LAGAWE, IFUGAO – – Banking on their entrepreneurial spirit, some folks of sitio Nagtipunan in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Alfonso Lista pooled their resources for the operation of a tourism market.
Inspired by the success of the Nagtipunan Womens Fisher folk Producers Cooperative, folks behind the newly-opened tourism market have worked hard to transform a dream into reality.
“Our work couldn’t be done without the support and assistance of civic leaders in Alfonso Lista,” a worker said.
Thankfully, tourists- locals and a handful of foreigners are visiting the town. Thus, reflecting on the facility’s significance. Only then villagers can understand why there is an urgency to raise awareness to help those in need by equipping them with life-long learning skills through livelihood ventures.
Instead of sending the village’s labor force abroad, they are creating jobs right here in this farming barangay.
Now, they could earn more money and even think of expansion plans in the future.
The capacity to see the incoming years in an optimistic manner begins with present-day realities. At the moment, the tourism market offers fish products, vegetables and fruits. There are also several items for decorations. There are a lot more choices for visitors.
Generally, why is there a growing sentiment to connect tourism and development of local economy?
“The national government is aggressively pushing its tourism program and we’re taking advantage of it,” community leader Paul Jason Perlado said.
“We need to invest at Barangay Sto. Domingo because it’s where tourists are visiting throughout the year,” he added.
The tourism market proponents should also understand that more improvements are needed. Carrying this out requires additional costs. This results to sustainable and long-term value.
Viewed as a development project, the tourism market is a catalyst for growth, priming up impoverished communities as “priority” localities thus promoting and hastening countryside development.
Since opening this market to the public, operational perspective has expanded rapidly. Now, there are more opportunities, given these considerations. There’s a lot of attention to achieve the goal of reducing the poverty rate dramatically.
Nurturing and strengthening this goal is central to creating employment opportunities for villagers. It also opens new opportunities for farmers and fisher folks. The volume of fish products delivered to Nagtipunan port at Magat Dam is still significant.
Well-meaning private sector leaders are always working to bring more joy to emerging business owners. Would others in the public sector do the same? What would happen if they realize that injecting vitality into underserved communities has a significant social impact on the people? It will possibly dispel the impression that the government is so engrossed in allocating huge funds for “flood control” projects again and again. **By Anthony A. Araos
