COMMUNITY-BASED RURAL TOURISM: A TIMELY RESPONSE TO INCREASE INCOME IN THE COUNTRYSIDES

I recently attended the First Community-Based Rural Tourism Seminar in Cebu from March 26-28, 2008 and I saw light at the end of the tunnel which could possibly spur the Philippine economy to progress specifically in the rural areas. The idea is to actively promote Community-Based Rural Tourism (CBRT) by identifying unique, indigenous, natural, cultural, archaeological, agricultural or any other signficant local attractions which maybe in a form of sites, natural spots such as falls, rivers, mountains, rainforests and the like; customs and traditions; local practices; economic endeavors; agri-based activities; heritage structures such as churches, ancestral houses and even ruins; sports and adventures; food and many others which are locally available. Ably explained by Former Department of Tourism Secretary and now President of Philippine Small and Medium Business develoment Foundation (PHILSMED) Dr. Mina Gabor, the particpants felt a ray of hope in today's economic difficulties through the development of rural tourism.

The good thing about CBRT is the fact that it entails not only the promotion but also the protection of local attractions. It speaks of Heritage Conservation, Environmental Protection, Agricultural Development and Tourism Management.

4As of Rural Tourism

According to Dr. Mina Gabor, the basic characterestics of Communtiy-Based Rural Tourism(CBRT) are the following:

*Attraction (Natural/Mandmade)

*Activities (Adventure, Agritourism, Ecotourism, Cultural)

*Authentic Food, Products, Songs and Dances

*Amenities (Accomodations, Transport, Guides, etc.)

The local governments will be playing an important role in promoting CBRT. Tourism in the barangay level is a great challenge to pursue.

HOMESTAY PROGRAM

A hometay program could very well complement rural tourism. Through this program, visitors are given the chance to experience the life of the local folks in a given community. They live with a family in a local community during their stay in the host country. Learn their way of life, customs, traditions, culture and daily routines, eat or play with them, and be a part of the family.

Aside from earning income for these services, local families will be able to promote their community through tourism. Takers of this kind service are usaually foreign students who want to learn from experience.

THE VIGAN EXPERIENCE

Vigan has so much to offer when it comes to rural tourism. The idea of promoting Vigan as a tourist destination is communty-based in nature. It is not limited in showcasing its built heritage, the centuries-old ancestral houses, its immovable heritage such as its priceless religious statues and icons, furnitures and jewelry but also its traditional industries such as Jar(burnay)-making , pottery-making, and "abel" loomweaving. It boasts of having authentic good food, rich history & legacy, and a unique culture. Basic amenities such as hotel accomodations, transportation services, tour guides, internet access, automated teller machines(ATMs) and other necessary services are readily available. Activities and festivals such as the Longganiza festival, Binatbatan Street dancing, Semana Santa, Solidarity day, Viva Vigan festival, Heritage amazing race, traditional games, food festival amd many others in a year make Vigan a major tourist destination. Vigan is not only a World Heritage Site, it is a Better Place to Live In and a Better Place to Visit.

(The Hidden Garden of Bulala,Vigan. An example of community-based rural tourism)

Roxas To Gov’t: Be Transparent On Rice Situation (Adapted from the Official Website of Senator Mar Roxas)

I find this press release of LP President Mar Roxas worth publishing in this blog so that the Filipino people may know what's happening in our country.

Senator Mar Roxas called on the government to be more transparent about the impending problem of diminished rice supply and higher prices, and to focus on real solutions without skirting the issue. "Yung Secretary of Agriculure ay nagsasabi na kailangang magkalahating kanin na lang tayo, tapos sasabihin na wala tayong problema. Kailangang tanggapin natin na may problema tayo para makausad tayo at makahanap ng solusyon," Roxas, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce, said.

"Don't bring the nation to the edge of crisis. Hindi ito isang bagay na basta na lang mawawala. Kapag nakahanda tayo nang maaga ay mababawasan natin ang problema. Kung pumikit-mata na lang tayo ay baka dumating ang panahon na trenta pesos kada kilo ang bigas," he said. At present, regular rice is already being sold at about P24-P26 per kilo, he noted.

"I am raising a fair warning now because the people have the right to know whether we are facing a looming rice crisis. Government must tell the truth and be accountable," he added. Roxas, President of the Liberal Party, noted that this year's estimate for imported rice was 2 million metric tons, as part of the Philippines' 12 million-ton consumption of rice annually. However, he noted there was no longer a surplus for importation.

"Yung Thailand ay hindi na makaka-commit sa atin. Ang Vietnam naman ay nagsasabi na hanggang kalahati lang ng ating pangangailangan ang mabebenta nila sa atin. So it's not just a question of price, it's a question of supply," Roxas said.

The Senator has already urged the government to release the calamity fund for local government units, in order for those in the countryside to augment rice supply. "Kapag na-release ang calamity fund sa mga LGU para sa mga magsasaka, ay makakabili na sila ng mga seeds, fertilizer, pesticide at kung ano pang kinakailangan, na sa ganoon mapaparami yung crops natin," he said.

EXPERIENCE THE VIGAN HOLY WEEK

For those who have not yet been in VIGAN CITY especially during the HOLY WEEK, better visit Vigan now! Holy Week in Vigan is something different and unique. During Palm Sunday and Good Friday, centuries old, life-size statues mounted in carrozas depicting the LIFE AND PASSSION OF CHRIST can be seen during the procession. From Holy Monday to Easter Sunday, people come to Vigan to not only to pray but to also to feel and appreciate the charm of the old world.

Vigan has always been a favorite destination during the Holy Week (“semana santa”). This is not surprising because the City is the ecclesiastical center of the north. Spending the semana santa in Vigan gives one a chance to reflect and evaluate oneself. With the natural ambience of the old world, Vigan is a perfect place to have a respite of the busy schedule in the urban centers.

Vigan City Council members visit the Banaue Rice Terraces

MY KIND OF (WO)MEN

March is International Women's Month as declared by the United Nations. It cannot be denied that many women worldwide had been victims of gender bias in the form of sexual, phsyical, verbal, economic and other forms of abuses. The United Nations and the different governments have no choice but to exercise their police power. It is necessary for them to regulate human behavior especially how men treat, perceive, and love women. The following is an adaptation of my earlier article published in Manila Times Regional Paper, Vigan Edition. Of course this would not have passed the editorial standard of the paper without the assistance of an esteemed friend who happens to be a writer, Teddy Molina. Here's the article:

Let me not pass this chance to extol the women in our universe for their great achievements in society, the state, and throughout the global village. No, I’m not referring to the traditional view of women that simplifies them as a mothering group.
I like to believe that gone are the days when women were regarded as inferior to men, as was the case in ancient Japan when they would walk behind their men in public.

In fact, I’m afraid the day will come when men will end up as the marginalized sector in society. When that happens, the sexist and gender bias phrase, “behind the success or failure of a man is a woman”, will become obsolete and irrelevant. It would be the other way around!

The picture is scary. Past and present successes of women in fields dominated or had been lorded over by men are very telling. It can be said that some of these women achievers emerged in the “battle”, while men watched or, at least, dillydallied. Let me mention some of them whom

I admiringly call "my kind of women."

First in my list is Joan of Arc, a national hero in France. She lived between 1412 to 1431. She was on earth for only 29 years, yet hers was a life well-lived, making history in the process. At age 19, she commanded French soldiers and emerged victorious at the Battle of Orleans. The battle was part of the French struggle against British invaders.

I should take off my hat, too, to Rosa Parks who didn’t yield her seat to a white individual in a bus full of people as was the regulated practice in the US then. Her single act triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott, highlighting the US Civil rights movement. She was a strong advocate of human rights concerns.

In the political world, I have special esteem for Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher. Gandhi is India’s pride, while Thatcher, sometimes called “Iron Lady” for her consistency holds the distinction of being the first woman prime minister elected in Europe.

I yield to physical Marie Curie for her twin discovery of radioactivity and the element radium that gave her the distinction as the first woman to bag the Nobel Prize.

Amelita Earhart’s feat of being the first woman to fly across the Atlantic is remarkable. She was on her way to notch the distinction as the first person to fly around the globe when her plane went missing in the Pacific Ocean.

In the field of entertainment, I have Oprah Winfrey in my list, who is an accomplished woman. She is a powerful and influential woman, what with millions of viewers she has in the world! Recently, she had her dresses auctioned in her program, fetching great sums which she later donated to charity.

In the Philippines, we have Gabriela Silang (wife of Anti-Spanish rebel leader Diego Silang), who continued the struggle for Philippine Independence after the death of her husband. Leona Florentino brought honor to the Filipino women with her world-acclaimed poems, satires and writings. Both are nationalists.

I’m tempted to add to my list Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt and its last Pharaoh, who seduced Julius Ceasar and Mark Anthony and lorded over them. Never mind.

I’d rather go for Mother Teresa anytime, regarded as the world’s “Living Saint” before she died.

What do these women have in common? I’m reminded of Arthur Clarke’s wisdom: “The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible”