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talk about what is good about us as a nation and what binds and
bonds us together. We should talk and share about our exceptional
values like bayanihan0, among others. VWe should be proud of our
more than 7,100 islands and the beauty of the Philippines, from
Batanes to Jolo101,
When we were opening the EDSA Shangri-La Manila in 1992, our
first general manager, Nigel Grocock, a British national, accepted
our suggestion to name all the hotel function rooms after some
of the islands in the country like Palawan ", Batanes103, Bohol104
Dapitan!0s, Sulul06, Lubang10", and Basilan08. We should be proud
of the many places there are to see all over the country. We should
be proud of our food such as adobo and balut. 109 We should be proud
of being the only people in the world that respects our elders using
pagmamano10, There is so much to be proud about. And yes, all of
us can become national heroes.
100Bayanihan is a Filipino custom of communal unity, work, and cooperation to achieve a
particular goal.
101Jolo is the capital of Sulu Province, Philippines
102Palawan is the largest province in the Philippines and has received many recognitions for
its environmental programs.
109Batanes is the smallest province and situated in the northern most part of the Philippines.
104Bohol is the 10th largest province island located in the Central Visayas region of the
Philippines.
105Dapitan or the City of Dapitan is a third-class municipality located in Zamboanga del
Norte and known for being the place of exile of the Philippines' national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, during
the Spanish era.
106Şulu is a Philippine province located in the Sulu archipelago and part of the Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region.
10"Lubang is the largest island of seven in the Lubang Group of Islands situated in the
northwest of Mindoro province.
1oHBasilan is the largest island in the northern most part of the Sulu Archipelago and a part
of the Bangsarnoro Autonomous Region,
ớBalut is developing duck embryo, boiled and eaten from the shell.
"Pagmamano is used as a sign of respect for elders by bowing toward the right hand of the
elder and putting this on your forehead while asking for the elder's blessing.
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Initiate and participate in diversity programs. Most companies in
3.
the tourism and hospitality industry are active in programs with
diversity themes. This is because as we already said earlier, our
industry is among the most diversely populated industry in the
world. These programs can include anything from learning another
language, about a specific race, the complexities of religions in the
world, or about celebrations and festivals of different countries.
Whatever the diversity program offered in your company, show
interest and participate in these. Additional knowledge about the
world through these programs equals additional merits for you as
a tourisnm professional.
Adopt one diversity. Having a general knowledge of all diversities
4.
is a must. Adopting one diversity as your own is another matter.
What do I mean by this? We all have something we appreciate
more than others. For instance, how would you answer if I asked
you, "Among the 200 plus countries in the world, what would
you consider your top five?" or "Among the so many festivals
celebrated yearly all around the world, which one is in your
bucket list to experience?," Or if I gave you the opportunity to
learn another language, what would it be? As you begin your
journey as a tourism professional, what could your answer to
any of the three questions be? If, for instance, among the over 200
countries in the world, you say you would like to be a specialist of
or know more about Spain, then you will have to include in your
personal vision and mission as a tourism professional a road map
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of you learning and experiencing more about Spain as a country.
You might ask, "But how will this help me in my profession?"
The answer is simple in so very many ways! Among the ways
could be being sent to Spain as a scholar to precisely learn more
about the country. Learning the Spanish language to make your
scholarship work out is another benefit. Then, specializing in the
Spanish market when you return to the Philippines can make you
a popular and sought-after professional in our industry. There are
many companies in the Philippines with ties to and engagements in
Spain. These companies will be very happy to deal with a tourism
professional with specialized knowledge of their country. Do you
see the bernefits of this diversity adoption and how it can improve
your status in the industry? Go for it.
Be a diversity champion. By actively engaging in the first four
.
ways of becoming a diversity champion, you become a diversity
champion. Being a global thinker, becoming a national hero,
enhancing your diversity capabilities with new knowledge, and
choosing to become familiar with at least one diversity transforms
you from a tourism professional to becoming a diversity champion.