Building Stakeholders’ Capacity: A Case of Eco-friendly Tourism Destinations in Siruma, Camarines Sur, Philippines

Human capital is a primary asset in eco-friendly tourism. This study primarily assessed the human capital with respect to the local demand in tourism to prioritize interventions. Specifically, it attempted to: 1.) identify the size and quality of the demand for human capital in tourism in the locality; 2.) describe the extent the local human capital match the demand in tourism in the locality; and 3.) determine the needed policy and program interventions to enhance human capital matching in local tourism. This is a qualitative study that made use of Focus Group Discussion, Key Informant Interview, and Observation to gather data. Thematic analysis was employed. A total of 14 respondents participated in the FGD. Results showed that Siruma as an emerging tourism destination, has a high demand for tourism and hospitality professionals, yet presently, only few locals are employed in resorts. These few locals has certain abilities and can multitask but they are not equipped with the technical or hard skills and non-technical or soft skills expected in the tourism and hospitality industry. With these findings, the study proposes two policies: 1.) Policy on Skills Enhancement to harness the capacity of the locals working in resorts, and 2) Policy on Tourism Productivity to ensure that the hospitality employees are well-compensated and develop a deeper commitment in the tourism industry.