I enrolled in the Phd program at LPU Batangas in 2018. During this time with LPU-B, I became a Certified Hospitality Professional from the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Professionals, UK; Certified Food Protection Manager from National Restaurant Association, USA; Certified Guest Service Professional, Association of Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute, USA and; Senior Member of Royal Institution in Hospitality Management, Singapore. Let me share my experience with PhD-IHM and my time at LPU-B with this story:
“After I got my master’s degree, my mom told me to pursue a doctoral degree, but first, I was hesitant to enroll because I was thinking I am too young to take PhD but as I reflected for a couple of days, I finally decided to enroll.
I searched different schools that are offering Doctorate degrees in Hospitality Management and are included in the top 100 schools across the country. As I shortlisted schools that would fit me, LPU – Batangas caught my attention and I visited the campus to inquire. This is the time where I met Dr. Alex P. Ylagan, my mentor and the program dean of the PhD in International Hospitality Management. He Interviewed me and I fell in love with the PhD program of LPU-B and decided LPU-B is the right fit for me.
As I began my academic journey at LPU-B at 22 years old. I was the youngest in the class and I met not just professors and classmates but a family, a family that helps together and motivates each other. I highly value my time at LPU-B. There, I had the opportunity to work with a group of professors and peers who cared both about our growth and success. LPU-B provided me with a strong foundation for the PhD in International Hospitality Management while giving me the opportunity and resources to fall in love with research. Further, working with diverse people in LPU-B allowed me to develop an appreciation for and familiarity with a variety of aspects of International Hospitality, which I have aimed to learn from in my own research. My time at LPU-B was a period of great intellectual and personal growth for me, and I credit this largely to the intellectual community of LPU-B where I, fortunately, became a part of.”
The decision to join the PhD in International Hospitality Management program at LPU-B is one of the best I ever made. The professors and the intellectual community I encountered in my time there enabled me to flourish both philosophically and personally. I graduated well prepared for the job I have today as OIC Dean and formed lasting friendships and professional connections.” #ButiNalangNagLyceumAko
Norel Peter M. Illo
- PhD International Hospitality Management, 2020
- Instructor I and Officer-in-Charge, Dean of College of Business Management
- Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, Nabua, Camarines Sur