Bontoc, Mountain Province – The Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU) through the Municipal Tourism Office, in collaboration with the Committees on Agriculture and Tourism of the Sangguniang Bayan are looking forward to the advancement of agriculture and tourism (Agri-tourism) in the capital town.
Farm tourism is a concept that combines tourism and agriculture by drawing visitors to the farms to experience unique agriculture activities like harvesting agricultural produce, feeding and raising animals, fishing, camping, hiking and even sampling the local cuisine.
The recent benchmarking activity on Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) -accredited learning farm sites in the municipalities of Besao and Sagada on January 25, 2023, which was participated in by Sangguniang Bayan member Benedict Odsey III and Elizabeth Farnican of the Municipal Tourism Office has been a learning avenue to be imparted to farm owners in the municipality.
The activity was coordinated by Faith Pec-ao, the Learning Site Focal Person from the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian of the Provincial Government of Mountain Province.
Odsey and Farnican, along with farm owners in Bauko visited the Salt and Pepper Organic Farm in Besao; Sagada Village Heritage Bees at Lolos Farm, and Kiltepan Integrated Rabbit Farm, both located in Sagada. SB member Odsey who is also the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and a member of the Committee on Tourism mentioned that Agri-tourism could help the farming industry as a way to improve the lives of farmers and farm owners.
Reflecting on their recent visit to the tourism farms in Besao and Sagada, Odsey remarked that farm tourism is an avenue to attract guests to visit farm areas in Bontoc for educational and recreational purposes, and at the same time encourage economic activities that can provide both farms and communities get additional income.
These activities include immersing tourists in feeding animals, collecting eggs, hiking, learning nature-based arts and crafts, harvesting vegetables, and wine tasting, among others.
With this, he encouraged the farmers to introduce technology in farming and eventually open their farms to tourists under the farm tourism program of the Department of Tourism.
Likewise, Odsey assured the support of the Bontoc LGU to the farm owners on their applications for the accreditation of their farms.
Farnican in an interview mentioned that there is only one ATI- accredited learning farm in Bontoc which is the Bontoc Dairy Farms. She added that another farm site in Barangay Maligcong recently underwent assessment by the Municipal Tourism Office and by the PLGU -OPVet through Learning Site Focal Person.
Likewise, Farnican is encouraging interested individuals who want to operate as tourist farms to visit the Municipal Tourism Office for the requirements. Also, they may visit Learning Site Focal Person Faith Pec-ao at the OPVet. **Alpine L.Killa-Malwagay, Bontoc LGU
