15 senior citizens accredited by DOT as Intramuros tour guides
Fifteen senior citizens are now official tour guides in Intramuros after completing the Department of Tourism's week-long Tourism Legacy and Livelihood Program.
The training period entailed attending lectures, carrying out mock tours, and completing assessment interviews.
The new tour guides were accredited by DOT on Feb. 23.
In a statement, DOT said the program aligns with the agency's efforts toward elder-friendly inclusivity. As it runs, the program allows senior citizens to actively contribute to community-based tourism activities.
DOT ran the program in partnership with Intramuros Administration from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3, 2025. It is being implemented in coordination with the National Commission of Senior Citizens.
Among the new tour guides are four former overseas Filipino workers and one 68-year-old retired broadcaster with 40 years of experience, Edgardo Satira.
Based on a report by Philippine News Agency, Satira, known as "Tatay Ed," shared about how good he feels when he receives tips from satisfied tourists.
"'Pag natuwa pa sa 'yo ang turista, talagang may tip pa na ibinibigay sa 'yo. Ang sarap [ng] pakiramdam na ikaw pala ay mayroon pa ring pagkakataon na kumita," Satira said.
"This program from the NCSC [and] Department of Tourism has given me back the integrity and 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," he added.
Seventy-two-year-old retired teacher Fe Rojas, another new guide, said that the training helped feel "equipped" to do her job.
Tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said she's "impressed" by the variety of professions and backgrounds of those who passed the training program.
The guides each got a kit containing a portable lapel microphone, sunblock, hat, journal, tumbler, and sunglasses. Each one is also covered with accident insurance.
As of February 2026, DOT has accredited 4,994 tour guides throughout the Philippines, in addition to specialist tour guides.
