It isn’t a surprise, then, that she’s the general manager of Diamond Suites and Residences. In fact, Katherine—Kathy, as she prefers to be called—has been with the hotel for three years and a half now.
“And forever to go,” Kathy adds. “The best is yet to come.”
As part of the roster of recommended hotels in the city, Diamond Suites and Residences is one of the few establishments that have a female general manager. The shift in leadership is interesting, especially since we get to see what these women bring to the table.
On Kathy’s part, she’s keen to utilize her passion for excellent customer service in providing the best possible experience for their hotel guests.
“They call me jack of all trades,” she shares over a sumptuous lunch at the hotel. We had just finished taking her portraits in the lobby. The meal starts off with a creamy, decadent bowl of pumpkin soup, drizzled with olive oil. “I make decisions on a lot of things, from technical and engineering stuff, to financial and hotel operations.”
Dressed in a beige linen dress, which she laughingly shares was quickly altered by hand to better fit her frame, Kathy is a bright ball of energy, sharing stories and her experience over the years. One thing she loves talking about though, is food. In fact, she works closely with the hotel’s executive chef, Wally Feltavero, to create a menu that will appeal to even the most discerning of guests.
After an appetizing starter, the mains come pouring out of the kitchen and onto our table. There’s the crowd-favourite ginataang monggo soup, topped with slices of lechon kawali and itlog maalat; breaded bone-in pork chops; vongole pasta; and buffalo chicken wings with a blue cheese dip. We cap off the meal with their specialty desserts: slices of the (sinful!) cheesecake and tiramisu.
On a daily basis, Kathy is usually found doing administrative work, but she emphasizes, “The most likeable part of my job is making creative business and marketing strategies for the hotel.”
She shares that she doesn’t often get any downtime, which prompts me to ask her what she does in between breaks, to which she replies, “I don’t normally do breaks, because I like working during them. No disturbance, and [I get] peace and quiet.”
“I can’t say it’s downtime, but I do go out of my office every now and then for ten minutes, visit some departments to make friendly chats, and engage and bon with the staff, talking about anything under the sun,” she expounds. “It’s about as original as talking about the weather, but you’re also the only people in the world who get the hilarious—and frustrating—ins and outs of working at your company.”
With how amiable Kathy is, it’s no wonder that her relationship with the rest of the staff is harmonious. Her knowledge about a vast number of topics make it so that she never runs out of anything to talk about, and she easily relates to people because of it.
Like many women in society, Kathy has several roles to fulfill. Aside from the role of general manager of Diamond Suites and Residences, Kathy is also a mother to three children; two girls, 22-year-old Patricia and 8-year-old Gabrielle and one boy, 19-year-old Enzo.
A very supportive mother, she ensures to give the best opportunities for her children, such as letting them choose their career paths by themselves—with one daughter in medicine school, and her son in flying school), and supporting them with their love for football.
“Lately, I spend time listening to my 8-year-old daughter reading a children’s novel, Diary of the Wimpy Kid,” Kathy says. “It’s a great way to bond.”
On her days off, she can usually be found at home, decluttering. It reduces her anxiety, and gives her peace and fulfilment. Sometimes, she goes shopping with her children, or on a roadtrip to the beach.
“We love to explore when it comes to food, so we dine out at restaurants. If I like the menu, I try to make it at home, because I love to cook and explore.” She adds.
According to Kathy, there are many things that she needs to have on her at all times, especially in her bag. ATM cards, health insurance cards, and cash are a must onhand.
“A shopping bag—my environmentalist daughter would hate me if I don’t have it,” she goes on, “Basic essentials like tissues, hand sanitizer, zinc oxide—which is very useful especially if you have kids, it’s a first-aid for cuts, burns and insect bites—mouthwash, which I can’t live without; lip balm, cologne, over-the-counter medicines, and a sewing kit.”
What else is in store for Kathy? Upcoming projects, like hotel renovations, expansion and the pre-opening initiatives of AppleOne Inc.’s local hotel chains in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.
To know more about Diamond Suites and Residences, you may check out their Facebook page, or visit their official website at http://www.diamondsuitescebu.com.
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The afternoon sun streams in through the tall glass windows—with the panoramic view of untouched greenery contrasting the deep blue of the sea beyond—and bathes the room in a warm, golden glow. It’s as if the surroundings mirror the essence of the event on this fine afternoon, and pleasingly so, putting together things that are truly Cebuano: its natural resources, and its talent.
Detalia Aurora is a familiar presence in the homes of Cebu’s most discerning residents. For many years, the company has become a household name in the furniture export industry, having produced contemporary pieces such as the nautilus-shaped Shellf bookcase and the intricate Gaia chair.
After becoming more involved in the family business, Paula and Vikki have worked on streamlining processes and nurturing their edge in product design. The sisters are taking Detalia Aurora a step further by fostering their close-knit community, and bringing passion into everything they do.
Vikki and Paula Rodriguez
“What we do is we design, develop, manufacture and export handmade products, [using] natural materials,” Paula, who’s in charge of design and marketing, explains. “We develop designs out of these materials. We want to share with everyone the products we’ve been doing so far, and the craftsmanship that comes along with it.”
The collaboration between Detalia Aurora and Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort comes as no surprise. Ultimately, Sheraton was designed to reflect Cebu’s design, and what better way to reflect this than to partner with and celebrate Cebu talent?
“This collaborative effort is very special to us, because it speaks to us,” Angela Emphasis, Corporate Communications Manager of AppleOne Mactan, Inc., shares. “When we were designing Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort and The Residences at Sheraton, what we had in mind was Cebu design.” The most natural things that their designers worked with were the rocks on the shore, which greatly influenced their plan.
The first in Sheraton’s Design Series, the collaboration with Detalia Aurora highlights craftsmanship that is distinctly Cebuano. The furniture company makes use of rattan, stone laminating, and weaving, which are done by master craftsmen who’ve been with them for years.
“These craftsmen play a big role, as they work with the materials and products everyday.” Paula says. “We’re so happy that they can show what they normally do day-to-day here on the spot at Sheraton.”
For some items, the sisters share, one rattan pole may take up to eight hours to finish. One table can take two days, and weaving a chair can take up to two days as well.
“I think it’ll be an eye-opener for everyone. Imagine if we export in volume, and these people work to meet 30 pieces or 50 pieces.” Paula smiles. “Their work is very important.”
Detalia Aurora’s core competency is product development, and the company has quite a wide range of materials, with Vikki to thank for. The company is able to work with a lot of different materials, the majority of which are natural, with a specialization in indoor and outdoor furniture.
The details on these pieces are notably Detalia Aurora
“For us, material is really the star. So the simpler the shape, the more the people focus on material, and that’s how you can tell it’s Detalia Aurora.” Vikki shares.
“I think the variety is distinctly Detalia,” Paula adds. “We take pride in our quality, of course, executed by the Cebuano craftsmen.”
“You’ll really see the details, how much work was involved. It can’t be mass produced. There’s a lot of time given into the product.” Paula finishes.
While found in many Cebuano homes, Detalia Aurora’s clientele is mostly international. Their buyers travel all the way to Cebu, to be present for the entire process.
“We tell them the story, how long the product takes, how much work was involved, for them to really know the value in our products,” Paula says. “And they’ll be able to share it with their clients as well.”
The company does small demos for their visiting clients as well. “It’s for them to understand more about the items, so they know exactly what’s going on,” Vikki explains.
It was easy for both ends of the collaboration to come together. In a nutshell, the Design Series platform is meant to showcase the company and as a whole, showcase Cebu craftsmanship.
“We designed the Design Series platform to tap into different design ecosystems of Cebu,” shares Javier Marcalain, Group Marketing Manager of AppleOne Mactan, Inc. “It’s a homage to Cebu design. Cebu is known to have such great, painstaking design and craftsmanship and we wanted to highlight that as The Residences.”
Will there be more to come for the Design Series? Definitely, if Javier has anything to say about it.
“I can’t disclose anything yet, but definitely we can expect something early next year.” He promises.
Detalia Aurora’s iconic pieces were on display at The Residences at Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort until October 23, 2019.
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