While the country's medical tourism drive is well in high gear, there is one aspect of selling the Philippines that we can very professionally launch – organizing short-term courses that attract foreign participants.

A tall order?

They are now being done by our neighboring Pacific island-state and a US territory, and are profiting from them.

They are veritable dollar-earning enterprise. And what's more, there are qualified trainors, specialists lecturers and instructors who are perfect in putting together small-business workshops and short-term training seminars and academic works.

Further, the country has the facilities for those endeavors. And such venues are located in tourism sites. What can be a better come-on than those existing infrastructures in our favor? A sort of traveling series of lectures and seminars? They are more inviting if designed that way.

There is no need to elaborate on the fact that we have the human resources and the alluring venues all enhanced by exciting places in which to hold these small-scale studies. No doubt, a veritable combination that will turn into a gold mine our sell-the-Philippines program.

Okay, to buttress the human resources aspect, we can always invite qualified lecturers and experts from the United States, Australia, and Singapore.

Why am I saying all this?

You see, recently I bumped into a former college acquaintance who had just returned from a one-month, hibernating-under-the-balmy-weather pleasure trip to Hawaii and Guam. She told me of successful ventures in the islands that are attracting hordes of participants from all over the world attending seminars and short courses, all made more conducive by the exotic sites where the lectures and workshops are held.

So last Friday morning, I had this world-traveler friend of mine as guest in the Commonwealth Caucus, a group of veteran newsmen, public events and corporate social responsibility experts, book authors, and radio announcer/DJS, which regularly meets for coffee at Ever Mall.

In sum, what she informed the group can very well be replicated in the country. “We have experienced professionals and adept lecturers – schooled abroad – who are specialists in short business seminars and programs,” she said.

Members of the coffee club added that we could even improve on them by staging the programs in selected cities of the country where there are world-class facilities and tourist sites.

For example, a one-month course can be held in three venues – Manila, Iloilo, and Davao.

Back to the Hawaii and Guam campuses. Here are some of short-term programs offered: How to Write a Business Plan, Leadership Development and Team Building, Influencing for Win-Win Outcome, Small Business Management, The Art of Leadership (Institute for Business and Development), Sales Development and Management Training.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa has the Skillpath Seminars, the Institute for Business and Professional Development, and Sandler Sales Institute in Honolulu. The University of Guam has the Small Business Development Center. These are all continuing programs.

According to business review journals, Hawaii and Guam are two of the world's seven leading places that offer highly accredited sales development and retail management and leadership training programs.

Incidentally, there was a lone Filipino participant this year in those highly respected training programs. She is Ms. Mala Jean Luga who finished the seminars at the University of Guam- Marriot Hotel at Waikiki Beach Resort, and at the University of Hawaii in Manoa. She also completed her training course at the Sandlers Sales Training Institute, receiving certificates of completion from those prestigious institutions.