A Culture of Care Built To Last
A closer look at how Megaworld Hotels & Resorts builds hospitality culture through purpose, care, inclusivity, and people-first leadership.
Words Randolf Maala-Resueño
Photos courtesy of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts
January 18, 2026
Hospitality often reveals itself in gestures. A pause before a greeting. A steady presence during long hours. At Megaworld Hotels & Resorts (MHR), these gestures are shaped by a culture designed to sustain the people who perform them, grounding service on purpose rather than polish.
Behind the guest-facing calm is demanding work that requires both endurance and emotional fluency. MHR acknowledges this reality through a people-first philosophy that has earned it recognition as a “Great Place To Work.”
“Hospitality is demanding work, and we recognize that excellence cannot be sustained without a culture that genuinely cares for its people,” said MHR Managing Director Cleofe Albiso.
Megaworld Hotels & Resorts’ Managing Director, Cleofe Albiso, and Group General Manager, Arturo Boncato, accepted the Tourism Industry Excellence Award from Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia Frasco joined by Undersecretaries Verna Buensuceso and Rica Bueno at the first Philippine Tourism Awards.
“When employees feel respected, included, and inspired by purpose, their passion naturally translates into meaningful guest experiences.”
At the center of this culture is the “Circle of Happiness,” a framework that operates like a quiet architecture beneath daily operations. Built on five pillars—Love for Self, Work, Family, Country, and God—it positions employees not just as service providers, but as whole individuals.
This philosophy finds its most poetic expression in the ‘Sampaguita’ brand of service, inspired by the national flower and its five symbolic petals: love, honor, dignity, healing, and the Philippine flag. The result is hospitality that feels rooted, sincere, and unmistakably Filipino.
90% of employees said that Megaworld Hotels & Resorts is a “great place to work.”
Inclusivity is one of the strongest threads running through this fabric.
What was once a leadership structure dominated by men has evolved into one where women now comprise 51 percent of decision-makers, with dozens promoted into larger roles since 2019. Employee surveys show high levels of perceived fairness across gender and sexual orientation.
MHR is also the first Philippine hotel chain to achieve full accreditation as a ‘Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Establishment,’ ensuring both guests and employees can practice faith with dignity.
Halal dining option at Vienne Restaurant in Savoy Hotel Boracay.
Looking ahead, MHR invests in continuity through the Next Gen Leadership Council. Selected young associates undergo an intensive, multi-property leadership program that blends mentorship, strategic exposure, and operational immersion. It is a deliberate cultivation of future stewards, designed to align growth with values.
As the hospitality arm of Megaworld Corporation under Alliance Global Group, MHR operates at scale, with multiple brands and properties nationwide. Yet its culture remains carefully tended. Like a well-kept garden, it grows through repetition, care, and the belief that when people are nurtured, excellence follows.
