Out of Town Blog

Elder Ambassadors: DOT Empowers Senior Tour Guides in Intramuros

DOT trains senior citizen tour guides in Intramuros

Tourism continues to serve as a powerful platform that amplifies voices and provides meaningful opportunities throughout every stage of life. It fosters personal growth, cultural exchange, and community engagement across diverse age groups.

Currently, the Department of Tourism (DOT), in collaboration with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), is launching the Tourism Legacy and Livelihood Program. This initiative is specifically designed to empower senior citizens by involving them in various aspects of tourism. It aims to integrate elderly-friendly practices into tourism activities and promote community-based tourism projects that highlight local culture, heritage, and traditions. By doing so, the program encourages seniors to actively participate, share their wealth of experiences, and contribute to sustainable tourism development, ensuring that aging populations can remain active, valued, and integral to the industry.

Aligned with inclusive tourism initiatives, the program offers senior citizens the opportunity to become community tour guides after passing interviews and a week of training, including lectures and mock tours.

Among those who have embraced his new role is 68-year-old Edgardo Satira, popularly known as “Tatay Ed.” A retired broadcaster with four decades of experience, Tatay Ed now uses his seasoned voice and passion for storytelling as a DOT-accredited tour guide, engaging travelers with heartfelt history.

As of February 23, the DOT has certified 15 senior citizen tour guides for the program. Among them, four are former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have rediscovered a new purpose in tour guiding after retirement.

“This program from the NCSC [and] Department of Tourism has given me back the integrity, the dignity of even being a senior citizen. Because now, I can say I am still skilled even though I am a senior citizen. Bumalik ulit ‘yung aking confidence na kahit pala ako senior na, ito, binigyan ako ng pagkakataon,” said Tatay Ed.

Apart from following his passion for history, Tatay Ed has found tour guiding to be a reliable retirement activity and income source.

“Napakalaking tulong po when it comes to livelihood itong aking pagiging isang accredited tour guide. Talagang may kita na, may mga dagdag pa. Pag natuwa pa sa’yo ang turista, talagang may tip pa na ibinibigay sa’yo. Ang sarap pakiramdam na ikaw pala ay mayron pa ring pagkakataon na kumita,” he happily shared.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco personally met with these DOT-accredited senior citizen tour guides on Wednesday (Feb. 25) to hear their experiences and gather insights on how they can contribute to the ongoing growth and development of the tourism industry training program.

“I’m so impressed by the variety of professions and backgrounds of those that have successfully passed our senior citizens community tour guide training. But even more impressed by the overarching purpose that drives you to be here – not just for leisure, not to address boredom perhaps, but more importantly, to serve our country,” said Secretary Frasco as she expressed gratitude to the newly-accredited senior citizen tour guides.

“Our priority has been to provide opportunity for advancement, opportunity for livelihood, and to imprint in both our stakeholders as well as our tourists and the Filipino populace in general that our tourism workers matter, for you are the ones who are the repositories of our stories,” she added.

The Tourism Chief personally presented curated essential kits to senior citizen tour guides, which included a portable lapel microphone, sunblock, hat, journal, tumbler, sunglasses, and accident insurance coverage.

Between 2023 and February 2026, the DOT distributed essential kits to nearly 1,300 tour guides, with half of them receiving insurance coverage as a personal gift from the tourism chief.

Empowering tourism frontliners through DOT training, accreditation

Before accreditation, all senior citizen tour guides completed a seven-day community tour-guiding seminar, held from September 24 to October 3, 2025, in collaboration with the Intramuros Administration.

The intensive workshop integrated lectures, on-site exercises, and mock tours to enhance both historical understanding and tour presentation skills.

“The 7-day workshop was fun and challenging at the same time. [May] mock tour na bibigyan ka ng isang particular na strategic place at ‘yoon ang bibigyan mo ng istorya. And there were experts, reliable resource speakers na kinuha para magbigay sa amin ng iba’t ibang mga kaalaman,” Tatay Ed recalled.

For Fe Rojas, a 72-year-old retired teacher who became a tour guide, the training enhanced her confidence and strengthened her sense of responsibility as a cultural storyteller.

“Dahil sa training na ibinigay sa amin ng Department of Tourism, I feel that we are equipped to do our job as a community tour guide,” she said.

While developing skills is crucial, Tatay Ed highlighted the significance of DOT accreditation for tour guiding.

“Nararapat lamang ho na talagang mayroon na accreditation ang Department of Tourism kasi bago kayo mabigyan ng accreditation, kinakailangan dumaan po kayo sa pagsasanay. Mas maganda na mayron kang ginagamit na baybay, proseso upang nang sa ganon hindi nawawala ‘yung takbo ng isang maganda at pulido na istorya,” he said.

Elder Ambassadors: DOT Empowers Senior Tour Guides in Intramuros

Melo Villareal

Out of Town Blog

The post Elder Ambassadors: DOT Empowers Senior Tour Guides in Intramuros appeared first on Out of Town Blog