Tourism for elementary and secondary learners

I AM honored to have been invited as resource person (sharer) by former Senator Anna Dominique “Nikki” ML Coseteng, president and chief executive officer of Diliman Educational Corporation which operates Diliman Preparatory School (DPS). It is a premium learning institution that provides excellent and future-driven curricula and learning experiences with A-1 facilities, peaceful and safe environment.

One of the educational innovations in the curriculum introduced at the start of the school year is the integration of Tourism and Hospitality Management Topics in the elementary level for Grades IV to VI and in the major stream program in high school department. This is the first in the entire Philippines. For two days, I will be dealing on the topic, “Integrating Tourism in the Classroom and School Activities.” The seminar workshop (June 29-30) will be attended by teachers and administrators.

Mayor Jose Montelibano has officially approved the request of the former senator, so my going there is part of my official function. I am also happy to know that prestigious schools are starting to recognize our efforts in Silay with the kind of tourism program undertaken by the Association of Tourism Officers of Negros Occidental (ATONO) wherein I am an ex-officio member as immediate past president.

With the help of my good friend, Kenneth Benignos (former Escalante City tourism officer and now national official of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines), we divided the topic into four sessions. Session one is on urban tourism, rural tourism, marketing and promoting Philippine tourism, problems in tourism industry, and the role of Filipinos in the industry.

Session two tackles on the role of the school in implementing tourism activities. It discusses how tourism is connected with the program of the Department of Education. Tourism takes center stage in the classrooms and it could be designed as a prime mover in school activities. All these efforts are geared towards making DPS a tourism school. For a tourism school to maintain its status, it needs tri media and other media outlets as its partners.

To let the education community feel the importance of tourism, by all means, tourism should be made a part of teaching strategy. Session three is all about the significance of tourism in the teaching-learning environment. In here, we will clearly manifest how tourism is related to teachers, learners, parents-community association, school’s outreach program, and the proper packaging of school tourism programs for the nation and for the world.

One of the many concerns is the preparation of budget for any tourism activity undertaken by the school or by the student organizations. Money is important and we can always have money (not from the school) but from other people who really have money or from the corporations that share the same vision. We have to get the best minds and the best workers who can lay down and implement the plans. We also need the backup of government agencies and business corporation planners who believe that there is really fun and business in school-based tourism.

The implementers have to do effective networking and link aging. There are always people and companies having the willingness to become sponsors, patrons and donors. We need to knock at their hearts. Any legal strategy is accepted in raising fund. We can always have the salad formula to whet the appetite of generous people.

We expect the participants to be aggressive. We want them to be alive and hopping.

This is work but if you place your heart in your work, work becomes fun. We look forward that some teachers will come up with a model lesson plan for demonstration. We want to see a tangible plan for a real school tourism activity. We expect hot bodies to spearhead an outreach program to marginalized communities. There will be always enterprising and motivated teachers who will target sponsors and donors.

Government agencies are always there with funds waiting to be spent in honorable and “matuwid na daan” projects. We will have them as our partners. And, we find a group of event organizers who can peacefully present a big show with a low budget. After all, tourism is anything good that you can do. It is what you can achieve beyond expectation. Let the fun begin!