SM Hotels & Conventions Corporation (SMHCC), through its hotel properties Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA and Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, is utilizing hospitality training to help Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) gain industry-relevant skills and transition into actual employment. Through partnerships with local governments, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Radisson Hotel Group, and other stakeholders, SM Hotels is helping create a practical link between skills development, hospitality employment, and life beyond detention.
This nationwide advocacy traces its beginnings to the Quezon City Government under Mayor Joy Belmonte, whose No Woman Left Behind and No Juan Left Behind programs provide PDLs with opportunities to gain practical skills and prepare for their transition back into the workforce. SM Hotels has supported these initiatives by bringing its hospitality expertise and training capabilities into the programs, creating opportunities for qualified graduates to apply their skills in an actual hotel environment.
In 2024, Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA launched Basic Housekeeping Skills Training for women PDLs at the Quezon City Jail Female Dormitory. The program expanded in 2026 to the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory through Basic Food and Beverage Operations Training, providing both women and men with industry-relevant skills aligned with actual hotel operations.
For SM Hotels, the impact of these programs goes beyond training completion. The ultimate measure is the ability of graduates to translate their newly acquired skills into meaningful work.
In particular, Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA recently welcomed Severino Montallana II, its first hire under the No Juan Left Behind program. After completing the Basic Food and Beverage Operations Training while at the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory, Montallana regained his freedom and subsequently joined the hotel workforce. Montallana joins Marissa Basa, the first graduate of the hotel’s Basic Housekeeping Skills Training for women PDLs to secure employment at Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA after her release.
“The stories of Marissa and Severino remind us that rehabilitation becomes truly meaningful when it leads to a real opportunity beyond the walls. We are proud to be part of a program that gives people the chance to move forward with dignity and purpose,” said Reycie Gutierrez, General Manager of Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA.
The programs are anchored on collaboration among the Quezon City Government, BJMP, SM Hotels, Radisson Hotel Group, Multi-Access Cooperative, and training partners, demonstrating how government and the private sector can work together to build a framework that connects rehabilitation and skills development with employment.
The said approach has already gained ground beyond Quezon City, with its implementation in another SMHCC property in Cebu. At Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, a similar hospitality training program is being conducted at the Cebu City Jail Female Dormitory in partnership with BJMP, TESDA, and other stakeholders.
Under the Skills Behind Walls program, PDLs receive hands-on housekeeping training in a mock-up hotel room built within the jail facility and aligned with hospitality industry standards. The first Cebu batch produced 24 graduates, with Kimberly Cabahug among its success stories after securing employment as a public area attendant at Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu and beginning her journey back into the workforce.
“This is not just about giving a job. More importantly, it is about giving people the skills, confidence, and opportunity to rebuild their lives and become productive members of society,” said Ann Olalo, General Manager of Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, highlighting how employment can help former PDLs transition back into the community and establish more stable livelihoods.
The programs in Quezon City and Cebu demonstrate how SM Hotels can use its properties, hospitality expertise, and operational environment to provide training that is directly relevant to the workplace. With hotels requiring skilled personnel across housekeeping, food and beverage, public areas, kitchen operations, and other functions, the hospitality sector can provide practical avenues for qualified PDLs to put their training to work. The model can also be adapted by other cities based on their local needs, available training resources, and employment requirements. At its core is a practical framework: equip PDLs with industry-relevant skills, provide hands-on training, and help qualified graduates transition into the workforce.
In the case of SMHCC, its portfolio of hotels across key destinations provides a platform to bring this advocacy to more locations while working alongside local governments, BJMP, TESDA, and other partners. Each program can respond to the needs of its host city while drawing on the hospitality industry’s capacity to provide relevant training and actual employment opportunities.
“Mayor Joy Belmonte started this effort with a clear vision of leaving no one behind, and it has now grown into an advocacy with the potential to reach more cities across the country,” said SM Hotels & Conventions Corporation Executive Vice President Peggy Angeles. “As one of the country’s leading hospitality groups with a nationwide footprint, SM Hotels is in a unique position to help turn this vision into reality by bringing together our properties, partners, and stakeholders to help more PDLs gain skills, find meaningful work, and move forward,” Ms. Angeles added.
SM Hotels is putting the capabilities of the hospitality industry to work beyond its hotels, thus turning industry training into practical skills and actual employment for qualified PDLs. From Quezon City to Cebu, its initiatives demonstrate how hospitality can serve as a platform for skills development and inclusive employment, one skill, one graduate, and one job at a time.
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