Megaworld Hotels & Resorts spotlights executives shaping the next chapter of a homegrown hotel powerhouse
Megaworld Hotels & Resorts (MHR) marks International Women’s Month by honoring women executives whose leadership is shaping the direction of the country’s largest homegrown hotel management company. Across its nationwide portfolio, women hold a significant share of leadership roles, reflecting a culture where opportunity, mentorship, and representation are embedded in daily operations. Through the “Leading Ladies Living Legacies” initiative, MHR highlights leaders who are stepping into new roles while guiding the future of Philippine hospitality.
Megaworld Hotels & Resorts continues to expand across Megaworld townships nationwide, with new developments reinforcing its presence in key tourism and urban destinations. By elevating women leaders across its portfolio, the company underscores a vision of hospitality rooted in inclusion, Filipino excellence, and long-term sustainability—ensuring that growth is measured not only in properties, but in the people who bring them to life.
Patria “Pat” Puyat-Palanca,
Group Director of Business Development
“The woman of today isn’t just asking for space. She’s building ecosystems… Filipino leadership belongs at the helm of international brands.”
After decades of leadership across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Indochina—including becoming the first Asian and Filipina General Manager in Dubai—Puyat-Palanca returned to the Philippines to channel her global expertise into local growth. She now oversees business development for MHR’s expanding portfolio, focusing on strategic expansion, long-term asset value, and partnerships that strengthen the country’s hospitality presence while positioning Philippine leadership on the global stage.
Joy Alonte
General Manager, Belmont Hotel Iloilo
“Leadership means creating environments where people feel safe to contribute ideas, respectfully challenge norms, and grow into roles they may not have imagined.”
With over two decades of experience in internationally branded hotels, Alonte combines operational discipline with people-centered leadership. Now heading Belmont Hotel Iloilo—the largest hotel in the city by room inventory—she focuses on building high-performing teams while fostering an inclusive culture that bridges generational differences and nurtures emerging leaders.
Emelyn “Ems” Rosales
General Manager, Savoy Hotel Boracay
“The question is not whether they are ready. It’s whether we are ready to give them space.”
Bringing nearly three decades of experience across local and international markets, Rosales leads Savoy Hotel Boracay within the Boracay Newcoast township. Her approach balances operational performance with talent development, ensuring that younger professionals are empowered to participate in innovation and decision-making as the industry evolves.
Gwendolyn Lanceta Dela Cruz,
General Manager, Mercure Mactan Cebu
“Resilience carried us through uncertainty, but reinvention keeps us relevant.”
A hospitality veteran with more than 30 years of experience across Asia, Dela Cruz now leads Mercure Mactan Cebu, MHR’s first property to transition into an international brand partnership. Her global perspective and operational expertise support the hotel’s role as a major hub for both leisure and MICE travelers, demonstrating how Filipino teams can successfully operate on an international stage.
Empowering happiness and inclusivity
Megaworld Hotels & Resorts embeds gender inclusivity and empowerment into its organizational culture, reflected not only in leadership representation but also in everyday workplace practices.
- Women in Leadershipand Workforce
Women hold approximately 51% of executive leadership roles within MHR — including the top decision-making position of Managing Director—while 42% of regular associates are women. This representation underscores a workplace where advancement opportunities are actively accessible across levels.
- Empowerment as collective progress
Managing Director Cleofe Albiso frames empowerment as a system that lifts everyone, not a spotlight on any single group:
“Empowerment isn’t about putting one group above another. It’s about building systems where everyone moves forward… the whole organization becomes stronger.”
Her perspective emphasizes inclusion across genders, the LGBTQIA+ community, and persons with disabilities—positioning diversity as a driver of organizational strength.
- The “Circle of Happiness” philosophy
Central to MHR’s culture is the belief that employee wellbeing fuels service excellence. When people feel valued and supported, they serve with greater purpose and heart, reinforcing the organization’s vision of building not just hotels, but a hospitality sector the Philippines can proudly present to the world.
Together, these initiatives illustrate how MHR views diversity not as a campaign, but as an operational reality shaping both workplace culture and guest experience across its properties nationwide.
#PropertyPR
#MediaRelease
