Story/Photos: Elmer Recuerdo
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Tourism in Eastern Visayas has started the rollout of training on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) for this year.
But unlike in the previous years where the training was only for the workers in the sector, this year it has included barangay officials from communities where tourist destinations are located.
DOT-8 Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said FBSE is one of the flagship programs of DOT to provide all front liners in the tourism and hospitality industry with a benchmark on how to render excellent services to tourists and guests of the Filipino.
"We have included in the training the barangay chairmen, Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen, and chief tanod because we believe that in order to fully demonstrate the good customs of Eastern Visayas in dealing with visitors and tourists, it must start in the community," Tiopes said.
Tiopes said DOT-8 targets to train 7,500 individuals in the entire region this year. These include workers in the tourism and hospitality industry, personnel from national government agencies who deal with tourists and uniformed personnel.
She said destinations, sites, and tourism facilities are all located in barangays thus village officials have to undergo FBSE training to teach them how to relate to tourists and ensure that their area is safe, clean, and always presentable to visitors and the people are friendly.
"It should be something that the community itself has to show, that is why we want to develop the community culture of service excellence outside of stakeholders of the tourism industry," RD Tiopes added.
But unlike in the previous years where the training was only for the workers in the sector, this year it has included barangay officials from communities where tourist destinations are located.
DOT-8 Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said FBSE is one of the flagship programs of DOT to provide all front liners in the tourism and hospitality industry with a benchmark on how to render excellent services to tourists and guests of the Filipino.
"We have included in the training the barangay chairmen, Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen, and chief tanod because we believe that in order to fully demonstrate the good customs of Eastern Visayas in dealing with visitors and tourists, it must start in the community," Tiopes said.
Tiopes said DOT-8 targets to train 7,500 individuals in the entire region this year. These include workers in the tourism and hospitality industry, personnel from national government agencies who deal with tourists and uniformed personnel.
She said destinations, sites, and tourism facilities are all located in barangays thus village officials have to undergo FBSE training to teach them how to relate to tourists and ensure that their area is safe, clean, and always presentable to visitors and the people are friendly.
"It should be something that the community itself has to show, that is why we want to develop the community culture of service excellence outside of stakeholders of the tourism industry," RD Tiopes added.
Tiopes said the conduct of FBSE training is very important for the Eastern Visayas due to intensified promotion of making the region as one of the choices for MICE (meeting, incentives, conferences, events) activities.
She added DOT has also calendared a series of major activities this year such as the commemoration of Homonhon Landing of Ferdinand Magellan, the celebration of First Easter Mass in Asia at Limasawa Island, the 80th Leyte Gulf Landings commemoration, and the arrival of a cruise ship that is schedule to visit an island town.
With the inclusion of barangay and SK officials including tanod, the agency is expecting to reach the target of 7,500 trained individuals by the end of this year. At least three FBSE training are planned every week to be conducted in six provinces handled by the pool of trainers accredited by the agency.
The training includes teaching the participant to do the "Mabuhay" gesture, a way of greeting visitors and guests and the "7M" of Filipino values: Maka-Diyos, Makatao, Maka-Kalikasan, Makabansa, Masayahin, May Bayanihan, and May Pag-asa.
"We really want Eastern Visayas to be known as a destination that as soon as the guests arrive at the airport and when they go around and interact with people, they are treated well and happy because they are always greeted with the Mabuhay gesture," Tiopes said.
Also targeted in the 2024 FBSE training are state universities and colleges and private higher learning institutions that offer courses related to the tourism and hospitality industry.(CJ/jmm/ER)
She added DOT has also calendared a series of major activities this year such as the commemoration of Homonhon Landing of Ferdinand Magellan, the celebration of First Easter Mass in Asia at Limasawa Island, the 80th Leyte Gulf Landings commemoration, and the arrival of a cruise ship that is schedule to visit an island town.
With the inclusion of barangay and SK officials including tanod, the agency is expecting to reach the target of 7,500 trained individuals by the end of this year. At least three FBSE training are planned every week to be conducted in six provinces handled by the pool of trainers accredited by the agency.
The training includes teaching the participant to do the "Mabuhay" gesture, a way of greeting visitors and guests and the "7M" of Filipino values: Maka-Diyos, Makatao, Maka-Kalikasan, Makabansa, Masayahin, May Bayanihan, and May Pag-asa.
"We really want Eastern Visayas to be known as a destination that as soon as the guests arrive at the airport and when they go around and interact with people, they are treated well and happy because they are always greeted with the Mabuhay gesture," Tiopes said.
Also targeted in the 2024 FBSE training are state universities and colleges and private higher learning institutions that offer courses related to the tourism and hospitality industry.(CJ/jmm/ER)
