The said visit is for an inspection as part of UNP CHTM’s application for the Sustainable Tourism Education Program Upgrading Project (STEP UP) of CHED. If fully qualified, the College will receive Php 25M fund for equipment purchases and refurbishments, faculty training, and faculty immersion program.

“This is a huge opportunity which we have to grab, considering our needs for upskilling what we already have,” Dr. Blessie B. Cabanting, dean of CHTM, shared.

The visitors included Dr. Arnold V. Ancheta, CHED Regional Office 1 program supervisor, and Mr. Noel Antonio F. Paz and Ms. Lucita B. Mejia, staff of the CHED Office of Programs and Standards Development (OPSD). With them as well were Dr. Ignacio G. Cordova Jr., Dr. Maria Cecilia A. Tio-Cuison, and Dr. Ma. Christina G. Aquino, members of the TCHMTM.

While not yet fully approved, CHTM’s eligibility as an applicant stems from UNP’s location in a Department of Tourism priority area along tourism, niche in its tourism and hospitality management programs, good track record for implementing CHED projects, existing industry partnerships, and non-existing liability with CHED.

When already fully qualified, CHTM will have two expected outputs, namely: “Improvement of the hospitality and tourism management laboratory such as kitchen, bread and pastry, food and beverages, housekeeping, front office, and travel and tour” and “Immersion and skills upgrade for UNP-CHTM core faculty members.”

“The upgrade and improvement of the hospitality and tourism laboratory facilities will further enhance the hospitality and tourism management curriculum with classroom learning and considerable hands-on training. However, instructional effectiveness can only be achieved if all hospitality and tourism management students are exposed to laboratory sessions,” the College envisioned in its proposal to the project.

Aside from being instrumental to a conducive learning environment, the grant would also “allow the faculty members of the UNP CHTM to upgrade their skills in line with their expertise for more effective teaching.”