By Karen de la Cruz, STRATCOM Correspondent

Mark Ashley Dela Cruz, a first-year hospitality management student of Mariano Marcos State University, clinched the gold medal in a tourism photography contest at the 4th National Tourism and Hospitality Student Skills Olympics on March 1 in Baguio City.

Hosted by the University of Baguio–School of International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Dela Cruz’s photo of the Bell House and Bell Amphitheater at Camp John Hey outperformed participants from various universities and colleges. 

Dela Cruz thanked his classmate for lending him his camera for the competition. He also expressed gratitude to the guidance of the faculty mentors and the university for the opportunity to compete in Baguio. 

“I am incredibly proud to have achieved the gold medal and had the opportunity to represent my university,” he added.

The photography contest aimed to showcase Baguio City’s natural beauty and cultural heritage. Participants were encouraged to capture images at a designated tourist attraction in the city.
Along with Dela Cruz, 14 other students from the university participated in the nationwide gathering, accompanied by Ms. Kathleen Kay Tomas and Ms. Amy Baltazar, faculty members at the Tourism and Hospitality Management Department of the College of Business Economics and Accountancy. 

Other competitions included flight attendant’s showmanship, tour package proposals, travel infographics, tourism quiz bee, local virtual tour guiding, convention planning, destination marketing, travel feature article writing, hotel production presentation, front office dream team, and travel vlog. 

The National Tourism and Hospitality Student Skills Olympics is an annual event that gathers tourism and hospitality management students across the country to compete in various hospitality and tourism skill categories.