By Maria Hannah Katrina J. Lustria, BA Comm-4, OJT

Dr. Maria Amihan Panes as DOT Certified Resource Speaker.

The Department of Tourism initiated a training program for all tourism related workforce to promote an excellent method of providing customer service focusing on Filipino values. Dr. Maria Amihan “Mae” Tamayo Panes is an avid volunteer for Iloilo City’s Tourism development. She is an active accreditation member of the Regional Assurance Quality Team (RQAT) of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for Hospitality and Tourism courses and one of the founding members of the Outstanding Students Circle of Iloilo. She is an accredited Department of Tourism regional trainer on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence.

A practicing academician, she is a graduate of BS Tourism from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She also has a Master’s Degree in Business Management major in Hotel and Restaurant Management and a Doctor of Business Management degree with specialization in Tourism and Hospitality Management. Dr. Panes is currently a faculty of the School of Graduate Studies and the College of Hospitality Management.

The said training was done through face to face since it included workshops to tourism-related front liners. The training mainly focuses on infusing the seven M’s based on Filipino traits and culture; namely Makamaylikha, Makatao, Makakalikasan, Makabansa, Masayahin, Maybayanihan, Maypag-asa. All these seven values were infused to all participants as they do their job in the Tourism Industry. Dr. Panes also cited the famous tagline of the DOT, “It’s more fun in the Philippines” as the guiding principle of the said workers in showcasing the unique and one-of-a-kind customer service of the Filipino front liners.

The training ended as the attendees participated in a workshop on how to accommodate and deal with different customers through the different types of job in the Tourism industry. Participants were taught on how to greet and prepare for themselves to face and showcase their brand of customer service to guests and visitors. At the end of the training and workshop, these front liners coming from different field of work will instill the uniformed greeting all over the country, which is “Mabuhay!”