Navigating the Hospitality Maze: Experiences of Non-Hospitality Graduates Employed in Mabuhay Accommodations in Cebu City, Philippines

This study explored the lived experiences, workplace challenges, coping strategies, and career aspirations of non-hospitality graduates employed in Department of Tourism-accredited mabuhay accommodations in Cebu City, Philippines, and used the findings as the basis for the Mabuhay Navigator Bridging Program. A descriptive phenomenological design was employed with ten purposively selected non-hospitality graduates who were at least 22 years old, residents of Cebu City, and regular employees with at least six months of service. Data were generated through approximately 60-minute structured, in-depth interviews using a researcher-developed guide anchored on Seidman's phenomenological interviewing model; the guide underwent expert content validation. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological method, supported by interpretative attention to participants' personal and professional meanings. Ten themes emerged across three inquiry areas. Positive work-life experiences centered on personal growth, fulfillment, and strategies for work-life balance, while negative experiences reflected career transition, multifaceted roles, and industry-related struggles. Workplace challenges involved operational demands and competency gaps, recurring problems with limited organizational response, and coping through resilience and support systems. Career aspirations emphasized education, training, skills development, workforce development, and service innovation. The study concluded that job mismatch can lead to compensatory professional adaptation in which employees reconstruct their professional identities through experience, resilience, and continuous learning. Structured training, credentialing pathways, and institutional support are therefore essential to strengthen employee competence, retention, service quality, and career mobility in mabuhay accommodations.