By Danilo P. Padua, PhD

It is heartwarming to note that Benguet is now beginning to focus on agri-tourism. Fact is, the Benguet tourism office has a designated person to focus mainly on this. Hurray to that.
With honest-to-goodness plans on this sub-sector, it will not be long before most people will fully appreciate the importance of protecting our environment. That means that farmers will also become more aware of the need to make their farms sustainable in the long run by using less destructive farm practices. With the gardens more sustainable, it is not hard to imagine that they will ultimately result to more business opportunities, and creation of more jobs. Or, will that be possible?
In Japan, where the agri-tourism concept originated, urban dwellers are enticed to experience life in the farm. They live in a farm house, without the modern-day gadgets, do chores similar to what farmers are doing including farm operations. They stay there for more than one day to really experience the real thing. According to those involved, the experience definitely re-invigorated the tourists, became more productive in their works, and want to repeat the enjoyment they had.
The Cordillera as a whole, offers similar exhilarating experience that can hardly be matched by any region in the country. This is because the region can provide not only agricultural experience but more so, people could have the opportunity to soak in the various, well-preserved culture of the communities. “Benguet is an attraction that offers a mixture of nature and culture”, goes the promo. This might as well be said of the other provinces or even municipalities in CAR. In Benguet, agri-tourism, “home-stay” type had started. Tourists stay in the houses of vegetable farmers and participate in actual gardening operations from planting to harvesting-whatever is the activity at the time of their visits.
As per Benguet experience, farmers are finding the whole tourism package more profitable. Imagine one head of cabbage costing one hundred pesos! This is easily affordable by foreign tourists. But how about the poorer types of visitors-the locals? Maybe a suitable pricing system should be put in place.
There are other types of agri-tourism. In Ifugao, they can use the rice terraces using the model in Benguet. They can also properly position their Satoyama system which IFSU is now trying to perfect in cooperation with UPOU and Kanazawa University in Japan. This is the system where nature and agriculture are nicely co-existing. In Kalinga, they can capitalize on their heirloom rice. For a start, Mountain Province could make use of their breathtaking rice terraces or their once again thriving citrus industry. We can go on and on. It should be clear that agri-tourism is one of our possible saviors for agriculture regardless of the presence of ASEAN free trade. And without any doubt, this will quicken our resolve to stop improper development, including stoppage of wanton forest destruction.
It is acknowledged that the most challenging aspect of agri-tourism is the need to preserve something as tourism activities increases.
If somebody is interested to make their farms, forests or natural properties be an accredited agri-tourism site take note of the following criteria, as given by the Benguet tourism office: accessibility (presence of roads leading to the site), peace and order situation, attitude of people in the locality towards tourists, diversity of attractions and availability of markers, natural beauty and climate. Based on the criteria, it is clear that many agencies, including the community people, should work together to make the situation really feasible for agri-tourism.
What is needed now is to train tourist guides. Even the famous BSU strawberry field in the Swamp area of La Trinidad does not have a single accredited guide. Speaking of guides, when I recently visited the Nayong Pilipino at Clark, I was surprised to learn that there are Cordillerans serving as tourist guides or facilitators. As I entered the Museum there, I was met by a guide, an unmistakably Cordilleran. She is Ms. Maylene Manggad, a Dev, Com graduate of the BSU. She was a guide for Muslim weaving! In a short while, I came face to face with Ms. Eilyn Kilip, another BSU graduate (a BSE major), serving as facilitator of the laro-aral for kids. At the Ifugao portion of the Nayon, I met two other similarly amiable lady guides from Ifugao. It feels so nice and comfortable to see them there.**