Thursday, March 27, 2008 RP eyed to become 'vacation site' By Debra M. Estero Sun.Star Correspondent
CEBU has been identified as a priority area in the bid to promote the Philippines as the first “vacation site,” not only in Asia but in the world.
In yesterday’s opening of the first three-day forum on Community-Based Rural Tourism (CBRT), 300 representatives of the tourism industry and local government leaders nationwide gathered with the aim of achieving the goal for the country.
Local leaders, as well as tourism officers in their respective areas, will come up with regional CBRT programs which they will present to the whole convention after a workshop on Friday.
Each region is also expected to come up with a final CBRT program two months after the seminar which they will, in turn, submit to their Department of Tourism (DOT) regional heads.
DOT Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab said that the proposals of each region will not yet be considered a master plan but will be used by the agency to determine where it could help in the development of the programs.
To start the CBRT program, DOT has identified priority areas nationwide which they refer to as “anchor destinations.”
Among the anchor destinations identified by DOT were Cebu, Laoag, Baguio, Subic, Metro Manila, Bohol, Boracay, Davao and Palawan.
Though Palabyab confirmed that there are already CBRT models in the country, these have yet to be organized so they could be more marketable to tourists.
During yesterday’s session, Cebu’s Suroy-Suroy Sugbo, organized by the Cebu Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council under the Office of the Governor, was also showcased as one successful CBRT which can be emulated by other regions.
Suroy-Suroy Sugbo is a form of caravan headed by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and gives participants a glimpse of the Cebu countryside.
Currently, there are four packages available to tourists and locals. These are the Southern Trail, which explores 18 towns in southern Cebu, the Northern Escapade, which covers 14 towns, the Rediscover Camotes and Urban Adventure, which is a one-day tour to the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
The organizers came up with a new destination called the Midwestern Package which includes the towns of Balamban, Asturias, Tuburan and Tabuelan and the city of Toledo.
Expectations
Tourism stakeholders expect that, through rural tourism, the country will be able to attract a bigger chunk of 900 million tourists in the global market.
Last year 2007, tourist arrivals in the Philippines reached 3.09 million. Although the figure has gained the country a revenue of $48 billion, the Philippines still ranked low compared to other Asian countries in terms of tourist arrivals.
Palabyab said that in 2007, Singapore and Thailand got 20 million and 17 million tourists, respectively.
Majority of the tourists went to China, which attracted 45 million. The growth was attributed to rural tourism and the promotion of eco-tourism in the countryside.
Dr. Mina Gabor, a former DOT secretary and the president of the Philippine Small and Medium Business Development Foundation, said that during a news conference by the world tourism organization in Belgrade last 2002, rural tourism was defined as a promotion of the rural culture as a key component of the product offered.
Also, during yesterday’s open forum, most LGU officials said that they already have CBRT plans in place but they have a problem coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
DENR, through the Protected Areas Management Bureau (PAMB), regulates the use and development of some areas, especially in the countryside, as part of conservation efforts.
Cebu Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale said that she had once initiated a meeting with representatives of PAMB but got a hard time coordinating with them as well.
Gabor suggested that a coordination meeting with DENR be called to address the current challenges facing CBRT programs in the different parts of the country.
