By Joel B. Belinan
As I said last week, discouraging visitors from coming to Baguio City is not the solution to the overcrowding of our very small city. Opening and promoting more destinations in nearby areas or the Cordillera as a whole should be the proper way of addressing this problem.
Hence, this topic of ecotourism in the Cordillera is again timely even if this may have been an oft-repeated subject in this column. Yes, indeed choosing the path less traveled, going back to nature, or any place other than the suffocating urban jungle, “Ecotourism”.
Our region, the Cordillera is unique from all the other 16 regions in this country owing to its topography, weather, and people’s culture. Such in a country well known for world-class beaches and hot and humid weather. Our region would naturally be the hot choice destination. Never mind that most of those foreign tourists especially those coming from countries with snow-capped mountains would prioritize our beaches. Although quite a number would come here for its uniqueness of this country, not to mention our Indigenous People’s cultural identity.
For the past three decades or so when ecotourism was popularized the world over, there have been several destinations that have been opened. However, if we are to look at the statistics on Tourist arrivals, the overwhelming numbers remain to be cornered by Baguio City and other big towns in the region. Unfortunately, such a picture can be said for the entire country.
Still, people prefer to flock and overcrowd the urban centers as shown here in the city, especially during the peak seasons. Small places like Baguio, Burnham Park, Wright Park, Mines View Park, The Botanical Garden, Camp John Hay, Philippine Military Academy, Session Rd, and that giant mall (they call the city) are the most common places they flock in. As if these visitors can not have enough of the metallic or cement jungle they have in their places of origin which we know are much more congested than ours.
This means that whether the government admits it or not, it failed to inculcate to the bigger part of our people the very essence of ecotourism. While there have been big changes in the various local government’s programming of their tourism promotion including the opening of several destinations, such efforts seem not enough to sway the balance from the metallic or cement jungle preference of the people. The national government in this aspect seems to be the one remiss in its duty. As a local official said, the national govrtnment convinced the communities to open up their beautiful places for destinations and indeed visitors started coming. However, the much-vaunted manna from heaven or so-called tourism expenditures was hardly felt in various localities.
I will cite for example the trekking on certain mountain peaks such as Mt. Pulag. Trekkers especially those coming from Metro Manila and other big cities down south come with oversized backpacks with complete provisions good for their travel duration. In short what remains as their actual expense that lands in this region only include, entrance or green fees (which are usually very minimal) guide fees in places where guides are required, hiring of jeeps or vans (sometimes they even come with their flashy cars) and maybe a few hundred pesos more for incidental expenses. Those provisions that they consume during their travel are 90% bought from the big malls in Manila and other big cities.
The result is that LGUs who have been hearing all those lip service promises and promotion statements from high government officials would start thinking, “it appears we were tricked.” Then many communities start feeling the stress of having visitors who in many instances do not behave themselves in the manner they would do in their hometowns. “Awan bibiang da”, a barangay captain said of a group of hikers that keeps on shouting while passing by a place where unfortunately a wake was happening. Worst, some visitors are suspected of visiting certain places to buy illegal weeds but of course in the guise of being tourists. I am sure many of our people and law enforcers knew what I am referring to here.
I am not saying that we should abandon the tourism industry or even the very concept of ecotourism.
Far from it. What I am saying is that the government especially the National Government should do much more than their usual business-as-usual lip service. That those concerns of the community people no matter how small should be given attention to and addressed accordingly. Failure to do such would make those trekking destinations like Mt. Pulag, Mt. Ugo, Mt. Cloud, Mt. Kallugong, Mt. Kabunian, Mt, Tenglaoan, the spelunking in Ambongdolan Caves, and Aran cave all in Benguet; the white water rafting in Chico River Kalinga, the Chico River village to village trekking, caving in various Sagada caves, Sunset viewing in Besao, hiking in the forests of Bauko and Barlig all in Mtn. Province; those Rice Terraces destinations in Ifugao, the forest and river treks in Apayao and Abra would just be exposed to faster degradation to the detriment of host communities. communities. I know it sounds like a vague and sometimes lonely opinion but I hope more voices will will join me so our decision-makers will listen.**
