The Department of Tourism (DOT) has launched its Online Certification System, which allows businesses in the tourism industry to apply for accreditation online.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the system, which can be accessed at https://accreditation.tourism.gov.ph, promises to expedite and speed up the accreditation requests of local tourism companies in the Philippines.
According to her, the new system would make accreditation requests easier, contactless transactions more convenient, and government services safer in the new normal. Users include lodging establishments, travel and tourism agencies and service providers, as well as meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition (MICE) facilities, health and wellness services as well as other tourism-related businesses like restaurants.
Secretary Puyat said in her opening remarks that “this system satisfies President Duterte’s call for the streamlining and automation of services in the Ease of Doing Business Act signed in 2018 and the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, which directs government offices to expedite the delivery of services in view of Covid-19.”
Accreditation standards and processes are mandated by the Tourism Act of 2009 (RA 9593) to be implemented in accordance with national standards and procedures.
New features include business account creation, email verification, real-time application status notification, and an online payment mechanism that is expected to be implemented in the future.
DOT’s own support for the adoption or shift to e-commerce and contactless transactions as suggested standards in the new normal is reflected strongly in this. ” As we carry out new health and safety rules for basic and secondary tourism firms, the digitalization of our accreditation system proved timely,” said Puyat.
When a tourism facility or service is accredited, it is deemed to have met the basic requirements required for its operation. There were 10,042 accredited tourism businesses nationwide as of September 15th, a 32.36 percent increase from the previous year’s total.
It is our aim that this new approach would make it easier for local firms, including MSMEs, to provide the essential services that make up the tourism industry.
During the community quarantine, the DOT issued PCAOs/CAOs to a total of 6,045 hotels, resorts, and other lodging places, as required by the guidelines.
AEs, tourist transport operators, restaurants, MICE operations, and island and beach attractions are all subject to the criteria, which were released in May in anticipation of the return of tourist activity.
