HILTON BOOK CONTRIBUTION AS REQUESTED BY MARLA YOTOKO CHORENGEL REMINISCENCES OF THE GOOD, OLD, HILTON DAYS By Carlos A. dela Rosa – Bellman, Manila Hilton International I wanted to take up Architecture but did not, because I simply hated Math, Geometry, and Trigonometry. But one of my favourite pastimes was to design – read “draw”- futuristic buildings; including a layout of my dream house. In 1965/66, the tallest building in Manila was under construction. It was touted to be 65 metres tall, with its 22 stories “scraping” the sky. This simply excited the frustrated architect in me. Every Sunday morning after church, I invest my 10-centavos on a jeepney fare for the short trip to Philam Life Building at the corner of United Nations Ave and T.M. Kalaw Street. There, underneath Philam Life’s graceful driveway canopy (where I could sit on the steps leading to the building’s glass entrance), I sat, and watched for hours with awe and anticipation, “my” magnificent dream structure rise from its imposing podium. Although its huge sign proclaimed the project as a 5-star international hotel, The Manila Hilton, I wasn’t interested at all. All I needed to see was how a 22-storey skyscraper would look like when finally completed; and how it would stand out from the low-rises surrounding it. However, fate would have it (or was it the mind manifesting into reality unconscious desires) that on December 26, 1967, and fresh from college, I found myself starting my very first job as a bellman working within Manila’s tallest building: the Manila Hilton. Today, 41 years later, I am still active in the tourism industry; and it is but natural – at my age - to reminisce, and to try to recapture and re-experience in my mind those happiest of times in my entire career. A place where it all began; with special people I will never forget. Those times were made memorable, happy, and unforgettable by the Hilton organization and the people that I believe, “molded” my personality, character, attitudes, and most of all, my self-confidence, and everything else in between, that brought me to what and where I am today. My starting salary was 120 pesos a month, and I was so happy. Later, when service charge was distributed, (it was called “tronc”), and at 60 pesos a month, was half my month’s salary. A tip of one peso was a generous tip for us bell service guys. My life was complete, and I felt I couldn’t ask for more. December 18, 1967, my first Hilton Christmas program (I couldn’t recall if we had a party), was held prior to our soft opening on December 26. Prior to that, we were rehearsed at the Café Coquilla to a rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” by one of Hilton’s first duty managers, Manny Tayaz. Our Bell Captain was Rey Maliwanag, assisted by Leo David. JJ Jimenez was the Chief Room Clerk at the Front Desk; and some of those pioneer desk clerks whose names I could still remember were Bobby Parial, Wigbert Villaverde and Caloy Chuidian. Prior to its soft opening, Anton Estrada was head of the Front Office and the Sales Department. Atty. Ed Olivera was still an assistant head at the Personnel department whose chief was Atty. Leonides de Leon. I still have with me (somewhere in our house) the note that Narz Lim mailed to me sometime in late November, or early December of 1967. It said: “Please report at the Trinity Building for uniform measurement.” That was it! I was now following the footsteps of my father who was a hotel man himself; a contemporary of JJ Jimenez and anyone in the Cobarrubias / Soriente-Santos chain of hotels; the Hotel Filipinas and the Hotel Mabuhay. Miloy Trinidad was already with the Sales Department; and Carmita Francisco and Chiqui Ang were with PR and Betty Nell in Banquet Sales. As a bellman, I didn’t understand any of the functions of these other departments where we, at Bell Service, felt were departments populated by only the “beautiful people.” From the higher firmament of the Manila Hilton’s organization, who will forget Ms. Madsen who, with her trademark, ever-present cigarette in her mouth, “terrorized” the greenhorns in Housekeeping and Front Office. Tables were turned one time when it was Ms. Madsen who was terrorized by, according to her, a “ghost” who accompanied her in one of the guest elevators. In short, she encountered a ghost face to faceless. Of course, who will forget Colgate Holmes who was a mentor to many, a tormentor to the recalcitrant, and a model general manager to all. Marilou Mabilangan, George Limguangco, and later, Mike Cuisia (+) . Bern Chorengel and Horst Angelkotter, the latter who everyone secretly nicknamed “kabayo” because his first name rhymes with “horse” in Pilipino, were the twin masters of Food & Beverage; and could often be seen gliding in the lobby with their ubiquitous Germanic stride . Tagging along sometimes was Boy Cornelio, whose trademark profile, upturned nose and similar stride made him unmistakably the third member of the triumvirate. And yes, even if we were at Bell Service, we had to know the Hilton’s published rates…USD 12 for single and USD 14 for double. And a slice of cheesecake at the Café Coquilla was a whooping P7.00, or higher than my daily wage of P4 a day. We had to be able to inform art conscious guests that the wood murals at the lobby were executed by Botong Francisco, and the top piano player at Sultana Bar was Ato, the blind pianist. To socialize with hotel guests, our GRO’s (then a very respectable title), plays “sungka” and “balut” with them at the lobby. Those were the early days of the Hilton, my “alma mater.” As we became one big family of highly motivated hotel employees, some went beyond the platonic: Lita Noble married Paul Potassy, Letty Jacinto became Mrs. Arthur Lopez, Ethel May Villarente walked the aisle with F&B’s Manny Guia, Mon Fernandez and Celia Silang Cruz, Darrel Conine and Cynthia Cruz, Maxy Abad and Cecille Guidote, and of course, Marla Yotoko and Bern Chorengel. Who will forget Maurita Arce and Marimil Hernandez, Imelda Rodriguez, Cecille Chuidian, Cary Abeleda, and Estella Sanchez of Front Office, Ms. Dolendo, Chuchi Cabrera, Mrs. Gozon, and Mrs. Fabres of Housekeeping, Caesario at the Top of the Hilton, duty managers Mr. Isidro, Mr. Adriano, and Mr. Manny Tayaz. Lest I forget Mr. Villarin and Ben Erfe, whose offices could only be reached by taking the escalator to the third floor and walking up to the fourth floor via the service staircase (or thru the service elevator by the staff cafeteria). And then there was Ding Altamarino and Boy Desierto (+). Among the select service concessionaires at the Hilton, whose owners are now achievers in their own fields were Justice Art Panganiban of Baron Travel, Doctor Mananzan and charming wife, Edwina, of Mananzan’s Handicraft, and DOT USEC Edu Jarque of TWA. All of them are our extended Hilton family members. Indeed, never again did I experience such awesome camaraderie and harmony in any organization until 26 years later when I joined the Holiday Inn Manila in 1993. But the experience was not as exhilarating and lasting as my Hilton’s. If this contribution to this book may look like a mere roster of names to some, I would like to say to strangers that those persons behind those names (and including those I could no longer recall) became an indelible part of me. Mere mention of a name in this “roster” triggers the flow of happy memories; memories that only a genuine, undiluted experience of friendship, and caring, and harmony, could bring to the surface of my being. That I may re-experience and re-live my happy days in that place and time; where once I truly believed that I couldn’t ask for more. In my Hilton days, I had everything, and everyone I need, to be. Just Be.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 13:41:25 +0000
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