Whatever former Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor handles, it’s always successful. Her International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) continues to draw in students from all over Asia and the Middle East. The International Ecotourism Travel Mart she organized last year was a tremendous success, attracting ecotourism advocates and experts from all over the world.
Last month, she organized another stellar event that capitalized on our country’s farm tourism industry which has bounced back from its slump. My good friend, Mina, hosted the 7th Philippine Farm Tourism Conference on the resort island of Panglao, Bohol.
Organized by her school, ISST, the event was supported by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport).
Returning after a five-year pandemic hiatus, the conference gathered a powerhouse lineup of speakers, namely Department of Tourism Undersecretary Mae Elaine Bathan, Philexport president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., BFAR national director Demosthenes Escoto, and Senator Mark Villar, who all pledged to strengthen their support to farm tourism.
Provincial executives led by Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado and first district congressman Edgar Chatto welcomed the delegates and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to put the spotlight on Bohol’s other tourism gems. The island province was named by UNESCO as a Global Geopark in 2023, in recognition of its rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity.
The two-day confab highlighted the cultivation of fruit and vegetable farms, aquaculture and artisanal fisheries, and green investments. It gathered over 200 delegates from local government units, farm sites, and tourism advocates, as well as the BFAR regional directors and Philexport local chapter heads who explored the prospects of aquaculture and exports.
The event included useful lectures on sustainable farm-to-table concepts, processing fruits and vegetables, the right marketing and revenue, value-added benefits of artisanal fisheries, reviving the country’s multi–million seaweeds industry, and the prospects of pompano fish aquaculture.
The conference also conferred the fourth batch of the prestigious Lakbay Bukid Awards on five individuals and organizations that have contributed to the growth of Farm Tourism in Asia.
With a $ 1,000 cash prize from the family of the late tourism stalwart Bobby Joseph, awardees included Francis Joseph Perdigon of Perdigon Farms in Butuan City; Dr. I Wayan Alit Artha Wiguna of Cau Chocolates of Bali, Indonesia; Tan Inong Manufacturers represented by Veronica Salupan, Borneo Eco Tours of Sabah, Malaysia headed by Albert Teo Chin Kion, and Malagos Agri-Ventures Corp. of Davao City represented by managing director Rex Puentespina.
Complementing the learning sessions was a trade fair featuring Bohol’s agri-based produce and post-conference tours to farm tourism sites which are the latest additions to Bohol’s long list of natural wonders.
The event was also backed by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, the Department of Tourism, the Tourism Promotions Board, and the Department of Trade and Industry, with Philippine Airlines as the official carrier.
Next year’s Philippine Farm Tourism Conference will be hosted by General Santos City, which will showcase its tuna and fisheries industry and the SOCCSKSARGEN Region’s growing farm tourism sector. More information on this and future activities of ISST is available through mobile 0977 294 6763 or through www.isst.edu.ph
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