By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
questions.”
But why farm tourism? Certainly, this is an interesting question being asked not a few times in many gatherings or discussions. Surely, it is a query worth answering at any given time of the day.
Farm tourism- or agri tourism as others are also describing it, truly holds a lot of promises to this island-nation of 100 million people or so. First and for most, the Philippines is a predominantly agricultural country. Farms are simply everywhere. A third of the land is devoted to agriculture. Fields are planted with rice, sugar, vegetables and many other cash crops. Farmers, hardworking stewards of the land and who are the pillars of the marginalized sector, easily constitute a significant portion of the populace. In fact, farmers consist of one third of the labor force in the country. At this time of the rainy or wet season, many of them are already busy planting rice even in the wee hours of the morning. Life is still hard for farmers- largely burdened by economic impoverishment for so long, thus they grow up prone to ailments, uneducated and poor. Yet, they feed the Filipino people whose staple food is rice and not hamburgers. Such condition is even more appalling when seen parallel to the fact that farmers don’t even own the land they are tilting.
Now, let’s see what farm tourism is all about. Think of just visiting a rice field or a farm in the countryside. And you’re on the way of enjoying a thousand and one thrills.
Don’t go too far. The rice fields and farm sites at barangays Poblacion East and Poblacion South in Lagawe, Ifugao are worth mentioning as farm tourism destinations in this part of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). A visit to such places easily gives one a good glimpse how farm productivity plays a key role to rural development in the capital town of Lagawe.
For instance, the attractions of the rice fields at Poblacion South are simply irresistible. This picturesque village is one of the most accessible sites in the town, and is located on the way to the popular Bahawit resort. A 12-minute tricycle ride from the town proper can be made by a tourist. Rice farming here surely draws considerable interest.
Going to this rice fields is quite a challenge but well worth it for it shall let you know why most farmers diversify and supplement their incomes. Get to know the ways and means of increasing the farmers’ income. Their bigger earnings are affected by the improvement in yield, increase in farm gate prices and minimal increase in per unit cost.
A half-day (or better still make it a day) tour of farm sites shall provide a clear-cut opportunity to learn more on the much-needed farm mechanization program that should be prioritized by the government in rural areas. As this is the best time to see and realize why processing centers, post-harvest equipment and post-production facilities are very important. Not to mention, of course, the need for irrigation systems.
Did you know that prices of well-milled variety of commercial rice is far different from regular milled rice and well-milled NFA (National Food Authority) rice? Why is the government importing rice from Vietnam to the detriment of the interest of the Filipino farmers? Despite a finding at an inquiry in Congress of overpricing and anomalies in the rice importation scheme.
Except for a few, most of the country’s farms remain underdeveloped as the Philippines continue to experience agricultural trade deficit, with the country importing rice than exporting. That doesn’t certainly speak well of the government’s rice self-sufficiency program. Sadly, Philippine agriculture is lagging far behind compared to its ASEAN neighbors such as Thailand and Vietnam.
On the way to the rice fields and farm sites at barangay Poblacion South, the visitor will find answers to this questions.
Meanwhile, members and officers of the Kabilbilan Impatye Irrigators Association and farmers of the said barangay continue to rise above the difficulties of improving their conditions. This NGO has 97 members.
With the visit to a vegetable farm, the spirit of adventure lives on. Here is a chance to see the importance of organic farming. By the way, Sen. Cynthia Villar, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, is pushing for the promotion of farm tourism. She should be strongly supported on this initiative.
The new reality- with the bright prospects of farm tourism in the country, may prove to be good news to the tourism industry here if handled accordingly and properly. For example, why not target Singaporean tourists (about 188,000 of them went to the country in 2014 according to Department of Tourism (DOT) records. Why but why? For agriculture is practically inexistent in this very affluent ASEAN nation. And how about the Chinese tourists (126,293 of them visited the Philippines in the first four months of 2015 alone)? The Guangdong-Laoag-Guangdong (on China Eastern Airlines) route has resumed and scores of Chinese tourists are now coming. How about promoting tours from Laoag International Airport to farm tourists destinations (to include mountainside terraces of Banaue and Mayoyao for them to see the breathtaking scenery of rice plantations) in Ifugao. They’ll always get the best experiences possible in the said tour.
Get the most of your travel experience with a visit to a farm. Farm tourism not only educates visitors about farm products (prepare yourself to taste the best and sweetest pineapples, avocados, coconuts , mangoes, jackfruit, guyabano, watermelons and bananas at this time of the year) in a given place. Don’t just take my word for it. Check out too the culture and traditions. See what can be done to offset the insufficient resources and antiquated policy support system hounding the agriculture sector. And create a timeline for your travel to a farm and share it with your loved ones and friends back home. Not just photographs,selfies and facebook. End goal: help make the farms and rice fields better places for less fortunate Filipinos. **
