DOT-CAR grants skills trainings for tourism industry workers

September 25, 2017 Metro BLISTT

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is set to provide free skills training to tourism frontliners and workers in line with its goal to improve the competitiveness of the country’s tourism industry.
DOT Cordillera Regional Director Venus Tan signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with representatives of the beneficiaries from the province of Benguet, Kalinga and Ifugao for the skills training under DOT’s Tourism Industry Skills Program (TISP).
For Ifugao, Tan and Kiangan Homestay Association President Marivic Bulatao formalized the agreement for skills training courses on Housekeeping and Service Excellence and Tourism Innovation and Enterprise program, and seminar on effective customer service that will benefit 150 tourism workers.
For Kalinga represented by Provincial Tourism Vice-chair Mila Omengan, training courses to be undertaken   shall be on Tour Provision and Standards, Front Office Operations, Transport Training, Eco-tourism/Adventure Tourism Product Development and Enhancement, Housekeeping and Service Excellence and Entrepreneurship Development involving about 320 beneficiaries.
For Benguet, the TISP trainings set to benefit 160 tourism workers are Housekeeping and Service Excellence, Food and Beverage Service Training, and Product Development, Store Layouting and Visual Merchandising.
Kabenguetan (hotel club) president Freddie Baday and Garden Breeze Hotel Manager Floresa Capulong represented Benguet in the MOA signing.
The three provinces are the first batch of beneficiaries under DOT’s TISP where skills training tare scheduled up to the end of the year.
Other DOT-CAR TISP projects that are already under evaluation by the National Tourism Skills Committee includes skills training provision for the Hungduan (Ifugao) Municipal Tourism Council, Association of Sagada Hotel and Restaurant (Mountain Province), Tinglayan Tour Guides Association (Kalinga), BLISST Tour Guides Inc. and for Hotel Supreme, here.
Tan outlined that the TISP generally aims to boost the competitiveness of the country’s tourism workers in terms of customer satisfaction, service standards, especially within the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) region.
With the service sector as one of the strength of the tourism industry, there is a need to provide our stakeholders with skills training that will empower them to reach the line of excellence and competitiveness  geared towards the development goals of increasing employment, improving  income opportunities and increasing  tourist arrivals and receipts, Tan stressed.
Aside from the partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, DOT also tapped the Dept. of Trade and Industry for product and packaging development, Tan added. CCD-PIA CAR / ABN