As the Cebu Tourism and Hospitality Awards (CTHA) marks its fifth year, the Hotel, Resort & Restaurant Association of Cebu, Inc. (HRRACI) is looking beyond recognition and toward the future.
“Our vision is simple: Cebu as a globally competitive, people-driven tourism destination,” said HRRACI President Mia Singson-Leon.
Over the next five years, HRRACI aims to strengthen Cebu’s position as a leading destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), develop globally competitive tourism professionals who choose to build their careers in Cebu, and ensure the industry’s growth remains anchored on sustainability, culture and community.
Ms. Mia Singson-Léon – HRRACI, President / Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan, General Manager
“We want Cebu to deliver service that can seriously compete with the top MICE destinations,” Singson-Leon said. “At the same time, we want to become a training ground for world-class tourism workers and grow the industry without losing what makes Cebu, Cebu.”
That vision, she said, is rooted in the industry’s journey over the past five years.
“Since the first CTHA, Cebu tourism has gone through three clear phases: survival, recovery and reinvention,” Singson-Leon said.
The first phase was about survival. The pandemic and Typhoon Odette forced hotels and resorts to close, displaced tourism workers and brought the industry to a standstill.
The second phase focused on recovery. Hotels reopened, flights resumed and businesses worked to restore travelers’ confidence.
“But we quickly realized that buildings alone wouldn’t make us competitive,” Singson-Leon said. “That’s why we entered the third phase: building our people.”
Today, she said, HRRACI is focusing on service excellence, leadership development and sustainability by investing in training, career growth and promoting Cebuano stories through hospitality.
“To compete globally, especially in MICE, you need more than facilities. You need people with skill, heart and consistency,” she said.
Singson-Leon said the fifth CTHA reflects that transformation.
“This fifth CTHA milestone represents that evolution. It marks our shift from being known just for leisure to positioning Cebu as the leading destination in the Philippines for both leisure and MICE,” she said.
The organization’s direction is reflected in this year’s theme, “Roots and Resilience.”
CTHA Chairman Ron Manalang, Cluster General Manager of Seda Central Bloc Cebu & Seda Ayala Center Cebu, said the theme honors Cebu’s cultural heritage while recognizing the industry’s ability to recover from years of crisis.
Mr. Ron Manalang – Seda Central Bloc Cebu & Seda Ayala Center Cebu, Cluster General Manager
“It’s honoring the heritage driving local hospitality forward while celebrating how the industry adapted, survived and rebuilt itself,” Manalang said.
He added that infrastructure improvements, including the expansion of Mactan-Cebu International Airport and new hotel developments across Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City, also strengthened the industry’s recovery.
According to Manalang, Cebu is also attracting a broader range of travelers through MICE events and cultural tourism. At the same time, the industry is placing greater emphasis on sustainability and high-value visitor experiences instead of simply increasing tourist arrivals.
“CTHA puts the spotlight on the people making this level of quality and maturity happen every day—with a smile, with heart and with dedication,” Singson-Leon said. “This fifth year says: we survived, we adapted, and now we will lead.”
For both leaders, the fifth CTHA reflects how far Cebu’s tourism industry has come—and where it intends to go next.
The awards recognize excellence across several categories: Front of the House Employee of the Year; Heart of the House Employee of the Year; Supervisor of the Year; Manager of the Year; Hospitality & Tourism Educator of the Year; Sustainability Champion of the Year; and Best Marketing Campaign of the Year.
Regardless of category, judges look beyond technical competence. They seek nominees who create lasting impact—leaders who mentor others, educators who produce industry-ready graduates, marketers who deliver measurable business results and sustainability champions whose initiatives make a meaningful difference.
Across every category, the qualities judges value remain the same: service, discipline and what both leaders describe as the Filipino brand of hospitality.
GM’s Circle (L-R) : Christian Adrian Gallares – Duros Hotels, Managing Director; Gwendolyn De La Cruz – Mercure Mactan, General Manager; Ron Manalang – Seda Central Bloc Cebu & Seda Ayala Center Cebu, Cluster General Manager; Domiku Ugarte – Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort, General Manager; Simon Chew, Movenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu, General Manager; Laurent Betourne – Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu, General Manager; Juvy Ikeuchi – HRRACI, Treasurer; Anya Unchuan – Cebu White Sands Resort and Spa, Operation Director; Melanie Arceo – Summit Galleria Hotel, General Manager; Mia Singson-Léon – HRRACI, President / Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan, General Manager; Joan Paula Zonoria – Pillows Hotel, General Manager; Josephine Romero – Diane Residences, General Manager and Nelifer Orbes – The Reef Island Resort Mactan, General Manager.
For HRRACI, the awards have grown into more than an annual recognition program. They have become a benchmark for excellence and a way of encouraging more tourism professionals to build long-term careers in Cebu.
For Singson-Leon, the fifth CTHA is less about celebrating the past than preparing for the future. If HRRACI’s vision succeeds, Cebu will not only attract more visitors but also develop the skilled workforce and strong local identity needed to remain competitive as both a premier leisure destination and a leading MICE hub in the Philippines.
