COHARA (Cagayan De Oro Hotel & Restaurant Association)

The Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association or COHARA was organized in 1996 through the initiative of the Regional Office of the Department of Tourism, Region 10

COHARA mounts an annual culinary festival aptly called, KUMBIRA, showcasing the talents of the chefs and food service personnel from the different hotels and restaurants in Mindanao. The longest-running regional culinary show, KUMBIRA has helped promote the local food service industry to world class standards. Students also participate in the culinary festival and live competitions lending inspiration to these budding talents. KUMBIRA is also the home of the Mindanao Chef Wars, a regional elimination of a live team competition of the NATIONAL FOODSHOWDOWN.

Aside from a culinary festival, COHARA continuously updates the skills of its employees through trainings and workshops with competent lecturers and professionals in the Hotel and Restaurant industry. It has worked with Expert Advisers of the Canadian Executive Service Organization or CESO, mentoring hotel and restaurant staff and conducted trainings on different aspects of hotel and restaurant operations. The Association has also opened itself to new ideas by attending Marketing Incentive Conferences, Chefs on Parade in Manila and other culinary festivals in the country as well as the Thailand Food Expo in Bangkok, Thailand, HOFEX , Hongkong and FHA in Singapore.

Playing a vital role in the promotion of Tourism in Cagayan de Oro City, COHARA has endeavored to host conferences, conventions and events. It is affiliated and represents the hotel and restaurant industry of the region to various organizations – the City Tourism Board, Promote CdeO Foundation, the Tourism Congress, and a chapter member of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP).

The Association has also involved itself with outreach programs through annual gift giving and sponsorship of meals for orphans and needy. Sports and social activities among the members are also in the offing.

Quality service, world-class standards, value for money and constant skills training are the precepts with which COHARA lives by.