The Department of Tourism (DOT) has asked the 17,000-member Philippine Councilors League (PCL) to help boost the country's tourism, emphasizing the local officials' crucial role in mainstreaming the department's  accreditation at a local government level. During the recent 2023 National Convention, the DOT, through its Office of Tourism Standards and Regulations (OTSR), presented the department’s mandate and regulatory functions before the PCL members and highlighted the important role they play when it comes to tourism. "The participation of DOT-OTSR in the recently concluded PCL National Convention demonstrates the commitment of the Department under the leadership of Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco to build stronger alliances with local government units (LGUs), realizing their crucial role in mainstreaming DOT accreditation at the local government level and uplifting the quality of tourism across the country," said DOT-OTSR Director Virgilio M. Maguigad. The PCL is the biggest among local government associations and "stands at the forefront of contemporary and emerging trends in local administration and development to help improve the quality of life of all Filipinos through effective local legislation." Maguigad discussed the shared responsibilities of the DOT and the local government units (LGUs) in the implementation of accreditation for Primary Tourism Enterprises, encouraging PCL members—especially members who chair the Committee on Tourism in their respective councils—to include DOT accreditation as one of the requirements in renewing business permits through the issuance of Local Ordinance on mandatory accreditation of Primary Tourism Enterprises. "On top of its participation in the PCL National Convention, the DOT-OTSR initiates activities with different LGUs as part of its program to promote tourism quality and DOT accreditation," the DOT disclosed in a statement. "One of these is the conduct of regular capacity building seminars on tourism quality, targeting participants from the Business Permit and Licensing Office, Engineering, Fire Management Bureau, and other offices involved in the local government’s issuance of business permits," it added. The DOT-OTSR is in close collaboration with the Philippine Association of Building Officials "to explore ways to include the DOT’s physical requirements in the building plans of accommodation establishments applying for business permits." The DOT, meanwhile, announced that its Online Accreditation System will undergo scheduled maintenance from 12 a.m. of April 6  to 11:59 p.m. of April 9. During this period, the system will be temporarily unavailable.