Lingayen, Pangasinan—Three-day knowledge-packed seminars and training boosted the tourism staff and personnel from the Local Government Units (LGUs) and private sectors of Pangasinan through the Department of Tourism – Region 1 (DOT-R1) capacity building initiatives; the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Seminar and the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) Training held on January 12-14, 2026 at Hotel Consuelo, Lingayen, Pangasinan.
To take a step toward informed, resilient, and disaster-ready tourism communities, the DRRM seminar featured a training specialist from the Office of Civil Defense Region 1, Ms. Rose Anne Fontalba, wherein she highlighted the paramount importance of a proactive approach to disaster-related events, ensuring that all personnel are actively engaged in reducing risk, enhancing readiness, and establishing effective response and recovery strategies or mechanisms.
The discussion was further enriched by distinguished speakers from Department of Science and Technology Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), Mr. Jose E. Estrada Jr., Chief Meteorological Officer of PAGASA Dagupan; Engr. Vilma Vecino, Chief Geologist of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region I (DENR-MGB R1); and Ms. Michelle Bayhonan, Project Consultant of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF). Presenting topics ranging from localized weather forecasting and landslide vulnerability assessment to best practices in disaster preparedness and response leading to a knowledge packed two-day seminar.
Further enhancing their professional capabilities, participants received specialized training on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) on its third day. This essential upskilling initiative, led by Regional Trainer Mr. Dennis Detalo, is designed to ensure that the tourism staff are equipped to deliver the Philippines’ branded way of delivering excellent service experience, a key component in elevating the local tourism sector.
This comprehensive training and seminar program signals a direct and determined effort to realize Governor Ramon Mon-Mon Guico III’s visionary goal: to transform Pangasinan into a premier “destination of choice.” Crucially, this is achieved by ensuring that our tourism frontliners are fully-equipped, exceptionally knowledgeable, and thoroughly prepared to deliver the ‘Ang Galing!’ value through the exemplary standards of service, hospitality, and, most importantly, safety and resilience of Pangasinenses.
/JJVC & MJGE
Photos: MRTE
