MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Tourism (DOT) plans to forge tie-ups with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the promotion of tourism products and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the capacity building of non-English speaking tour guides.
Tourism Undersecretary for regulation, coordination and resource generation Alma Jimenez said this was part of the various convergence initiatives being considered by national agencies under the new administration.
“One of the convergence programs which will surface soon, is the signing of an agreement between the DTI and the DOT for the mutual promotion of tourism products,” Jimenez said.
“Tourism will be considered a product of the DTI, the same way we consider the products being espoused by the DTI,” she added.
Under the partnership, the DOT will showcase the various products of the Philippines in their showrooms, while the DTI will promote Philippine destinations and tour packages.
Jimenez said the DOT was also considering taking part in the reintegration program of DOLE for returning overseas Filipino workers to convert them into tour guides once back in the Philippines.
Instead of training tour guides in various languages, such as Chinese and Japanese, the official said the DOT would hire returning OFWs and capacitate them as tour guides.
“It’s harder for us (DOT) to teach language training. Incidentally, I removed the language training in the industry and manpower development (of DOT) because what I wanted was our returning OFWs, who already have conversational ability to speak languages of their host countries, to be taught how to do tour guiding,” Jimenez said.
She said the DOT and DOLE would convene all returning OFWs who can speak languages other than English and Filipino, and are interested to have a career in the industry.
According to Jimenez, the DOT sees a more seamless working relationship with other national agencies through the Cabinet Assistance System being implemented by the current administration.
“The President gave a directive that every aspect of activity of the executive branch should be a whole-of-country or whole-of-government approach, so they really encourage convergence programs between the departments,” she said.
“So I actually see better working relationships among the Cabinet right now because before and after the Cabinet meetings, there’s a Cabinet Assistance System where all the undersecretaries will sit down and try and implement whatever was discussed in the Cabinet meetings,” she said.
