The Philippines’ tourism industry gained international spotlight anew as 27 Filipino tourism-related establishments and local government units (LGU) earned recognition at this year’s ASEAN Tourism Standards Awards on Friday (Jan. 30) in Cebu City.
Spanning across six tourism categories, the awards ceremony is a flagship event of the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), recognizing excellence in sustainability, urban management, and events infrastructure.
According to Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, these awards honor the efforts and dedication of Southeast Asian industry leaders, service providers, and stakeholders, who uplift the region’s travel industry through their work on the ground.
“Each recognition reflects commitment sustained over time, standards honored consistently, decisions guided responsibly, and service delivered with consistent excellence. Through your work, confidence in ASEAN tourism grows stronger, and the reputation of our region continues to rise,” Secretary Frasco said in her congratulatory message.
Five Philippine properties received the 10th ASEAN Green Hotel Award for their sustainable tourism practices. These include Discovery Coron, Le Monet Hotel, Fairways and Bluewater Resort, Seda Nuvali, and City of Dreams Manila.
Meanwhile, San Carlos City, Sipalay City, City of Ilagan, Iloilo City, and Tabuk City received the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award for their remarkable environmental management, sanitation, waste reduction, and safety programs.
The country also showed a strong performance under the ASEAN Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) Venue Awards, reinforcing its growing competitiveness as a premier destination for global events.
Recognized for their meeting venues are the Marriott Grand Ballroom, Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort Grand Ballroom, Princesa Garden Island Resort and Spa, Shangri-la Mactan, and Bai Hotel Cebu.
Meanwhile, exhibition venues of the Cordillera Convention Hall, SMX Convention Center Clark, Iloilo Convention Center, SMX Convention Center Manila, and World Trade Center Metro Manila also received the ASEAN MICE award.
For their respective event venues, the Marcian Garden Hotel, two facilities of the Princesa Garden Island Resort and Spa, Baguio Country Club, and The Bellevue Resort were also conferred awards.
Lastly, the Palina River Cruise and Ganduyan Eco Trail earned the ASEAN Tourism Sustainable Tourism Award for the urban and rural categories, respectively.
