City Tourism Officer Aileen Amurao urged tourism-related enterprises (TREs) to submit to the mandatory accreditation of primary tourism enterprises (PTEs) by the Department of Tourism in accordance with Republic Act 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009.
“’Yung tinatawag na mandatory accreditation, DOT accreditation, actually that is intended for the tourism/related establishments who are included in the primary enterprise of tourism,” Amurao explained in an interview on Monday, May 27.
“Kinakalialngan, bago sila [TREs] makakuha, ang sinasabi dito sa memorandum circular na nilabas ng DILG, bago makakuha ng business license, kinakailangan meron silang DOT accreditation. This is actually mandated in the Republic Act 9593,” she further explained adding, “This is actually to maintain standards ‘no to the tourism industry kaya nirerequire sila ng Department of tourism na sumailalim doon sa accreditation system.”
The primary tourism enterprises are the accommodation establishments, travel agencies, tourist transport services with the exemption of tricycles, and the tour guides.
The secondary tourism enterprises such as restaurants, spas, and tourist destinations, however, are only asked to voluntarily submit to the accreditation but Amurao still encourages them to be accredited for them to know the standards imposed by the government.
“So ‘yung DOT, together with our office and the provincial tourism office, iikot ‘yan ano sa buong syudad at lalawigan. So etong mga establihments naman, nananawagan tayo na they subject themselves ‘no into accreditation para hindi sila mahirapan. Nandididto lang naman kami para ano man ang kailanganin nilang tulong from our end, bukas po ang aming opisina para sila ay alalayan,” she added.
The DOT Accrediation team will be having a Mobile Accreditation at Hotel Centro on May 28 to 30, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
It was stated in the memorandum of DOT that this activity is expected to increase the number of accredited TREs.
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