THE province of Palawan, consistently voted as World's Best Island by prestigious international organizations and publications, finally got its first batch of butlers after the Department of Tourism-Mimaropa Region recently held a butler training at Hotel Centro Puerto Princesa City.
The first of its kind in the country, the trailblazing program aims to help the archipelagic province keep in step with the demands and challenges in the local hospitality industry. Palawan has hosted global conferences and high-profile events in recent years.
DoT Assistant Secretary Christopher Morales said that the training is part of its Upscaling Hotel Services which seeks to create a corps of competent butlers who will provide world-class service and experience to VIP guests.
The training had 26 participants from DoT-accredited hotels in Puerto Princesa, as well as luxe resorts Banwa Private Island Resort in Roxas, and Lihim Resort in El Nido.
Dubbed as the “Gentleman's gentleman,” the butler provides highly-personalized service which is powerful, dynamic and seeks to exceed guest expectations and translate to customer loyalty.
Resource persons included Asean Master Trainer Dr. Santos Buenvenida and Hotel Centro Operations Manager Art Cayanan, who once served as butler to Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah during his state visits to the Philippines.
To sustain the program's momentum, the participants organized the butler association of Palawan, and elected and inducted its officers during the event's closing ceremonies.
The DoT intends to replicate the butler training in the county's top tourist destinations to further enhance the Filipino brand of service excellence in the hospitality industry to global standards.