BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - The Department of Tourism – Cordillera forged partnership with local government units, national government agencies, private sectors and academic institutions for the rollout of the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) program in the region.

Under the FBSE, a nationwide initiative to develop the country’s tourism workforce to the point where it can provide excellent quality services to tourists and visitors, the DOT aims to train 100,000 tourism frontline workers across the country.

For its rollout in the Cordillera, DOT – CAR Regional Director Jovita Ganongan led a Memorandum of Agreement signing and a launching ceremony at Ion Hotel here in March 22.

For LGUs, signatories to the MOA are Banaue Ifugao Mayor Joel Bungallon, Mountain Province Tourism Officer Roger Sacyaten, Sagada Municipal Tourism Officer Maria Teresa Abad, Baguio City Councilor Leah Fariñas, La Trinidad Councilor Belmer Elis and Tourism Officer Valred Olsim, and Roscoe Kalaw of the Ifugao provincial government.

For the non-government agencies, signatories include Department of the Interior and Local Government – CAR Asst. Regional Director Ruperto Maribbay Jr., Ofelia Ducayag of Dept. of Agriculture – CAR; George Lubin of the Dept. of Labor and Employmen– CAR, Atty. Jessie Balagot and Nasser Ibrahim of the Dept. of Tourism – CAR; Engr. Rosito Tamayo of Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines; and Francisco Bulwayan Jr. of the Baguio City Police Office.

 For the private sector and the academe, DOT program partners are Baguio Tourism Council Chairperson Gladys Vergara, Baguio Country Club General Manager Anthony De Leon, Christine Cua of the Manor; Crystal Camacho of The Forest Lodge, Dean Jenelyn Magpatoc of the University of Baguio, Dean Michelle Mamaril of the University of the Cordilleras, Dr Joseph Delos Santos of the Cordillera Career Development College and Dr. Lee Majors Fajilan of Saint Louis University.

Ganongan expressed gratitude to all those who heeded their call for partnership in implementing the FBSE program in Cordillera as she outlined its importance  in  building a strong human resource foundation for the region’s tourism industry.

“We are confident that Cordillera will gain ground in the region’s implementation of FBSE. Please help us in informing more tourism stakeholders about the benefits of this FBSE training so that we can make it more participatory and inclusive,” Ganongan said.

The DOT – CAR targets to bring the FBSE program to around 7,000 tourism front liners in the region.(JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)