Wazzup Pilipinas!
Twenty six Philippine hotels, resorts, and various tourism industry associations have received skills development grants to upgrade the quality of services of their respective tourism workers.
The grants scheme program, established by the Department of Tourism, forms part of the Improving Competitiveness in Tourism project administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and funded by the Government of Canada. Launched in 2013, the $7.1-million technical assistance was designed to support the government’s effort to achieve inclusive growth and create employment opportunities in tourism.
Chosen from the country’s main tourism destinations, the awardees are based in Bohol, Cebu, Davao, and Palawan, which serve as the program’s pilot areas. Under the program, which will run for 38 months, various accommodation enterprises submitted proposals to help fund their skills training programs. These include food and beverage preparation and service, front office, personality development, housekeeping, and leisure and entertainment activities.
“We welcome this technical assistance as it complements our National Tourism Development Plan, which targets to increase tourism revenue, employment, and arrivals to aid in job creation and poverty reduction. Our collaboration with the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Canada for this grants scheme program proves that international institutions recognize the role of tourism as a key driver of economic development in the country,” Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said.