The Philippines must standardize its tourism services by 2015 to comply with ASEAN’s (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) agreement.

The National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas) is helping the country comply with this agreement by holding seminars on best practices in the industry to help upgrade tourism services to international level.

“Positive culture, good work ethics, and world-class training constitute a basic infrastructure of Philippine tourism to be able to be competitive globally so we can offer more than just low price but high-value experience for tourists,” Naitas chairman emeritus Robert Lim Joseph said.

Joseph said these seminars are being conducted under the Tourism Educators and Movers Philippines, Inc. or the TEAM Philippines, which was incorporated on Oct. 29, 2008 TEAM Philippines counts as members 147 schools like the University of Sto. Tomas and the University of the Philippines, Naitas, Skal, Travel Cooperative of the Philippines, Save our Skies Movement, League of Filipino Tourism Students of the Philippines, Association of Congress, Convention, and Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways, Philippine Airlines, Abacus Computer Reservation System.

The group envisions itself “to become the leading and productive organization that fosters strong partnership between the industry and the academe that will lead to the rapid growth of the domestic and global tourism industry,” Joseph said.

He said TEAM Philippines “commits itself to provide the necessary assistance, training and service to the high educational institutions by offering tourism and hospitality management programs for the growth and career development of the faculty and students in order for them to become professionally competent, intellectually competitive, and socially responsible persons.”

Joseph said TEAM Philippines has scheduled a seminar on Sept. 12 in Letran University, Manila and on Sept. 27 in Cebu Convention Center, Cebu City, which are both supported by the Department of Tourism and by Sen. Richard Gordon, who then was Tourism secretary.

The group is seeking more funding for the training program and has already received pledges from Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Office of Presidential Assistant for Education, and the office of Sen. Miguel Zubiri.

At present, funding for the training come from Naitas, Skal, Travel Cooperative, among others.