39 La Union Tour Guides Trained
By: Camille R. Bumatay, PITO-LU | Photo by: PITO-LU | Date: May 04, 2018
Community Guiding Training Course participants, organizers and panelist, pose with the I love La Union hand gesture during the culmination ceremony of the six-day seminar on April 28, 2018 at the Diego Silang Hall, Provincial Capitol Building. The Seminar was sponsored by the Provincial Government of La Union in Partnership of Department of Tourism – Region 1 to reinforce the attainment of the vision of La Union as the heart of Agri-Tourism of Northern Luzon by 2025.
The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) in partnership with the Department of Tourism – Region 1 (DOT-R1) sponsored a six-day Community Guiding Live-in Seminar for 39 aspiring tour guides in La Union held on April 23-28, 2018 at the Kultura Splash Wave Resort, Pugo, La Union.
The seminar was conducted to train and produce qualified tour guides who will serve as ambassadors of the Vision of La Union to be The Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025. Participants come from different sectors of the community such as Local Government Units, academe, tourist tricycle drivers and freelancers.
The participants were welcomed by Provincial Tourism Division Head, Arthur Cortez, Jr. on April 23, 2018, highlighting that the key to successful tour guiding is to give significant stories. It was followed by the “Getting To Know You” exercises and the setting of seminar rules facilitated by Mr. Edilberto Littaua of DOT-R1. La Union Provincial Tourism Officer Mr. Adamor Dagang explained the different tourism destinations, attractions and activities in La Union and the different Agri-Tourism Circuits.
Other topics presented to the participants include La Union History, Culture, Geography, Flora and Fauna, Personality Development, Communication Skills Development, Effective Customer Service, and Tourist Safety and Basic First Aid. DOT ASEAN Trainer Mr. Enrique Esguerra discussed about Travelers of the 21st Century, Managing Crisis Situation, Practical Tour Guiding Techniques, Tour Guiding Do’s and Don’ts, Tour Operation and Guiding Cycles, Airport Orientation, Tour Guide Code of Ethics, Roles of the Tour Guide and Commentary Development.
The sixth day of the seminar was allotted for the participants’ application of Commentary Development through a Mock Tour wherein they were tasked to give their commentaries in walk about and on board.
The tour guide aspirants’ capabilities were evaluated through series of oral and written examinations. Minoru Fujihara, a 4th year tourism student of Saint Louis College emerged as Top 1 in class. He was awarded with a medal, a certificate of recognition and a Kultura Splash Wave Gift Certificate from PGLU during the culminating program on April 28, 2018 at the Diego Silang Hall, Provincial Capitol, City of San Fernando, La Union.
Minoru Fujihara, a 4th year tourism student of Saint Louis College, accepts his award as the class top 1 of the Community Guiding Training Course sponsored by the Provincial Government of La Union during the closing ceremony of the six-day seminar on April 28, 2018 at the Diego Silang Hall, Provincial Capitol Building.
The participants expressed their gratitude to PGLU and DOT for conducting free trainings and employment opportunities to qualified citizens. “Thank you for the opportunity, this will be one of my achievement(s) in life,” said one of the graduates of the training course.
After the training, the graduates were encouraged to proceed to the accreditation process immediately to be able to practice their tour guiding skills and earn a living from it.
