CEBU CITY – Confronted with issues of alleged overpricing, service providers operating in Virgin Island in Panglao, Bohol underwent a one-day training conducted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) through its Central Visayas office.
In coordination with the Bohol Tourism Office and the Municipality of Panglao, the training held last Wednesday, August 10, focused on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE), the DOT said in a statement.
The DOT initiated the training upon receiving information on the alleged overpricing of food served to tourists on the island.
The training was attended by 34 participants comprised of food stall owners and their staff as well as representatives of the Panglao Island Protected Seascape Protected Area Management Board.
According to DOT, the FBSE has been conducted for individuals, small and medium enterprises, and world-recognized establishments serving the tourist market, according to Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.
“We are grateful to our participants for showing the willingness to learn and partake in a tourism industry that is sustainable, inclusive, and socially responsible. We also thank our partners from the public sector, particularly the Bohol Tourism Office and the Municipality of Panglao, for partnering with the DOT in order to uplift the service delivery of tourism workers in Virgin Island. Through this program, we hope to develop a service excellence culture among tourism stakeholders in the island,” said Frasco.
“Grounded on the principle of making tourism activities sustainable for the long haul, we wish to equip our graduates with a deliberate inclination towards creating an ‘outstanding visitor experience,’” she added.
The modular course focused on the foundations of the “7Ms” of Filipino values – Makamay-likha, Makatao, Makakalikasan, Makabansa, Masayahin, May Bayanihan, and May Pag-asa.
“These are basic values that we, Filipinos, live in our daily lives. By bringing it into our encounters with clients, we help enable respect for the Creator, environment-awareness, cordiality, helpfulness and politeness, love of country, and hopefulness,” Frasco added.
Alice Queblatin, president of the Cebu Alliance of Tour Operations Specialists and certified FBSE trainer, discussed the main topics of the seminar – service excellence, 7Ms of Filipino values, and understanding guest needs and service recovery.