Bontoc, Mountain Province – The Maligcong Rice Terraces in Bontoc, Mountain Province have been nominated by the Department of Tourism- Cordillera Administrative Region (DOT-CAR) as one of the pilot voluntourism sites in the Cordillera for Sustainable Farming and Environmental Conservation.
Relative to this, the DOT-CAR partnership with the Certeza Infosys Corporation (CIC) and the Techno Earth Systems Corporation is spearheading the development of Learning Modules and Sites for Life-Long Experience through Voluntourism. To prepare the community for this project, the DOT-CAR, CIC, and Techno Earth Systems Corporation, in collaboration with the Bontoc Local Government Unit through the Municipal Tourism Office recently conducted a workshop and site visitation in Barangay Maligcong on January 23, 2024. The activity was participated in by 15 farmers, tour guides, and homestay owners.
The workshop and site visitation aim to empower destination communities to establish voluntourism programs. Thus, part of the project is to provide the community learning materials and encourage them to participate in sessions that will equip them with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude to host guests while enhancing the community’s ability to address development concerns through volunteering.
Part of the workshops that are seen to be offered to the tourists in Barangay Maligcong are agricultural activities to include rice field preparation, planting and harvesting; recreational activities such as learning how to cook local delicacies and play indigenous games; and the tourists will also share their skills and knowledge to the elementary students in the village and the community as a whole.
Bontoc Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., expressed his gratitude to the DOT for supporting the training of tourism workers and for its support in boosting the tourism industry in the locality.
The mayor added that the Malicong Rice Terraces being chosen as one of the pilot voluntourism sites in the Cordillera for learning activities on Sustainable Farming and Environmental Conservation would pave the way for more development projects that would benefit the community. Likewise, this would serve as an inspiration to other barangays to enhance and innovate their respective tourism plans, programs, projects and activities with the help of the municipal government and other partner stakeholders.
The personnel from the DOT-Central Office who were in attendance during the activity were Marissa Masangkay and Jamaica Lagui while BayaniMalicdem came from the DOT-CAR. Also present were Richard Gonzalo,Vic Villegas, Deya Ballesteros, and Dolor Ballesteros, from Certeza Infosys Corporation.
It is to be noted that the Municipality of Bontoc has filed a petition to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to declare Maligcong Rice Terraces as a National Cultural Property of which all necessary documents were submitted. ** Alpine L. Killa- Malwagay& Michelle Palacio, Bontoc LGU