THE City Government of Bago, through its tourism and agriculture offices, has stepped up its efforts to further develop the locality’s farm tourism sector.
At least 40 participants from 15 farms and farmers cooperatives and associations in the city are attending the two-day Farm Tourism Orientation being held at Buenos Aires Mountain Resort in Barangay Ilijan until Wednesday, September 12.
Provincial Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Cristine Mansinares, who spoke at the orientation on Tuesday, said the development of local farm tourism is also a priority of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Negros Occidental Tourism Division.
Mansinares said Bago is one of the three cities from the province which participated in the Global Farm Tourism Summit in Tagaytay City last July. Others are San Carlos and Victorias.
“This is the second farm tourism orientation conducted in Negros Occidental following the international summit. The first activity was in San Carlos City in July,” she said, adding that Bago City is pushing for the inclusion of more barangays with potential farms in the development of a farm tourism circuit.
Various topics were discussed to the participants during the first day of the orientation.
These include Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016 by DOT-Western Visayas Regional Administrative Officer Artemio Ticar while Negrense agripreneur Ramon Uy discussed farm tourism promotions and “from farm to table” concept.
Mansinares, on the other hand, talked on farm tourism opportunities and other general information about farm tourism in Negros Occidental.
Other speakers were from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, who discussed farm tourism support services and safety farm sites.
Participants will have a farm tour in four sites in the city today namely Matti’s Rambutan Farm, Oisca Sericulture Farm, Bee Well Farmstead, and Sta. Monica Healing Gardens.
Mansinares said the visit will enable participants to learn existing farms in Bago City as well as their offerings.
Mansinares said the two-day orientation is part of the measures aimed at preparing the baseline data for the city’s tourism development roadmap.
“The city government is currently mapping out potential farms for the creation of tourism circuit,” she said, adding that “the purpose is really to develop a farm tourism village which can be one or more barangays.”