HOSPITALITY SUPERSTARS: Martin Aguilar, CEO of the Filipino Hospitality
Martin Aguilar has a young yet impressive career in the Philippine Hospitality Industry starting as sales manager for The Legend Hotel in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. He then moved as pre-opening front office chief of the Pangulasian Island Resort of the El Nido chain. His final posting was as operations manager of S’Maison, the luxury mall within the Conrad Manila.
After this corporate postings, Martin decided to stand on his own and start what is now recognized not only in the Philippines but through out the ASEAN Region, The Filipino Hospitality’ - a training and consulting firm. He is a much in-demand trainer and speaker and rightly so. He does not only deliver powerful talks but also makes a lot of practical sense.
He recently voiced out his thoughts and concerns about ‘Tourism Summits’ with particular focus on the Province of Palawan, where he operates his training and consulting company. Martin suggests they should address real issues as follows:
ON CONFRONTING THE LION IN THE ROOM
• A candid, data-driven State of the Industry — not just arrival numbers, but the quality of jobs, the state of MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises), and the readiness of our workforce.
• A human capital panel that puts TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) higher education, and industry in one room — because the gap between what schools teach and what hotels need is still too wide.
• A destination resilience forum addressing under-tourism, climate vulnerability, and the carrying capacity of our islands — from the Underground River to Honda Bay.
ON BUILDING A TOURISM ROADMAP
• Baranggay and city-level breakout sessions where LGUs (Local Government Units), academe, and private sector co-design localized action plans — not wish lists.
• A micro-entrepreneur track — because the tourism value chain is only as strong as its smallest players, from the souvenir vendors to the boat operators.
• A commitment session where stakeholders sign off on measurable targets: skills trained, jobs created, standards adopted.
ON THE EXPECTED OUTCOME
By the end of the summit, we should walk away with:
• A Puerto Princesa Tourism Workforce Development Framework — aligned with the ASEAN MRA-TP (ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals) and responsive to industry demand.
• A clear MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) upgrade pathway — access to financing, mentorship, and market linkage for local entrepreneurs.
• A digitalization commitment — because our guests are digital, but many of our processes are not.
• A monitoring mechanism — clear KPIs, assigned owners, and a timeline. No more summits without accountability.
Martin concludes his suggestions with this apt message:
“Tourism Month reminds us that tourism is a force for good. But it becomes truly good only when it works for everyone: the guest, the worker, the entrepreneur, and the community. Let's stop summiting for the sake of summiting. Let's summit to solve”.
I am 100% in agreement with you Martin. Long live your contributions to our industry.
Martin Aguilar is the Founder and Chief Consultant of The Filipino Hospitality, a Learning and Development, Events Management, and Consultancy company based in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. He also serves as the Process Consultant for GIZ, a German Development Cooperation agency. He is an ASEAN Tourism Master Assessor, among many other engagements.
