Seda Hotels Philippines, the hotel group of AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corp., has tapped the services of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), to provide hospitality-focused security training and professional certification to its security personnel.
Last March, Asia World Hospitality, AHLEI’s partner, conducted a Certified Lodging Security Officer (CLSO) workshop and exam session for 14 of Seda Hotels’ security staff members.
The CLSO designation is the lodging industry’s highest acknowledgment of professionalism for security officers in the hospitality industry.
Augustus Caesar “Ace” Esmeralda, CPP, ICPS, CLSO, managing director of Ace And Associates Risk Management, Inc (AAA), conducted the training on behalf of Asia World Hospitality.
Esmeralda is the first Certified Lodging Security Officer or CLSO in the Philippines. He is the former Regional Security Director of Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts. During his tenure, he handled more than 36 hotels and resorts in Dubai, Singapore, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Fiji Islands, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
“Seda is the first hotel chain in the Philippines to recognize the need for more professionals in the lodging security sector. This is a significant milestone,” said Esmeralda, who is currently providing hotel security management and technical security design consulting services to prime hotels and condominiums in the country.
Esmeralda noted that the training was well received by the Seda personnel. “They appreciated the new knowledge and were very passionate to learn,” he added.
Following the successful workshop and certification exam, Seda employees will be the first group of CLSO designees in the Philippines. The hotel group is also certifying its upper-level security personnel with AHLEI’s Certified Lodging Security Director (CLSD®) designation.
Andrea Mastellone, general manager of the Seda group, said the training would strengthen Seda’s reputation as a safe and secure establishment and reinforce its emphasis on providing the best protection for its clients.
Previously, Seda became the first Filipino hotel brand to train with AHLEI’s Guest Service Gold and certify its employees as Certified Guest Service Professionals (CGSP®) to earn the designation of Certified Guest Service Property.
