Subic Bay Freeport, Philippines  – The Department of Tourism-Region 3 (DOT3) has awarded two hotels here for passing the standard of a Halal-friendly hotel.

DOT3 Regional Director Richard Daenos, together with SBMA Tourism Manager Mary Jamelle Camba, handed the certificates of recognition to representatives of The Aurora Subic Hotel and The Mansion Garden Hotel during the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) flag raising ceremony at the administration building on December 22, 2025.

Aurora General manager Rhett M. Villaruz and Mansion Garden Hotel Operations Manager Sheanelle F. Calayag received the certificates for their compliance with the requirements of DOT Memorandum Circular 2024-003, which provides the Amended Guidelines for Recognizing Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Establishments (MFAEs).

A Muslim-friendly accommodation offers prayer facilities (Qibla direction, mats, prayer rooms), Halal food options (certified kitchens/ meals), and amenities like water-friendly toilets and culturally sensitive staff training from official certifying bodies such as CrescentRating and local tourism departments.

Camba cited that the award is a testament to the capabilities of hotel establishments here in handling various needs of tourists of different religious affiliations,