Understanding Why the DOT Accreditation Is Now Becoming a Nightmare?

The closure of Boracay had a huge effect on other tourist destinations like Puerto Galera. Local officials and the private sector know that President Rodrigo Duterte has the political will to close down the tourist industry in any town found wanting of compliance to national laws particularly on environment and tourism regulations. Mayors knew that they can be “punished” if they do not obey the directives of the national government.

At the onset, the mention of the accreditation of the Department of Tourism (DOT) as a mandatory requirement in getting a Mayor’s permit was welcomed by the business sector. This would mean that tourism establishments will be upgrading their tourism products and services to level acceptable to the DOT. However, many in the private sector NOW believe that the DOT accreditation will be catastrophic to the tourist industry of Puerto Galera.

From January to June of this year, we were given the impression that it was easy to get accredited, that the requirements can easily be complied with. This made many procrastinate and complacent in processing the DOT accreditation.

By July and August then came the realization that the procedures were not as simple and straightforward as implied by the authorities.

To get a DOT accreditation, one of the requirements is the wastewater discharge permit of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).  To get this permit, you must have a Pollution Control Officer (PCO); one PCO per establishment.

Now to have a PCO, you need to send someone to attend a PCO seminar authorized by the EMB. There is one scheduled this August 27 and after that, we need to get another batch of 60 participants to request for another PCO training.

Your PCO will then work to secure various DENR and EMB requirements, including compliance to the easement law, the clean air act, the clean water act, ECC or CNC and others.

Before the EMB issue the discharge permit, they will assess if your 3-chamber septic tank is in accordance with their specifications and that an independent laboratory accredited by the EMB will certify that the wastewater sample will pass their standards.

After getting the precious EMB permit, you then go to the DOT to comply with their requirements according to the category applied for your establishment. The requirements for Mabuhay Accommodation include a reception area, signage, male/female CR, CCTV, PWD access and many more.

DOT Regional Director Danilo Intong expects Mayors to comply with the DILG MC re-iterating accreditation as a mandatory requirement in the renewal of Mayor’s permit.

DOT officials repeatedly said that Basic Registration is not Accreditation – this pronouncement dampened the hopes of many in getting a Mayor’s permit by January of 2020. Many thought that Basic Registration is enough to renew their permit.

Many establishments patterned their development after the “backyard tourism” format of the 80s and 90s. Nobody expected the day will come when their family livelihood will need to conform to DOT standards.

Many of the establishments have 1-chamber septic tanks, the structure built from end to end of their property line.  If they need to construct the required 3-chamber septic facility, they need to close shop and do a major renovation.

Those that do not have reception areas, CRs and other physical requirement need to make space from existing room accommodation.

There are also those who are renting the business; who will spend for the renovation, the lessor or the lessee?

As it stands, Puerto Galera will be lucky if 100 accommodation establishments can get accredited before January of 2020. That means more than 250 others must find a way to legally operate or face closure.

This will ultimately affect not only the private sector but also the local government as nearly 40% of their revenues from taxes, fees and charges come from business establishments.

But the greatest effect will be on the tourist industry. During the high season, an estimated 5000 tourists visit Puerto Galera every weekend; and there is no way that a small number of accredited establishments can accommodate them.

This grim scenario is not paranoia and it might even be an understatement given that so far less than 20 establishments are DOT accredited with only 4 months to go.

The first solution is to convince the DOT to accept the Basic Registration as sufficient first installment to get a Mayor’s permit and giving establishment 1 year to fully comply with all requirements. However, this was rejected by the DOT but there is no harm in trying again.

Plan B is to extend the deadline of the Mayor’s permit from January to July of 2020 which will give additional 6 months to establishment owners.

Plan C is confidential.

But whatever leaders of this town contrive to do, many establishment owners have explored possibilities to circumvent the DOT imposition which I will not discuss further.

Regardless, we need to find the best solution, work together, and help the Accommodation Establishment and other Primary Tourism Establishments renew their Mayor’s permit come hell or high water.