“When it is hard, we do not stop in the middle, we stop at the end when it is done.”
WORKING a way up in the hospitality industry could be demanding, but a woman with a towering ambition to be successful in this field was Maria Manlulu-Garcia.
Over the years, this ambition evolved into something more personal and inclusive: to inspire fellow Asian women to break barriers and encourage more female leaders to make it to the top.
Manlulu-Garcia's hard work and skills brought her to the peak of hospitality after an uphill climb in the hotel business for 30 years.
She braved the highs and lows of hotel management, starting in the United States and eventually finding her way back to her roots in the Philippines.
Strong foundation
Manlulu-Garcia's strong work ethic was not merely shaped by her own experiences but also her mother's influential role as a former general manager of various hotels in the United States, serving as an inspiration for the young aspiring hotelier in her.
Her father with a military background also instilled discipline in her, greatly shaping the leader she has become today.
“With the combined traits and values of my parents, I have an advantage of working with a graceful heart and an iron fist — together, it works magically,” she said in an interview with The Manila Times.
Manlulu-Garcia had the chance to jump-start her career in the Philippines as the director of Housekeeping Services at Sofitel Philippine Plaza. She was later promoted as the director of rooms or executive assistant manager at the same hotel.
She shared: “I opened six international hotels, rebranded three hotels and graciously received the prestigious Mabuhay Awards from the Association of Human Resources Manager in the hospitality industry for a managerial position in 2008 during my time in Sofitel Philippine Plaza from 2006 to 2012.”
After which, Manlulu-Garcia took the mantle of general manager (GM) for Pico Sands Hotel/Pico de Loro Club from 2012 to 2013, where she was regarded as the youngest female GM for Pico de Loro Hotel and Country Club. It was followed by her short stint as director of Rooms in Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua in 2014.
She joined the Novotel Manila Araneta City as the executive assistant manager in 2015. She got a promotion to resident manager in 2017 and then to hotel manager in 2019.
Manlulu-Garcia has been the GM of Novotel Manila Araneta City since 2021, and has also recently been tasked to oversee the operations of the newly launched ibis Styles Manila Araneta City.
Rising as a woman
Working in California early in her career opened her eyes to the reality that senior positions in the hospitality sector had been predominantly occupied by men.
“Although there are available positions for females, it was limited, mostly rank-and-file positions,” she asserted.
This barrier fueled her to beat the odds, stating: “I knew then that if I want to make it in this industry as a female Asian minority, I need to have a mindset to work harder in achieving my goal no matter what. I started maximizing my first disadvantage and turning it to my advantage, and that is being a woman.”
Manlulu-Garcia continued: “With hard work and by maximizing my woman traits, management started to notice my potential, positioning me from a rank-and-file position to becoming a department head and later, promoted to be part of the executive committee.”
She emphasized that women have what it would take to be great leaders in hospitality and beyond, highlighting their great charisma, good eye for detail and ability to multitask, among other assets.
Manlulu-Garcia marked many remarkable firsts in her career, including being the first female general manager of Accor Philippines.
“It is much more meaningful to ensure that I will not be the last. I'm hoping to motivate and inspire other aspiring women leaders,” she said.
Reflecting on what it truly meant to be a successful leader, the Novotel GM expressed: “While some qualities of a successful hotel general manager may seem innate such as composure, patience, being a people person and hardworking, to name a few, many hoteliers will tell you that a lot of blood, sweat and tears is involved to reach the top of the ladder.”
In handling the two hotels, Manlulu-Garcia has considered people (or Heartists as Novotel calls its staff) as the most valuable asset, saying, “As Heartists, we put our heart into everything we do.”
Manlulu-Garcia considered herself as a type of leader who would lead by example.
“As I always say to my co-Heartists, I will never ask them to do something that I am not capable of doing,” she added.
Nurturing hotel brands
Located in the City of Firsts, Novotel Manila Araneta City and ibis Styles Manila Araneta City were Manlulu-Garcia's fifth and sixth hotel to open, respectively, which she has been fortunate to be part of the pre-opening.
According to Manlulu-Garcia, inaugurating a hotel has always been a great and rewarding experience even after having done it multiple times in her career.
She has likened managing a hospitality brand to childbearing, saying: “You have to nourish and take care of it, and it takes a lot of time and effort to ensure that everything is good and able to survive. Then, you need to teach it slowly to crawl and stand, and later, be able to stand by itself.”
Nonetheless, she said witnessing the fruits of her and her team's labor in every hotel opening and milestones has been fulfilling.
“The best reward is when you see and know that you have made a difference in a lot of people's lives. Creating a lasting relationship is my biggest achievement,” said the GM.
If there's anything she has learned in the past 30 years, it would be the importance of not limiting oneself into a box.
She expounded: “No one has the right to set your limitations or capabilities. Don't just go with the flow to be safe. Learn how to stand alone and fight for what you believe. Keep it simple: Never settle for less. When you dream, dream big and work hard for it.”
Manlulu-Garcia also believed that leaders were in the position not only because of their abilities or skills but because of their dream and their audacity to work hard for that dream.
“Titles come with responsibilities, [and] responsibilities come with sacrifices. When it is hard, we do not stop in the middle, we stop at the end when it is done,” she added.
Building a community
As a Heartist since 2021, Manlulu-Garcia's leadership and contributions have paved a way to a lot of the hotel's achievements through the years.
Welcoming its ninth year soon, Novotel Manila Araneta City proudly stood as Accor's flagship Novotel brand in the Philippines.
Early this year, Novotel Manila was also honored as the Best Food & Beverage (F&B) Performer at the Accor Asia Awards 2023, which demonstrated its excellence in F&B with a strong emphasis on sustainability and innovation.
The GM stressed: “We continue to lead the midscale segment by upholding Novotel's family-centric values. Our focus remains on providing opportunities for guests to connect with family, friends and colleagues while ensuring they have time to relax and unwind.”
Meanwhile, for the first Ibis Styles in the country, Manlulu-Garcia said her team aimed to redefine the economy segment by improving the entire guest experience and creating a cohesive and memorable journey for its guests.
Having risen from entry-level roles, Manlulu-Garcia deeply understood the importance of empowering and inspiring employees to boost their confidence in their skills and contributions to the workplace.
Showing trust in Heartists' abilities, providing career growth and advancement opportunities, instilling a sense of ownership in their work, providing positive feedback when it's due and including them in the major decisions affecting the operations were among the hotel's strategies to foster a supportive and empowering environment.
As she drew near a new chapter in life that is retirement, Manlulu-Garcia would continue to remain firm in championing women empowerment to promote diversity and inclusion everywhere.
Although she would be wrapping up her 30-year professional journey soon, she would surely leave a lasting impact on the lives she had touched in the field she had learned to love.
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QUICK QUESTIONS
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Losing my family.
WHAT REALLY MAKES YOU ANGRY?
People who treat other people bad.
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE SMALL?
A figure skater or a gymnast.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO WORK HARD?
My family, as they are my foundation and rock; and my colleagues, as they are the validation of all my hard work.
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH THE MOST?
When my apo (grandchild), Mitchell James, makes some jokes.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WON THE LOTTO?
Share my winnings to my family, and donate in ECAT, or End Child Prostitution and Trafficking, one of the organizations that our hotel supports.
IF YOU COULD SHARE A MEAL WITH ANY INDIVIDUAL — LIVING OR DEAD — WHO WOULD THAT PERSON BE?
Former United States first lady Hillary Clinton, who played a leading role in advocating the creation of the State Children's Health Insurance program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Foster Care Independence Act. She has also advocated for gender equality at the World Conference on Women during her time.
WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
“Good to Great” by Jim Collins.
WHICH CELEBRITY WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET FOR A CUP OF COFFEE?
Kobe Bryant. As a solid Lakers fan, I admire his determination.
WHAT IS THE MOST DARING THING YOU'VE EVER DONE?
Going down to Sumaguing Crystal Cave in Sagada, the deepest underwater cave (5,700 feet) in the Philippines.
WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WILL NEVER DO AGAIN?
None. I always go for it [even though I'm unsure] of the outcome; so, I will never have what-ifs.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS?
I see myself retired in my small retirement home, doing my gardening and still listening to OPM (Original Pinoy Music) songs.
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