The Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association or COHARA is based in Cagayan de Oro City, located in the central coast of Northern Mindanao, Philippines. It was organized in 1996 through the initiative of the regional office of the Department of Tourism, Region X.

Having affiliated itself as a chapter of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines or HRAP, COHARA has mounted annual culinary festivals aptly called, KUMBIRA, showcasing the talents of the Chefs from the different restaurants in the region.  Patterned after the Chefs on Parade (COP) in Manila, these culinary festivals have equaled world class standards and helped boost the morale of the food and beverage community within the Hotel and Restaurant industry.  Students have also been invited to participate in the culinary festival and live competitions lending inspiration to these budding talents.

Through the years, COHARA has continuously updated the skills of its employees through training 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 Chefs on Parade in Manila and other culinary festivals in other cities, as well as the Thailand Food Expo in Bangkok, Thailand. It has regularly organized delegations to attend Marketing Incentive Conferences, industry seminars and workshops.

COHARA’s continued thrust in improving the quality of hotel and restaurant education has led to partnership with hotel and restaurant schools in the region to facilitate the placement and monitoring of students on their practicum. COHARA has also partnered with Les Toques Blanches Philippines, the association of executive chefs and culinary professionals in the Philippines, on a scholarship for teachers to attend a professional training at the International School of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM) in Manila.

Recognized as a leader in the promotion of Tourism development in Northern Mindanao, COHARA has been in the forefront of tourism and travel fairs held in various cities. It lends support to other organizations in the hosting of conferences, conventions and events. 

The Association has also involved itself with outreach programs through milk feeding, gift giving and sponsorship of meals for orphans and needy. Quality service, world-class standards, value for money and the constant skills training are the precepts with which COHARA lives by.