CATBALOGAN CITY (October 24, 2025) – Tourism players, government offices, and representatives from various business establishments in Catbalogan City participated in a one-day Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) training held today at Bodega Skol Bar. The activity, organized by the Department of Tourism Region VIII (DOT-8), aimed to help local tourism workers deliver better and more heartfelt service to visitors.
During the training, resource speaker Mr. Antonio G. Cinco Jr. discussed four main topics: The Philippine Tourism Industry Situationer and the FBSE Journey, The 7Ms of Filipino Hospitality and Service Excellence, The G.U.E.S.T. Steps to Service Excellence, and The H.E.A.R.T. of Service Recovery. These sessions emphasized how genuine acts of kindness, warmth, and professionalism embody the true spirit of Filipino hospitality.
Participants shared that the discussions reminded them of the value of giving every guest a positive and memorable experience, whether they are locals or tourists. Many attendees expressed that the training inspired them to apply what they learned in their daily work and to help promote Catbalogan as a welcoming, service-oriented destination.
The Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) program is a flagship initiative of the Department of Tourism designed to raise the standards of customer service in the country’s tourism and hospitality sectors. Anchored on the distinct Filipino values of warmth, empathy, and bayanihan (community spirit), the program seeks to make Filipino hospitality a competitive advantage in global tourism. It also introduces practical frameworks such as the G.U.E.S.T. steps for excellent service delivery and the H.E.A.R.T. approach for effective service recovery.
Central to the program is the concept of the “7Ms” of Filipino values — Maka-Diyos (God-centered), Makatao (humane), Maka-Kalikasan (nature-loving), Makabansa (patriotic), Masayahin (joyful), May Bayanihan (helpful), and May Pag-asa (hopeful). These principles reflect the cultural essence of Filipino hospitality and provide a framework for service professionals to uphold.
Since its launch, the FBSE program has been rolled out across the country, training thousands of frontliners from hotels, transport services, tour operations, local government units, and academic institutions. The DOT has even partnered with universities offering tourism and hospitality programs to make FBSE training part of their curriculum, ensuring that future tourism professionals embody these values from the start of their careers.
The Catbalogan training forms part of this nationwide effort to build a culture of service excellence across the Philippine tourism industry. By strengthening the local tourism workforce and promoting a distinctly Filipino way of caring for guests, the DOT hopes to make destinations like Catbalogan known not only for their attractions but also for their genuine hospitality — where every visitor truly feels the warmth of the Filipino spirit. (Ricky Bautista)
