The Department of Tourism is calling on hotels to adopt environment-friendly operations, after two resort hotels made it to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ list of 81 “Green Hotels.”

The El Nido Resorts on the Lagen and Miniloc islands of Palawan province and the Shangri-La Island Resort Mactan in Cebu City were among the first establishments to earn the recognition, which was announced last Jan. 22 during an ASEAN forum in Bangkok.

In a statement, Tourism Secretary Robert Ace Durano said the recognition that El Nido and Shangri-La Island Resort earned should inspire other tourism facilities and establishments to think of the environmental impact of their daily activities and find ways to protect the immediate community in which they belong.

Durano added that undertaking ecologically sound activities would help hotels and resorts in ASEAN save thousands of dollars in operational costs monthly.

The hotels’ recognition was given following the adoption of the 10-member ASEAN of the Green Hotel Standards, which focus on how the hotel industry can contribute to sustainable tourism.

The criteria include having an environmental policy and actions for hotel operation; use of green products; collaboration with the community and local organizations; human resource development geared toward environmental management; solid waste management; energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor and outdoor air quality management; noise pollution control; waste water treatment and management and toxic and chemical substance disposal and management. With editing by INQUIRER.net