Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR), the hospitality arm of Robinsons Land, has partnered with Punlaan School to provide scholars with hands-on training and prepare them for potential careers in the hospitality industry.
Under a memorandum of agreement, two Punlaan scholars will undergo six months of on-the-job training at RHR hotels in Metro Manila from August 2026 to February 2027.
The students will rotate through major areas of hotel operations, including the kitchen, housekeeping, food and beverage, and front office.
Learning on the job
Punlaan School, a vocational-technical institution in San Juan City, provides hospitality and service-oriented education to young women from underprivileged backgrounds.
Its program combines six months of classroom instruction with another six months of practical training at partner institutions.
At RHR, the scholars will work alongside hospitality professionals, putting classroom lessons into practice while learning how hotels operate day to day.
Beyond technical training, the program is designed to develop communication, teamwork, adaptability and guest-service skills. The scholars will also receive an allowance during their training.
“We believe that education creates opportunities that can change lives,” RHR Senior Vice President and Business Unit General Manager Barun Jolly said.
Jolly said the program would give students the skills, experience and confidence to pursue careers in hospitality while helping develop future professionals for the industry.
Building a talent pipeline
The partnership also comes as RHR prepares to expand its hotel portfolio, making talent development an increasingly important part of its growth plans.
After completing the training, the Punlaan scholars may be considered for available positions at RHR, depending on their performance and the company’s staffing requirements.
The initiative forms part of RHR’s corporate social responsibility efforts under RLove, Robinsons Land’s CSR program, particularly its education-focused R Eskwela initiative.
It also falls under RHR’s “Hospitality by Heart” commitment, which the company says seeks to extend its culture of hospitality beyond guests and into communities.
For Punlaan’s scholars, however, the immediate opportunity is more tangible: six months to turn lessons into experience, develop workplace confidence and potentially take their first steps toward a career in an industry where learning how to serve guests often begins by being given an opportunity. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
