The Department of Tourism (DOT) is conducting a month-long training program to prepare frontline personnel to deliver world-class service and Filipino hospitality during the social events and hospitality activities surrounding the Philippines’ hosting of the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in November.
Anchored on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE), the program prepares participants to serve as liaison officers, information officers, and ushers at designated venues, accredited hotels, and airports. As of October 19, the DOT has trained 244 participants across seven batches.
The program was developed by DOT Assistant Secretary Ma. Christina G. Aquino, former Dean of the College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management at Lyceum of the Philippines University, former Chairperson of the Tourism Industry Board Foundation, and former President of the Asia Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education.
Drawing on her extensive background in hospitality education, Aquino designed the curriculum and invited a distinguished panel of resource speakers to conduct sessions on diplomatic standards, social graces, professional grooming, service excellence and recovery, teamwork, communications, and conference venue and logistics management.
The lineup of resource speakers features distinguished experts across diplomacy, aviation, higher education, and hospitality, including: Former Ambassador Laura Quiambao-Del Rosario, former Philippine Ambassador and APEC Senior Officials Chair; Director Ian U. Cacho, Director and Training Head of CAFA Manila and former Qatar Airways Cabin Services Director; Prof. Robert Frederick P. Hayden Jr., senior higher education executive and institutional development strategist; Yael T. Fernandez, accredited Department of Tourism (DOT) tour guide and seasoned hospitality educator; Ramon F. Mariñas, owner and Managing Director of Bienvenido Travel and Tours and DOT FBSE accredited trainer; Orlando Ballesteros, COO of Exlink Management and Marketing Services Corp. and MICE industry leader; and Mel Jayson B. Sanchez, Hospitality Manager at Asia Affinity Property Management Inc. and Certified DOT FBSE Enterprise Level Trainer.
Participants will also undergo stress tests, panel interviews, site inspections, and positioning exercises to assess their readiness, determine their assignments, and familiarize themselves with their respective posts before deployment.
Selected ushers will wear specially designed uniforms featuring traditional Filipino textiles from the Ilocos Region featuring Binakol, a traditional Filipino handloomed textile, showcasing Philippine craftsmanship and cultural heritage to international delegates.
“Hosting the ASEAN Summit is an opportunity to showcase the best of Filipino hospitality. We want our frontliners to be confident, capable, and prepared to deliver excellent service while making every delegate feel genuinely welcome,” Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said.
Participants include personnel from the DOT and its attached agencies, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) ushering group, students pursuing tourism, hospitality, and diplomacy programs at various universities, and organizations accredited by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA).
“Beyond the successful hosting of the Summit, we want delegates to leave with a lasting impression of the Philippines and its people. Every interaction is an opportunity to strengthen goodwill, build regional friendships, and encourage our guests to return and discover more of our country,” Secretary Angara-Mathay added.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) is conducting a month-long training program to prepare frontline personnel to deliver world-class service and Filipino hospitality during the social events and hospitality activities surrounding the Philippines’ hosting of the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in November.
Anchored on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE), the program prepares participants to serve as liaison officers, information officers, and ushers at designated venues, accredited hotels, and airports. As of October 19, the DOT has trained 244 participants across seven batches.
The program was developed by DOT Assistant Secretary Ma. Christina G. Aquino, former Dean of the College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management at Lyceum of the Philippines University, former Chairperson of the Tourism Industry Board Foundation, and former President of the Asia Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education.
Drawing on her extensive background in hospitality education, Aquino designed the curriculum and invited a distinguished panel of resource speakers to conduct sessions on diplomatic standards, social graces, professional grooming, service excellence and recovery, teamwork, communications, and conference venue and logistics management.
The lineup of resource speakers features distinguished experts across diplomacy, aviation, higher education, and hospitality, including: Former Ambassador Laura Quiambao-Del Rosario, former Philippine Ambassador and APEC Senior Officials Chair; Director Ian U. Cacho, Director and Training Head of CAFA Manila and former Qatar Airways Cabin Services Director; Prof. Robert Frederick P. Hayden Jr., senior higher education executive and institutional development strategist; Yael T. Fernandez, accredited Department of Tourism (DOT) tour guide and seasoned hospitality educator; Ramon F. Mariñas, owner and Managing Director of Bienvenido Travel and Tours and DOT FBSE accredited trainer; Orlando Ballesteros, COO of Exlink Management and Marketing Services Corp. and MICE industry leader; and Mel Jayson B. Sanchez, Hospitality Manager at Asia Affinity Property Management Inc. and Certified DOT FBSE Enterprise Level Trainer.
Participants will also undergo stress tests, panel interviews, site inspections, and positioning exercises to assess their readiness, determine their assignments, and familiarize themselves with their respective posts before deployment.
Selected ushers will wear specially designed uniforms featuring traditional Filipino textiles from the Ilocos Region featuring Binakol, a traditional Filipino handloomed textile, showcasing Philippine craftsmanship and cultural heritage to international delegates.
“Hosting the ASEAN Summit is an opportunity to showcase the best of Filipino hospitality. We want our frontliners to be confident, capable, and prepared to deliver excellent service while making every delegate feel genuinely welcome,” Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said.
Participants include personnel from the DOT and its attached agencies, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) ushering group, students pursuing tourism, hospitality, and diplomacy programs at various universities, and organizations accredited by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA).
“Beyond the successful hosting of the Summit, we want delegates to leave with a lasting impression of the Philippines and its people. Every interaction is an opportunity to strengthen goodwill, build regional friendships, and encourage our guests to return and discover more of our country,” Secretary Angara-Mathay added.
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