Some 200 Police Auxiliaries and Green Guards underwent Continuing Orientation and Discipline (COD) at City Hall Grounds on May 16 and 22.
The Iloilo City Tourism and Development Office (CTDO) and Office of the Executive Assistant for Community Welfare spearheaded the undertaking.
This initiative is in line with AMOMA, an Ilonggo Hospitality Program by CTDO that propagates the Ilonggo brand of customer service among civil servants.
Mayor Jerry Treñas continues to make initiatives for the beautification of the city, and many destinations are established to prepare for guests and further the revival of the tourism industry.
CTDO facilitates the training of all front-liners in the tourism and hospitality industries with a benchmark on how to render excellent service to tourists the Filipino way.
“It’s important that they are oriented, as this personnel are the immediate faces the guests will see; they will be approached easily because of their uniforms and identified as part of the working force of the City Government, making it easy for guests to approach them,” City Tourism Officer Junel Ann Divinagracia said.
Read also: Amoma Aims Ilonggo Hospitality Boost
“The proper way to greet visitors is under the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence Program of the Department of Tourism (DOT), which says that when greeting guests, one must have palms spread out over the chest and, with a slight nod, say Mabuhay, and add a local greeting to make them feel extra welcome in the city,” she added.
In order to be prepared and know how to respond to the tourists’ questions, they were briefed on the top attractions in Iloilo City, the locations that are frequently photographed, and the famous Ilonggo cuisine.
AMOMA is also set to reach barangay levels and will be introduced to frontline tourism and service workers, market vendors, and tourism students as they play a crucial role in the community.
CTDO envisions a local tourism industry that is strongly anchored on the hospitality of the Ilonggos to provide globally competent service. (Andrea Pearl Fernandez/Iloilo City PIO)
