Angie Gabinete: Working for Guimaras' tourism
Angie Gabinete
* She is a pro-active employee who always empties and opens herself to new avenues and or opportunities and develops mystery of her assigned job
She is the woman behind Guimaras' tourism success.
She is the back-to-back winner for Western Visayas Best Tourism Officer (2006-2007) in the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly (WVTA) Excellence Award, Provincial category.
Designated as Tourism Section Head, Provincial Economic Development Office (PEDO) Province of Guimaras, she is no other than Angeles "Angie" Gabinete who hails from New Poblacion, Buenavista Guimaras.
She is a pro-active employee who always empties and opens herself to new avenues and or opportunities and develops mystery of her assigned job. She is also determined but flexible and has a strong degree of willingness to learn new ideas and even change if so desired and easily copes with challenges, new leadership and adjusts with the demand of times.
Awardees during the Tourism Excellence Assembly
Learn more about her on this interview.
Ramon C. Salvilla (RCS): How long have you been in government service?
Angeles E. Gabinete (AEG): Almost 31 years in the service, and in provincial tourism, nine years.
RCS: What was your first job?
AEG: In the LGU. I was assigned at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and acted as Regional Applied Communication Officer for Guimaras, a Project Leader in agricultural projects. I was once tasked as the Officer-in-charge of the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) Guimaras, 1995-1998; acted as Project Manager of the Guimaras Integrated SWM Program, assisted by the Local Government Support Program (LGSP), Canada-ASEAN Governance Network (CAGIN) and Canadian Urban Institute (CUI).
I was designated Concurrent Assistant Provincial Administrator, July 26, 2001 to May 2003 and designated OIC Provincial Tourism Officer, May 1999 to June 30, 2007 before I was designated as Tourism Section Head.
RCS: I heard you were also an educator.
AEG: Yes. Prior to my appointment, I was a College Instructor in the Pre Agriculture Department, Filamer Christian Institute, Roxas City and a Junior College Instructor in Buenavista Vocational School (now Guimaras State College), Buenavista, Guimaras from 19977 to 1993.
RCS: Any projects that you have implemented?
AEG: The programs we implemented were the Tourism Trade Investment & Promotion Program (TTrlPP) in 2005. Another is the Guimaras Sustainable Tourism Enhancement & Promotion Program (GSTEPP) in 2006 with major component projects such as: Community–based Tourism Development and Enhancement Program (CBTDEP) like the Community–based Tourism Awareness and Appreciation Campaign to schools, barangays and tourism related industry associations, which address the low level of awareness and appreciation of stakeholders of tourism as an economic and service industry, poor involvement and participation of tourism stakeholders and the community in tourism related activities, and instill the "culture of tourism among Guimarasnon" and the Community-based Rural Tourism Projects.
Another is the Tourism Support Service (TSS) which covers the capability and institutional development and the operation of guest assistance centers and the Tourism Promotion and Marketing (TPM) which covers promotional activities and media linkages for the promotion of Guimaras as a wholesome tourist destination.
RCS: How does the province work for the security of foreign nationals?
AEG: We have Guest Assistance Centers at the major ports of entry in Buenavista and Jordan with a guest logbook in order to monitor the number of tourists entering. We are closely coordinating with the police as our partner in tourism in the province.
Whenever we receive complaint like overcharging of fares, we immediately coordinate with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), concerned LGUs and Transport Associations to fine those abusive drivers.
RCS: What is the participation of the villagers in tourism?
AEG: They have the biggest part. Particularly in our Community-based Rural Tourism Projects which we started in Guisi, a sitio in Dolores Nueva Valencia. We go out and visit every barangay and conduct some training on enhancing their products and services since most of our guests enjoy experiencing rural or barangay life other than our beaches and adventure tourism activities.
There is even one foreign national who went in a barangay and asked the farmer to teach her to plow the rice field. After learning, she asked how much the farmer will charge? What's so funny is that she plowed the rice field and wanted to pay. That's paying of course for the experience!
RCS: Last August, the MT Solar 1 oil spill put Guimaras on a bad light. What can Tourism do to restore the affected beaches?
AEG: The situation was complicated. But for tourism groups, we advocated for the restoration of our seas. The oil spill had greatly affected the tourism industry because the beaches are the top attraction of the island.
With the assistance of the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region VI and Central Office, LGUs and other partner NGOs, Private Organizations (POs) and other National Government Agencies (NGAs), we started refocusing our tourism marketing initiatives from beaches to land–based attractions while rehabilitation and cleaning up is being done.
RCS: Have you organized any tourism-related associations?
AEG: In partnership with the DOT, TESDA and other NGAs and support of the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), we organized the Tour Guides Guild of Guimaras (TGGG), Guimaras Association of Lifeguards and First Aiders (GALFAs), Municipal Tourism Councils (MTC), Barangay Tourism Councils (BTCs). We also assisted the Guimaras Mountainbikers Association (GUIMBA), Guimaras Resorts Association (GRA) and Land and Water Transport Associations.
RCS: Aside from the beautiful beaches, what can Guimaras offer?
AEG: The 60,457 hectares island is teeming with tourism potentials from pristine beaches and scenic land and seascapes to colorful festivals, outdoor sports options, nature trekking circuits, coves, cave and islets. Our vision of the province is to be the agri–tourism capital of the region – thus our agri-farms are also tourist destinations.
The following awards, achievements and accolade were conferred to tourism programs and projects spearheaded by Angeles Gabinete in partnership with NGAs, NGOs, POs and private persons. Second Best Destination Booth – Provincial Category conferred by Philippine Tour Operators Associations (PHILTOA) during the 18th Philippine Travel Mart IN Mandaluyong City last September 9,2007; Grand Slam Awards, Best Destination Booth – Provincial Category, Philippine Travel Mart in Mandaluyong City; First Prize Winners: Best Destination Booth 2004 – 2005 and 2006);
Urban Sustainability Award for the Community–Based Heritage Tourism Project during the Urban Leadership Awards-Philippine Edition presented by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) last December 2005; Urban Partnership Award for the Community–Based Tourism Awareness and Appreciation Campaign (CBTAAC) during the Urban Leadership Awards-Philippine Edition presented by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) last December 2005;
Trailblazing Program for the Public–Private Partnership (3Ps) in Guimaras Tourism Development presented by the Galing Pook Foundation and Local Government Academy conferred in Malacanang, Manila last December 2004;
In 2006, the Department of Tourism recognized several Guimaras Tourism Projects during the Western Visayas Tourism Excellence Awards on the following categories: Special Awards for Best Barangay Tourism Councils: Tastasan and Salvacion, Buenavista and Dolores, Nueva Valencia; Regional Director's Award for the Katilingban sang mga Magagmay nga Mangingisda sang Dolores (KAMAMADO); Best Tourism Emerging Destination for the Guisi Community–Based Tourism Project and the Province of Guimaras as the Best Tourism Oriented LGU (Provincial Category);
Last year (2007), two additional barangay tourism councils Hoskyn in Jordan and Sapal and San Lorenzo were given Special Awards with Dolores in Nueva Valencia while Salvacion Barangay Tourism Council in Buenavista was adjudged as WV Best Tourism Council;
Guisi was still recognized as Best Tourism Emerging Destination and the Province of Guimaras as Best Tourism Oriented LGU (Provincial Category).
Ms. Gabinete was also one of the semi-finalists of the Dangal ng Bayan Award for 2007 Search for Outstanding Government Employee of the country conferred by the Civil Service Commision.