Gen. Santos City, the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines”, hosted the 8th Philippine International Farm Tourism Conference, the country’s largest gathering of practitioners and authorities on farm tourism at the KCC Mall of GenSan on February 24-26.
Organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST), this year’s edition was themed “Stimulating Sustainable Economic Growth in Rural Communities through Farm Tourism,” which facilitated collaboration among farm owners and farmers, and emphasize the positive socio-economic impact of farm tourism.
ISST President Mina Gabor said that this year’s conference focused on sustainable growth through the cultivation of fruit farms, aquaculture and livestock, and investments on agriculture and tourism.
“The three-day confab opens with an exhibit of agricultural produce, processed food, native crafts, and finished products from Gen. Santos and neighboring provinces. Conference participants will also immerse in the diverse cuisine, natural wonders, adventure attractions and exotic culture of the Soccsksargen Region,” Gabor said.
She added that Gen. Santos Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao has endorsed the event to the local industry stakeholders to widen their learnings and knowledge on farm tourism to help bring prosperity in the countryside.
Gracing the occasion are Department of Tourism secretary Esperanza Christina Garcia-Frasco, former Senator Manny Pacquiao, SEAMEO BioTrop (SEA Regional Centre for Tropical Biology) Human Centre and Innovation department manager Dewi Suryani, Department of Agriculture undersecretary Constante Palabrica, and Center for International Trade, Expositions and Missions (CITEM) executive director Romleah Pulido Ocampo.
This year’s conference is the first in Mindanao and will showcase the phenomenal progress and peace of the Land of Promise it has attained in recent years.
Topics included Diversified Agriculture and Sustainable Farm Tourism Models, Enhancing the Land for Food Security at Home, Innovations and Technology Adoption for Increasing Farm Productivity and Sustainability, Peace and Trust in the Communities, livestock farms as farm tourism sites, and aquaculture development on new products.
The conference concluded with a familiarization tour to leading farm tourism sites in the Soccsksargen Region, such as Felicidad Orchard, Fish Port Complex, Guava Farm, and Bougainvillea Avenue of Sarangani Highlands.
The conference was supported by the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Animal Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport), the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Interior and Local Government, and Philippine Airlines as official carrier.
International agencies Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), and the Asean Centre for Biodiversity are partnering again with the ISST to bring in the best practices in the Southeast Asian region.
Collaborating local government units were the provinces of Sarangani, Cotabato Province, and Sultan Kudarat, and the congressional offices of General Santos Rep. Loreto Acharon and Sarangani Rep. Steve Chiongbian Solon. PR