What it does: The Department of Tourism regulates the tourism industry in the Philippines and promotes the country as a travel destination.
Best known for: being the premier tourism authority in the country
Staff stats: more than 1,000 employees
Financials: Php3.08 billion in the annual budget for Fiscal Year 2021
The good bits: Selected fresh grads for entry-level roles will enjoy above-average salaries. For instance, a tourism operations officer earns Php23,877 per month.
The not-so-good bits: The department’s hiring process will test a fresh grad’s patience. Applicants may take more than 30 days to complete the recruitment stages.
The DOT became a separate department in 1973 after the Department of Trade and Tourism was divided into two entities. Since then, the department has regulated the tourism industry and promoted travel destinations in the Philippines.
As a United Nations World Tourism Organization member, the DOT ensures that tourism projects aid in the country’s socio-economic growth.
These projects have reflected the department’s marketing campaigns and slogans over the years. Some of the most successful campaigns included ‘WOW Philippines’ in 2003 and ‘It's More Fun in the Philippines’ in 2012.
Many employees agree that the department has a friendly and warm atmosphere. While there’s a hospitable workplace vibe, it might be a trade-off for hectic schedules.
Fresh grads should consider a heavy workload to be a good opportunity to achieve something significant right away. Those with multitasking skills will have an advantage over their peers.
Marketing and public relations teams may work on the most interesting projects because they are responsible for promotional campaigns.
In terms of work-life balance, most employees at the DOT work during regular office hours from Monday to Friday.
Former DOT Secretary Wanda Teo became embroiled in a corruption scandal in 2018. Teo resigned from her post following allegations of questionable expenses.
The Commission on Audit flagged approximately Php2.50 billion in transactions, including an advertising contract awarded to her brother. The former secretary denied the accusations.
In 2020, the DOT launched the Tourism Response and Recovery Program to help the travel and hospitality sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initiative includes waived fees for international fairs and exhibitions, low-interest loans, and postponement of workers’ contributions.
Fresh grads must be patient with their applications at the DOT because of the department’s long recruitment process. If they wish to pursue a management role, they’ll need to complete further studies or take another CSC certification
The DOT advertises every vacant post on the Civil Service Commission’s (CSC) website. Applicants must submit the following documents as initial requirements:
Fresh grads should take note of a contact person that’s indicated in each job post. If they wish to apply for more than one job, they must provide a set of documents for every position. The DOT will only process applicants with complete requirements.
In general, the hiring process may involve four stages:
Fresh grads should also prepare for a problem-solving exercise. Insiders said that it’s an unlikely task during the recruitment phase, but candidates should still be ready.
The DOT may take more than 30 days to process applications even for internships. For this reason, fresh grads should have a contingency plan if they would be unsuccessful with their applications.
The DOT follows the government-mandated salary grade (SG) table for compensation. For example, entry-level tourism operation officers earn Php23,877 per month based on their SG 11 designation.
Insiders said that they get bonuses after completing certain accomplishments. The DOT may also provide free lunches to employees.
A tourism operations officer is the most common entry-level job at the DOT for fresh grads. They also finished a Bachelor's Degree in Business, Economics, Law, Marketing, Public Administration, or Tourism.
The department also requires them to have CSC Professional or Second-Level Eligibility. New hires can expect this career progression ladder:
Tourism Operations Officers II have at least one year of work experience and four hours of training. They can become Senior Tourism Operations Officers after gaining at least two years of experience and eight hours of training.
Once they acquire three years of experience, they can become Supervising Tourism Operations Officers. The DOT expects them to complete 16 hours of training before landing the job.
Chief Tourism Operations Officers have at least four years of management experience and 40 hours of relevant training. They should also have a CSC Certificate in Leadership and Management or a master's degree.
The actual career progression will depend on every fresh grad’s performance. While there’s a clear career path for them, insiders cited bureaucratic policies as a deterrent for promotions.