Metro Cagayan de Oro

By Eileen C. San Juan

Vice President-Hotel Division & Past President, COHARA

Thirty years is a significant milestone—especially for an organization that has endured changing times, economic challenges, industry disruptions, and a pandemic, yet continues to move forward.

But before we celebrate, let me take you back to 1996—where it all began.

Where It All Began

In 1996, Cagayan de Oro was already a thriving highly urbanized city, but its hospitality and tourism industry was still developing.

Then Regional Tourism Director Dorothy Jean Pabayo called together hotels and restaurants in the city to explore the formation of an industry association.

Eleven (11) pioneers became the foundation of what is now the Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association (COHARA).

They were: Casa Crystalla, Dynasty Court Hotel, Grand Caprice Restaurant, Chali Beach Resort, Pryce Plaza Hotel, Lauremar Beach Resort and Hotel, VIP Hotel, Harbour Lights Hotel, Hotel Conchita, Southwinds Hotel, and New Waldorf Hotel.

Their vision was simple but important: to work together to strengthen the hospitality and tourism industry of Cagayan de Oro.

COHARA’s early objectives were to promote cooperation among industry members; upgrade facilities and standards; develop hospitality skills and manpower; and promote Cagayan de Oro as a tourism and convention destination.

At that time, our hospitality landscape consisted largely of small and medium-sized establishments. The VIP Hotel, the city’s oldest hotel, together with Pryce Plaza and Dynasty Hotel, were among the major properties, while Chali Beach Resort and Lauremar Beach Resort provided beach accommodations.

It was a small industry—but it had a big ambition.

The Birth of Kumbira

One of COHARA’s earliest major initiatives was the 1st Cagayan de Oro Cultural and Culinary Festival, held on August 23–31, 1996.

The first event was a very modest event by today’s standards.

It was a one-day competition with eight categories and nine judges : Plated Appetizer,  Creative Filipino Cuisine, Ham Garnishing, Market Basket, Fruit and Vegetable Carving, Napkin Folding, Fruit Flambé, Bar and Cocktail

And even then, we already had both professional and student categories.

And from that initiative, KUMBIRA was born.

KUMBIRA was envisioned as more than a culinary competition. It was a way to encourage skills development, interaction among hotels, product upgrading, and the promotion of Cagayan de Oro’s hospitality industry to local and international markets.

We did not know at the time that this small beginning would grow into what is now recognized as one of the country’s longest-running culinary competitions.

30 Years of Evolution

KUMBIRA has never stood still.

What began with eight competitions has evolved into a much broader platform for culinary and hospitality excellence.

(Photos courtesy of Juanderful Kagayan)

The original Bar and Cocktail competition, for example, has grown into specialized competitions in cocktail mixing, flair bartending, coffee concoctions, fresh fruit beverages, andother beverage innovations.

Through partnerships such as the National Food Showdown, KUMBIRA also expanded its focus on regional ingredients and indigenous cooking methods, giving Mindanao chefs and culinary teams opportunities to compete at the national level.

We developed the KUMBIRA Masters competitions in areas such as culinary, cake, bar, brewing, and now coffee latte art.

We introduced a Junior Category for young competitors aged 10 to 17, recognizing that the future of the hospitality industry begins with our youth.

We also expanded beyond culinary competitions to include food and event photography, barangay culinary competitions, housekeeping, restaurant service, and entrepreneurship.

In other words, KUMBIRA evolved with the industry.

The People Behind The Legacy

But KUMBIRA’s greatest legacy is not the trophies.

It is the people.

For 30 years, KUMBIRA has brought together chefs, hoteliers, restaurateurs, educators, students, suppliers, judges, mentors, government partners, sponsors, and volunteers.

Many of the students who once competed in KUMBIRA have gone on to become chefs, restaurateurs, hotel executives, entrepreneurs, and educators.

(Photos courtesy of Juanderful Kagayan)

KUMBIRA became a place where young people could test their skills, learn from experienced professionals, receive feedback from mentor-judges, and discover possibilities for their careers.

In that sense, KUMBIRA is not simply a competition.

It is a training ground for the next generation of hospitality leaders.

The Strength of COHARA: Unity

The same spirit of cooperation that created COHARA in 1996 remains one of its greatest strengths today.

Hotels and restaurants may compete for customers, but when it comes to promoting Cagayan de Oro and supporting major city events, COHARA members become collaborators.

When large conferences, conventions, and events come to the city, members work together to meet the needs of organizers and visitors.

That spirit of cooperation helped Cagayan de Oro strengthen its reputation as a destination for conventions and events.

In fact, the city was recognized as a Convention City and Destination of the Year in the 1999 Kalakbay Awards.

COHARA’s role has always been bigger than individual establishments.

It is about building the destination together.

Building People and Developing Talent

COHARA also recognized early that a strong hospitality industry depends on a strong pool of people.

In 1999, COHARA launched its On-the-Job Training program, connecting students from various hospitality schools with member establishments through coordinated placements and monitoring.

This program was highly recognized as a best practice and presented in the 2014 Higher Education Summit by the Philippine Business for Education (PBED) in partnership with USAID.

COHARA also facilitated technical assistance and trainings through partnerships with organizations such as the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) and PUM Netherlands Senior Experts, bringing international expertise directly to our members.

Through its partnership with the International School for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management (ISCAHM), COHARA sponsored teachers from schools offering hospitality programs for intensive culinary training, with the teachers subsequently sharing their knowledge through training programs for COHARA members.

The International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM) is a premier, world-class culinary training institution founded in 2003 by top international hotel professionals Chef Norbert Gandler, Ulrich Williman, and Hansjorg Shcallenberg. Led by Chef Gandler as the Executive Director for Culinary Education, ISCAHM is highly regarded for bringing a rigorous European curriculum and 4-to-5-star hotel operational standards directly into its training kitchens.

These initiatives reflect one important principle:

We cannot build a strong hospitality industry without investing in people and partnerships.

Keeping Traditions, Brewing Innovations

Another important part of COHARA’s legacy is its effort to balance tradition and innovation.

Our hospitality industry is rooted in local culture, local ingredients, indigenous cuisine, and Filipino hospitality.

At the same time, we must continue to innovate.

This is why KUMBIRA has provided a platform for showcasing local ingredients, traditional cooking methods, modern culinary techniques, sustainability, and food entrepreneurship.

We also held special festivals to promote our local specialties such as Sinuglaw, Binaki, Humba, our agricultural produce Kasuy, and other local dishes.

Our theme for KUMBIRA 2024—“Keeping Traditions, Brewing Innovations”—captures this continuing journey.

We honor where we came from while remaining open to where the industry is going.

Powered by Volunteerism and Teamwork

There is another story behind KUMBIRA that the audience does not always see.

What the public sees is a three-day event.

But behind those three days are months of planning, meetings, preparation, coordination,  training, logistics, sponsorship work, and countless hours given by people who believe in the industry. KUMBIRA is powered by volunteerism and teamwork.

In the early years, we would travel to Manila, to other regions, and even to other parts of Asia to observe exhibitions and competitions.

We brought home ideas, adapted them to our local setting, and developed our own KUMBIRA “Playbook” over the years.

That spirit of learning, adapting, and sharing is part of what has kept KUMBIRA alive for three decades.

Rising Through Challenges

Thirty years also means surviving challenges.

COHARA and KUMBIRA have experienced economic difficulties, industry disruptions, changing tourism landscapes, natural disasters, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet we adapted.

Even when we could not gather physically, KUMBIRA continued through online competitions and activities.

That experience reminded us that resilience is not simply about surviving difficult times.

It is about finding ways to continue serving the industry despite them.

Partnerships That Built The Legacy

No organization reaches 30 years alone.

COHARA’s journey has been made possible through partnerships with the Department of Tourism and other government agencies; hotels, restaurants, and other industry members; schools and educators; suppliers and sponsors; professional organizations; tourism and industry partners; and most importantly, the media.

Over the years, KUMBIRA has also received national attention, with Tourism Secretaries including Mina Gabor, Gemma Cruz-Araneta, Richard Gordon, Joseph “Ace” Durano, and Ramon Jimenez gracing its opening programs.

Their presence helped affirm that what began as a local industry initiative had become an event with significance beyond Cagayan de Oro.

The COHARA + KUMBIRA Legacy

So, what is the legacy of COHARA and KUMBIRA after 30 years?

It is not simply the number of competitions held.

It is not simply the medals and trophies won.

It is the people we have trained, the careers we have helped build, the partnerships we have created, the traditions we have preserved, and the opportunities we have opened for the next generation.

It is the belief that competitors can become collaborators.

That students can become industry leaders.

That local ingredients can find a wider audience.

That tradition and innovation can exist together.

And that an industry becomes stronger when its members choose to work together.

Thirty years ago, 11 establishments responded to a call to organize.

Today, that small beginning has grown into a community of hospitality professionals that continues to contribute to the growth of Cagayan de Oro and Mindanao.

That is the legacy of COHARA.

And KUMBIRA is one of the most visible expressions of that legacy.

As we celebrate 30 years, we look back with gratitude—but we also look ahead with renewed commitment.

Because the story of COHARA and KUMBIRA is not finished.

For 30 years, we have celebrated excellence in hospitality—not only through food, but through people, passion, partnership, and shared purpose.

And for the next generation, the best chapters are still to be written.

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