The constant lady

AT FIRST glance, one would be able to immediately single out Anna Corpuz as she walks calmly through the buffet area; observing, greeting employees and taking pictures of the food served for the day. Indeed, the new food and beverage manager of Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino-Mactan has this aura of corporate seriousness around her.

But as busy as this woman is, there’s not a single sense of rush or panic as she moves from one meeting to another. Instead, a sense of calmness and ease emanates from her constantly as she smiles and greets her employees.

“The first thing I told them when I arrived here was that I didn’t want them to feel pressured, because if you build pressure you won’t be able to enjoy your job,” shares Anna.

“I make it a point that I make their day. So when I come to work, I make it a point that I greet them first; make them feel welcome and make them feel happy. Not very strict—I’m not the type who uses military ways,” continues Anna. Having been in the hospitality industry for almost two decades, Anna has memorized the intricate turns and has grown comfortable in this fast paced life.

Having started her career in 1996 as a receptionist, Anna rose through the ranks and eventually achieved high posts due to her unyielding determination and interest for new challenges. She started working in Manila and then went international for various hotels and restaurants, and having finished a degree in culinary arts in the U.S., she brought back her craft to the Philippines as she became the first general manager of the first international chain, World Spices International Cusine. But this is her first visit here in Cebu having been born in Manila.

Having stayed here in Cebu for four months now, Anna happily notes that she enjoys Cebu so much, “I went to Virgin Island and I really fell in love with the place. It’s as if you’re really in paradise. The five hour bus trip was frustrating but when I arrived in Bantayan, the sand was so white and powdery. When I arrived at the Virgin Island—the more I fell in love. How I wish we had something like that in Manila,” shares Anna.

However, Anna admits that it hasn’t been easy. “I don’t know how to speak Bisaya and my challenge is how to converse with other people in their own language.” Having been used to living a fast paced life, Anna shares that aside from the language barrier, it hasn’t been easy because everything still is quite new including the Cebuano culture. “Actually Metro Manila is very congested already when it comes to traffic so if you are living in Metro Manila the life there is very fast while here in Cebu it’s more laid back which I’m not used to. I learned that attitude when I was living in the U.S. that I can’t just wait and I have to do something about it right away. And I think that’s the thing that I brought with me in the succeeding jobs that I had. And I think it’s a good trait for one to have.”

With her aggressiveness and inherent attitude to be on top and innovate, food and beverage manager Anna Corpuz will calmly, and with ease, lead Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino exactly where she wants it to be.

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