Special Feature: 8 Travelers We Definitely Don’t Want In Town

Many establishments all over the world are fond of tourists and travelers as they are sure sources of steady income. They cause local businesses to expand and it gets these businesses thinking of creative activities to engage in while staying in their place. It also enlivens a healthy competition among local tourism establishments. These make travel, leisure and food business owners to hire more people, thus creating jobs in any particular country. But truth of the matter is, even with these positive notes come the negative ones. Much as local tourism would like to accommodate all sorts of tourists and travelers, I have singled out here top 8 attitudes of travelers we can all be on the lookout for and be wary of, lest they wreak havoc to the beauty and calm of our country’s unique and A-class tourism enterprise.

Loud Travelers

While it’s all right to drink and have a good time in a bar or restaurant, what we don’t like to see in our establishments are guests who start creating loud noises after getting drunk, acting as if they own the whole place! Maybe if these guests rent a more private and enclosed function area, their loud noises can be ‘tolerated’ somehow. But noise, bordering on rowdiness, raucousness and rudeness that already affect the peace and privacy of other guests should not be handled sitting down. If the place has a security in-charge, which all business establishments must have, then maybe you can easily keep this kind of guests out, much to your relief!  

Wasteful

We all seem to enjoy all things bottomless and unlimited in different consumer products lately, but what could seem enjoyable to some consumer items may not be so in majority of hotel establishments. Have you ever heard of flowing, unlimited water in the bath tub or shower? There could well be flooding in no time!

And if the shower facilities aren't working as they should, then the room where the defective facilities are should not be occupied in the first place. It might also be excusable to have wasteful travelers around if your hotel has an unlimited budget, which is perhaps only possible for million-dollar earning hotels. Or what about food splurging in a restaurant, ordering food items more than one can consume? As we go global, we are strangers no longer to hunger and what our fellowmen in many poor countries are going through. So it will really be a welcome thing for us to have guests who have an eye and concern for others' difficult life situations --- these are guests who keep an eye on their own lifestyle. 

Disrespectful

Who wants to feel like you’re being taken advantage of and being hurt one’s dignity? Nobody. Knowing the culture of a place before visiting will be worth your while as it will show you how to survive the ins and outs of the place and be familiar with what is taboo or not in the local community you will be journeying to. And what’s more, you will be endeared to the locals and would love to have you keep on visiting their place, as they ask you to bring your friends the next time you go on holiday. 

Vandalizers

The clean and pretty walls of your hotel and restaurant which you have invested on with expenses that were the result of your blood, sweat and tears and which you have dreamt of maintaining for future generations to enjoy are sometimes being threatened by not-so-well-meaning guests. These could be mistakenly be seen by them as a graffiti wall! Vandalizers of tables, chairs, walls, benches, even tree trunks in your mini-park can really get to you sometimes. It does help to shoot up your blood pressure. Yes, we know how happy these tourists can be for having visited a particular place, but they don’t have to seek ways and means to have their visit immortalized through a scribble that says, “Tom was here!” Ruining tourist sites in this manner could be very disheartening since tourists directly attack the beauty of the location which is the main attribute why people are drawn to visit these well-maintained tourist attractions in the first place.  

Packrats

If you happen to be a hotel housekeeper and needed to check on rooms that have just been vacated, you might have the surprise of your life when you find out that some items have gone missing! Blow dryers, towels, hangers, even some decorative figurines on the night table and dresser, are just some things that guests might take a fancy on and they could have happily checked out with them. In restaurants likewise, if food servers are not vigilant, they can lose some silverware they invested on i.e. teaspoons, pretty glass holders and coasters, napkin holders , etc. What could possibly lessen losing hotel and restaurant property is to have some witty reminder signage posted on walls, neatly put on nice small, upright table frames with notes about maintaining the beauty and order of the room. This could perhaps be effective unless they're also taken away!

   

Know-it-alls

After a three-year stint in a resort-hotel, I have come across several guests who can really make you wonder why they left their homes to go on vacation only to give other people a hard time. I'm talking about hard-to-please guests who maintain that they deserve more than what they are getting. Our poor front desk personnel have to always consult our hotel’s officer-in-charge when appeasing guests who demand that their hotel room lacks this and that, forgetting that some amenities go with the kind of hotel room they booked! If you ever come across this type of guests, better make sure you employ the H.E.A.T. method in handling sensitive situations they could stir up. H.E.A.T. is an acronym for

Hear them out, Empathize with the guest, Address the problem, and Thank the guest for letting you know of their concern.

Racists

There has been much talk about equality since the turn of the 20^th century, and we can say that somehow, much has already been achieved along this line. Wikipedia says that, “Racism is generally defined as actions, practices, or beliefs that consider the human species to be divided into races with shared traits, abilities, or qualities, such as personality, intellect, morality, or other cultural behavioral characteristics, and especially the belief that races can be ranked as inherently superior or inferior to others, or that members of different races should be treated differently”. So be on the lookout for guests who treat your staff, through their words and actions, with not enough spirit of good will as to say demeaning things just because their skin is white or yellow and yours is black or brown. We live in a world without borders now, and everyone has the right to be proud of their cultural heritage as it is theirs and theirs alone.

Scrooge Travelers

If we mentioned some wasteful types of guests earlier, we can also encounter guests who don't seem to shell out any funds for some extra service they are requesting. Yes, scrooge travelers can be found even among wealthy-looking foreign travelers. However, this is understandable since we all want to save up as much as we could when we travel. But this doesn't mean refusing to pay for a price that demanded labor on the part of our hotel and restaurant personnel. While it's good to have discounts and promos in service establishments, these can be done occasionally as come-ons or perks for our regular guests for them to enjoy a good time on holiday.    

So there you have it, our 8 kinds of travelers we wish we wouldn't encounter in our hotel, restaurant or service establishment! Be on your toes and prepare yourself and your staff to deal with them should they appear right on your doorstep. There is nothing to fear if you equip yourself with the right words, always mindful of your tone of voice since these pointers will help keep you in control of the situation. Arm yourself with a ready smile and confront these types of people with charming calm, elegance and grace. Only then will you see how effective you will be under pressure.

Gearing Up for the International Eucharistic Congress 2016 in Cebu City

The IEC 2016 app which can be used by all the participants.

Today is exactly 31 weeks and 5 days before the kick-off of the much-awaited 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) set here in Cebu City on January 24-31, 2016. The last time the IEC was held in the country was on February 3-7, 1937 in Manila, a good 79 years ago. The theme for IEC 2016 is, "Christ in You, our Hope of Glory," from the letter of St. Paul to the Colossians, chapter 1, verse 27.

The Holy Eucharist, Christ with us in sacramental form i.e. in the form of bread, is suffering from neglect and disrespect, committed by people who do not know what our faith teaches us about the sacrament. We can look into what we know about our Catholic doctrine and perhaps review a bit more about the extreme value the Holy Eucharist has.When we receive Holy Communion, after having gone for a good confession --- the tribunal of mercy and compassion --- we receive the Author of Grace Himself --- God. He grants us profound peace which only the person who experiences it can understand.

There are a lot of initiatives surrounding the preparations for the IEC 2016 here in Cebu. By just visiting their website, one will be led to get the pertinent details of the event. Whether or not one will participate actively in this big celebration, not just here in the Philippines but in the entire Christian world, I think only one thing is needed. Our Lord wants to see how attentive we are to what He wants to tell us. He wants to tell us
something through His words in Sacred Scriptures. He wants to tell us something through the events that He allows to happen in our lives. He wants to tell us something in the spiritual advice we seek from those who are truly concerned about our welfare. He wants to tell us something through our relationships with family and friends.

With the last visit of the Holy Father in January this year, I think the Lord only wants to tell us one message that ought to resound and ring continuously in our interior life.

He wants to tell us that He Himself is Love. For that reason, we ought to be the protagonists and catalysts of love in our own families, our circle of friends, our place of work, and in our communities.    
 

Cebu Business Month 2015: Showcasing a Glocalized Cebu

The local business scene here in Cebu City is very much busy these days since the Cebu Business Month was launched last May 29, 2015. Organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI) annually every month of June, this event is a much-awaited activity that enjoins all entrepreneurs and businessmen from various industries --- tourism, information and communication technology, business process outsourcing, creative/furniture, and more, to showcase their strengths and engage the consumer market to pay attention to the services and products they are offering.   

This year’s theme is GLOCALIZED CEBU. CCCI’s main objective is to inspire, promote and grow Cebu business by gathering industry stakeholders in month-long activities and events, to open possibilities for more networking and linkages that will redound to the overall improvement of the local economy.

The CCCI is helping to strengthen Cebu’s economy, making itself equipped for the ongoing ASEAN Economic Integration which was launched in the entire country this year.

According to its website, CBM 2015 is now on its 19^th year. GLOCALIZED CEBU, CBM 2015 programs shall provide a platform to establish networks of local interactions and global connections to stimulate a trans-national business community.

CBM 2015 Line-up of Events 

4th Cebu International Documentary Film Festival

June 11, 2015, Cinema One, SM City Cebu

A platform for filmmakers, producers, artists, media practitioners and film enthusiasts to develop and share creative talents and socially-inclined film-making experience through documentary films.

Business-in-Golf Tournament

June 12, 2015, Cebu Country Club

The Business-in-Golf Tournament is designed to promote camaraderie and healthy competition among participating entrepreneurs.

The event lets the entrepreneurs practice their skills not just in playing golf, but in playing by the rules as well. It exhibits balance, coordination and cooperation which are necessary skills needed to sustain every entrepreneur’s business.

Techno-Tour Amazing Adventure Challenge (TTAAC 2015)

June 16, 2015 – June 17, 2015, Southern and Mid-west of Cebu

This 3-day-2-night EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM adventure race will promote and showcase Cebu’s tourism, culture and heritage through technology and adventure.

TTAAC 2015 will bring participants from the designated starting points in the city of Cebu to the south and southwest municipalities of the Cebu Province in search of historical sites and familiarize themselves with the culture and products of the respective municipalities.

Entrepreneurship Grand Expo 

June 18, 2015 – June 21, 2015, Radisson Blu Cebu

This event shall provide a platform to showcase and strengthen the capabilities of local companies and resources, which in turn become a competitive advantage to attract more foreign companies, thereby, fostering new linkages and partnership with global key players.

International Travel Fiesta

June 19, 2015 – June 21, 2015, SM City Cebu Trade Hall, Northwing Atrium

The International Travel Fiesta is one of the major events of CBM 2015 under the Tourism thrust, which aims to provide a platform to launch all of Cebu’s new destinations through showcasing, interactions and business matching. This event shall also serve as a knowledge-sharing platform to discuss relevant tourism-related issues/concerns, opportunities and experiences and be able to come up with a concrete plan. This will gather both public and private sectors.

CBM 2015 is now attracting a bigger number of out-of-Cebu local and international participants, aside from the province's local patrons.

For more event line-ups, please visit http://www.cebubusinessmonth.net/.

Ours is the Earth and Everything in It: June is Philippine Environment Month

It is high time for us to step up in our personal and collective efforts to promote sustainable and ecological programs that will contribute to nature conservation and regeneration.

The month of June is celebrated in the country as Philippine Environment Month. Yesterday, June 5, we commemorated World Environment Day, joining all the nations of the world in spreading awareness about what our planet Earth needs so badly --- our commitment to care for her in many more ways than one. According to the website write-up on the environment month, this year's theme is, "Green Economy: Does It Include You?" which emphasizes the need of the communities to shift into more environment-friendly, low-carbon and resource-efficient approach such as using biodegradable products and avoiding the use of harmful chemicals.

Coastal clean-ups organized by different communities

We could recall that when we were still studying, perhaps our respective schools would think of different ways to celebrate and promote environment consciousness. Newspaper drives, recycling items such as water bottles, tin cans, plastic straws, yellow and white pages transformed into useful baskets, colored paper magazines turned into bags and creative accessories, not to mention eco-practices like using tumblers or glasses when we brush our teeth to conserve water. Or being alert about refraining from using

Corals at Verde Island, Philippines

 electric lights when natural light can well brighten the place where we are staying. Or joining coastal clean-ups, mangrove and tree-planting, being disciplined as not to throw non-biodegradable trash in the sea or in forests whenever we go out to swim or hike respectively.

There are also several foundations that have been put up to specifically address the need to protect the environment: Haribon Foundation, Mother Earth Foundation, or online clubs such as Eco-Club and Sustainable Tourism.

We can think of so many more examples of helping in the promotion of protecting the environment. What we just need to work on now is to persevere in our resolve to think and preserve the environment at any cost. Since we know that it will do us and our surroundings a lot of good, then it is but logical to support this advocacy as long as we are cared for by the Earth. Much like when you are presented with so many advocacies to root for, the cause of environment protection is worth backing up as we see its relevance in upholding the common good of all mankind. It promises to preserve our bodily health, and our spiritual health at the same time.

The Banaue Rice Terraces at Ifugao, Mt. Province

We enjoin everyone to think of ways on how we can personally celebrate Philippine Environment Month in the schools, work institutions, and communities where we live. After all, we are the first recipients of the wonderful good which environment conservation can do not just for the country but for the whole world.