Reinforce tourism workforce as PH opens up to travelers - TESDAMAN

Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva welcomed the positive forecasts for the Philippine tourism industry by the latest economic impact report from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and said that the Filipino tourism workforce should be ready to address the resurgence of the sector.

Villanueva urged the Department of Tourism (DOT) to develop a roadmap with the Department of Labor and Employment and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the training, upskilling, and reskilling programs to address the surge of demand for tourism jobs in the country.

The senator also proposed that this roadmap should be part of the next update of DOT's National Tourism Development Plan.

"This is a time for us to step up our tourism game, as neighboring countries are also opening up their travel destinations. The tourism industry should remind the world of the top-class Filipino brand of hospitality by upgrading its workforce," Villanueva said.

In a press conference last week, the WTTC forecasted an average annual growth rate of 6.7 percent over the next 10 years for the country's tourism industry, exceeding the expected 5.6 percent overall average growth rate for the Philippine economy.

The WTTC also sees employment in the local tourism sector growing annually by an average of 3 percent over the next 10 years, generating 2.9 million new jobs, and accounting for 21.5 percent of all jobs in the country.

The author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11230, or the Tulong Trabaho Act, said that the tourism sector can get the reinforcements through skills training programs offered by TESDA.

"The tourism industry can take part of the Php 1.515 billion we have allotted this year for the Tulong Trabaho Fund to address the training needs of our workforce. This way we can remain globally competitive and responsive to the demands of this priority industry," Villanueva said.

The senator also called on the Department of Health to include tourism workers as a priority sector for vaccination booster shots against COVID-19 as they are "economic frontliners" for the country. Villanueva appealed to national and local health authorities to enforce pandemic protocols especially in tourist spots, and noted that "health workers have become a crucial part of the tourism industry".

The DOT reported about 272,000 foreign arrivals from Feb. 10 to April 17 as the country opened up to more international tourists with lowered pandemic alert levels.

In addition, Villanueva sought the help of the Small Business Corporation under the Department of Trade and Industry to fast track the support for micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the travel and tourism sector through the continuous and uninterrupted processing of loan applications for the Php 4 billion allocation under Bayanihan 2 Act.

"Supporting our MSMEs and skills development are crucial in the reemergence of the tourism sector from the pandemic. It's now a matter of implementation for the current administration, and continuity for the upcoming administration," the senator said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that, as of 2021, around 49,368 MSMEs in the accommodations and food service activities industry are considered permanently closed, while 13,756 are temporarily closed.

Tourism workers, pagalingin at paramihin! - TESDAMAN

Ikinatuwa ni Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva ang positibong pahayag ng World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) sa economic impact report nito tungkol sa industriya ng turismo sa bansa. Sinabi rin ng senador na dapat maging handa ang tourism workforce sa muling pagsigla ng sektor.

Dahil dito, hinimok ni Villanueva ang Department of Tourism (DOT) na gumawa ng roadmap kasama ng Department of Labor and Employment at Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) para sa training, upskilling, at reskilling para sa tourism jobs sa bansa.

Iminungkahi rin ng senador na gawing bahagi ang roadmap na ito sa susunod na National Tourism Development Plan ng DOT.

"Ito ang tamang panahon para galingan pa natin sa turismo, lalo na't bukas na rin sa mga turista ang ating mga karatig-bansa. Ipaalala natin sa mundo na meron tayong top-class Filipino brand of hospitality dahil sa ating skilled tourism workforce," sabi ni Villanueva.

Sa isang press conference noong isang linggo, itinataya ng WTTC na magkakaroon ang tourism industry ng Pilipinas ng 6.7 porsyentong growth rate sa loob ng sampung taon, na higit pa sa tinatayang 5.6 porsyentong average growth rate ng ekonomiya ng buong bansa.

Inaasahan din ng WTTC na lalago ang sektor sa susunod na sampung taon sa average na 3 porsyento, na gagawa ng 2.9 milyong bagong trabaho na bubuo sa 21.5 porsyento sa lahat ng trabaho sa bansa.

Sinabi ng author at sponsor ng Republic Act No. 11230, o Tulong Trabaho Act, na maaring palakasin ng tourism sector ang mga hanay nito sa pamamagitan ng mga skills training program na mula sa TESDA.

"Maaring makibahagi ang tourism industry mula sa nakalaang Php 1.515 bilyon para sa Tulong Trabaho Fund sa taong ito para sa training ng ating mga manggagawa. Sa tulong nito, mapapanatili tayong globally competitive at matutugunan natin ang demands ng industriya," sabi ni Villanueva.

Nanawagan din ang senador sa Department of Health na isali ang mga tourism worker bilang priority sector para sa booster shots laban sa COVID-19 dahil sila ay "economic frontliners" ng bansa. Umapela rin si Villanueva sa mga pambansa at lokal na health officials na ipatupad nang maayos ang mga pandemic protocol lalo na sa mga tourist spots, at sinabing "health workers have become a crucial part of the tourism industry".

Ibinalita ng DOT na umabot na sa 272,000 foreign arrivals ang bansa sa pagitan ng Pebrero 10 at April 17, habang nagbubukas pa ang Pilipinas para sa mga turista dahil sa pinababang pandemic alert levels.

Humingi rin ng tulong si Villanueva mula sa Small Business Corporation ng Department of Trade and Industry para sa mabilis na pagproseso ng mga loan applications ng mga micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) sa travel and tourism sector mula sa Php 4 bilyong pondo na galing sa Bayanihan 2 Act.

"Mga importanteng bahagi ang MSMEs at skills development sa pagpapasiglang muli ng tourism sector mula sa pandemya. It's now a matter of implementation for the current administration, and continuity for the upcoming administration," sabi ng senador

Ayon sa Philippine Statistics Authority, na sa 2021, may 49,368 MSMEs sa accommodations and food service activities industry ang itinuturing na permanently closed, samantalang 13,756 naman ang temporarily closed.