TAGUMpay Gulayan Program showcases a sustainable community

ONE Friday, upon the invitation of the Association of Tour-

Philippines (Atop),

I joined a National

Panel of Jurors for

The Pearl Awards: Atop-DoT Best Tourism Practices of the Philippines Awards. The Pearl Award: ATOP-DOT Best Tourism Practices of the Philippines Awards, now on its 14th year, honors local governments and tourism officers who have contributed

sustainable tourism development in their respective communities.

Our National Panel of Jurors was composed of myself, Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, executive director of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), and Professor Eric Zerrudo, director of the Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (CCCPET) of the University of Santo Tomas (UST). We were tasked to conduct

and deliberation of the top three

One of the three awards under The 2018 Pearl Awards: Best Practices on Community-based Responsible Tourism is the Best Community-based Tourism Campaign or Event. And the winner is the TAGUMpay Gulayan Program of Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

The Tagumpay Gulayan Program

The Tagumpay Gulayan Program is a productive farm-based, school-based and communitybased farming that is responsive to the challenge of food security and climate change promoting love for farming, consumption of healthy vegetables and farm tourism through appropriate farm mechanization, facilities and maximum land utilization in the urbanized landscape of the city.

The program intends to utilize idle lots or vacant spaces primarily in barangays (villages) and schools as spaces for vegetable gardening or edible landscaping; to use different kinds of new technologies such hydroponic, aquaponic and recycled, re-used waste materials to enhance clean and green environment; to promote cultural, natural, organic fertilization, protection and control of pest and diseases; to contribute to the pursuit of food security and economic stability of the city; to provide alternative livelihood

to support in addressing malnutrition and other adverse health conditions; to empower and capacitate people on sustainable practice of resource utilization and development; to establish support facilities such as plat nurseries, market stalls and other infrastructure; and to promote the city’s farm tourism industry.

Year 2017 Numbers Speak for Success

At total of 1.847 million square meters of land area representing 23 barangays, 41 public schools, 6,779 indigenous peoples and 4Ps beneficiaries, 254 puroks, 40 churches, 95 day care centers, 5,389 households, 432 stand

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A total of 115,185 local residents aged 7 years old up to over 60 years old were involved in the implementation of the program and the operation of the gulayans.

Sixty-seven varieties of vegetables like lettuce, eggplant, kangkong,pechay,alugbati, raddish, cucumber, upo, tomato, atsal,patola,okra,kalabasa, and tanglad were planted and produced

At total of 78,160 kilos of all 67 kinds of vegetables were produced and yielded a total of P4,823 million.

A total of 7,700 pieces of recycled mineral bottles, tires and styrofoam boxes, and 50,600 kilos of recycled plastic and tin containers were used for planting.

A total of 15,421 liters of foliar concoctions such as fermented fruit juice and vermicompost tea were produced and distributed.

A total of 69,421 kilos of vermi cast fertilizer and vermi worms’ night crawlers were produced.

At total of 10,553 tourists visited the gulayan gardens.

Aside from achieving the desired outputs of their objectives, the program delivered unintended positive outcomes such as hunger reduction; greening of the industrial landscapes of the city; reduction of the rate of absenteeism in schools since pupils were encouraged to go to school every day, as they were enticed with the nutritious, delicious and free meals that await them in the feeding program; reduction in the plastic and other solid wastes; vegetable garden as a form of carbon sequestration contributed in averting the effects of climate change; children and youth were encouraged to establish their humble versions of the gulayan in their homes and make farming another hobby and at the same time they are also enticed to consume healthy vegetables; the culture of chismisan (gossiping) was changed to a culture of bayanihan; remanifestation of the city as a model of setting the equilibrium between progress and environmental care; social cohesion and stronger private- public linkages; and re- learning that farming especially vegetable gardening is fun, fulfilling, and rewarding.

In a warming world seeking to pursue a sustainable future for all, a program like this is worth duplicating in every barangay, town, city, and province.

About the Atop and the Pearl Awards

Atop is an organization of tourism

that aims to strengthen its capabilities in tourism development, strive toward the highest standard of information and services for tourists, promote the welfare of its members and other partners, and foster unity in the industry.

The association recognizes exemplary practices, programs and innovations employed by local government units in tourism governance. Together with the Department of Tourism, we encourage local chief executives to actively participate in the country’s tourism development initiatives. The people behind the TAGUMpay Gulayan Program of Tagum City, Davao del Norte.