from the Bohol ChronicleJuly 8, 2007
Upon the invitation of the South Korean government through the Department of Tourism, the Bohol Island Tour Guides Association of the Philippines, Inc. (BITGAP) recently sent one of its members, Ms. Agnes Celeste Ytac for a residency training program to South Korea. The program is dubbed "UN-WTO ST-EP Foundation, Residency Training Programme for ASEAN Tourism Government Officials
and Tour Guides: Korea-ASEAN Tourism Cooperation System Establishment Project: 2007".
The residency Korean language training program is sponsored by the United Nations-World Trade Organization as part of the ST-EP (Sustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty) Foundation's program. There are a total of 26 delegates who are currently attending the training. They are from Malaysia (3 delegates), Myanmar (3), Indonesia (3), Vietnam (5), Cambodia (5), Laos (3) and four from the Philippines. The Philippine delegation is composed of Michael Alfon (Cebu), Michael Vilaga (Pampanga), David John Apigo (Manila) and Agnes Celeste Ytac (Bohol).
The Korean language training class is being conducted at Kyung Hee University from June 11 until August 17, 2007. Korean language classes are being held at 9:00 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon, while the different lectures about the importance of tourism and culture of Korea are from 2:30 to 4:00 in the afternoon daily. After the day classes, the delegates can enroll in an optional training on Taekwondo. Field trips are scheduled during the weekends. Exams are conducted almost everyday to evaluate the student-delegates. The student-delegates are assisted by "Korean buddies", who are volunteer students for the program. These students, who do not speak English, aid the delegates in their Korean language lessons. Eighty percent (80%) of the training is focused on how to teach the Korean language. The delegates are expected to conduct Korean language lessons in their respective localities after their training.
Kyung Hee University is a private, co-educational university founded in 1949. It has a comprehensive educational system encompassing all grades from kindergarten to graduate school. It maintains 3 campuses located in Seoul, Suwon, and Kwangnung, all in South Korea. The training is currently conducted at the Seoul campus. It has an area of about 245 acres.
As a terminal requirement before graduation, the delegates will be asked to hold a tourism trade fair. Each country will design a tourism exhibit booth where brochures, guide books, food and other items that will promote their respective country's tourism sites will be displayed.
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=2584.0