Baguio City bags ASEAN clean tourism award

By Gaby Keith

BAGUIO CITY – The Summer Capital has another feather in its cap of achievements in the form of being an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Clean Tourist City Standard 2020-2022 awardee. 

The award was presented by councilor Elaine Sembrano to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan and her fellow councilors in Monday’s flag-raising rites at City Hall.

Sembrano, chair of the local legislature’s committee on tourism, said she received the award on behalf of the city in Brunei last January 16 from Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in the presence of ASEAN Tourism Ministers.

Other Philippine recipients  of the prestigious award are the cities of Iloilo and San Carlos in Negros Occidental.

The award aims to aid in improving the quality of tourism in the cities that will receive the stamp of approval and acts as a tool to increase their marketing competitiveness as well as improve the situation of local residents and their livelihood.

It also highlights the importance of preserving the environment by responding to the impacts of climate change and contributing to the sustainable development of ASEAN cities.

To determine which cities fit the Clean Tourist City Standard, cities from ASEAN member countries are evaluated based on the following indicators:  Environmental management, cleanliness; waste management; awareness-building about environmental protection and cleanliness; green spaces; health safety, urban safety and security; tourism infrastructure and facilities.