- 003

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 2021 ______

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDES QUALIFICATION

EXAMINATION (PTGQUALEX)

WHEREAS, pursuant to Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009, the
Department of Tourism (DOT) is the primary planning, programming, coordinating,
implementing, and regulatory government agency in the development and promotion of the
tourism industry, both domestic and international, in coordination with attached agencies and
other government instrumentalities;

WHEREAS, R.A. No. 9593 also provides that the DOT is mandated to formulate and
promulgate rules, and regulations governing the operation and activities of all tourism
enterprises, including but not limited to a national standard for licensing, accreditation, and
classification of tourism enterprises, prescribing therein minimum levels of operating quality
and efficiency for their operation in accordance with recognized international standards;

WHEREAS, under R.A. No. 9593, tourism enterprises refer to facilities, services, and
attractions involved in tourism, including Tour Guide services;

WHEREAS, after consultation with various tourism stakeholders, it was determined that there
is a need to establish a national qualification examination to ensure the excellence and quality
of service provided by DOT-Accredited Tour Guides;

NOW, THEREFORE, based on the foregoing, the establishment of the Professional Tour
Guide Qualification Examination (PTGQualEx) as a requirement for Tour Guide Accreditation
under the Rules and Regulations Governing the Accreditation of Tour Guides is hereby
adopted:

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Circular, the term:

(a) Accreditation shall refer to a certification issued by the Department to a tourism

enterprise that officially recognizes it as having complied with the minimum standards
for the operation of tourism facilities and services.

(b) Department refers to the Department of Tourism.

(c) Industry Experts refers to practitioners of good standing from any of the following
sectors:

1. Academe (e.g. Tourism, Philippine History & Heritage, Arts & Culture,
Environmental Science Department)
2. Any of the operating sectors of the tourism industry:
i. Transportation Sector (e.g. Land, Air, Water)
ii. Accommodation Sector (e.g. Hotels, Resorts, Mabuhay Accommodations and
other similar accommodation establishments)
iii. Food and Beverage Sector (e.g. Restaurant, Kulinarya)
iv. Travel and Tours Sector (e.g. Travel Agencies, Tour Operators)
v. Tour Guiding Sector
vi. Government

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 (d) Master Regional Tour Guide refers to a Regional Tour Guide who has rendered at
least ten (10) consecutive years as DOT-accredited Regional Tour Guide and has
proven his/her expertise and experience in conducting tours, making him/her eligible
as a resource person or lecturer for tour guiding trainings

(e) “Mock Tour refers to a graded simulation activity that evaluates PTGQualEx
candidates on actual guiding that includes On-Board Tours and Walking Tours.

(f) “On-board Tour refers to a mock tour that focuses on the evaluation of PTGQualEx
candidates undergoing tour guiding simulation while inside a moving vehicle.

(g) Panel Interview refers to the graded manner of screening the applicants by
determining their personal qualities, aptitude, and knowledge on tour guiding.

(h) Professional Tour Guide Qualification Examination or PTGQualEx shall refer to

the national qualification examination for aspiring professional Tour Guides which
consists of a three-part assessment to be administered by the DOT, namely:

1. Panel interview;
2. Written examination; and
3. Mock tour.

(i) Regional Tour Guide refers to an individual guiding within a region where s/he has
been issued a DOT accreditation.

(j) Regular Regional Tour Guide refers to an entry-level Regional Tour Guide who
has met the minimum requirements for DOT accreditation, including passing the
PTGQualEx, or an accredited Tour Guide prior to the implementation of the 2021 Rules
and Regulations Governing the Accreditation of Tour Guides.

(k) Specialist Tour Guide refers to an individual who exhibits technical expertise and
knowledge in a specific field of interest or activity, as certified by a tourism association,
government or private institutions, and who is allowed to guide or lead tour groups in
any part of the Philippines within his/her scope of expertise.

(l) “Tour Guide refers to an individual with specific area qualification who leads tour
groups or individual visitors through a particular attraction, activity, site, or destination
and provides interesting or enlightening facts and information or interpretation, for a
fee, commission, or any other form of lawful remuneration.

(m) “Tour Guide Level refers to the level and/or rank of an accredited Tour Guide
determined after evaluation of his/her skills and professional credentials which shall
serve as an indicator of the Tour Guide s expertise and experience in the industry.

(n) “Walking Tour refers to a mock tour that focuses on the evaluation of PTGQualEx
candidates undergoing tour guiding simulation leading to or within a tourist destination
while walking

Section 2. Coverage. This Memorandum Circular shall cover:

A. Applicants for Regular Regional Tour Guide who have complied with the training
requirements under Section 9 hereof;

B. Applicants for Specialist Tour Guide who have complied with the training requirements
under Section 9 hereof;

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 C. Previously Accredited Tour Guides whose accreditation expired on or after 30 June
2018 and failed to renew their accreditation within the grace period as provided under
Section 27 (A) of the Rules and Regulations Governing the Accreditation of Tour
Guides;

D. Previously Accredited Tour Guides whose last accreditation expired prior to June 30,
2018, in accordance with Section 27 (B) of the Rules and Regulations Governing the
Accreditation of Tour Guides;

E. Tour Guides who passed the PTGQualEx but failed to apply for initial accreditation
within a one (1) year grace period, reckoned from the date of the official release or
publication of the PTGQualEx result; and

F. Tour Guides who have already taken their PTGQualEx but failed to renew their
accreditation in accordance with Section 18 of the Rules and Regulations Governing
the Accreditation of Tour Guides, as shown on the table below

Tour Guide Classification Period of Non-Renewal

Specialist Tour Guide 6 years and 1 day or more after expiry
Master Regional Tour Guide
Regular Regional Tour Guide 4 years and 1 day or more after expiry

II. PTGQUALEX COMMITTEES AND BODIES

Section 3. PTGQualEx Steering Committee. The PTGQualEx Steering Committee shall

be organized by the DOT and shall be composed of the following:

Chairperson Undersecretary
Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource Generation

Vice-Chairperson Assistant Secretary

Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource Generation

Members One (1) Representative

Tourism Industry Board Foundation (TIBFI)

One (1) Representative

Philippine Federation of Professional Tour Guide Association Inc.,
(TGFED)

Two (2) Representatives

Travel and Tour Sector of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines
(TCP)

One (1) Representative

Pool of DOT-Accredited Trainors

Four (4) Regional Cluster Heads

Section 4. PTGQualEx Regional Clusters. The PTGQualEx Regional Clusters shall be

composed of the DOT Regional Directors based on the following geographical groupings:

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 A. Northern Luzon Cluster shall include DOT Regional Office I, II, III, and the Cordillera
Administrative Region;
B. Southern Luzon Cluster shall include DOT Regional Office IV-A, IV-B, V, and the
National Capital Region;
C. Visayas Cluster shall include DOT Regional Office VI, VII, and VIII; and
D. Mindanao Cluster shall include DOT Regional Office IX, X, XI, XII, and XIII.

The PTGQualEx Steering Committee Chairperson shall designate the Regional Cluster
Heads among the Regional Directors. The Heads of Accreditation Division of each
Regional Office shall serve as Alternate of the Regional Directors.

Section 5. Functions of the PTGQualEx Steering Committee. The PTGQualEx

Steering Committee shall:

A. Oversee the policy direction and implementation of the PTGQualEx;

B. Supervise the operation of the PTGQualEx Technical Working Group;
C. Convene twice a year, or as the need arises; and
D. Perform other duties as may be necessary.

The non-government members of the PTGQualEx Steering Committee may be provided

Honorarium for services rendered subject to relevant government auditing and accounting
rules and regulations.

Section 6. PTGQualEx Technical Working Group. The PTGQualEx Steering Committee

shall be supported by a Technical Working Group (TWG) who shall provide technical
assistance to aid the Steering Committee in policy-making. The PTGQualEx TWG shall be
composed of the following:

Chairperson Director
Office of Tourism Standards and Regulation

Vice-Chairperson Director
Office of Industry Manpower Development

Members Chief
Standards Development Division

Chief
Standards Monitoring and Enforcement Division

Chief
Manpower Planning and Monitoring Division

Chief
Manpower Training Division

The PTGQualEx TWG shall:

A. Direct and oversee the conduct and implementation of the PTGQualEx;

B. Engage Industry Experts as may be necessary;
C. Report and coordinate with the PTGQualEx Steering Committee as to the progress of
the PTGQualEx;
D. Convene as may be necessary in order to implement the provisions of these Rules;
E. Serve as the keeper of the Master Key; and

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 F. Perform other functions that may be assigned to it by the PTGQualEx Steering
Committee.

Section 7. PTGQualEx Secretariat. There shall be a PTGQualEx Secretariat to perform

clerical and administrative functions in support of the Steering Committee and TWG. It shall
be composed of members from the Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource
Generation, and shall be headed by the Chief of the Standards Development Division.

Head Chief
Standards Development Division

Members Representative
Standards Development Division

Representative
Standards Monitoring and Enforcement Division

Representative
Manpower Planning and Monitoring Division

Representative
Manpower Training Division

Representative
Office of the TRCRG Undersecretary

Representative
Office of the TRCRG Assistant Secretary

The PTGQualEx Secretariat shall:

A. Issue and cause the publication of the PTGQualEx results upon approval of the
PTGQualEx Steering Committee Chairperson;
B. Maintain a registry of PTGQualEx passers;
C. Serve as communications intermediary between the TWG and Regional Offices on
PTGQualEx;
D. Prepare and keep a record of the minutes of the meeting whenever the Steering
Committee and / or TWG convene(s);
E. Submit to the TWG Chairperson the collated PTGQualEx-related documents from the
Regional Offices;
F. Perform other functions as may be delegated by PTGQualEx Steering Committee and
TWG.

Section 8. Regional Offices. The DOT Regional Offices, headed by the respective
Regional Directors, shall take charge of the regional operations of the PTGQualEx.

The Regional Offices shall:

A. Collect PTGQualEx application forms and fees;

B. Perform clerical and administrative functions in relation to PTGQualEx;
C. Submit to the TWG the initial results of the PTGQualEx upon the approval of the
Regional Director; and
D. Coordinate with and engage the services of the following:

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 1. Regional Board of Examiners. Each region shall have a Regional Board of
Examiners composed of three (3) Industry Experts - one (1) from the Academe (e.g.
Tourism, Philippine History & Heritage, Arts & Culture, Environmental Science
Department), and two (2) from any of the operating sectors of the tourism industry,
except the tour guiding sector, the composition of which shall be recommended by
the DOT Regional Director concerned and approved by the PTGQualEx TWG
Chairperson.

The Regional Board of Examiners shall perform the following functions:

i. Prepare a pool of questions that will be included in the PTGQualEx, which

questions shall be local in nature, including but not limited to local culture,
attractions, history, and traditions;
ii. Participate in the Panel Interview; and
iii. Coordinate with and report to the DOT Regional Office concerned.

2. Mock Tour Evaluators. The Mock Tour Evaluators shall be composed of one (1)
DOT Regional Representative from either the DOT Accreditation or Training
Division; and two (2) Industry Experts, one of whom must be from the Travel and
Tours Sector, and the other from any of the operating sectors. The Mock Tour
Evaluators shall be recommended by the DOT Regional Directors and approved by
the PTGQualEx TWG Chairperson.

The Mock Tour Evaluators shall:

i. Serve as raters in evaluating the applicants during the Mock Tour

examination;
ii. Coordinate with and report to the Regional Office concerned.

The non-government members of the Regional Board of Examiners and Mock Tour
Evaluators shall be provided honorarium for services rendered subject to relevant
government auditing and accounting rules and regulations.

III. PTGQUALEX PROCESS

Section 9. Requirements. Applicants, who must be eighteen (18) years of age at the time
of application, shall submit to the DOT Regional Office an application form, with a certified true
copy of the proof of completion corresponding to the training completed, as follows:

Institution Training Completed Proof of Completion

At least NC-II Tour Applicable TESDA
TESDA Accredited Institution
Guiding National Certification
CHED Accredited
At least three (3) Units of
Higher Education Institution Transcript of Record1
Tour Guiding Subject
(CHED-HEI)
Technical Vocational Transcript of Record
DEPED Accredited School
(Tour Guiding Subject) (Form 137a)
DOT-Accredited Training Center / Regional Tour Guiding
Certificate of Training
Institution Course

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The DOT shall not consider the CHED HEI-issued Transcript of Record if the completed Tour Guiding Course by
the applicant is integrated with a travel and tours subject or any other subject.

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Section 10. The PTGQualEx Panel Interview (First Level).

Location : One key city per region as identified by the DOT Regional Office
Frequency : At least once a year, depending on the targeted number of examinees

The Panel Interview shall be conducted by the Regional Board of Examiners and a
representative from the DOT Regional Office. The results of the panel interview shall be
reviewed by the Regional Office concerned and submitted to the PTGQualEx TWG
Chairperson for approval. The PTGQualEx TWG shall formulate the criteria that shall be used
by the panel, designed to determine an applicant s personal qualities, aptitude, and knowledge
on tour guiding.

Only applicants with a score of at least 80% from all the members of the panel shall be allowed
to proceed to the second level of the PTGQualEx.

Section 11. The PTGQualEx Qualifying Examination (Second Level).

Location : One (1) key city per region as identified by the DOT Regional Office
Frequency : At least once a year
Exam Type : Written / Online

The written examination shall be composed of 60% general questions and 40% local
questions. The general questions shall be prepared by the PTGQualEx TWG and the local
questions shall be prepared by the Regional Board of Examiners. There shall be three (3) sets
of questions and answers for the examination per region. The written examination shall be
conducted simultaneously across regions to avoid leakages.

Only applicants with a grade of at least 80% in the written exam shall be allowed to proceed
to the third level of the PTGQualEx.

Section 12. Master Key. There shall be a Master Key consisting of three (3) approved
examination sets per region which shall be kept confidential at all times. The TWG
Chairperson shall act as its safekeeper and copies of which shall only be endorsed to the
PTGQualEx Examiners, composed of representatives from the DOT Tourism Regulation,
Coordination and. Resource Generation (TRCRG) who shall be tasked to oversee the conduct
of the PTGQualEx in each region.

Section 13. The PTGQualEx Mock Tour Examination (Third Level).

Location : One key city per region as identified by the DOT Regional Office
Frequency : At least once a year
Exam Type : Walking Tour and On-board Tour of Key Tourism Destinations

The Mock Tour examination shall be conducted by the DOT in coordination with the Mock
Tour Evaluators who shall serve as raters during the mock tour. The Mock Tour shall consist
of an Onboard Tour and a Walking Tour which shall be different in nature.

Only applicants with a rating of at least 80% from the Mock Tour examination shall be
considered to have passed the PTGQualEx.

Section 14. Results. The initial results of the PTGQualEx shall be approved by the
Regional Director and submitted to the TWG. It shall then be endorsed by the TWG
Chairperson to the Steering Committee Chairperson for final approval. The Regional Offices
are prohibited from disclosing the results prior to its official publication either in a newspaper

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of general circulation or the DOT official website and social media pages, within thirty (30)
days from the conduct of the Mock Tour Examination.

Section 15. Validation Interview for Specialist Tour Guides. Upon completion of the
PTGQualEx, aspiring Specialist Tour Guides shall undergo a validation interview for Specialist
Tour Guide Accreditation. The validation interview shall be scheduled by the PTGQualEx TWG
and conducted by a panel composed of one (1) industry representative, one (1) specialization
expert, and one (1) DOT representative. The PTGQualEx Secretariat shall facilitate the
conduct of the validation interview.

Specialist Tour Guides Examinees who passed the PTGQualEx but failed in the validation
interview may still apply as Regular Regional Tour Guides.

Section 16. Examination Fee. A non-refundable examination fee in the amount of

PhP1,000.00 shall be paid to the respective regional offices upon the filing of application.

IV. OTHER PROVISIONS

Section 17. Separability Clause. If any portion or provision of this Circular is declared
null and void or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to
be in force and effect.

Section 18. Repealing Clause. All previous rules and regulations, circulars, orders, and
other issuances issued by the Department which are inconsistent with the provisions of this
Circular are hereby repealed and modified accordingly.

Section 19. Effectivity. This Circular shall take effect immediately after fifteen (15) days
following the completion of its publication in a newspaper of general circulation or the Official
Gazette. Let three (3) copies hereof be filed with the University of the Philippines – Office of
the National Administrative Register (UP-ONAR).

For guidance and strict compliance.

12 March 2021.
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BERNADETTE ROMULO PUYAT

Secretary