Training Proposal

Name of Organization: Local Government Unit of Palo

Address:

AH 26 Maharlika Highway - Palo, Leyte

Name of training proposal:

Local Tour Guiding Workshop for LGU Palo

Prepared on:

22 August 2016

Proposal prepared by:

Ludette V. Ruiz and Butz Eguia

Proposal submitted on: 23 August 2016

Approving Authority:

Ms. Matin L. Petilla /

Mayor, Palo LGU

Rationale
The success of tourism promotions for the LGU Palo dubbed as
Enchanting Palo relies on various aspects. The fluid maneuver by precursors,
the stakeholders as well as shareholders lies on one side as it collectively
drumbeats

the

planning,

procedural

and

marketing

strategies.

The

destinations and attractions, on the other hand famous of which are The
Leyte Landing in Candahug, The Metropolitan Cathedral and Hill 522; the
imminently renowned new places such as those of Gonzagahaus relative to
the Pope Francis Trail, the Korean Araw Park, the Tzu Chi Community, the
PICAO Youths Shadow Play to name a few are replete with historical,
religious and contemporary significance. While there is a felt need to simply
uplift its structures for cleanliness and order, it will be simpler and easier
task to assume as the Palo tourism efforts evolves.

On the other aspect, what however is urgently needed is to capacitate

the crucial part for a smooth and sustainable tourism campaign the human
resources who are the direct contacts to the tourists. To be aptly called as
Palo Tour Guides or for brevities sake Travel Stewards, their great tasks are to
greatly achieve coordinated tourist experiences, boost destination images
and more importantly to act as advocates for sustainable tourism. As the
ultimate human face of Palo tourism, the tour guides shall be the conveyor
and interpreter so as for tourist-customers to be suitably involved in the
destinations or attractions by providing the appreciation of the local culture
and heritage; and thereby engage in appropriate local activities. The Palo
Tour Guides shall therefore become the ambassadors of goodwill in behalf of
the people of Palo.

Description
In the absence of an organized and reputed group of local tour guides
in the Local Government Unit of Palo, it is hereby proposed that an
immediate workshop to constitute (24 training hours) be held with 15
predetermined participants from the LGU at a venue pre-selected to be at
the Multipurpose Center of the Municipal Building. An additional 5 to 10
participants from the private sector can be allowed to join as part of a stopgap measure when LGU employees are unable to undertake tour guiding due
to conflict of work. Such stop-gap measure can also provide for the
expansion of tour guiding services that will highly benefit the community.
Thus, it is highly suggested that the additional participants must be residents
of the identified destination or attraction.
The salient points of the Training Proposal are as follows:

Purpose

Generally, the purpose of the proposed training workshop is to

establish a pool of Local Tour Guides of Palo, Leyte and thereon achieve high
standards of local tour guiding.
Specifically, the workshop will:

orient participants in the nature of the tourism industry from the

perspective of the stakeholders and community benefits for economic
alleviation.

orient the participants on the current status of the tourism industry of

Palo and how it relates to the bigger picture of the Province of Leyte,
the Eastern Visayas Region and finally the Philippine country

provide necessary knowledge and techniques on the various aspects of

tourism thereby furnishing the participants with the apt information for
them to become effective tour guides of Palo, Leyte.

Methodology and Structure

The seminar is programmed to have theoretical and experiential
approaches using various modules. Each module shall comprise reading
material in form of varied presentations to encourage vigorous healthy
discussions, debates, group work providing the participants with specific
case studies that can lend to practical activities.
The training materials such as presentations and case studies are
primarily theoretical and are conceptual in nature and can be used as
sharing tool for collaborative work group. Participants are requested do off
venue preparations such as researches via the use of internet or interviews
from among the locals in a given destination or attraction. Such activities
are in preparation for the final activity of the workshop which is to undertake
a 15 minute mock tour for each participant.

Course Outline
Day 1

Overview of the Tourism Industry

8:00-8:45
am
8:46-9:00

Introductions and Getting to Know You Exercises

(with Pre-test)
Seminar Mechanics & Briefing

am
9:01-12:00
nn
12:01-1:00

Introduction to the Tourism Industry and Tour

Guiding Sector
Lunch

pm
1:01-2:00
pm
2:01-2:45

Experiencing Tour Guiding (Municipal Building and

Palo Cathedral)
Sharing of Experiences

pm
2:46-5:00
pm

The Philippine Tourism Industry and Its Impacts:

Economic, Environmental, Social and Cultural
Assignment 1

Day 2

Overview on Tour Guiding

8:30-9:30

Becoming a Tour Guide

am
9:31-10:30
am

Research, Preparing & Presenting Tour

Commentaries

10:30-12:00 Palo Tourist Attractions and Activities

nn
12:01-1:00

Lunch

pm
1:01- 2:30
pm
2:31 -4:00

Developing Tour Guides Knowledge, Skills and

Attitude
Important Things a Tour Guide Should Know

pm
4:01-4:15

Lecture / Tour Guiding on eTrike and on Foot

pm
4:16-5:00

Written Examination

pm
Assignment 2

Day 3

Mock Tour

8:30-11:00

Role Playing + Presentations & Commentaries

am
11:01-12:00

RP+P&C Assessment

nn
12:01-1:00

Lunch

pm
1:01-3:30
pm

Mock Tour

3:31-4:30

Mock Tour Assessment

pm
4:31-5:00

Closing Ceremonies

pm
Post Activity

Monitoring of Tour Guides with Actual Tourists

(to be done incognito)
Mentoring to be done as needed

Suggested Topics for Reading

Suggested topics to further capacitate the participants can be
available in internet based grouping of the tour guides. The following is a
long list of topics but more topics can be added for the further upgrade and
continuous learning of the participants: Child Safety Tourism, Gender and
Development (GAD), UNWTO Code of Conduct, Destinations & Activities
Philippines, Tourist Map of the Philippines, Basic First Aid, Palo History,
Government, Political Issues and Economy, Tour Operations Cycle, Tour
Guiding Techniques, Dos and Donts, Tour Guide Code of Ethical Standard,
Tour Guide Tools, Tour Guides as Crisis Managers, Managing Crisis Situations,
Individual

Commentary

Development

Workshop/Critique,

Individual

Commentary Development and Workshop Critique (continuation), Personality

Development, Personal Grooming, Protocol, Etiquette and Social Graces,
Kalikasan ng Pilipinas, Philippine Geography and Natural Heritage, Flora and
Fauna, Forest and Marine Resources, Principles of Sustainable Tourism, Role
of Tour Guides in Environmental Protection, Filipino Values, Custom and

Traditions, Filipino Heritage, PH Cultural Legislations, UNESCO WHS, National

Cultural Treasures, Tangible Heritage, Intangible Heritage (Folklore, Music &
Dance), Role of Tour Guides in Cultural Preservation, Tourist Behavior
Patterns and Philippine Market Profiles, Cross-Cultural Understanding and
many more.
Benefit
The services of a trained tour guide provide enhancement of feel-good
experience of a destination or attraction that allows for the formation for a
good reputation of the site visited. As such, the image projected of a trained
tour guide can intensify the tourism value of a destination by either a repeat
visit or a word-of-mouth advertising. With the participants being residents of
Palo, Leyte, some of whom are within the destination sites, the pride of
place factor becomes an enormous aspect that he/she will help encourage
community members to be aware of the impact that tourism brings toward
sustaining a better economic activity. A trained tour guide becomes the
steward of his own community and to the destination sites for where she
may apply his/her skills. As such, the consequence is then the preservation
and conservation of the natural resources, parks and gardens, institutional
buildings and even the proliferation of Palos culture and heritage.
Cost
The package cost for this 3-day workshop is PhP 55,000.00 (Fifty-Five
Thousand Pesos).
The breakdown of the budget is shown below
Description

Cost

Item
1

Honoraria for Resource Speakers, Raters and 18,000.00

Assessors

Material and Supplies

12,000.00

Clerical Services

3,000.00

Project Development Fee

13,000.00

Project Management Fee

9,000.00
Totals

55,000.0
0

Mode of Payment
The following will be the mode of payment:
Installments

Description

Amount

First Trench

40 % Upon Signing

22,000.00

Second Trench

30 % Upon Start of Training

16,500.00

Third Trench

30 % Upon Completion of Training + 16,500.00

Report
55,000.0
0

Venue and Dates

The preferred venue is the Multi-Purpose of LGU Palo to be held on 8 th,
9th and 10th of October 2016.

Proponents
Ludette V. Ruiz is proprietor of Leyte Gulf Travel and Tours whose
operations has run about 2 decades successfully in Eastern Visayas. She is
active in various cultural activities as a frontrunner in the regions culture

and heritage preservation through the medium of photography and travel.

She has been a constant assessor of the various DOT8 sponsored tour
guiding, the recent being the Eastern Visayas Regional Tour Guiding Seminar
held last April-May 2016.
Butz Eguia is a freelance artist and writer and has been active in
culture and heritage preservation in Leyte and Samar after his stint as
overseas worker in both academic and industrial sectors. He is the
concurrent President of Eastern Visayas Association of Tour Guides whose
members had recently earned the highly coveted accreditation as Regional
Tour Guides from the Department of Tourism Region 8.