By Blessing Angel Agliam & Earp Jedaiah Asuncion
In view of the influx of tourists during the holidays, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte will deploy workers under the Tourist Aide Program (TAP) from December 14 to January 3.
Through the TAP, any willing resident of Ilocos Norte may support the tourism sector as augmented manpower during peak seasons, including Christmas and summer. The youth, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) are also welcome in the program.
“It is our way of really promoting the Ilocano brand of hospitality” said Ianree Raquel, head of the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office.
The 210 tourist aides are composed of 87 tourist ambassadors, 81 utility workers, 20 first-aid personnel, and 22 senior citizen guides. Applicants for the program attended the Dec. 8 briefing at the Taoid Museum Auditorium. All TAP workers are trained to properly interact with tourists and to help them make their stay in the province memorable and worthwhile.
With a 15-day duration, the program will deploy tourist aides in 39 tourist attractions around the province. Each will earn a salary of more than P300.00 per day.
As part of her Manang Imee = Trabaho initiative, Governor Imee Marcos opened up the program to provide the youth and unemployed sectors in the province an opportunity wherein they can earn, explore and enlighten tourists about Ilocos Norte’s cultural richness; which earned itself as 2018’s best tourism-oriented province in the country last October.
Since then, the governor opened up the program to senior citizens in 2017; whom she recommended as the best candidates to provide accurate information on Ilocos Norte’s history and culture. (Blessing Angel Agliam & Earp Jedaiah Asuncion, PGIN-CMO)
