ASTORIA Hotels and Resorts has renewed its partnership with the Cagayan de Oro-based baking and culinary arts school, Monster Kitchen, last Wednesday, October 10, in Cucina Higala, this city.
This year marks the fourth year partnership between the hotel and the institution.
The renewal of partnership was led by Astoria Plaza Hotel manager Felimon Regalado Jr., and Angel Quinito, chief operating officer of Monster Kitchen through a signing of the memorandum of agreement.
Quinito said with their partnership established formally and officially, Monster Kitchen will see how serious Astoria is in giving the students the quality training through internship "not just in the field of culinary and baking, but also in the field of expertise in terms of developing the students for this particular industry."
"Astoria is known sa ilang mga trainings sa ilang quality services nga ginahatag sa atong mga students (in their trainings, quality services they give to our students)," Quinito said.
"Not to mention they are one of the biggest hotels in the Philippines and being partners with them is a step up for Monster Kitchen, knowing na we are able to partner and they are acknowledging us as partners," he added.
Quinito also shared the reasons why Monster Kitchen entered a partnership with Astoria for several years, due to its network, intensive quality training, and the quality partners that they can have outside Cagayan de Oro.
Regalado, for his part, has assured that through the help of Astoria, the students will be able to develop their skills and personality.
"We really develop the students and you can see the result. From a humble or shy student, we are able to change them into a smart person, we are able to develop their personality and also their skills," Regalado said.
Regalado is also optimistic that through their partnership with Monster Kitchen, other industries, especially the schools, in Cagayan de Oro City will be interested to also enter a partnership with them.
"It’s [the partnership with Monster Kitchen] successful because they have been sending their students. And I think from the feedback, we don't really received any negative complaints or feedback from the students so I think the partnership is doing well," Regalado said.
"So, they provide the basic education and we support them by the practical side. Plus now we have the international internship, so there will be more opportunity for our partners, for the students not only to be deployed here locally but also internationally," he added.
The Astoria Hotel Manager said with their international partnership, which they just recently established, the students will be given the opportunity not just to have internship locally in all of the Astoria properties in Ortigas, Boracay, Palawan, and Bohol; but also outside the country such as in the United States, Span, Maldives, and Thailand.
"For the students of Monster Kitchen, we are now opening doors to make them globally competitive. Because number one, since they partner worldwide with Astoria, they are helping us now to make a guarantee to the students once we let them go, under the partnership with Astoria and worldwide, we are confident that they can really do well because they are being trained and handled by agency partners like them," Quinito said.
"The quality training that will make them globally competitive," he added.
At present, according to Quinito, Monster Kitchen has already sent two of their students to Astoria.
"Hopefully, with the coming graduates, mas daghan pa (there will be a lot more). It’s because karon pa sya na year nga (it is only this year) we were able to intensify our partnership," he said.