By Anthony A. Araos
It is time to change the notion that trekkers are unimportant players in the tourism industry. On the contrary, trekkers are one of the key players in the tourism industry in many parts of the world.
Any contention that they are merely irrelevant parties in boosting Ifugao’s not-so-good tourism industry did little to attract local and foreign visitors.
I took the pains of discussing recently at length the potentials of Banaue and Hingyon towns in drawing the interest of trekkers. This time around I’m asking them to include Kiangan in their itinerary. They may consider visiting Kiangan first and then head to Hingyon and Banaue. It is in this premise that Kiangan should not be viewed as tertiary point of interest by a tourist.
Here’s my recommendation: schedule a trekking trip to Mt. Kappugan in Kiangan. At its peak, one can have a fascinating view of 11 of the 15 barangays (villages) of the town as well as some parts of Hingyon, Lagawe and Tinoc towns (all in Ifugao) and a good portion of Nueva Vizcaya province. Added treat: see the splendor of the famous rice terraces. It is, thus, important to reach the mountain’s top. It is surely cool, exciting and pulsating up there. That’s the reality and essence of trekking. This may be due to a number of climatic factors, which tend to influence one’s feelings and emotions. It creeps to one’s inner soul. Got misty eyes, it won’t easily go when you’re up there.
Once on top of Mt. Kappugan (about 1,305 meters above sea level), then you’ll tell yourself: “Excellent job! I have a very good and right frame of mind and endurance too!”
This is also a productive time to equate trekking with eco-tourism. No better time to do it than now!
It is not difficult to assert that eco-tourism also plays a significant role in driving the growth of the tourism industry here and elsewhere. Many different developments have taken place due to eco-tourism. For one, it promoted the introduction of new destinations and activities to further encourage both local and foreign tourists to visit the country. What is next big thing to expect? Incomes and jobs are generated in new-found destinations, most especially in rural Philippines.
Apart from its economic gains, eco-tourism is likewise geared towards community participation and management of natural resources, culture and indigenous knowledge and practices and environmental education and ethic. All of these, only points to the fact that eco-tourism is most helpful in upgrading the conditions of the people. Let us never, never, never downplay eco-tourism benefits!
Any of these benefits may be easily understood. In fact, every good or positive development in the community is the result of eco-tourism. What is true of the need to respect practices and beliefs of ethnic people in Benguet is similarly true for tribal folks in Hungduan or Mayoyao in Ifugao. In effect, the rights of indigenous people’s (IPs) are protected at all times.
A good story is an American trekker who went to an upland village in Asipulo, Ifugao with a friend from Los Banos, Laguna, also a trekker and an alumnus of the University of the Philippines. A good story teller is my friend who is deeply engaged in eco-tourism.
Just before Christmas day last year, we all met in Baguio City. You might want to know why we ended up discussing the need to raise the level of awareness of environmental protection and conservation rather than having ham, cheese and salad at the table on December 25. We also discussed how essential it is to preserve cultural diversity in the countryside. Mind you, the wind was plowing strong while we dissected these issues. It indeed plowed strongly each second as we all tried to be tactful and thoughtful of the fact that we were in the company of a foreign visitor. He (an engineer from Phoenix, Arizona) promised to come back this year for a new round of trekking and camping adventures in Mayoyao as well as in Zambales and Cebu provinces. It is a good sign for the tourism industry.
The most effective eco-tourism program is the most carefully planned one. There are so many ways of coming up with one, but the blueprint of nearly well-meaning eco-tourism program in the Philippines is the result of careful planning on the part of competent men and women in the private sector. Right now, the first impulse is to have one in Ifugao to save its ailing tourism industry. This impulse is absolutely correct. The great majority of the populace (and even the officialdom) are barely cognizant of how the eco-tourism program really works. Goodness sake!
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What the Ifugao tourism industry badly needs at this point of time moreover is up-to-date information on trekking sites as well as eco-tourism facilities. With only Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel as the only high-star hotel to boost in Ifugao, the province’s sole fallback for accommodation is its ecolodges. Thus, there is a need to invest heavily on planning and designing for better ecolodges. There is no doubt that Ifugao ecolodge owners should now consider banking on modern architecture. There is no other choice. This is a pressing issue that has to be analyzed as there is a challenge of levelling up expectations of foreign visitors is to be considered. They should appraise what they have been offering to them all these years- through design of ecolodge facilities as of the essence; color and motif should be attractive and imaginative. In short, the ecolodge should be kept timely!
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There was a time when the success of the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA)-bound Ifugao athlete was built solely over the skills and talent of the competitor and the tutelage of the coach on the side. Today other factors are significant. One of them is the role of three key figures in the province’s Department of Education (DepEd) schools division office, particularly, officer-in-charge (OIC) Schools Division Superintendent Felipe Ballitoc, Assistant Division Superintendent Geraldine Gawi and Sports Coordinator Anthony Gallangi.
In addition to gaining respect and admiration from the people for Ifugao’s recent third place finish (with 36 gold, 55 silver and 60 bronze medals) in Bangued, Abra, they were known for their innovations in the preparation program.
Let me then discuss their invaluable contributions separately. Let’s start with Mrs. Gawi.
Under her leadership, emphasis shifted from simple action plans to innovative ones. She was also active at the various stages of preparing and overseeing the training of the young hopefuls right at the beginning of the quest of the province’s for sports glory.
Without the functioning of the ADS office as a distinctive entity neither the “third place” accomplished of Ifugao nor the planned “parade” of the victorious athletes would have practical value. The job of Ms. Gawi is to actively assist the SDS. Indirectly, therefore, her office is of tremendous importance in generating the best performance of the Ifugao contingent at the just-concluded CARAA meet.
Only within the last few years has the importance of the work of Mrs. Gawi been fully recognized as a major phase of nearly all aspects of operations at the schools division office. Gradually, it has reached its current high emphasis.
Of particular impetus to the growing significance of Mrs. Gawi’s outputs was her advocacy for the promotion of both sports development and basic education. Principals, school heads and teachers began to invest more heavily in workshops and seminars and to realize that the value of the same depended largely upon the extent in which these programs they attended was conducted, handled and realistically paid for.
I have a very positive outlook that Mrs. Gawi shall provide all-out support to the Palarong Pambansa (National Games)-bound Ifugao athletes who are this time representing the CAR region. It is scheduled soon in Vigan City.
For her tireless, selfless efforts all these years and taking care of the needs of the athletes, coaches and trainers of the Ifugao contingent, may I commend Assistant Division Superintendent Geraldine Gawi. God bless and Mabuhay!
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Citing the “enlightening” lessons of previous Palarong Pambansa stagings as the one in Antique, I strong submit that it is high time that sports and culture be brought back in the basic curriculum of the nation’s schools, both in public and private schools.
Ever since the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) became DepEd in 2001, sports and cultural development became inexistent.
It is extremely difficult to produce champion or topnotch athletes when there is no sports development program that should emanate from the grassroots level and from the elementary school. Small wonder, the drug problem among the youth is rampant. Filipinos are embarrassed by the fact that small island-nation of Singapore is even beating their country in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Nothing can be achieved without the provision of a genuine and comprehensive program that would involve the development of sports and cultural programs to keep the young away from the scourge of illegal drugs.
Officials must accelerate the process of addressing this problem because there is so much a lot of work to do. Come to think of it, the Philippines is set to host the SEA Games in a not-so-distant time and is also competing in the next Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. **
