Sun.Star Baguio

Baguio Country Club bags ASEAN awards

- Jonathan Llanes

BAGUIO Country Club has been declared as the first hall of famer in the yearly search for the internatio­nal ASEAN Green Hotel Standards.

The awards aims to develop an Associatio­n of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Green Hotel Standard with a certificat­ion process which increase the environmen­talfriendl­y and energy conservati­on in the ASEAN accommodat­ion industry.

BCC General Manager Anthony De Leon explained the club’s participat­ion for the past three years have been overseen by ASEAN auditors in tourism to determine the best environmen­tal practices they have undertaken.

"Since we have passed the auditing procedure, they have submitted our establishm­ent as a candidate for the award of green hotel which we have been successful enough to be recognized consecutiv­ely for the past three years to which we have been adjudged as a hall of famer," De Leon said.

The green hotel standard operation has to establish a profession­al green hotel operation, such as environmen­tal plan, green product, human resource and environmen­tal management, which enable environmen­tal and communitie­s to benefit from a collective approach to profession­alism.

ASEAN Green Hotel Award is a ceremony held by the ASEAN Member States, as recognitio­n to those who complied with the ASEAN Green Hotel Standard. This year Malaysia becomes the host country for the fourth ASEAN Green Hotel Award.

The first ASEAN Green Hotel Award was held in Thailand in 2008 followed by Brunei Darussalam in 2010 and Indonesia in 2012.

The principle of environmen­tal friendly is required for judging, as stipulated in the ASEAN Green Hotel Standard, which has been agreed by all the ASEAN Member

States since it was first drafted in 2007.

"We are still looking at other ASEAN standards that the BCC can be acknowledg­e for its efforts in meeting these standards," added De Leon.

There are 11 major criteria has included in ASEAN Green Hotel Standard. The assessment for ASEAN Green Hotel Standard carries by an authorized body in respective country.

"They have many categories aside from the ASEAN Green Hotel, there is sustainabl­e tourism, the MICE awards or meetings, incentives, convention­s and events awards which is one of the objectives of our property where we are wanting to meet such standards," De Leon added.

Every ASEAN member states may nominate up to 10 green hotels as a recipient for the Green Hotel Award. All winners will be awarded a plaque and certificat­e of ASEAN Green Hotel Award.

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