By Leilanie Adriano/PNA
LAOAG CITY — Some 37 hotel and resort workers from major tourist destinations in Ilocos Norte on Monday started their week-long training on food and beverage services at the Pamulinawen Hotel in San Nicolas town to upgrade their competencies to better serve local and foreign guests.
Sharing his more than 20-year experience in the food service industry, Benito Edica, a food and beverage expert said the participants are very interested to learn new things.
“We are doing this to help our service staff deliver quality service in accordance to international standards,” said Edica, citing the tourism industry as major economic driver.
According to Edica, there is a need to upgrade the quality of service being rendered by hotel and resort workers to help attract more visitors to the province.
“Whatever happens in Europe, United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Japan must also happen in Pagudpud and Laoag,” Edica explained referring to the level of quality service which should be provided to both local and international tourists here.
As of the moment, Kishore Jethmal, Training Director of Trust Management Centre which the Department of Tourism (DOT) tapped to train the participants, said tourism workers in the province generally lack competencies — particularly on expressing themselves when dealing with tourists — hence the need for such skills and competency-based trainings.
“Our focus is no longer customer service but customer experience. In Singapore, we focus on customer experience. Do not only think of the service you give but think about the experience a customer can get,” said Jethmal who is currently supervising the skills training of some tourism workers in Ilocos region.
The training started Nov. 19 and will end on Nov. 25 .
After the training, which features modules on professional bartending course, food and beverage service and customer relations, participants are expected to upgrade their competencies leading to a National Certificate II certification from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“On the last day of the training, representatives of TESDA will assess them and if they pass, they will get an NCII certificate,” he added as he reported all those who underwent competency-based training previously had a 100 percent passing rate.
“What they learn is very important and we hope they will apply it immediately in their workplace. This will result to upgraded level of service, better facilities and ultimately it will help the Philippine economy through jobs and business creation,” he said.
Funded by the DOT, tourism workers in the province are given free skills trainings to level up their skills geared towards customer service satisfaction.
On Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, another training for front line services will be offered to interested hotel and resort workers in Ilocos Norte.
The DOT said there will be more skills training to be conducted next year with highly credible resource speakers to help boost tourism workers’ competitiveness highlighting customer satisfaction and international service standards, especially within Southeast Asia region.
