DOT-7 to help give tourism workers in Oslob the needed training to spot potential threat

The police deploy security personnel in the whale shark viewing area in Oslob and other parts of southern Cebu. | Tonee Despojo

OSLOB, Cebu — The Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (DOT-7) committed to tourism operators in this southern town of Cebu to provide their employees with the training needed to spot potential threat.

Ted Madamba, an officer of the Oslob Hostels and Resorts Association (Ohara), raised the need for the training during the Interagency Stakeholders Security Summit held here last Sunday, February 3.

Madamba said they need help in teaching tourism employees to be able to identify tourists who may be a threat to the town.

Madamba added that having a set of guidelines to identify suspicious tourists will be a huge help as they respond to the call of law enforcement groups in Central Visayas for the cooperation of the public in preventing the entry of any terror group in the province.

Read: Dino to ask UK to lift travel advisory vs southern Cebu; assures no terror threat exists in the south

Regional Director Shalimar Tamano, during the summit, promised to give tourism operators the needed training.

He said they have already initially conducted security fora in 2018 involving tourism operators to give input on how to spot suspicious tourists.

“Padayon atong drive ana. It’s a good thing that we have been reminded through this suggestion. What we do, mo-communicate mi ni RD [Debold Sinas], the mayors and the tourism officer of the towns,” Tamano said.

Tamano said the tourism officers will be the one to coordinate with the tourism stakeholders in conducting security lectures.

“Mag-agad lang mi nila basta kami, open mi and we are ready to learn these things. Mas maayo pod ni nga makahibaw ta kay aron matudloan pod nato atong mga staff because every now and then mag-ilos man ta og staff. At least, kami mismo nga owners we can teach them,” Madamba added. /bjo