After having been shuttered for over a year because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Newport Theater at Resorts World Manila opened its doors to an excited audience composed of hoteliers, academicians, and executives of the Department of Tourism (DOT) for the maiden launch of face-to-face training, the D.O.T. University-Defining Our Tomorrow Masterclass.
39 senior executives from DOT accredited accommodation establishments from across Metro Manila went through a rigorous pre-screening process to qualify for this year’s elite D.O.T. University fellows who received a highly specialized 10-hour intense training from the AIM-Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism as part of the Tourism Industry Skills Program of the DOT-National Capital Region.
Speaking on behalf of tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, newly promoted undersecretary Woodrow Maquiling Jr. formally opened the three-day training recalling how the hospitality came together amidst unprecedented times.
Maquiling lauded all fellows for daring to make that first huge step for the future, while referring to the battle with COVID-19 as a “litmus test,” one that “tested our mettle as individuals, agility as an industry, resolve as a sustainable sector, empathy as members of society and resilience as a country.”
The three-day intense classes tackled how to respond, plan and thrive amidst the occurrence of crises, whether economic, financial, or health, as part of a VUCA-world (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous). The peer of experts from the AIM-Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center led by its executive director, Prof. Fernando Roxas; Prof. Maria Cherry Lyn Rodolfo; and Prof. Milette Zamora took turns to present their specially crafted modules aimed to “Define Our Tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, the D.O.T. University turned hybrid when changemaker Dr. Sara Currie of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) joined the class from Singapore. She set the tone in discussing sustainability and opportunity to thrive responsibly from her Asia Pacific perspective at the ADB.
The DOT-NCR’s latest landmark training course concluded with the opportunity to engage the experts, and fellows presenting their capstone projects before them and the DOT executives present.
The D.O.T. University is envisioned as another trailblazing hybrid training program designed to challenge one’s current business thinking and approaches. Positive Exposure Productions Inc. professionally handled the project’s integrated marketing and execution.
