel was all female. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Gisela Tiongson, president and executive director of Jollibee Group Foundation was one of the panelists. Gisela and I both served as trustees of the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) and have worked on several CSR Expos together. Gisela shared the many initiatives of Jollibee, especially in helping the farmers. Also on our all-woman panel was Denise H.R. Molintas, PhD, general manager of Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort who shared the ESG initiatives of the Hilton Group. Our very capable moderator was Associate Professor Evangeline E. Timbang, past president of APacCHRIE and former chairman of the Hospitality Management Department of the University of Santo Tomas’ College of Tourism and Hospitality Management.   

On my end, I shared TeamAsia’s annual educational campaign, My Dream in a Shoebox. Despite free public school education, many children are unable to continue studying because they do not have the school supplies needed. Faced with the choice of buying food or buying school supplies, parents would naturally use their hard-earned daily wage to feed their family.  

Unfortunately, poverty is still a big issue in the Philippines, with over 51% of Filipinos self-rating as poor in a recent Social Weather Stations survey. Education is seen as a way out of poverty, but sadly, much needs to be done as the Philippines ranked lowest in reading comprehension and second lowest in mathematics and science on the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exams. 

We decided 14 years ago to ask our friends and colleagues to get empty shoeboxes, cover them in festive paper, and fill them with school supplies. We trekked off to Cavite and gave the 200 boxes we collected to the newly proclaimed CNN Hero of the Year Efren Peñaflorida’s kariton academy. The school supplies were warmly welcomed by Efren and his friends who would go around cemeteries and trash dumps teaching out-of-school children. 

Since we started in 2009, we’ve distributed 421,219 shoeboxes or dream kits filled with school supplies to 96 community beneficiaries nationwide, donated 701 computers, sponsored 497 scholars, and involved 5,404 volunteers.  

When the pandemic hit and we could no longer personally visit our beneficiaries, we partnered with Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation and pivoted to raising funds for scholars and building e-hubs in adopted school communities to make learning continuity possible under the Department of Education’s (DepEd) blended learning approach.  

Each e-hub costs P150,000 and provides a community with six laptops, stable internet for a year, a printer and printing supplies, washable face masks and alcohol, and coverage for administrative and logistical expenses. So far, we’ve built three e-hubs: one for Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School in Tagbilaran City, Bohol; another for Dumolog National High School in Roxas City, Capiz; the third for Lumber Camp National High School in Culion, Palawan; and we have one more new community incoming.  

I ended by challenging the guests to step up and partner with us in setting up more e-hubs as it is only by giving our youth access to technology that they can develop the skills necessary to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution. And be one more step closer to a poverty-free Philippines.

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