The Commission on Higher Education Regional Office I (CHED Region I) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region I have begun discussions on a formal partnership to strengthen tourism and hospitality education and support regional development.

Officials from CHED Region I paid a courtesy visit to the DOT Region I office on 22 July, where both agencies explored initiatives to enhance academic-industry collaboration, expand experiential learning opportunities, and promote the internationalization of higher education in the Ilocos Region.

A key agenda item was the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among CHED Region I, DOT Region I, and higher education institutions in Region I. Once finalized, the agreement will mark the first formal partnership between the two agencies aimed at improving the quality of tourism and hospitality education and promoting service excellence.

According to CHED Region I, the initiative is expected to produce globally competitive, industry-ready graduates while advancing the agency's A.C.H.I.E.V.E. Agenda 2030.

The agencies also discussed preparations for Timpuyog ti Amianan 2026: ASEAN Conference and Competitions, CHED Region I's flagship ASEAN Month celebration, set for 27 to 28 August at the University of Northern Philippines in Vigan City.

The CHED delegation was headed by Chief Education Program Specialist Dr. Danilo B. Bose, who met with DOT Region I Director Benjamin D. Manahan Jr. Also present were Education Supervisors II Dr. Al Gerald S. Barde and Joy Ann Gurtiza, and Project Technical Staff III for Internationalization Chloe Mari A. Hufana.

Gurtiza, CHED Region I's focal person for Hospitality and Tourism Management programs, said the partnership would help bridge academic instruction and industry practice.

"When CHED and DOT work together, we accelerate the pathway from classroom learning to industry performance," Gurtiza said.

She added that the proposed collaboration would strengthen work-integrated learning, competency-based training, and alignment between academic programs and the needs of the tourism industry to produce graduates who are ready for the workforce.