SM Hotels helps former PDLs build careers after detention

Insider Spotlight

• SM Hotels is linking hospitality training for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) with employment opportunities after their release
• Programs at Park Inn by Radisson North Edsa and Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu have already produced hires, including graduates trained in housekeeping and food and beverage operations
• The hospitality group sees potential to expand the model to more Philippine cities through partnerships with local governments, BJMP, Tesda and other stakeholders
  
  
  

SM Hotels & Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) is using hospitality training as a pathway to employment for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs), building a model that connects rehabilitation programs with jobs after detention.

The initiative began through Quezon City's No Woman Left Behind and No Juan Left Behind programs under Mayor Joy Belmonte.

Park Inn by Radisson North Edsa launched housekeeping training for women PDLs in 2024 before expanding into food and beverage operations training for men in 2026.

Why it matters

The effort moves beyond skills certification by giving qualified graduates a chance to apply their training in an actual hotel environment. Park Inn North Edsa has hired Severino Montallana II, its first employee under No Juan Left Behind, following the earlier hiring of housekeeping training graduate Marissa Basa.

“The stories of Marissa and Severino remind us that rehabilitation becomes truly meaningful when it leads to a real opportunity beyond the walls. We are proud to be part of a program that gives people the chance to move forward with dignity and purpose,” Park Inn by Radisson North Edsa general manager Reycie Gutierrez said in a press release.

Zooming out

The approach has expanded to Cebu, where Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu works with BJMP, Tesda and other partners on the Skills Behind Walls program. PDLs undergo hands-on housekeeping training using a mock-up hotel room inside the jail facility. Its first Cebu batch produced 24 graduates, including Kimberly Cabahug, who later secured work at the hotel as a public area attendant.

“This is not just about giving a job. More importantly, it is about giving people the skills, confidence, and opportunity to rebuild their lives and become productive members of society,” Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu general manager Ann Olalo said.

The big picture

SMHCC sees its nationwide hotel portfolio as a platform to replicate the framework, matching training with hospitality roles across housekeeping, food and beverage, public areas and kitchen operations.

“Mayor Joy Belmonte started this effort with a clear vision of leaving no one behind, and it has now grown into an advocacy with the potential to reach more cities across the country,” SM Hotels & Conventions Corporation executive vice president Peggy Angeles said.

“As one of the country’s leading hospitality groups with a nationwide footprint, SM Hotels is in a unique position to help turn this vision into reality by bringing together our properties, partners, and stakeholders to help more PDLs gain skills, find meaningful work, and move forward,” Angeles added. —Vanessa Hidalgo| Ed: Corrie S. Narisma