THE PHILIPPINE WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY
Granted Autonomous Status by the Commission on Higher Education on June 2, 2008
The School of Tourism launched its operation at the beginning of SY 2006-2007. To make a difference in the field of tourism education, the School designed a roadmap to SY2010 by which time it envisions itself being accredited with the internationally prestigious UNWTO TEDQUAL (Tourism Education Quality) Certification System.
Over the plan period, the School of Tourism will conduct the HZB Global Forum Lecture Series on Tourism. The Series, which is part of the School's Advocacy and Outreach Programs, has commenced with the lecture on "ECOTOURISM FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT" last August 27, 2010 at the Conrado Benitez Hall. Expected to attract 100 participants, the Forum generated some 190 attendees coming from the entire microcosm of the industry, i.e., the academe (administrative officials, faculty and students), national and local government instrumentalities, industry practitioners, non-governmental organizations, the labor sector, the religious and cultural communities as well as travel trade and academic associations.
The second lecture was conducted towards the end of the 2nd trimester on November 24, 2010. The topic Tourism and Culture: In/Imperfect Harmony dwelt on the cultural dimension of ecotourism. It likewise generated a lot of interest among the participants who came from the same sectors in attendance during the first lecture. The guest speakers for both lecture series were the main contributing factor for the successful outcome of the events. They are highly knowledgeable and vastly experienced in their respective profession. They are also nationally and internationally recognized for their achievement in the field of tourism, culture and the arts.
In order to engender lasting impact of the lecture series, there will be complete documentation of the proceedings. For the first lecture, copies of the proceedings are available at the School of Tourism. The publication of the second lecture is now ongoing and is expected to be completed within the third trimester of the current school year. In this connection, the School intends to give such publications the widest possible dissemination as its contribution to information networking.
Additionally, it is worthwhile to note that the second lecture marked the start of the partnership between the PWU and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA( in the HZB Global Forum Lecture Series on Tourism through a grant extended by the Commission to the University. The School will pursue such partnership, not only with the concerned government agencies but also with the other industry stakeholders - the HEIs on tourism education - both here and abroad, the private practitioners as well as the travel and academic aggrupations.
To further promote the School and at the same time respond to the special needs of the industry, it will organize short-term courses for knowledge enhancement/advancement, upgrading of operational and managerial skills and intensive deliberations of current tourism-related issues for possible resolution and appropriate strategy formulation. The development of the requisite modules will be market-focused and competency-based. The Program has planned for the inclusion of a course on (Resort Area Planning for Sustainable Development) as a follow-up to the first two lectures in the series but which will be on a (how-to) level, drawing from both success and failure stories in eco-tourism sites development in the country. Also due to the archipelagic configuration of the Philippines, an inter-modal transportation system is a sine qua non for maximum convenience of travelers and the most expeditious manner by which to bring them to their destination. In view thereof, the School has likewise lined up a course on Transportation Management.
Other courses will feature Tour Guiding Integrated with Customer Relations, e-Technology and English Proficiency; Tourism Product Development, and Tourism Governance for Local Government Units. The need for the last one has been rendered more crucial with the enactment of the Local Government Code which mandated the devolution from the national government to the local government units of the responsibility of tourism planning, development and promotion as well as the regulation of the industry.
In line with the School's Vertical Integration Tourism Education Program, the short-term courses will be given equivalency units in the pertinent baccalaureate degree and in the existing Masters in Business Administration with Specialization in Tourism Management run by the Conrado Benitez Institute of Business Education (CBIBE). Relatedly, the School is working towards the development of a Master of Science in Tourism Management with an orientation, structure and ultimate goal different from that of the afore-mentioned MBA Program. The University is actually trail-blazing in this endeavor inasmuch as based on the CHED Report no such program has ever been offered before in the Philippines. And if indeed we could pioneer in this, we would have instituted a milestone in the history of tourism education in the country.