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Develop positive values, attitude,

M E T R O F I L E

10/16/2008

The message was simple and straightforward: Learn positive values and attitude, move away from your comfort zones, develop a passion for excellence and be proficient in English. Tourism students from 11 universities and colleges in Cebu province received these exhortations from a host of resource persons during the first summit of the League of Tourism Students of the Philippines (LTSP) at the SM Trade Hall here last Oct. 11. “Just to see 10 percent of you (tourism students) succeed, I will be very happy,” LTSP chairman emeritus Robert Lim Joseph addressed the crowd of 450 made up of students from University of San Carlos, University of Cebu, University of San Jose-Recoletos, Southwestern University, Cebu Institute of Technology, Salazar Institute of Technology, Cebu State College of Science and Technology-Argao, Mary our Help College, Benedicto College, Northeastern Cebu Colleges-Danao and University of the Visayas. He urged the students to shun peer pressure and pursue endeavors what “you deem is best for you.” Joseph, the country’s honorary consul to Latvia, advised the students to become proficient in written and spoken English, develop good values and attitudes, and upgrade their academic and technical skills. “Strive for excellence. Erase the phrase puwede na ito (this is good enough) from your vocabulary. If you can fool yourselves, what do you expect yourselves to be? Develop and maximize your asset,” Joseph told the summit, whose objective is to produce competent and outstanding tourism practitioners from the education sector. Joey Uybaretta, VP for human resources of Philippine Airlines, told the enthusiastic and appreciative crowd to look beyond the box, created their own “magic” after graduation, practice good manners and right conduct and work on impact and interactive management. “I stayed in PAL not because I was promised the VP position, but because I loved what I am doing. My trips were only secondary,” he said. “Values are not seen nor touched. They are felt.” La Salle professor Mike Powell Joseph Jr. also prodded the students to be values-driven, to focus on their strengths and not on their weaknesses, and develop positive Filipino attitudes such as personal responsibility, accountability and integrity. “We should put a stop to blaming and finger pointing. Own the complaint and do something about it,” he stressed. The other speakers at the summit were LTSP head Xander Kim Sigua and Cebu City Marriott Hotel general manager Roy Abraham. Sigua talked about his experiences in and growth of the organization, which was founded on Feb. 23, 2007. With its 20 chapters nationwide, the association seeks to strengthen and unite the tourism student sector and envisions itself to be the mother organization of globally competitive tourism graduates. Among the event’s sponsors, which was actively supported by the office of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and Dawniee Roa of the Department of Tourism’s Central Visayas office, were Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Travel Cooperative of the Philippines, National Association on Independent Travel Agencies, Weesam Express, Majestic Cuisine, Nature’s Spring, International Wine and Spirit Association, Philippine Wine Merchant, Ralph’s Wine and Spirit and Save Our Skies movement.