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MORE primary tourism businesses are expected to register for accreditation with the Department of Tourism (DOT) with the agency’s digitization program.
DOT’s online accreditation system, launched Tuesday, was intended to speed up the accreditation of tourism businesses and minimize the documents they must present. As of September 15, a total of 10,042 tourism companies were accredited nationwide, 32.36 percent more than in the same period in 2019. Of the total, there were 8,896 primary tourism companies, including 1,532 first-line tourism companies and 1,146 secondary tourism businesses.
“This system fulfills President Duterte’s call to streamline and automate services in the Ease of Doing Business Act signed in 2018 and the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, which directs government offices to accelerate service delivery in light of Covid-19 “. said the Secretary of Tourism, Bernadette Romulo Puyat, in her opening remarks.
In a Viber message to the Business mirror, Undersecretary of Regulation, Coordination and Generation of Tourism Income Ma. Rica C. Bueno, said that the new online system, accessible through https://accreditation.tourism.gov.ph, will reduce paperwork and the presentation of documents by “at least 50 percent.” For example, the paperwork in the accommodation sector has dropped to three out of five, travel and tourism agencies have also dropped to three out of six, while tourist transport companies only need to present five documents out of the previous seven.
“We no longer require a fire and safety certificate,” he added. “The main documentary requirements at the moment are the mayor’s permit, the business permit, the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] permit or the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] registration permit, and for some companies we require full liability insurance. Before, all these documents were sent manually, now everything is online. “
Romulo Puyat said that the new system also includes contactless transactions, especially under the new normal. For now, he said, due to the pandemic, accreditation with the DOT is free, to encourage more businesses to register.
Those who must apply for DOT accreditation are accommodation establishments, travel and tourism agencies, tourist transport operators, tourism leaders such as tour guides, MICE facilities and organizers (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions), health and wellness services and others related to tourism. businesses like restaurants.
The accreditation of tourism companies is mandated by the Republic Law 9593 (Tourism Law of 2009), and it is assumed that the DOT will guarantee the harmonious implementation of the standards and procedures for the accreditation of tourism companies throughout the country.
The accreditation portal is an enhanced version that enables business account creation, email verification, real-time application status notification, and an upcoming online payment system.
“This is a strong reflection of the DOT’s own advocacy towards electronic commerce and contactless transactions as recommended protocols in the new normal. Now more than ever, the digitization of our accreditation system is timely as we implement new health and safety guidelines for the new normal for primary and secondary tourism companies, ”said Rómulo Puyat.
While a user is online, DOT officials said, they can already be informed about their accreditation status and what documents they still need to present, if any.
“Through the new system, we hope to ease the burden on local businesses, including MSMEs. [micro, small and medium enterprises] that collectively form the backbone of the tourism industry, ”stated the DOT chief.
Tourism stakeholders welcomed the digitization of the accreditation system.
At the launch, the President of the Philippine Tourism Congress, José C. Clemente III, said: “This is a great help for people in today’s circumstances where mobility is an issue. It will encourage establishments to be accredited as required by current legislation [financial] assistance to go to accredited establishments ”.
Meanwhile, according to the DOT, 6,045 hotels, resorts and other Provisional lodging establishments / Certificates of Authority to Operate were issued during the community quarantine, in compliance with agency guidelines, in preparation for the resumption of tourism activities.
