The Southville Monarchs Icon Award is an initiative of the Southville College Division honoring the contributions of groups and individuals to society. The nomination was made open to Southville Global Education Network (SGEN) stakeholders. 

The Southville Institute of Tourism (SIT) “Mabuhay Leadership Excellence Award” was the first to be launched among Southville college departments received by Hon. Secretary Bernadette Romulo – Puyat of the Department of Tourism. “She was also able to successfully implement her agenda in sustainability and responsible tourism as gleaned by her iron hand on the rehabilitation of Boracay. Her vision of creating a vibrant tourism industry without damaging the ecological balance is something to be lauded for,” said Dr. Nancy De Guia, Southville Institute of Tourism dean.

The vision of this award is to be able to inspire young Tourism students on what they could aspire for by following the footsteps of the ICON awardees who were able to make a difference in the 21st century, deeply embedded in the  vision and mission of SISC.

Message from the SIT Dean, Dr. Nancy De Guia

“Creating a culture of recognition is very important for us to be able to recognize the contributions of our fellow “kababayans” who made an impact not only for our country but more importantly on the lives of many Filipinos. The Southville Institute of Tourism under the banner of  Southville International School and Colleges firmly believes that every “Juan” must be engaged in moving our country forward, and create a brand for our country that is distinctively “Filipino” – rich in heritage and culture.  The Monarchs Icon Award of SIT (Mabuhay Leadership Excellence Award) is our small way of saluting our local ICONs.  Mabuhay!”

(Transcribed Message of DOT Sec. Puyat)

Hello, everyone. This is Bernadette Romulo – Puyat, secretary of the Department of Tourism. Thank you very much for honoring me with the Mabuhay Leadership Excellence Award. As the Southville Monarchs Award recognizes individuals who have made an impact to the country and around the world in the categories of communication, social responsibility, environment, and sustainability, leadership and best in their chosen field, I am especially humbled to receive this merit. I hope that my vision and work can inspire the youth of today to strive to contribute to society so that together we can create a better world for all of us to enjoy. My sincere gratitude to all my colleagues at the Department of Tourism for their hard work in making the department run efficiently and successfully and to the Southville Monarchs Awards for this venerable distinction. 

Maraming salamat po! (Thank you!)