CLARK FREEPORT — Quest Plus Conference Center Clark and the City of San Fernando emerged as the biggest winners at the Department of Tourism-Region 3’s Tourism Recognition for Enterprises and Stakeholders (TRES) Awards Night held at the Hilltop Garden here Jan. 9.
Quest Plus received the Green Champion Award and was acclaimed champion for Most Gender Sensitive Workplace for Employees, Mabuhay Award (Restaurant) for Mequeni Live, Mabuhay Award (Front Office) to Katrina Quiambao Dizon, and Mabuhay Award (Housekeeping) to Ricardo Nogoy Jr.
Othe accolades it received were 1st Runner-Up Most Gender Sensitive Accommodation Facility, 1st Runner-Up Tourism Quality Award (MICE Meeting Room Category), and 2nd Runner-Up Tourism Quality Award (Hotel, Resort, Apartment Hotel).
The City of San Fernando won the Most Outstanding Cultural Tourism Program for its Heritage for Progress, Most Outstanding Tourism Officer to Ching Pangilinan, Most Outstanding Festival for the Giant Lantern Fest, and Top Tourist Destination (City Level).
The city also placed 1st Runner-Up Most Outstanding Community-Based Tourism Program for its Calesa Preservation and 2nd Runner-Up Most Visited Tourist Destination.
DOT-3 director Richard G. Daenos said the TRES Awards are a great way to give back to our tourism stakeholders. “DOT-3 doesn’t undermine the efforts of our industry partners, quite the opposite, we shine a spotlight to their outstanding contributions to the tourism sector for the past year through this award-giving event.”
A total of 36 awards across eight categories were given to outstanding finalists who excelled in the rigorous selection process, involving the evaluation of submitted requirements and panel interviews, surpassing their co-applicants in the industry, Daenos noted.
This involved identifying relevant awards and special recognitions, refining criteria and requirements, and appointing a distinguished panel of tourism experts to conduct interviews and determine deserving winners, he added.
Apart from recognizing efforts, the TRES Awards is aimed at inspiring and challenging its stakeholders to remain committed, driven, and empowered to enhance and elevate the over-all tourism experience in the region through their significant contributions.
Other significant winners of the TRES Awards are:
Under the Gender and Development Category: Lake Farm Dela Marre for Gender-Sensitive Promotional Materials, Gender-Sensitive Tourist Attraction, and Most Gender-Sensitive Accommodation Facility.
Under the Mabuhay Category: Mabuhay Award (Spa) Purovel Spa & Sport of Swissotel Clark, Mabuhay Award (Supervisor) Alexis John Aquino of Swissotel Clark, and Mabuhay Award (Tour Guide) Erwin R. Valenzuela.
Under the Tourism Quality Category: MICE Exhibition Venue and MICE Event Venue to SMX Convention Center, Clark; Mabuhay Accommodation to BB Casa Laguerta; MICE Meeting Room to Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort and also Hotel, Resort, Apartment Hotel category.
Under the Tourism Development Category: Most Creative Tourism Marketing Collateral for Social Media – Clark Development Corp.’s “Experience Exciting Clark”; Most Creative Tourism Marketing Collateral for Print Materials – Province of Bataan’s “Pamana Journal.”
Tourism Statistics Champion was the Province of Nueva Ecija.
For the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) Advocate – the Provincial Tourism of Zambales.
Under the Outstanding Tourism Program Category: Most Outstanding Festival (Province) – Singkaban Festival of Bulacan; Most Outstanding Festival (Municipality) – Kamaru Festival of Magalang, Pampanga. Most Outstanding Community-Based Tourism Program – Yapak Tour Guides and the Sustainable Legacy of the City of San Jose del Monte Dumagat Trail – City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.
The DOT-Central Luzon Kaagapay Award to Porac, Pampanga at the municipal level, and Zambales at the province and freeports level.
The Most Visited Tourist Destination (based on same-day visits) was Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Top Tourist Destinations were Dipaculao, Aurora (Municipality) and Clark Freeport Zone (Province and Freeports).
The DOT-Central Luzon Haligi Award Awardee was its former director Ronaldo T. Tiotuico who served in the agency from the time of President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. until his retirement during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Among Tiotuico’s achievements at the helm of DOT-3 were the initiation of the Hot Air Balloon Festival in the immediate aftermath of the Mount Pinatubo Eruptions, and the trail to the Mount Pinatubo crater.
The Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. that operates the Clark International Airport also received a special citation.
