Negros Occidental tourism industry formulates workforce business plan

BACOLOD CITY – Stakeholders of the tourism industry in Negros Occidental are formulating the Provincial Business Plan for Tourism Workforce Development in the two-day workshop until Wednesday held at Sugarland Hotel in this city.

The workshop primarily seeks to address concerns on developing a competent and competitive labor force.

Organized through the initiative “Business Planning for Workforce Development: Engaging Public-Private Economic Initiatives in the Bacolod-Talisay-Silay Tourism Circuit,” the activity is being implemented under the Department of Interior and Local Government’s Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED).

It serves as catalyst in preparing the tourism sector of Negros Occidental to be viable and address workforce needs of the tourism industry.

A total of 36 participants from the Bacolod-Talisay-Silay Circuit and major implementing partner agencies are attending the activity.

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able develop a strategic plan for the participating local government units (LGUs) on policies, programs, and actions to address the human resource needs of a competitive tourism sector, and to maximize the sector’s employment potentials for local citizens, particularly the women and poor.

The Bacolod-Talisay-Silay Tourism Circuit is at the core of Negros Occidental’s tourism sector, and developing it will strengthen the province’s overall tourism development program, which can lead to the growth of other identified Tourism Circuits in the province and can increase tourist arrivals, ultimately creating more jobs and opportunities throughout the province.

Robert Montemar of Palmas del Mar Resort in Bacolod and Jojo Vito of Association of Negros Producers discussed their ideas on Enabling Public-Private Partnerships: Showcasing Local Economic Development Initiatives, and the gaps that need to be addressed.

Other speakers are from the Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.