Known for decades as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines,” General Santos City, more popularly known as GenSan, has earned a new moniker as an emerging farm tourism hub in Mindanao. It recently hosted the 8th Philippine International Farm Tourism Conference, the country’s largest gathering of practitioners and authorities on farm tourism.
Organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) under former Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor, the event had the full support of the City Government of Gen. Santos and was held at the city’s favored MICE venue, the KCC Mall.
Themed “Stimulating Sustainable Economic Growth in Rural Communities through Farm Tourism,” the three-day conference provided avenues for collaboration among farm owners, farmers, and participants while emphasizing the positive socio-economic impact of the sunshine industry on the countryside.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, the keynote speaker, said, “At the heart of farm tourism lies a simple yet powerful idea: that our farms are more than just places of production. They are living landscapes of culture, history, and sustainability, where traditions are passed down, innovation takes root, and communities find new pathways to prosperity.”
“I express my heartfelt gratitude to our stakeholders whose dedication has allowed our lands to be as productive as they are purposeful. Your passion fuels this movement, and you deserve our collective commendation and gratitude. We shall continue to support farm tourism through training and capacity building, accreditation, inclusion, and promotion in our tourism circuits, as well as integration in our flagship and priority programs,” she added.
ISST President and Conference Director Mina Gabor said this year’s conference focused on sustainable growth through the cultivation of fruit farms, aquaculture, and livestock, as well as investments in agriculture and tourism. This year’s edition, the first in Mindanao, highlighted the phenomenal progress and peace and order situation the Land of Plenty has achieved in recent years.
Topics covered during the conference included Diversified Agriculture and Sustainable Farm Tourism Models, Enhancing the Land for Food Security at Home, Innovations and Technology Adoption for Increasing Farm Productivity and Sustainability, Peace and Trust in the Communities, livestock farm tourism sites, and aquaculture development on new products. Resource persons included owners of successful farm tourism ventures from Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon.
Lending an international flavor to the event were foreign speakers Dewi Suryani of Seameo Biotrop from Indonesia, Gregory Duffel of Vulcain AI from the USA, Kaoru Hirabayashi of Strout Inc. from Japan, and Malaysian Nur Azura Binti Adam from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
The three-day event also featured an exhibit of agricultural produce, processed food, native crafts, and finished products from the SOCCSKSARGEN Region.
To showcase GenSan’s potential as a farm tourism hub in the south, participants visited the city’s leading sites, including Felicidad Orchard and Garden Organics, Bougainvilla Avenue, Sarangani Highlands, MBX Grape Vineyard, Saxonylyn Scifish Farm, Envirogreen Village Educational Foundation, Villamor Agrotourism Park, Keisha’s Garden, JB Guava Farm, and JBalayo H20 Garden Villas.
Gabor said that GenSan’s farm tourism sites would provide additional tourist attractions to the city, which is a favorite for MICE events because of its urban vibe, indigenous culture, and tasty tuna catch. The conference concluded with a farewell dinner and entertainment program at Patricio’s Coco Island, hosted by City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao.
The 8th Philippine International Farm Tourism Conference was supported by the Tourism Promotions Board, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, Philippine Retirement Authority, Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Animal Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport), Department of Trade and Industry, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Philippine Airlines as the official carrier.
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