Manila, Philippines—The Department of Tourism (DOT) has achieved its goal of training 100,000 frontline tourism workers on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) two months before the end of the year, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco announced today.

The FBSE program, which is one of the flagship initiatives of the DOT, aims to promote and sustain the Filipino culture of hospitality, compassion, and excellence in the tourism industry. The program is based on the 7Ms of Filipino values: Maka-Diyos (God-centered), Makatao (Humanitarian), Maka-Kalikasan (Environmentalist), Makabansa (Patriotic), Masayahin (Joyful), May Bayanihan (Cooperative), and May Pag-asa (Hopeful).

According to Secretary Frasco, the FBSE program has trained a total of 100,407 tourism workers from various sectors such as accommodation, travel and tour, transport, academe, MICE, farm tourism, tour guide and tourist police (TOPCOP) as of October 13, 2023.

The FBSE program was launched in 2013 by the DOT and has trained over 13,000 tourism workers since then. However, it was under the leadership of Secretary Frasco that the DOT set an ambitious target of training 100,000 Filipinos by 2023, recognizing the potential of the FBSE program to transform the Philippines into Asia’s center for hospitality excellence.

“The Filipino brand showcases our immense love, compassionate care, excellent service, and hard work beyond the call of duty— virtues that further set the Philippines apart as a tourism destination. Surpassing our 100,000 target manifests the commitment of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to transform the tourism industry by further capacitating our country’s greatest asset – the Filipino people. Their unwavering dedication is the driving force that will propel the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse, radiating the love, warmth, and hospitality that define our nation,” said Secretary Frasco.

A Culture of Excellence

Eddierose Salamero, Operations Manager of the Urban Boutique Hotel in Boracay, who completed the training program recently, said “The Filipino Brand of Service Excellence training greatly empowers those of us in the hospitality sector to embody the very best of Filipino culture and to treat every guest with a heart. We are thankful to DOT Secretary Christina Frasco for pursuing the goal of training 100,000 individuals and for promoting Filipino excellence in the tourism industry.”

Meanwhile, Orly Ballesteros, a MICE professional and FBSE Level 1 Regional Trainer for DOT NCR said, “I am elated to be part of an undertaking to achieve 100,000 graduates and to share my knowledge and skills with my fellow tourism workers. The FBSE program is a great opportunity for us to learn from each other and to enhance our service standards based on our unique Filipino values.”

The DOT said that it will continue to conduct FBSE trainings nationwide until December 2023 and beyond. The department also encouraged more tourism stakeholders to participate in the program and to register online through its official website .