The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Mimaropa conducted a consultative meeting with stakeholders to discuss further plans for the P150M worth Regional Innovation Training Center (RITC) in Puerto Princesa.
Regional Director Angelina Carreon said that the facility will support the continuous strengthening of the agri-tourism sector in Palawan and Puerto Princesa. The RITC is intended to facilitate research, production, and innovation using high-end technology.
Carreon added that engaging with the local government unit and stakeholders is part of the planning phase for the establishment of RITC, which is aimed at being constructed within eight months. The two-story building will be located at the Puerto Princesa School of Arts and Trades (PPSAT).
“Mimaropa region will be accommodating two— one for tourism and the other one for agriculture. Ngayon dito tayo sa PPSAT (for tourism)—while kino-construct ang physical building ay pwede tayo mag-usap how to operate, manage effectively, and take advantage of this physical infrastructure na nandito sa atin sa Palawan,” she said.
The students at RITC will be trained for programs related to tourism and sustained by farming activities.
All stakeholders present agreed that it is essential to also work on the communication skills and personality development of trainees. These will be helpful for trainees to immediately land jobs and be effective in their posts, particularly in communicating with foreign guests.
City Tourism Officer Demetrio Alvior said that developing trainees in the tourism industry will also help the city government of Puerto Princesa track its direction toward being the center of meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).
The city government is working on increasing convention centers and is now developing a property in Barangay Sta. Lucia to convert into the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to be open to the international market.
“Malaking help ito sa city government to come up with quality employees in the future. The city government ay gusto maging center ng MICE, part na makuha natin yan, ang dini-develop ay convention centers—In the near future, ito ang magiging direksyon natin, we need to prepare ang manpower. Instead na kumuha tayo sa labas ng Palawan, better kung dito tayo magdi-develop,” he said.
The RITC will not just develop manpower for the tourism sector but will also help boost information technology (IT) innovation in Palawan. TESDA will also allot a space for content creators to help them polish their outputs, believing that it is one of the most helpful tools in digital marketing. (RPG/PIA MIMAROPA – Palawan)
