The timeline exhibition is as much a tribute to the Pen as it is to the people who helped it flourish.
The Peninsula Manila hardly needs an introduction. It is a historic landmark, a status symbol and, yes, an icon.
These distinctions weren’t earned overnight, but across five decades of sustained excellence in hospitality, putting guests—from renowned personalities to families enjoying a vacation—above all else since it opened its doors in 1976.
The Pen, as it is fondly called, is not just a hotel but a piece of history, a witness not just to high society galas and dinners, but to moments that have etched themselves deeply into the nation’s psyche (who could forget Regine Velasquez belting out “Written in the Sand” atop the grand fountain during the hotel’s millennial concert?). It has welcomed guests from Oscar-winning directors Francis Ford Coppola and Sydney Pollack to former US Secretary of State Colin Powell and even Barney the Dinosaur.
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Perhaps, more importantly, The Pen has served as a backdrop to countless memories from birthdays, weddings, reunions. No wonder, through the years, it has gained a faithful clientele, one of the most remarkable of which is Walter Bucher, a daily habitue of The Lobby since 1978.
And now, as The Peninsula Manila celebrates its 50th anniversary, it unveils a timeline exhibition that honors both its storied past and the people who made the hotel’s extraordinary journey possible.
Honoring the people behind the Peninsula Manila
The launch, held on June 24, was short and sweet, attended by the hotel’s officials, select media partners, and guests. Opening the program was Mariano “Garch” Garchitorena, director of brand communications, whose ebullience was a welcome contrast to the overcast Wednesday afternoon.
His speech focused less on the exhibit and more on honoring the people who have helped the hotel thrive across five decades, mentioning at the start that his message doubles as a welcome on behalf of the Pen’s 405-strong roster of employees.
“I have been with The Pen for nearly 29 years. And during that time, I always get asked, ‘What makes a great hotel?’ People usually point to the obvious things: gracious service, beautiful surroundings, memorable dining, luxurious accommodations. All of those things matter, of course.”
“But behind them is something far more important,” he continued. “In my opinion, anyway, I hope it’s also yours: the people.” He goes on to say how The Peninsula Manila continues to exist because of generations of employees who “prepared meals, maintained our rooms, balanced our books, repaired our equipment, and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to create memorable experiences every day.”
“As you explore this exhibition, you will see milestones, achievements, and memorable moments from the last five decades. But behind every single date and every single panel is a person,” he continued. “It is the people. In many ways, this exhibition is not just a story of a hotel; it is the story of the people who built it, cared for it, and, over the years, came to think of The Peninsula as a second home.”
Toward the end of his speech, Garch introduced two very special guests who were witnesses to the birth of what is now considered one of the Philippines’ most iconic hotels. First is Montserrat “Monzie” Uy, who joined The Peninsula Manila on April 1, 1976, only retiring a few months ago as the director of customer services.
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The second is Sig San Jose, who joined the Pen on September 1, 1976, as a reservation clerk, leaving some years later to join the “mothership” in Hong Kong, the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, of which he was part for 33 years, until he retired two years ago.
In his speech, Kevin Tsang, managing director of The Peninsula Manila, echoed Garch’s words on how the people made the Pen the icon that it is today. “Today’s unveiling is not only a reflection on our past; it is a tribute to the people who made this journey possible—our loyal guests, valued partners, and dedicated colleagues, past and present,” he said.
“Through their trust, passion, and commitment, they have given life to the enduring spirit of The Peninsula Manila and to the warmth that continues to define us.”
A taste of the Pen’s signature hospitality
Regrettably, I have yet to experience a stay at The Peninsula Manila. Curiouser still is that despite seven years covering lifestyle events in the country and even abroad, the exhibit’s launch was the first time I had ever attended an event at the hotel.
The good thing is that I didn’t have to wait for another event or a family staycation to have a taste of the Pen’s much lauded hospitality. I had experienced it, albeit briefly, in the presence of that afternoon’s esteemed guests: Monzy and Sig, as well as the vivacious Garch, whose name is already familiar thanks to media friends who only have the loveliest of words about him.
It all started with me arriving a tad too early for the event. Not recognizing any of the guests when I arrived, I chose an empty table and scrolled through my phone while waiting for the program to start. Perhaps noticing that I was all by my lonesome, Garch approached me as he would, I think, a friend he has known his whole life. He introduced himself and we talked briefly about work and life, before he led me to the next table, where two smartly dressed individuals were also having a chat.
Those two were no other than Monzie and Sig, the afternoon’s VIPs. Like Garch before them, they greeted me warmly and asked me to join them at their table. They were the sweetest. They talked to me about their memories of the hotel, and graciously answered my questions.
When asked what their most unforgettable memory of the Pen was, they both said the 1989 Honasan-led coup, with Monzy also mentioning the 2007 Trillanes-led mutiny/siege. They talked about how, in the earlier coup, they were holed up in the hotel for eight days, never once faltering in their dedication to providing both service and security to the guests who were stranded with them.
Sig recalled how the coup coincided with his son’s baptism. “I had to leave the hotel amid all the gunfire and decided to come back after a few hours,” he shared. “I was the number two at that time in the hotel, so I had to support the general manager.”
Meanwhile, Monzy also mentioned the 2002 stay of then US Secretary of State Colin Powell as one of her most memorable memories of the Pen. “I welcomed him in the landing area, and I brought him to the lobby,” she recounted. “All the guests stood up and gave him a standing ovation.” The last line she said with the widest smile.
I’m sure they have so many more stories apart from those they have shared with me, but one thing I know for sure, judging from the wistful look on their faces, is that truly, the Pen is their second home.
Before we said our farewells, I asked Monzy and Sig one last question: What makes The Peninsula Manila special? Their answers reveal a common thread: the people—both the guests and the people behind the brand.
“(For us) the guest is very important. The guest is our priority. All these years, from then until now,” Monzy said. “We are here because of the guests.”
“I think the people (of the Pen) who care for their guests and anticipate their needs and also looking after every detail,” Sig enthused. “I think these are important aspects that make a hotel different from the others. It’s the attention to detail, it’s the caring of the guests, anticipating what they need rather than being order takers.”
“Because at the end of the day, they are our guests, right? And our people (at the Pen), because it’s the people that make a hotel special.”
Discover 50 years of The Peninsula Manila through its special timeline exhibition at The Lobby. The exhibit is open to the public until the end of the year.
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