Henceforth, Lantaka Hotel by the Sea would no longer be known as the city’s oldest, but by something more exciting, it was learned on Monday.
From now on. it shall also be known now as the first hotel that diversified into a school that now offers a course in Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) or its related courses.

Lantaka Hotel by the Sea General Manager Crisanto dela Cruz said the school known as Nuevo Zamboanga College (New Zamboanga College) will be located within the premises of the hotel.

Dela Cruz said since he has several scholars enrolled in schools in this city, he decided to open a school to be able to help more poor but deserving students who do not have sufficient economic means to pursue their studies.

“I have been helping students from poor families so I decided to open this (Nuevo Zamboanga College) to help more,” he said.

Initially, Dela Cruz said the Nuevo Zamboanga College will have more than 100 students, including scholars, who will compose the pioneering batch of the new school.

Fora start, there shall be three courses related to HRM and two modular courses with eight areas of concern, according to Dela Cruz.

Classes opened today.

The modular courses which include cooking, housekeeping, bartending and front desk will give the opportunity “for those working from Monday to Friday” to study during weekends, he said.

“It (the courses offered) will not only be in theories but they (students) will get to know how it is done,” he said citing “it will be hands-on courses.”

He said that right after graduation, the graduates could be employed at Lantaka Hotel by the Sea or in other hotels within this city that are expanding their respective amenities like Lantaka.

The rest of them could work abroad citing the Nuevo Zamboanga College is accredited by the national government through the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA).

“It is within the context of management. You trained at the same time give employment,” Dela Cruz said.

Aside from opening HRM-related school, he also initiated improvements by expanding the hotel amenities to suit the needs of its clientele both domestic and foreign guests.

Dela Cruz has expanded the hotel’s number of rooms by fully utilizing the upper floors at the left-wing four-storey building that has not been utilized for several years.

“Before we have 30 rooms, now we have a total of 84,” Dela Cruz said in an interview.

He also opened a new restaurant along the shoreline that could accommodate as many as 50 people wherein hotels guests as well as walk-in customers could dine and unwind after retiring from work or anytime of the day or during weekends and holidays.

“When you are at that restaurant it’s like you’re having a beach party with your families and friends since it sits on an elevated area right at the seashore,” Dela Cruz said.

Undergoing construction and soon to be completed is another restaurant at the rooftop on the left-wing four-storey building of the hotel.

Dela Cruz said dinning on the rooftop restaurant one could appreciate the beauty of the nearby places since “you’re sitting in aplace that is overlooking the city.”

“You could appreciate Sta. Cruz Island, the bay walk project of the city government, the sea shore and all the boats passing by the sea,”he said.

“That (restaurant) in itself will help our people as well as the visitors rediscover that Zamboanga City as well as our neighboring islands is beautiful,” he added.

“You learn this from experience when you travel abroad. You appreciate your country because the Philippines is beautiful. It is a matter of developing its potential,” he further added.

Lantaka Hotel by the Sea owned by the Gilda Walstrom is the oldest hotel in Zamboanga City.

It was called a hotel by the sea as it is located along the seashore near the port of Zamboanga as well as City Hall and this city’s commercial district.

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