Abstract
Tourism officers are in charge of managing destinations and making sure that development plans are implemented in their locality. Their role is to ensure that there is a proper implementation of tourism laws according to the Tourism Act of 2009 and Local Government Code of 1991. The Tourism Act of 2009 is the national policy for developing and promoting tourism in the Philippines, while the Local Government Code of 1991 of the Philippines defines the powers and responsibilities of tourism officers. This study aims to assess the competency level of tourism officers based on the developed Competence Model of Philippine Tourism Officers in accordance to the Tourism Act of 2009 and Local Government Code of 1991. This study adopted a descriptive-correlational design which used 335 survey questionnaires filled out by tourism officers. The study revealed consistencies in competence levels throughout the archipelago, with the average competence level of tourism officers being moderately extensive, except for soft skills which were rated highly extensive. The findings of the study identify the training needs for tourism officers, especially for capability building and assisting the Government in managing tourism destinations.
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Acknowledgements
The researcher expresses gratitude to the Tourism Industry Board Foundation, Inc. (TIBFI) for the research grant, as well the Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Offices and Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) for the support and endorsement in the research undertaking. Likewise, the researcher would like to thank her adviser, Professor Hector Aguiling, Ph.D., for sharing his invaluable guidance and motivation in the conduct of research. Lastly, the researcher would like to thank the Lord God Almighty as the True source of Light and Mother Mary who is the Seat of Wisdom.
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Rocamora, J.T. (2022). The Philippines Tourism Officers’ Competencies Based on Tourism Act of 2009 and Local Government Code of 1991. In: Aquino, R.S., Porter, B.A. (eds) Tourism in the Philippines. Perspectives on Asian Tourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4497-0_7
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