Baguio City’s public johns win ASEAN tourism plum again

BAGUIO CITY (January 24, 2025) – Baguio City's public toilets at Botanical Garden and Wright Park won the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Standards Awards’ “ASEAN Public Toilet Award" for the second time.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the recognition proves the city's commitment to providing clean, accessible and well-maintained public toilets.

City Environment and Parks Management Officer lawyer Rhenan Diwas received the award on behalf of the city government on January 20, 2025 in Malaysia.

Tourism Standards and Regulation Director Virgilio Maguigad informed of Baguio City’s latest fete in a letter to Diwas.

Maguigad expressed his office's and the Department of Tourism's felicitations to the city saying the award is a "testament to (the city's) commitment to sustainability and the exemplary standard (it has) set in compliance with the ASEAN toilet standards.

The city first won the same award in 2023.

The ASEAN Public Toilet Awards is an initiative of the ASEAN Tourism Standards Task Force to address the quality standard issues in public toilets.

Criteria included design and environmental management system which involves “good waste water management system and standardized water treatment system, pleasant landscape and design, clear public toilet signboards, disabled and elderly facilities;"

Amenities and facilities, which involves appropriate space for each cubicle, sufficient provision of amenities, coat hangers and ledges in cubicles; cleanliness which is based on ventilation, good smell, tidiness of the facility, and customer interaction by designated personnel; and safety, which includes lighting, location, construction, materials used and use of environmental cleaning agent are considered.

The Wright Park toilet facility was completed in 2020, while the Botanical Park lavatory was in 2021.

Diwas said that the city is now working on replicating the successful comfort room prototype across all public comfort rooms in the city.

He said priority will be being given to facilities in Burnham Park and the Harrison area, which are critical due to high foot traffic.

"We call on the public to support this initiative as we strive to elevate the city’s public amenities to world-class standards. I honestly believe that these consistent recognitions affirm the validity of this vision, highlighting the importance of clean, well-maintained public facilities that reflect the values and cleanliness standards of the people of Baguio. Lest we forget, we were once hailed as the Hall of Fame awardee for being the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines. With that legacy, we can undoubtedly elevate Baguio to even greater heights," Diwas said.