Saturday, May 26, 2007 Acofo: Stressing ecology in ecotourism By Julio Acofo Seeing With New Eyes
I ATTENDED the briefing on the Greet. Grassroots Entrepreneurs for Ecotourism is a grant program of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to energize the growth of business and investments in ecotourism. Ecotourism minus heavy technical jargon can simply mean being able to strike a balance between tourism and ecology.
Tourism is the business of earning from tourists. Tourist arrivals in the Cordillera has been increasing, a record that translates to earnings for the locals. An ultimate product, however, of ecotourism is an ecotourist. An ecotourist can be described as a tourist who is willing to tour to enjoy and spend for nature and ecology. With these, we can say ecotourism as an industry is being able to earn from and generate investments for tourism and the preservation, protection of our mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, plants and animals.
Ecology refers to the entire wealth of natural resources: rivers and river systems, mountains and mountain ranges and the whole life -web of plants and animals life living in these systems. And with the Cordillera being an indigenous peoples area, the intricate web of the different cultures and traditions of the Ifugaos, Bontoks, Kalingas, Iblaois, Kankana-eys, Tingguians co-existing and woven around the Cordillera ecology, increases the pressure for an ecotourism that is sensitive and supportive to local culture.
Again, most local cultures are founded on an intricate and deep connection to the natural environment. The agricultural cycle of the Ifugaos with the famous rice terraces is replete with rituals that celebrate not only plentiful harvest but the Ifugaos close affinity with the land. The muyong as with the tayan of the central Bontoks although a way to allocate private and communal properties (socio-economic) can not be sustained without links to the entire forest from which they draw water. This affinity with the land or nature (forests, water bodies, species) is beyond the obvious. As with most traditional indigenous peoples, the Ifugaos, Bontoks, Kalingas, Ibalois, Kankana-eys, Tingguians of the Cordillera manage their forests, lakes and mountains with the unseen but known.
Ecology to the traditional indigenous Cordilleran is spirituality at a certain level. Unseen beings known as co-owners of the forests, lakes, rivers and even certain animals in the forest constitute an additional aspect of ecology in the mind of the traditional indigenous Cordilleran. And this way of defining ecology or ecotourism for that matter can be packaged as an added value to ecotourism in the Cordillera. The ecotourist will respect and enjoy more deeply his (careful) foray into the heart of Cordillera forests if s/he is able to appreciate why shouting or making unnecessary fires in the forest is prohibited. A certain level of vibration or ecological pulse has to be maintained and that is what we call in ordinary terms as serenity or tranquility in the forest. The unseen but known elements or beings of nature can exist peaceably and probably healthily at a certain ecological pulse.
Using the term ecological pulse, we can appreciate the traditional indigenous thought that the whole ecology (i.e. forest or lake for that matter) is alive. In clearer terms the entire forest breathes!
Protection and conservation drive the proper allocation of Mount Pulag being a protected area and a tourism destination. This is what I got from the presentation by Ms. Albas - Protected Area Superintendent of Mount Pulag. The monitoring of standard forest species as indicators to ensure biodiversity and conservation and protection of endangered species which form part of the Cordillera bio-wealth is laudable. But what if the packaging of Mount Pulag as an eco-tourism destination includes the realism that Mount Pulag is a resting place of the great souls of the Ibalois? This I got from auntie Brigs Hamada-Pawid, an Ibaloi.
Comparing Mt. Pulag with Mt. Olympus of the Greeks can sound an overstatement but for ecotourism blended with culture, its great packaging! Imagine: a white ecotourist sitting in one of the mounds in Mount Pulag lazily kicking the clouds below his feet. On the background are the faint outlines of the great Ibaloi souls serenely smiling and watching over. Its a picture of a sellable eco-cultural tourism. Add: the tourist sipping a mug of herbal stew of Gippah Tea. That would be indeed beyond scenic. Now redo: the tourist is sipping a mug of Kalinga Brew?! The box of Kalinga Brew neatly tucked in his pack!
Speaking of Kalinga, Naty Sugiyaos sharing of how they labored to establish and promote the Chico River qest a white water rafting business along the Chico River challenged a lot in us to bring the discussion further. To ecotourism and sustainable development. Knowing that through the white water rafting business, communities along the Chico River have come up with users fees, we posed the idea: can part of the user fees or fees as part of the earnings of the communities be allocated for the sustenance of the watershed(s) of the Chico River. Yes, we brought out a potential policy and that is watershed fees.
Without the watersheds, there is no water. Without water, there can be no (Chico) River. Without the Chico River, there can be no white water rafting business and the Chico River Quest which is already of global reach. A huge and very important part of eco-tourism in the Cordillera is the fact that the Cordillera is an entire watershed. The Cordillera is watershed cradle of north Luzon. According to the Cordillera Regional Development Plan, this is a development direction and niche of the Cordillera. The Cordillera being a watershed cradle of north Luzon may serve as a template of ecotourism in this part of the Philippines. Yes, we hope we shall greet our policy makers and newly elected legislators (local and national) with the idea to craft the necessary policy watershed fees in its many forms and streams. Our greetings to Greet thank you.
