December 24, 2024

Villar hinikayat ang DA, DENR, DOT at LGUs na gumawa ng estratehiya para sa farm tourism at eco-tourism

ANG ilang mga aktibidad at paglalakbay na may kinalaman sa agrikultura at kalikasan ang magiging bagong ‘growth areas’ na magbibigay ng sigla para manumbalik ang turismo na isa sa mga sektor na labis na naapektuhan ng COVID-19 pandemic, ayon kay Senadora Cynthia Villar. 

“We all know that the ongoing lockdowns all over the country and the world has really hit the travel and tourism sector hard. All the industries related to it, especially hotels and airlines, are really reeling until now. Increased interest and popularity of farm tourism and eco-tourism will provide the much-needed impetus to the sector,” sabi ni Villar, chair ng Senate Committees on Agriculture at Environment.

“After being locked down for months, people are longing to get reconnected to nature. Filipinos have also turned to gardening and growing their food. They can continue to do or pursue those interests and experiences when they visit a farm or a natural tourist attraction when things go back to normal or when quarantine eases,” dagdag pa nito.

Hinikayat din ng senadora ang Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) na makipagtulungan sa Department of Tourism (DoT), local government units (LGUs) o tourism boards at associations para makabuo ng estratehiya at support mechanism sa mga negosyo at entrepreneur na nasa farm tourism at eco-tourism.

Ayon sa mga travel expert, naging ‘in-demand’ ang mga destinasyon sa natural surroundings. Ang eco-tourisim at agritourism – kung saan pinagsama ang  pagsasaka at kalikasan – ay magpapalakas sa turismo sa ilalim ng new normal.

Bukod sa mga negosyo, ang lokal na komunidad, kabilang ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda, ang pinakamalaking makikinabang sa travel trend na ito.

Ayon kay Villar, primary author at sponsor ng Republic Act No. 10816 o ang Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016, na may legislative framework ito at kailangan lamang ng industry players ang suporta at gabay mula sa pamahalaan sa kanilang pagkilos  sa bagong normal set up.  

Dahil sa bagong batas na ito, dumarami ang bilang ng mga magsasaka, may-ari ng mga sakahan at farming communities na ma-enjoy ang mga benepisyo nang gawing farm tourism site ang kanilang mga bukid.

“In the last four years, since the law was passed, there has been a huge increase in farm tourism destinations all over the country. We published a book (Directory of Farm Schools, Tourist Farms and Learning Sites in the Philippines), from a list of only 386 in its first edition, the number has reached over 2,500. There are hundreds more out there that are not yet listed in our directory,” ayon kay Villar.

Maging ang Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ay kinilala ang pangunahing papel ng farm tourism. Nagkaroon ito ng memorandum of understanding (MoU) sa Department of Tourism (DOT) para maitulak ng mas maraming farm tourism development sa bansa. 

Sabi pa nito, may kakaibang kabutihan naidudulot ang farm tourism at eco-tourism sa Pilipinas dahil ito ay isang agricultural country  na may mayamang farming heritage, maraming natural resources, diverse  geography  na perpekto sa iba’t ibang aktibidades o adventure  bukod pa sa hospitable o maasikaso ang mga tao saan mang dako ng bansa.