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The
CAGAYANTIMES Lifestyle Weekly de Oro
April 27-May 3, 2014
DOT accredits hotels, restaurants for safety In answer to the notion that accredited hotels and restaurants are expensive, the Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Office 10 assures accreditation of tourism establishments are done to make sure tourists are safe and secure. DOT Regional Director
Catalino Chan III said, “Dili mabayran ang safety sa tourist.” (No amount of money can pay a tourist’s safety.) Through DOT’s accreditation be it five star or one star, the tourist can feel safe and assured of comfort and services. Chan said that to be accredited, the facility should
meet the minimum requirements of the department. Hotels should have a wheelchair ramp and a number of rooms friendly to Persons with Disability (PWDs), he said. There should be a fire exit, sprinklers in case of fire, among others. Chan said that if a tourism
The CAGAYAN de ORO TIMES
establishment has better facilities, then it also has higher standards. He said that other than accreditation, DOT also conducts training for tour guides, taxi drivers, and tour operators among others. Meanwhile, the Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant
Association (COHARA) trains and handles Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) students during their summer On-the-Job training (OJT) required by their schools. Compared to other members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Philippines is more complete
with accreditations, he said. In terms of negative comments from foreign tourists, DOT is open to critics and addressing this negative aspect. There are 104 accredited tourism establishments in Northern Mindanao.
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