Farming with a Twist
to both the agriculture and tourism sectors. Agricultural tourism is a commercial enterprise at a working farm to generate incremental income for the owner. The goal is fostering a deeper understanding of farming through education and hands-on experience, as well as providing vacation experience.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are the lead agencies for farm tourism. The law also seeks to promote environment-friendly, efficient and sustainable farm practices. For farming and food production to be more sustainable and to be able to meet growing food demand, there should be more efficient production. In the law, the DOT and DA shall encourage the establishment of at least one farm tourism camp in every province in the country. Our very own survival and security demand it.
Mina Gabor, former secretary of tourism, is a big supporter of farm tourism. Her school, the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST), sponsors yearly conferences in farm tourism and now offers farm tourism 101 in Subic.
The Agri Tourism Family Farm initiated by jetsetter Gigi Morris of Moca Farm and mother and son team Baby and Eric Atanacio of Terra Verde started an idea to gather farm owners to learn from each other and help jumpstart agri- tourism activities in each farm. Today, the “Agri Tourism is More Fun in the Philippines” FaceBook (FB) group has more than 7,000 members with the Family Farm Network gaining ground. The meet- up which started at Terra Verde was designed to offer a networking group of family farmers who don’t know what to do, who to connect with, what steps to follow and how to go about it and several dilemmas.
The 5th Family Farm Event Agri Meet last Saturday was hosted by Ms. Villar at the Villar SIPAG farm ( Las Piñas) with very strong support from lawyer Rhaegee Tamana and Leony Marquez. The other venues were Flor’s Garden (Antipolo), MoCA Family Farm (Batangas) and Diaspora Farm Resort ( Pangasinan). At the Farm Meet, Josie Costales of Costales Nature Farms (the first DOT accredited model for farm tourism in the country) started their farm in 2009 and she now says tourism accounts for 70% of revenues.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Deputy Director General Diosdado Padilla talked about how farms can be accredited as Farm Schools under the TESDA Training for Work Scholarship Program ( TWSP) to be able to reach as many farm owners and workers and make farming efficient and cost effective. This will be another source of income for farms other than farm production and farm tourism. Sonia Lipio of TESDA also assisted to make it easy for those interested to apply for TESDA accreditation. Ms. Villar walks the talk. She opened the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (SIPAG) urban farm school in Cavite in partnership with Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and also partnered with SM Foundation, Harbest, DA, Bureau of Fisheries, ATI, Bureau of Animal Industry, East West Seeds, DSWD, Allied Botanical and Macondray Plastic.
A bigger movement is now happening. Go Negosyo’s success with small & medium sized enterprises (SMSE) now includes and focuses on agriculture. Thanks to the initial discussion with Presidential Adviser Joey Concepcion and Harbest’s Toto Barcelona. Go Negosyo now gave birth to the Go Negosyo Kapatid Young Entrepreneur Farmer with the objective of encouraging and mentoring young farmers; it has started a life of its own.
Professionals, well-educated, wellinformed (or seeking to be informed), returning OFWs or on vacation, retirees, as well as some young ones are now beginning to be interested in farming. To make their farms productive and make a difference, let’s support farm tourism and improve the lives of our farmers.
Can agriculture and tourism go together? Exciting times ahead we see for farm tourism in the Philippines. Ms. Villar said: “I firmly believe that farm tourism is a sunshine industry and will be a major contributor in bringing back the glory days of agriculture in our country”.
Today the Agri Tourism cluster of Go Negosyo will have its first meet courtesy of Mr. Concepcion coordinated by Ginggay Hontiveros. Farm Tourism is in!