Virtus Awards 2016 winners to be announced on Nov. 15

The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, with the support of the Department of Tourism and 

the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority, will announce the winners of the Virtus 

Awards 2016 on November 15, 2016 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center.

The Virtus Awards is on its second year and the 2016 edition was launched last May 2016 to 

honor hotel sales and resorts marketing practitioners with a record of success in integrating 

creativity and dedication into strategies that deliver benefits to guests and a robust bottom line 

to their properties. 

Four winners will be declared in the multi-category initiative that includes outstanding Associate, 

Manager, Leader and Marketing Campaign in a glittery formal event befitting the Sales force, 

the lifeblood of the business.

The Virtus Awards Organizing Committee is composed of Margie Munsayac - HSMA President 

and VP Sales and Marketing of Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, Rose Libongco - Virtus 

Awards Chair and HSMA Charter Director, Christine Ibarreta - Virtus Awards Public Relations 

Head and Director of Sales and Marketing of Golden Phoenix Hotel and Cielo Reboredo - Ways 

and Means Head and Director of Sales of Okada Manila. 

Munsayac affirms that new openings of hotels and resorts in the country highlight the growing 

importance of sales and marketing people. "The hotels and resorts sector is a most competitive 

field in tourism and the role of Sales at the forefront of promoting their properties cannot be 

overemphasized. Virtus which is the Greek word for excellence, ensures that the best practices 

in sales and marketing are given due recognition." Munsayac adds.

Twelve judges, three per category, convened with the nominees in a full day of interviews and 

presentations to select the four winners. An independent auditor will tally the scores and 

awardees will be known only on awards night.

The panel of judges includes the following: Ma. Corazon Jorda-Apo (Director, Market 

Development Group – Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam Department of Tourism), Ma. Christina G. 

Aquino (Executive Director for Planning and Development, Lyceum of the Philippines 

University), Cesar R. Cruz (President, Philippine Tour Operators Association), Millie F. Dizon 

(Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications, SM Retail Inc), Leny R. Fabul 

(Executive Director, Philippine Hotel Owners Association, Inc.), Henrietta L. Ho 

(Founder/Principal, Break Thru-Solutions in Marketing), Cesar Jose C. Jesena, (Head, Tenant 

Management Division Shangri-La Corporation), Donald Patrick L. Lim, Ph.D., (Chief Digital 

Officer, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.), Isabelita Sy-Palanca, Ph.D., (President, The Mother 

Company), Lyn Gueco-Tamparong (Past President, Hotel Sales & Marketing Association), and 

Maria Concepcion M. Yabut (City Councilor First District-Makati City).

Libongco revealed that judges remarked on the entries and said they had difficulty in rating 

because of the quality of the interviews. "The statements of the judges pleased the organizers 

because the focus of the Virtus Awards is to raise the bar for the sales and marketing 

personnel, to give outstanding performers a channel where they can take pride in their 

accomplishments and to set their sights on new opportunities for business and personal growth. 

We are also on a quest to inspire young people to pursue career options in hotel sales and 

marketing." according to Libongco.

HSMA is an association of hotels and resorts sales and marketing leaders which count 76 

members of 3 to 5 star properties in the country. 

It was organized in 1976 after the proliferation of new international hotels which were 

established for the IMF-World Bank Conference. The Founders aside from Libongco were 

Melvin Cruz, first president, Aurora Paredes, Michael Cuisia and Peter Leitgeb.

The objectives of the HSMA include to professionalize the conduct of sales and marketing; to 

promote the Philippines and member properties; to educate, train and update members on hotel 

and tourism developments and to represent hotels and resorts in travel and tourism forums.

Virtus Awards Night tickets are available at hsmasecretariat@gmail.com

For inquiries and information, please contact Christine Ibarreta, Virtus Awards PR Head 

at virtusph@gmail.com