Villar bats for Northern Luzon farm tourism

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Cynthia Villar continues to move for the promotion of the country’s agri-tourism sector as she encouraged the development of farms into tourism destinations.

In her keynote speech at the opening rites of the NLEX Tara na sa Norte travel event Friday, Villar expressed her hope for more farm tourism developments in the Northern Luzon area.

“We encourage our farmers to turn their farms into tourism destinations,” Villar said.

She mentioned opening restaurants and stores that sell their produces as features that may be incorporated to their farms to attract more tourists.

Villar, who is the chairperson for the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, authored Republic Act 10816 or the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016.

The senator said development of farm tourism will not only give a lot of opportunities to farmers and their families, but will also drive growth for the economy.

She described the agriculture and tourism sectors as “engines of economic growth.”

NLEX president and chief executive officer Rodrigo Franco said the company’s expressways will make farms in Northern Luzon more accessible to tourists.

“With vast farmlands, the North Philippines is rich in agri-tourism sites that offer recreational and educational adventures for both local and foreign tourists,” Franco said.

“These destinations can be reached faster, smoother, and more convenient with the seamless road network provided by NLEX-SCTEX(North Luzon Expressway-Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway),” he added.

In line with pushing for agri-tourism in the north, NLEX Corp. launched the 2017 edition of the “Tara na sa Norte” Tourism and Travel Fair at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.

The three-day travel fair features over 90 exhibitors comprising hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour organizers and traders that offer exclusive deals and promotional rates to various travel destinations in North Philippines.