For the second-straight time, San Carlos City in Negros Occidental bagged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Clean Tourist City badge.
The Western Visayas city announced on November 28 its repeat achievement as the recipient of the “ASEAN Clean Tourist City” award that is given to encourage nation-members to be competitive in their tourism and marketing sectors towards the creation of jobs and to push economic growth.
Department of Tourism- Office of Tourism Standards and Regulation Director Rebecca Villanueva-Labit announced the award through a letter to City Mayor Renato Y. Gustilo congratulating the City of San Carlos.
The Negros Occidental city first received the ASEAN Clean Tourist City award in 2017. The new badge certifies the city as an ASEAN-recommended tourist destination valid for three years from 2020 to 2022.
San Carlos City received the ASEAN badge after successfully passing the standards of the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard’s 7 indicators, namely:
1. Environmental management
2. Cleanliness
3. Waste Management
4. Awareness-Building about Environmental Protection and Cleanliness
5. Green Spaces
6. Health Safety, Urban Safety, and Security
7. Tourism Infrastructure and Facilities
Jennifer Saballa of the San Carlos City Tourism Office told media that the achievement is the result of the government’s efforts in sustainable tourism development, among them, the city-wide installation of closed circuit television cameras for security, the setting up of ASEAN standards-compliant tourist restrooms, and the hosting of the San Carlos Eco-Center for waste management and environment practices.
“We hope to sustain the efforts and looking forward to more initiatives geared towards ensuring sustainability,” said Saballa.
Saballa also noted the city’s conservation efforts for its natural tourist destinations. “Aside from infrastructures, we are continuing our community-based efforts aimed at providing livelihood opportunities to the locals while at the same time involving them in environment protection and conservation measures,” the city tourism leader shared.
San Carlos is one of the three Philippine cities to be given the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award on January 16, 2020, in Brunei Darussalam.
(source: www.goodnewspilipinas.com)