TACLOBAN CITY – Tourists and visitors in Baybay City can now directly influence the quality of local tourism services through a newly launched QR code-based feedback system designed to improve customer experience and boost service standards across tourism establishments.
Dubbed the “Quality Visitor Experience Initiative,” the program allows visitors to instantly evaluate tourism-related establishments and services by scanning a QR code and rating them on hospitality, efficiency, cleanliness, and overall customer satisfaction.
The initiative, the first of its kind in Eastern Visayas, also enables users to submit complaints, suggestions, and recommendations regarding services provided by tourism facilities in the city.
Baybay City Tourism Officer Josefina Granada-Gutierrez said the digital platform is part of the city government’s feedback and service evaluation mechanism aimed at promoting, monitoring, and sustaining high standards of customer service in the local tourism industry.
“This is to inspire and encourage our establishments to improve their services and how they deal with visitors and tourists,” Granada-Gutierrez said during the launch.
She said the city government plans to recognize top-performing tourism establishments by December based on ratings and feedback gathered through the QR code system.
“We want the tourists and clients themselves to tell us which establishments are providing excellent service. This is a way for us to know what improvements are needed in the tourism industry,” she added.
Granada-Gutierrez assured respondents that personal information submitted through the platform will remain confidential, emphasizing that constructive criticism is essential in improving tourism services.
“Positive feedback is important, but constructive criticism is equally welcome because this is where we can start making improvements and do better,” she said.
Mayor Jose Carlos Cari said establishments that receive unfavorable feedback will also be given support from the city government to help improve their services.
“Those who receive poor feedback will not be left behind. We will help them because we want all establishments in Baybay City to provide quality service,” the mayor said.
To qualify for recognition under the program, establishments must be accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
Tourism data showed that Baybay City recorded 520,206 visitors at its pilgrimage sites in 2025. The Shrine of St. Anthony de Padua attracted the highest number of visitors at 323,205, followed by the 18th Century Immaculate Conception Parish with 204,036 visitors.
The city also logged 360,461 day-tour arrivals across its tourist attractions. Three destinations—Lintaon Peak, Eastern Clouds of Baybay, and Aya’s Hill—were among the top 10 most visited tourist sites in Eastern Visayas in 2025.
The launch of the feedback mechanism comes on the heels of Baybay City’s recognition as the only local government unit from Eastern Visayas to receive the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) Government Partner Award during the national FBSE Summit on July 21, 2025.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA/LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)
