MANILA - The Departments of Tourism (DOT) and Migrant Workers (DMW) are encouraging Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are planning to come home for good to consider jobs and business opportunities in the local travel and tourism industry.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, Migrant Workers Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac, and several officials from both DOT and DMW inked an agreement for the project called “Balik Bayani sa Turismo.”

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Under the program, the DOT will provide free training in culinary tourism, farm tourism, homestay operations and tour guiding to interested OFWs and their families. The training will complement the National Reintegration program which provides financial assistance and capital from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

“Napakalaki po ng tulong ng turismo sa ating ekonomiya at sa ating mga kababayan. Naka-employ po yung turismo ng 5.35 million Filipino tourism workers and just in 2023 naka-generate na po tayo ng P482 billion in international visitor receipts. Kaya po napaka-promising po ng industriya na ito at hinihikayat po natin yung ating mga kababayan, our OFWs to join us in the continued success of the Philippine tourism industry," Frasco said.

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OFWs with extensive experience in language skills or in tourism-related activities can also be part of the DOT’s pool of experts, including opportunities as resource persons in various government programs.

DMW OIC Cacdac also underscored the skills acquired by OFWs from working overseas that make them suitable to engage in local tourism.

“Sa kulinarya alam natin mga kasambahay magagaling magluto so may opportunity din dun. It’s really a matter of locating them where they should be in this program, training them, inspiring them," Casdac said.

"When one works abroad kasi their confidence level in engaging the foreign nationalities is very very high malakas ang matapang ang apog so to speak ‘no malakas ang loob and that will carrry over pag-uwi nila, that’s what you need eh in terms of tourism promotion? You need someone who can promote our country just like they did abroad,” Cacdac added.

The DOT is hoping to start the training by May as they expect to get a more specific number of OFWs from the DMW.

But this early, Frasco sees a huge potential for the program which is based on a survey that the government conducted among OFWs who would want to upgrade skills to find viable livelihoods domestically.

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Frasco said, respondents expressed the highest interest in culinary training.

The DOT is encouraging investments in tourism as it also aims for 7.7 million tourist arrivals this year.

There is high optimism that the figure will be achieved after the country breached its 2023 targets. Frasco also thanked the Canadian government after it downgraded its travel advisory for both Davao and Siargao.

“And we’re hopeful that this downgrading by the Canadian government of its travel advisory against the Philippines will serve as an inspiration and a reminder to other governments that the travel advisories against our country need to be updated to present-day facts. That is, that the Philippines is safe and secure, that Filipinos are more than ready to welcome tourists," she said.

"Generally, we’re hopeful that the rest of Mindanao will also enjoy a downgrading of any other advisories from other countries,” Frasco said.

Security policies imposed by the DOT include the training of over 7,000 tourist police designated in key tourist destinations, the launching of a tourist assistance call center for visitor issues and concerns, and a Memorandum of Agreement with the Departments of Interior and Local Government and the National Defense to ensure the security in Mindanao.