DOT eyeing more accredited farm sites

MANILA, Philippines — The number of accredited farm tourism sites across the country is expected to grow with the implementation of the Farm Tourism Strategic Action Plan (FTSAP), according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

At present, there are a total of accredited 174 farm tourism sites across the country, 31 of which are in Calabarzon (Region 4-A).

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat expects the numbers to continue to rise as the demand for “low-impact tourism” increases with the completion of the FTSAP.

“Farm tourism capitalizes on two of our competitive advantages: agriculture, as 41.7 percent of the total land area in the country is devoted to farming as of 2016, according to the World Bank, employing 23.5 percent of the Filipino workforce (as of July 2019), and the world-renowned Filipino brand of hospitality that brought 7.1 million foreign visitors to the country last year,” Puyat said during the Farm Tourism Summit earlier this week.

The DOT targets to install a farm tourism development board this year along with the appointment of private sector representatives.  

“A National Farm Tourism Association will likewise be organized to unify farm tourism establishment efforts in addressing issues and to facilitate implementation of the FTSAP,” the DOT said.

Puyat emphasized that farm tourism is a catalyst for sustainable tourism and inclusive development.

“We at the DOT are looking forward for farm tourism to serve as a catalyst for greater sustainability; we know that we can now pursue it properly, guided by the IRR. Farm tourism holds the promise of food sufficiency and additional income for our tourism stakeholders, including farmers, farm workers and fisherfolk.

After all, gainful employment, enhanced productivity and sustainable livelihoods are what tourism is really all about,” Puyat said.

The DOT said the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016 would provide the policy and enabling environment for the encouragement, development and promotion of farm tourism in the country; and recognize the importance of agriculture in making available food and other products necessary to sustain and enhance human life and in providing livelihood to a major portion of the population.

Under the law, the DOT, the Department of Agriculture(DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry(DTI) will work together to develop the local farm tourism industry, in a bid to raise the income of farmers and spur the growth of the agriculture sector in the country.

Former tourism secretary and International School of Sustainable Tourism(ISST) president Mina Gabor earlier said that the Philippines has the potential to be the farm tourism capital of Asia, given the push from both government and the private sector to develop the tourism product.

Gabor acknowledged the presence of the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016 as a good sign that would move for the development of the sector, noting that local government executives are more open to given permits to these type of tourism sites.