By Lynette Joy A. Pasajol

Far Eastern University (FEU) secured the second Overall Champion title at the ninth International Tourism and Hospitality Students’ Convention and the fourth National Tourism and Hospitality Students Skills Olympic, held at the Cordillera Convention Hall last February 28 to March 1.

FEU’s delegates brought home multiple awards across various categories, including Convention Planning, Travel Infographics, Destination Marketing, and Travel Vlog competitions.

Both of FEU’s Convention Planning teams clinched gold and silver for a proposal promoting global recycling initiatives in hospitality.

The project that bagged gold aimed to elevate businesses and organizations championing sustainability, inspired by research showing only nine percent of plastics worldwide are recycled.

Team B, who secured gold, was composed of Temple Bañel, Jambie Santos, Mickaela Joy Laroya, Johan Pamela Pamintuan, and Rika Ota, under the guidance of Dr. Chrisdie Tongol-Flores.

Meanwhile, Team A, who earned silver, included Cayro Dizon, Alliah Fe Camacho, Gale Daphne Del Rosario, Maria Alezza Luzon, and Hannah Sophia Lim, coached by Dr. John Malonzo.

FEU also dominated the Travel Vlog category, with Team A’s Kristine Bernadette Jose and Charisse Mirandilla clinching gold, while Team C’s Joe Galupo and Michaela Joy Pamintuan earned bronze. Both teams were coached by Dan Israel Cabangon.

In an email correspondence with FEU Advocate, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Philippines FEU Student Chapter Vice Chairperson Danielle Anne Principe relayed the statement of the Conventional Planning Team regarding the concept of their winning work.

“Our winning work is about creating an international event proposal where we will provide platforms for the organizations and businesses that advocate recycling and other sustainable practices… Being part of the tourism and hospitality institute in FEU, you will be exposed to different issues caused by the operations just to provide a quality and excellent service; thus, contributing to the sustainable development goals is a huge trend right now,” the team said.

According to the Convention Planning Team, their proposal aimed to address misconceptions surrounding recycling by highlighting businesses and organizations that successfully produce products from recycled plastics.

“There are now a lot of organizations and businesses that produce products from plastics. They are not just being recognized enough. Through this project proposal, we want others to realize that having knowledge alone about it won’t save the planet. It needs action from us,” they shared.

The competition posed several challenges, such as limited preparation time and last-minute adjustments to their presentation. Moreover, the team shared that balancing competition preparations with academic responsibilities was challenging. Some teammates felt overwhelmed the night before, but despite the stress and doubts, they pushed through and viewed their participation as a victory in itself.

For the Convention Planning team, securing the gold medal is a milestone that reflects not only their hard work and dedication but also the strength of FEU’s Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management in cultivating competitive and innovative students.

“It proves that ordinary Tourism and Hospitality Management students can compete at a high level and make a mark in the industry… Once given an opportunity, grab [it], take a shot, and take [a] risk. Because we, FEU students, are and could be capable of leading and innovating in event planning, even as early as now,” the team said.

Other notable wins for FEU included a silver medal in Destination Marketing, won by Mary Lokhi Mondal and Allenah Dizon under the mentorship of Hanie Maychel Infante, and a bronze medal in Travel Infographics, secured by Sandra Klyn Magbanua with Lexie Audrey Trabuco as her coach.

With the theme ‘Adapting to a Changing Landscape: Championing Innovation and Sustainability in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry,’ the event organized by the University of Baguio provided a platform for exploring innovations, addressing sustainability challenges, and fostering collaboration.

(Photo courtesy of PATA Philippines FEU Student Chapter)