A Tourism Senior High School (SHS) Summit, dubbed, “Turo-Turismo†was held on May 20, 2015 at South Palms Resort in Panglao, Bohol by the Department of Education Bohol Division in partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF) Coalitions for Change in Education, the Provincial Government of Bohol and the Local Government Unit of Panglao.
The said summit brought together different stakeholders from the province of Bohol and other divisions in Region VII to develop work-plans for curriculum contextualization and immersion policies for the SHS program with Tourism as the focus industry.
Bohol sets an example for the rest of the country that development is possible when you dream and want it enough, according to  DepEd Usec. For Regional Operations Rizalino Rivera as he cited Bohol’s successes. He recalled how he was able to work with the dynamic duo of then Gov. Rene Relampagos and Vice Gov. and now Gov. Edgar Chatto when Bohol was shaping its direction towards development.
Rivera, who was among speakers at Turo-Turismo, a tourism senior high school summit, said he hopes to see the same accomplishment in instituting reforms in education with the K-12 program of DepEd.
Speaking before education and tourism industry stakeholders in the region, he commended Bohol under the leadership of Chatto for a conscious effort to involve industry experts, Local Government Units, and Non-Government Organizations in terms of linking education towards global competitiveness.
In attendance were officials from DepEd Central Office, the Undersecretary for Regional Operations Usec Rizalino Rivera and Assistant Secretary for Planning and Development Asec Jesus Mateo Lorenzo as well as the K to 12 technical assistants. DepEd Region 7 was represented by Dr. Luz Jandayan, the Education Program Supervisor of the Curriculum and Learning Management Division.  The biggest delegation was from DepEd Bohol led by Superintendent Dr. Wilfreda D. Bongalos with the curriculum specialists and other division heads. All the nineteen (19) divisions in Region 7 attended the summit including Cebu Province, Negros Oriental Province, Siquijor Province, Cebu City, Naga, Mandaue, Lapulapu, Bogo, Talisay, Carcar, Toledo, Danao, Tanjay, Dumaguete City, Bayawan, Guihulngan, Siquijor, Tagbilaran City.  Representatives from the resorts and HEIs were also in the summit as well as representatives from The Asia Foundation and the Australian Embassy and officials from the Provincial Government of Bohol and LGU Panglao.
In her welcome message, Panglao Mayor Leonila Montero underscored the importance of tourism in Panglao and Bohol and how tourism is indeed a good laboratory to prepare the youth for quality employment and a better life.
DepEd Usec. for Regional Operations Rizalino Rivera could not have put it more aptly when he said he hopes participants will be able to look back years from now and realize how instrumental they have been in this major reform in education. Rivera shares how as consultant back in 1995 he was able to work with the dynamic duo of then Gov. Rene Relampagos and Vice Gov. and now Gov. Edgar Chatto when Bohol was shaping its direction towards development. He cites this most successful initiative, seeing what Bohol has become now, as an example for the rest of the country, that development is possible when you dream and want it enough. He relates this to making learning relevant through a conscious effort to involve industry experts, LGUs, and NGOs in terms of linking education towards global competitiveness.
The governor, for his part, reiterates commitment and support for educational reforms under the K-12 program of the DepEd, the Turo-Turismo, a multi-sector tourism senior high school summit, just one strand of the Tech Voc sector, but tourism as a major and a growing global industry.
Participants of Turo-Turismo did workshops on curriculum contextualization and immersion policy specific for tourism based Senior High School that led to the development of workplans which can be useful in the preparation for the full implementation of the Senior High School in 2016.
After the summit was the groundbreaking of the Tourism Senior High School facility at Lourdes National High School and turn-over of books from The Asia Foundation Books for Asia. (PR/Vera)