Episode 51: Sustainability Education Is Changing Hospitality For The Better with Dr. Harold Bueno

Sustainability is no longer just a trend in tourism and hospitality. It is becoming part of how future professionals think, work, and serve. In this episode of Good and Green, Chit Juan talks with Dr. Harold Bernardo Bueno, Dean of the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management at FEU Manila, about how sustainability, food systems, and education intersect in today’s tourism industry. Drawing from his roots in farming and his personal experiences hiking across the Philippines, Dr. Bueno shares why understanding local food systems, edible plants, and community traditions can deepen tourism experiences and even support survival skills. He also explains how hospitality education must balance high tech with high touch and high trust to remain relevant in an AI-driven world. 

GUEST BIO:

Dr. Harold Bernardo Bueno is the Dean of the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Far Eastern University (FEU), Manila, and a strong advocate for sustainable food systems. A certified Sustainable Tourism Professional, he champions the integration of food, culture, and sustainability in tourism and hospitality education. With over a decade of leadership in higher education and international research collaborations, he advances initiatives that promote responsible consumption, local food heritage, and inclusive tourism development. Through his work with academic, industry, and global partners, Dr. Bueno continues to shape future professionals toward building resilient and sustainable food and tourism ecosystems.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• How Dr. Bueno’s farming roots shaped his passion for sustainable food systems and tourism.
• Why hiking and foraging can deepen understanding of local ecology and culture.
• The need to train tour guides about edible plants and survival knowledge along hiking trails.
• How hospitality education is adapting to sustainability and changing industry demands.
• Why modern hospitality requires a balance of high touch, high tech, and high trust.

QUOTES:

• It's nice to go to a place unknown to you and then discover traditions along the trail. —Dr. Harold Bueno
• We should create more training for our tour guides because identifying all these edible plants and fruits along the trail is a form of survival. —Dr. Harold Bueno
• The biggest challenge is to always make sure that our curriculum, the teaching and learning are always up-to-date. —Dr. Harold Bueno
• Being a Dean is a powerful position. —Dr. Harold Bueno
• Hospitality is all about making our guests feel at home and feel comfortable. —Dr. Harold Bueno
•  We have to build trust with our guests. Sustainability can build that trust with our guests.  —Dr. Harold Bueno

LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Connect with Dr. Harold Bueno:

• Dr. Harold Bueno on Instagram
• Dr. Harold Bueno on Facebook
• FEU Manila Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management

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Transcript

Chit Juan 0:02

Welcome to the Good and Green Podcast. I'm your host, Chit Huan. In this show, we share stories of farmers, food advocates, social entrepreneurs, and community leaders working to build a more sustainable future. Let's discover how to live lives that are truly good and green. Dr. Harold Bernardo Bueno is the dean of the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Far Eastern University Manila and a strong advocate for sustainable food systems. A certified sustainable tourism professional, he champions the integration of food, culture, and sustainability in tourism and hospitality education. With over a decade of leadership in higher education and international research collaborations, he advances initiatives that promote responsible consumption, local food heritage, and inclusive tourism development. Through his work with academic, industry, and global partners, Dr. Bueno continues to shape future professionals toward building resilient and sustainable food and tourism ecosystems. Good day, Sir Harold. I'm so honored to have an academ in our midst. Welcome to Good and Green. And I just wanted to ask, how did you know you were cut out to be an academic in the tourism and hospitality space?

SPEAKER_01 1:36

I believe everything that happened in the past has its reason at the present moment. So everything just unfolds freely. And it's not a planned destiny for me. It's not a dream for me to become a dean. But the way life or the universe unfolds or God directed me is to become a dean.

Chit Juan 2:00

So actually, it was not planned for you to be an academic or an academic dean, but it just unfolded and the universe unfolded it for you, and you were brought to the right place at the right time. So there you go, Dr. Harold Bueno. Now I was really so honored when I found out that you know you had a PhD and that you were really seriously an academic dean. And then how does the slow food lifestyle meld or get involved with what you're doing as the dean of the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality?

SPEAKER_01 2:40

My family background is in farming or Magzasaka. My great-grandfather, my grandfather, even my father, they are farmers, but my father decided to study engineering. So he's the first in the family to get a degree. And when I was growing up, my life surrounds farming. I'm surrounded by farmers. I have a lot of uh experiences working in a farm and also as exposed in an environment that allows me to identify my herbal plants, edible plants, edible trees, or anything edible in the farm.

Chit Juan 3:23

Harold, this is where you got the diap. I remember you had given me some local lime.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Yes, in Nueva Isia.

Chit Juan 3:33

I see. So Nueva Isija is actually the rice granary, right? So did you have other diverse fruits, vegetables, and other produce farm yo?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

So right now we're we're producing rice, but on the side we have some eggplant, we have some ampalaya squash on the side. But most of this is for family use. But really, what we produce a lot is rice.

Chit Juan 4:03

Yeah, because that should be, I'm sure that's uh organic rice. And I noticed lately you've been traveling to different provinces, hiking. Is that your own agenda or is that part of tourism and hospitality in your work?

SPEAKER_01 4:19

My interest really is in food, tourism, farming. At first, when I do hiking, I just wanna distress, I just want some solitude, I just want to relax. But as I experience it, I realize there's so many things along the trail. And most of it are familiar to me. Some of the things that are available in the trail are edible and familiar to me. So that's when I started taking photos of the edible herbs and plants along the trail. And then eventually it becomes part of my system to ask the tour guide oh, what are the edible plants or fruits available along the trail? And if I find something interesting, I'll ask whether it's edible or not. Yes, yes.

Chit Juan 5:09

Oh, galeng, galleng. So actually, your personal hobby, which is hiking, also takes you to these places where you discover, I guess, all these herbs and medicinal plants that otherwise we would not know, no, that it's good to eat or it's good to get for health and medical reasons. So yun pala, that's why I've been seeing your pictures, I've been seeing your Instagram, that you are going to all these different places. And I thought it was part of a school thing, but apparently it's your personal hiking distressing mode. That's that's very good. So, how do you choose where to go? Ano, basta, and you were in a lang that there are people who will guide you. What are your favorite destinations?

SPEAKER_01 5:55

There's a trend now, they call it joiner. So there are people who would want to hike, and there's like an organizer who arranges everything for you. So you'll be able to meet other people would also like to distress. So technically, you don't know anyone in the group. Oh so you can have your time read.

Chit Juan 6:17

So yeah, and then on.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

Yeah, so so for me, whatever is available, because I don't really plan it. Whenever I have time, and whatever is available, organized trip, I'll join because it's available online.

Chit Juan 6:31

It's called joiner.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

Yes, it's called joiner.

Chit Juan 6:34

It's my first mind to come across that, but uh interesting, uh, especially for people who are looking for quiet adventure, but they're actually safe in a pack or in a boat, no? Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_01 6:48

Rather than going alone. Correct, yes. So I don't really plan it as whatever is available because it's nice not to go to a place unknown to you, and then you'll discover this tradition along the trail. Because there are families, farmers living in the mountain, uh-huh, and there are families going up and down the mountain just to toil the soil and to do farming. So along the way, you'll be able to see them, how they harvest their craft, how they plant their craft.

Chit Juan 7:22

Oh, that's nice. So you're actually you're walking the talk. I mean, you tell the students, oh, kai lan, lumobaskayo, get to know different provinces, and you're actually doing it. That's wonderful. So, actually, it becomes part of your school work after the fact. How many or what provinces have you gone to that otherwise you will not discover if not for this app or this group called Joiner? So many trails in Rizal provinces.

SPEAKER_01 7:52

I didn't know that we have a lot of available trails in Rizal provinces and really open mountains that we can go. And also in Zambales.

Chit Juan 8:02

Is it just for a day or do you have to camp out? Are there overnight tours or day trips?

SPEAKER_01 8:08

We start early, like usually you'll gather around 10 p.m. a day before the hike. Okay. And then we usually start hike around 3 a.m., 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. Then we'll complete it around 5 or 6 p.m. on that day.

Chit Juan 8:24

Oh, so it's practically about 20 hours, but you start the evening.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Yes, yes, yeah. Okay.

Chit Juan 8:31

I recently have you been to Mount Pulag. I recently saw a post of a friend and they hike at night. So these could be similar, no?

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Yes, 1 a.m. for Mount Pulag.

Chit Juan 8:43

I see. Wow. That's really interesting for our listeners in the Philippines or our tourists who might want to come to the Philippines, that there are such groups organizing these mountain hikes, these trails, which are safe, and you go in a pack and you actually just bring your backpack. Is there a fee? Can you give me a price range of the fee that they charge?

SPEAKER_01 9:05

It's around 1,500 to 2,500. But if it's a popular site like Ulag, I think now it's 4,000 to 5,000 pesos.

Chit Juan 9:17

Wow, that's really affordable. I mean, it's below 100 US dollars. And those who are planning to do the Camino Santiago like we did two years ago, you know, you don't need to go far, but you can practice these trails and hikes right in our own country. That that's really wonderful news, Harold. So tell us how the youth are imbibing these experiences and values that you impart through slow food and slow hikes, if there is such a thing. How do you tell your students or how do you encourage them to also go on these hikes?

SPEAKER_01 9:55

I mean, in the past activities that I have done, I mean, they started early, like they're in their 20s. Uh-huh. Because sometimes I'm the oldest in the pack in the group.

Chit Juan 10:07

Well, I guess you have the energy at that age, you know. But what's nice is that the way it hits me is that at least these youth are not hiking aimlessly, you know. I think with your guidance, I guess you can also compare notes, like if you found this plant or something. Are the youth also interested in what you're interested in, like foraging?

SPEAKER_01 10:32

So these are my reflections doing all these things, you know, which is related to the career that I have now and related to the development of tourism or hiking industry. I don't know how we'll call it. But they're just there because they want to post something in their Instagram or Facebook. But I realize that the tour guide has to understand all these things, and we should create more trainings for our tour guide. Okay. Because identifying all these edible plants and fruits along the trail is a form of survival. So and it's not included in the training of our tour guide. I see. And they don't know that it will help the hikers to understand the ecology, to understand what is available, and to understand how it is important to know those edible fruits and plants along the trail. Because again, it's a form of survival. Whatever happened, at least they know what to eat, they know what is available within the mountain.

Chit Juan 11:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

So I think the OT should consider, including having their training, because the local tourist guide knows what are these edible plants and fruits available. But it's not part of the tour or it's not part of the training of the tour guide.

Chit Juan 11:59

So they don't see the value. The tour guide is just concerned to get you from point A to point B safely. Yes. But along the way, you discover that there are these many things, and another facet of hiking is actually learning survival skills or I'd say life skills, you know, that if you get lost in a mountain, you will not go hungry. And it's really like uh survivor, the movie. So that's nice. That's nice.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Uh-huh. That's why I want to write about it. Yeah. And also try to influence the Department of Tourism to include these kinds of things that I observe in their training. So our tour guides will be more equivalent. And I mean, the process of tourism becomes more educational.

Chit Juan 12:51

Yeah, and fun. Diva tour guiding can really be fun. While you hold the local culture, they don't know the importance yet, but soon maybe they will have guidance from government to use these local skills and to teach to other people. So that's that's very you know noble of you to want to write it. So as a guide for your students and other youth who might have the energy and the interest and curiosity to do this now. So, what is the most difficult task? I'm really you know impressed by being an academic dean. It's something I never imagined I would do. But as a dean, what is your biggest challenge?

SPEAKER_01 14:29

The biggest challenge is to always make sure that our curriculum, that the teaching and learning is always up to date. We have policies from the Commission on Higher Education that we have to follow. And sometimes it's outdated. So we have to strategize how to make sure that the students still learn the competencies that we require and what they needed to survive in the industry. And probably that's one of the reasons why the industry would always tell us that there's a gap between academe and the industry. And bridging that gap is the most challenging for us in the academy or as a leader.

Chit Juan 15:13

Yeah. To be relevant, no, to be relevant to the times. I think we have to step up. Maybe that's calling Ched to step up in making curricula more adaptable, more relevant. Everything's going so fast now, so we cannot wait years to make our curricula relevant, Tama.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Yes. And being a DM is it's a powerful position to influence the process, to influence the curriculum, to influence the teaching and learning situation in the classroom. Yeah, we have that power to change it. We have the power to influence the rules, the policies, and to make changes internally so that we can assure that the competencies of the students are of standard as required by the industry.

Chit Juan 16:06

That's interesting, no? Because you really have to make sure you're relevant. At the same time, you have to be interesting for the students to have their span of attention directed towards their academics. I know it's a challenge because when we go to different schools, you know, the generation of today, I must say, is a different from the previous generations. And I guess that's why there is what they call the generation gap. But I think what you're doing is actually addressing that gap by showing your students that you can also hike, that you can do fun things while learning, you know, about tourism. So, I mean, congratulations to you, Harold. Now, let me ask: because you're in charge of the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, can you tell our listeners where does hospitality come in? Is it just about hotels and restaurants and food service? What really does the term hospitality encompass or cover?

SPEAKER_01 17:15

It's all about making our guests feel at home, feel comfortable, and we feel a very good emotion when we serve them or we provide them the services.

Chit Juan 17:28

So whether it's a hotel or a restaurant, it's about making a guest feel special, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

Yes, correct. Especially now that there's AI, there's digital technology that is embedded in all our operations. Guests, I think, will look for a more authentic service to make them feel special.

Chit Juan 17:50

Maybe a personal touch that AI still cannot do. Yes, personal and personalized service. Personalized service. Okay, so is that something that students right away imbibe? Like, do they understand how they can differentiate themselves from being replaced by AI?

SPEAKER_01 18:11

We are trying to let them understand because some of them have this fear of not having a good opportunity when they complete the program. We try to let them understand that it's a combination or balance of high touch and high-tech. So, meaning the personalized services and the technology embedded together, it can bring a better guest satisfaction.

Chit Juan 18:37

I like that. High touch and high-tech. So, in spite or despite high-tech, the human touch is really what differentiates, I guess, hospitality people from just machines, no?

SPEAKER_01 18:52

But I added one more high touch plus high-tech plus high trust is another thing. We have to build trust with our guests. And doing sustainability can build that trust with our guests. For example, slow food, when we present them, the traceability of our food, it builds the trust between the chef, the restaurant, and the customer.

Chit Juan 19:17

Very interesting. I didn't think that it would be seen that way, but now that's a very good insight that showing traceability, sustainability gives the institution that trustworthiness that guests are looking for. And I guess that is what will differentiate one institution from another, one hotel from another, one restaurant from another.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

Yes. Like when they promote that they help the local farmers, local community, doing some effort and sustainability, having this solar energy, caring for the environment, working to help in the climate change and the climate situation that we are into now. So it will build trust because I mean guests will feel like you don't just care about them, but you care in everything. And if you care about these things, they will have more confidence that this particular company or brand will really take care of me as a guest.

Chit Juan 20:18

Wow, that's really nice. And I hope that our institutions also step up, no? Because the people might be ready. You're molding the students through the academia, you're molding the students to become stewards of the environment, etc. But the places that they will work in or work at should also take the challenge and step up and increase their sustainability efforts, don't you think?

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Yes, because even now our students they prefer to work in a company where they have advocacy and sustainability efforts. So some of the students now ask the company of their sustainability activities. It encourages them to join a specific company if they have advocacy, if they have sustainability efforts.

Chit Juan 21:06

Oh, that's nice. That's really nice to know that the youth are waking up to this, and that now I guess the youth will drive business or will drive corporates to look at their sustainability efforts because it is one way of attracting talent.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

No? Yes. I think that's the changes we have seen by integrating sustainability in our curriculum and integrating sustainability in most of our courses. So the students now have this gene or DNA of sustainability. Initially, it's quite difficult for us to integrate all these things. But as we move forward, we've seen some changes. It becomes part of their life, it becomes part of their decision making, at least in the classroom or in the university. So when they create an activity, they know that they have to think of what particular SDG can be touched in that specific activity or how that event can contribute in achieving the sustainable development goals. Those things we don't have to hard sell with them since we have started it last three years ago or two years ago. So it becomes very natural to our students now.

Chit Juan 22:26

Wow. That's really very good to know that you know the academ has a role, but business also has a role. And I'm glad that I'm sure you send your students for internships and practicum. So do you see business also moving towards that sustainability direction?

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Yes, most of our partners they have sustainability efforts. So not yet 100%, but at least they have started it.

Chit Juan 22:53

Very, very interesting insight. So, Harold, I know that you have made a fun thing out of your hikes and also to inspire tourism students. So, how will our listeners find you on social media either through the school or your personal social media? Can you tell me how they can reach you?

SPEAKER_01 23:14

I have an Instagram. It's Bernardo underscore bueno. So they can follow me on Instagram. But if they want to understand what we're doing in the university, they can follow me in my Facebook, Harold Bernardo Bueno. And if they want to understand more about our programs and our sustainability efforts embedded in our student activities, they can follow our FB page, the FEU Manila Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management. Wow.

Chit Juan 23:45

That's really nice that our listeners can follow you so that they can learn more about your hikes, the practical things you do as a dean, that you're not just sitting there in your office desk, but you're actually not just scaling mountains, but probably you'll be moving mountains sooner or later. So thank you so much, Harold. And I hope that we can have you again in the podcast. But in the meantime, we hope that Akadim and institutions will all follow the sustainability trend. It's not only a fad, but it's a trend. So thanks to you that the Akadim will be influencing students and will be influencing our hospitality staff in the very near future. Thank you very much, Harold. Thank you, Maramin Salama. Thank you for listening to the Good and Green podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show and leave a review. It helps more people find us. And feel free to share it with a friend. Until next time, keep it good and green.