Polibiz
Centennial: the 'Next Big Thing'
I was privileged to attend last Friday, October 13, 2006, a luncheon press conference at the Centennial Hotel along Jalandoni Street hosted by the famous couple in Iloilo City business circle, Felix and Bernadette Tiu, as their way of promoting the forthcoming opening of The (Iloilo) Centennial Resort Hotel and Convention Center.
The program proper started on the dot, at exactly 11:00 in the morning, as appearing in their invitations sent out earlier to members of the local tri-media.
Miss Rowena Barte-Zulueta, our former colleague in the industry, has gracefully managed to carry herself with wit and eloquence as Mistress of Ceremonies.
In that aspect, Rowena is still unbeatable, no wonder she is still in demand by corporate functions and other private organizations. Her experience in television broadcasting in the past has kept her credibility intact all these years.
Felix Tiu, being the boss, has shown his worth as a salesman before the audience through his power-point presentation. His style of marketing coolness somehow reveals his strength of what it takes to be a leader and a businessman at par.
Bernadette Tiu, on the other hand, proved to be a no-nonsense partner of her better-half if I would base my observation on her closing remarks. Her speech was brief, yet the message is significantly remarkable. It was an attractive enticement for the locals and foreign visitors as well as far as selling The (Iloilo) Centennial Resort Hotel and Convention Center is concerned. She was well prepared and made a good effort to exploit the situation not in half-baked.
Miner del Mundo, Food and Beverage Consultant was an import from Manila and believed to have been pirated by the Tiu couple to supervise the five different restaurants within the resort to cater local and international cuisines.
Miner is no ordinary F&B Consultant recruit. He has practically toured around the world to further enhance his discriminating skill in food preparation, not to mention his ability to distinguish a good wine from an exceptional one.
Mimyra Gomez as F & B Manager has a challenging task ahead of her to compliment the smooth operation of her department with Miner.
Shanie M. Tiu, the pretty daughter-in-law of the Tiu couple, as Comptroller of this resort must possess the eye of an eagle as the success of this venture lies on her capacity to determine and control the expenses of the whole operation.
Another big weight added in the roster of who's who all-lady-executives to man the Centennial Resort Hotel and Convention Center is Ms. Nora Miranda, an educator by profession who hails from the town of Oton .
The four ladies were picked and selected by the Tiu couple based on their credentials and track record not to mention their standing in the Iloilo society mainstream. The four women have also something in common: being strong-willed and driven with the ability to lead and excel in their respective fields of endeavors.
Having a team like this I won't be surprised if Iloilo the former Queen City of the South once again put her name in the map as the 'Next Big Thing,' a winning phrase chosen from among the hundred entries in a recent name-a-tagline contest to appropriately describe Iloilo City.
Hotels or resorts for that matter, other than the services and amenities the client wants, keep their existence and longevity primarily because the food and beverages served are of good quality, more so when the cost of their commodities are also competitive.
And by coincidence, the Tiu couple earlier has professed the veracity, of all of the above.
The momentous event was attended by no less than regional directors, Edwin Trompeta and his wife Atty. Evelyn Trompeta, of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), respectively, and Provincial Director Diosdado Cadena of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Trompeta in his reaction to the imminent opening of the new resort has nothing but praises of encouragement for this kind of ambitious business venture. The imminent opening of this resort may eventually put both the province and city of Iloilo globally competitive as far as eco-tourism is concerned.
Cadena felt the same way.
The Centennial Resort Hotel and Convention Center (formerly Marikudo Country Club), a 15-minute drive away from the city proper, is located in a 4.5 ha land inside Alta Tierra Village , Jaro, Iloilo City. It has all the amenities and features comparable to that of other resorts in the country today.
The public is encouraged to pay this resort within the city (the first of its kind in the Visayas and Mindanao regions) a visit on its soft opening comes December 2006.
Apparently this is the 'Next Big Thing' in Iloilo.
(For your feedback & suggestions email to: roblesnelson@yahoo.com)