On the Dot
By Helen J. Camarista

Putting premium on DOT accreditation

When the power to license and regulate tourism establishments and businesses was devolved to the local government units (LGUs) effective January 1, 1992 by virtue of the Local Government Code of 1991, the Department of Tourism implemented the accreditation system to monitor and maintain standard in accordance with globally acceptable level.

Accreditation is in accordance with the mandate of the DOT to attract tourists to the Philippines and assure the safe, comfortable, convenient and enjoyable stay of foreign and local tourists in this country. Attending to details pertaining to accreditation is a daily fare in the Department of Tourism Region VI especially so that the number of tourism-related establishments all over Western Visayas has increased by leaps and bounds in the recent years. This number will significantly increase and the already-undermanned DOT Region VI will find itself attending to “new” establishments with the addition of Palawan to the area of jurisdiction of Western Visayas. Exciting.

DOT-accredited tourism establishments have the Department of Tourism logo and accreditation certificate prominently displayed in their front offices or doors, whichever is more conspicuous. These documents are more than badges of good housekeeping. They also mean two things: that the establishments concerned are certified by the DOT to be at par with their counterparts anywhere in the world and that their owners have willingly submitted these establishments for accreditation. Accreditation after all is a voluntary thing on the part of management.

This is where the problem lies. Many local government units particularly cities and municipalities issue license/ business permit to tourism establishments without much regard for standard. So it's not uncommon to see nowadays travel agencies/tour operators sharing space with a lotto outlet, beauty parlor, boutique or what-have-you with some staff members waggling around in bedroom slippers. Definitely, these will not pass DOT-accreditation standard. Travel agencies/tour operators in this state are denied accreditation for new or renewal applicants and candidates for cancellation/revocation of accreditation if they have been previously accredited, as the case may be. DOT-accreditation of those with pending complaints filed against them by aggrieved clients is held in abeyance until such time that they have cleared themselves out of the predicament they are in. Fair enough, isn't it?

The objective requirements for DOT accreditation also apply to tour guides which the Department of Tourism Region VI has been working hard to professionalize through formal training, on the job training, accreditation, performance monitoring and refresher training, when necessary. In this region, tour guiding has got to go a long, long way before reaching the level of certain countries in Western Europe where this writer was privileged to study tourism a decade ago. There, their tour guides are well-regarded as frontliners of the tourism industry. Here in Western Visayas tour guides are not getting the same attention. At best they are treated indifferently. At worst they are looked down and mislabeled.

(To be continued)