Developing skilled local tourism professionals through the education system is at the core of the Philippine Department of Tourism’s (DOT) five-year industry manpower development plan.
DOT secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat virtually launched The Philippine Tourism Human Capital Development Plan (PTHCD) for 2021-2025, designed to ensure the steady supply of trained manpower and to address challenges facing tourism human capital development.
“We aim to develop competent, world-class Filipino tourism professionals through a harmonised education system and strong tourism industry linkages and collaboration. Together, these factors will lead us toward attaining sustainable and inclusive national socio-economic development,” Romulo-Puyat said.
The Republic Act 9593, also known as the Tourism Act of 2009, mandates the DOT to draft an industry manpower development plan every five years. PTHCD is the continuation of the Philippine Tourism Human Resource Development Strategy and Action Plan for 2015-2020.
In the previous months, DOT conducted a national consultation, situational analysis, and focus group discussions across the country with participants from different tourism industry sub-sectors, local government units, government agencies and the academe.
The discussions covered Education Tourism as a tourism product offering, industry linkages and partnerships, research and innovation, standards review and development, implementation of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangements for Tourism Professionals, and other programmes.
Romulo-Puyat added: “In view of the challenges and opportunities brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, this updated PTHCD comes at a most critical time. The retooling, reskilling, and upskilling of the tourism workforce will all be crucial as the industry prepares to reopen and recover, and will be among the most important steps in our journey towards the better normal.”
