In September, Robinsons Hotels and Resorts’ Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria and Holiday Inn Manila Galleria showed that true hospitality can extend beyond the confines of their respective properties.
The two international hotels managed by the Intercontinental Hotels Group celebrated a month of “Giving for Good” throughout September, when employees got together to effect positive change in their local communities through volunteer work, taking care of the environment, and raising awareness for personal well-being and health. These efforts were held in conjunction with Robinsons Land’s RLove CSR program, which advocates for greater employee volunteerism and engagement as it takes on social welfare projects for the benefit of Filipino communities.
Hotel employees took part in various charitable activities throughout the month. In addition to the company-initiated endeavors, they imbibed the true spirit of volunteerism and willingly shared from their own pockets to raise funds for other philanthropic causes.
The hotel’s different departments even took charge of their own pet projects. The Finance Department gathered resources to support the Little Sisters of the Elderly, a charitable institution that runs a home for disadvantaged seniors in San Juan, Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, the Engineering team contributed towards attaining a better environment by planting trees with medicinal properties around the hotel’s 5th floor garden area and organizing a clean-up drive along Ortigas Drive.
Regina Sta. Cruz and Dennise Gallardo, managers from the Rooms Division, focused on building confidence and expressing oneself through the #IAMRemarkable workshop. As both women are alumnae of Rise, IHG’s career-development and mentoring program for aspiring female general managers, they used its principles to develop the workshop’s framework.
Related to the theme of mental well-being, nurse Ton Delgado, a tai chi advocate and practitioner, conducted a free session demonstrating the ancient Chinese discipline’s many benefits. Advocates claim that tai chi can improve the immune system, reduce anxiety, and help relieve depression. This was followed by a yoga session that encouraged employees to practice mindfulness and meditation.
The public’s health was also on the mind of the hotels and their employees, who donated blood for the benefit of cancer patients at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center. In addition, Front Office employees raised funds among themselves to contribute to the CRIBS Foundation. Established in 1974, CRIBS provides a safe environment for abandoned, neglected, or surrendered babies and young female survivors of sexual abuse.
In a salute to frontliners, in particular the staff of Pasig City’s Traffic Parking Management Office (also known as the Pasig Blue Boys) and customer-facing airport personnel, the hotel provided them with boxed meals for a day.
The Food & Beverage Department took this initiative a step further by pooling their own resources to provide boxed meals to delivery riders. The F&B employees set up a booth outside the hotel driveway and gave food to hungry delivery riders passing by.
Mixing their passion with a sense of purpose, biking enthusiasts from different departments assembled 100 food packs from their personal donations to give away as they biked across Metro Manila. The food packs were distributed among the city’s homeless, street children, and other disadvantaged citizens.
The hotel management also used engagement activities to thank its personnel in the Housekeeping Department. During Olympics Week, the staff played fun games and won prizes to boost their morale and promote camaraderie.
To close the month, the hotel selected the HOPE Caring Community Facility in Quezon City as the beneficiary of bed linens and toiletries. HOPE cares for asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients in its 200-bed facility. It also accommodates children who test positive for COVID-19, as well as their families or guardians. Cindy Garcia, Head of Logistics of the City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (CESU), accepted the donation on September 25.
Without a doubt, “Giving for Good” month was an inspiring success. Eighty percent of the total workforce participated in the activities, more than 300 food packs were distributed, and numerous lives were affected by the acts of generosity and kindness of the hotel staff. Spreading positivity, love, and hope during these difficult times — this is hospitality at its finest.
