Hospitality student secures back-to-back win in national photo tilt
By Ian Paul Villanueva
Showcasing elite talent in photography, second-year BS hospitality management (BSHM) student Mark Ashley Dela Cruz defended his win from last year at the Tourism Photography Contest held last February 21 at the University of Baguio, as part of the 5th National Tourism and Hospitality Students’ Olympics.
Dela Cruz’s photo of the Botanical Garden became his winning entry, earning him a place above his fellow photographers from other participating universities. Admitting he was pressured for also being last year’s winner, he shared, “Competing against top universities across the country, I felt immense pressure. Carrying the name of my university was a huge responsibility.”
Besides Dela Cruz, the team of fourth-year BSHM students Kate Garnacha, Christian Jezrel Tolentino, and Steven Calivo, garnered silver in the Front Office Skills Dream Team, while Sarah Soriano, a second-year BSHM, secured a bronze in the Travel Feature Article Writing.
Several other students also participated in the contests. Renz Queja (first-year BS tourism) also competed in Tourism Photography and formed part of a team together with Cyrill Duane Marcos, April Sahara Fernandez (third-year BSHM), for the Tourism Quiz Bee. Finally, Berna Salacup (BS tourism) competed in the Local Virtual Guiding.
In the end, the winnings of the student participants were enough to get the MMSU its 2nd runner-up overall standing, a title it shared with Pangasinan State University.
Held annually, the National Tourism and Hospitality Student Skills Olympics is a national contest of tourism and hospitality management students across the country in a range of competitions. It is hosted by the University of Baguio School of International Tourism and Hospitality Management.
Feb, 27, 2026 08:20:am
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