MEDIA RELEASE

27 April 2016
DOT, TIEZA, GRAT conduct sustainable tourism workshops
The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone
Authority (TIEZA) recently inked an agreement with Gruppe zur Forderung der Angepassten
Technologie (GrAT, Center for Appropriate Technology), a non-profit scientific research
association based in Vienna University of Technology, to jointly implement the 4-year Zero
Carbon Resorts (ZCR) For Sustainable Tourism Program.
As the project lead, GrAT will provide the technical expertise in conducting various
information drives: focus group sessions, green technology training, test runs, and public
consultations, as part of the formulation of the criteria and audit requirements of a Philippine
Green Tourism Certification Scheme. The projects end goal is to transform tourism
establishments and facilities into Green Tourism Certified businesses.
Aimed at helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector curb
energy and resource consumption, and carbon footprint, the project specifies 5 potential sites to
become Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR) learning centers: Cebu-Bohol, Davao, Batangas-Puerto
Galera, Boracay, and Manila-Tagaytay. These places will all benefit from trainings and other
relative information on ZCR methodology to be conducted until July this year.
Its first ZCR sharing session was held for the Manila-Tagaytay zone in March this year,
and was attended by 88 representatives from accommodation and restaurant establishments,
green suppliers, green financing institutions, and tourism associations based in NCR and
CALABARZON.
We are pleased that over 500 frontier group members from the tourism industry
nationwide expressed interest for the Phase I of the project, which was implemented from 2009
to 2014, while 3 of its membersDOT accredited Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort in
Palawan, The Manor at Camp John Hay in Baguio City, and Amarela Resort in Boholhave
already garnered international recognition from the 2014-2016 ASEAN Green Hotel Awards,
Tourism Standards and Regulations Director Maria Rica Bueno said at the MOU signing held in
Hotel Jen Manila early March this year, which also launched the Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR)
for Sustainable Tourism Program.

DOT Media Release April 2016

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A series of capability workshops on Energy, Water, and Resource Management in the

Tourism Sector; 3R (Reduce, Replace, Redesign) Training Courses; and best practices were
also conducted for industry stakeholders under Phase I of the project.
Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination, and Resource Generation Ma.
Victoria Jasmin said Phase 2 of the project aims to accomplish more than what the first phase
had delivered. According to her, the project has started the development of a Philippine Green
Tourism Certification Scheme based on the ZCR principles. Representatives from the DOT and
TIEZA have also been undergoing Capability Building Program/Training for the Green
Evaluation in accordance with the established guidelines of the Green Tourism Certification
Scheme. DOT is also now working closely with Thailand in terms of knowledge transfer and
best practices.
But more importantly, this second phase of the project seeks to tap greater support
from the national government on policy development for sustainable consumption and
production in tourism, and potential funding for green investments, development and technical
solutions, the undersecretary expounded.
She said while tourism is a profitable economic activity, the accommodation sector is
also resource intensive. Greening the industry can mitigate the impact of our tourism business.
The implementation of available solutions for better resource efficiency can help tourism entities
save resource consumption and costs, Undersecretary Jasmin concluded.

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Contact:

Director Jazmin C. Esguerra

Media & Communications Services
Department of Tourism
459-5200, ext. 317-318
jcesguerra@tourism.gov.ph

DOT Media Release April 2016

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PHOTOS:

L-R: Tourism Standards and Regulations Director Maria Rica Bueno, GrATs
Managing Director/ZCR Project Leader Dr. Robert Wimmer, and TIEZA Technical
Officer Mylene Magsino during the MOU signing between the DOT, TIEZA and
GrAT held last 8 March 2016 in Hotel Jen Manila.

GrATs Managing Director/ZCR Project Leader, Dr. Robert Wimmer

presents the ZCR Green Supplier's Network.

DOT Media Release April 2016

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