DOT: Hotels, resorts with no first aid staff may face closure

MANILA, Philippines — Accommodation facilities with no first aid staff are at risk of being closed, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Wednesday.

“Yes, definitely,” Tourism Assistant Secretary Maria Rica Bueno said when asked if resorts’ non-compliance to having a first aid staff could be grounds for closure.

“It’s a requirement eh. It’s a mandatory requirement for our DOT-accredited accommodation facilities that they would have to have trained first aid staff at kailangan nga ito for emergency response,” Bueno explained.

Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 9593 or Tourism Act of 2009, primary tourism enterprises (PTEs) such as hotels, resorts, inns, and other accommodation establishments are required to secure accreditation from the DOT for issuance of license or permit to operate.

Among the accreditation standards for PTEs listed in DOT’s website is to have a first aid facility with trained staff on site.

“Once DOT revokes or suspends the accreditation of a particular establishment, we automatically also inform the local government unit para po may corresponding appropriate action from the LGU na sanction or penalty because ultimately po yung business permit is issued by the local government unit,” Bueno explained. /je