Tourism frontliners undergo specialized training for ASEAN Summit

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has trained 244 frontline personnel to prepare for the Philippines’ hosting of the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in November.

The month-long program equips participants to serve as liaison officers, information officers and ushers at designated venues, accredited hotels and airports. It is anchored on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence, which promotes quality service and Filipino hospitality.

DOT Assistant Secretary Ma. Christina G. Aquino developed the training curriculum, drawing on her background in tourism and hospitality education. Sessions cover diplomatic standards, social graces, professional grooming, service excellence and recovery, teamwork, communications, and conference venue and logistics management.

Resource speakers include former Philippine Ambassador Laura Quiambao-Del Rosario, aviation and training specialist Ian Cacho, higher education executive Robert Frederick Hayden Jr., tourism guide and educator Yael Fernandez, travel industry executive Ramon Mariñas, MICE industry leader Orlando Ballesteros, and hospitality manager Mel Jayson Sanchez.

Participants will undergo stress tests, panel interviews, site inspections and positioning exercises to assess their readiness, determine assignments and familiarize them with their posts before deployment.

Selected ushers will wear specially designed uniforms featuring Binakol, a traditional handwoven textile from the Ilocos Region. The uniforms aim to showcase Filipino 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 DOT personnel and those from its attached agencies, the Cultural Center of the Philippines ushering group, university students pursuing tourism, hospitality and diplomacy programs, and members of organizations accredited by the Philippine Tour Operators Association.

Angara-Mathay said the government also wants delegates to leave with a positive impression of the country and its people.

“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,” she added.