A hotel room can become a classroom, and the skills learned there can eventually lead to a job and a chance to begin again.
That idea is taking shape in programs led by SM Hotels & Conventions Corporation (SMHCC), which brings hospitality training to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Quezon City and Cebu.
The effort began in Quezon City through the local government’s No Woman Left Behind and No Juan Left Behind programs. SM Hotels brought its hospitality expertise into the initiative, working with the Quezon City Government, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Radisson Hotel Group and other partners.
In 2024, Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA started Basic Housekeeping Skills Training for women PDLs at the Quezon City Jail Female Dormitory. The program expanded in 2026 to the male dormitory, where participants received Basic Food and Beverage Operations Training.
The results became more tangible when graduates began finding work. Marissa Basa became the first female graduate of the program to join Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA after her release. Severino Montallana II later became the hotel’s first hire under No Juan Left Behind.
The initiative has since reached Cebu. At Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, the Skills Behind Walls program provides hands-on housekeeping training inside a mock-up hotel room at the Cebu City Jail Female Dormitory. Its first batch produced 24 graduates, including Kimberly Cabahug, who secured a job as a public area attendant at the hotel.
These stories show what can happen when rehabilitation is connected to skills that people can use once they return to their communities. Training gives participants something practical to carry with them, while employment gives them a chance to put those skills to work.
SM Hotels’ experience also offers a model that other companies and organizations can consider. If a hotel can open its expertise and workplace opportunities to people rebuilding their lives, other industries can find their own ways to do the same.
A second chance can begin with something as practical as learning a skill, earning a living and being given the opportunity to prove what you can do.
