Turismo Rural kicks off

Those who have been to Sagada know that all throughout those eight hours of travelling from Baguio, there is only one far from being decent but still clean enough comfort room available to travelers for a minimal fee.

That is how tourist-friendly our country has become.

Government is targeting three million foreign tourist arrivals this year, compared to 2.61 million in 2005 and 2.29 million in 2004. The potential is greater, but because of the limited facilities for accommodating tourists, the goal has to be kept at three million to match the country current capacity.

This is where Turismo Rural comes in. While tourism experts fully recognize the appeal of commercial tourism, key stakeholders in the industry see the potential that small towns and remote areas of the Philippines have for tourism.

Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano has noted that the country lacks capacity and quality of experience in dealing with the influx of tourists compared to other Asian countries.

Despite the growing local and international interest in the country’s rural tourism industry, small villages do not have enough resources required to get involved. Rural communities given their current economic state lack adequate tourist services and facilities such as lodging, dining amenities and shops.

Durano noted during the recent Asean Tourism Forum in Davao City that the country now enjoys a record-breaking volume of tourists arrivals and for small non-urban communities, this is an opportunity to enhance economic development via rural tourism, highlighting areas where tourists witness and participate in activities that form the core of the community’s culture.

A proprietor of several successful resorts and hotels across the country has seen tourism as a vital means of economic development.

Julie Alegrado-Vergara, president of Almont Holdings which is behind the highly successful Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort in Mactan Island, Cebu and Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort in Oslob, Cebu close to Dumaguete, is leading an innovative effort to advance tourism in these communities.

Vergara is largely behind Casa Rural, an association of bed and breakfasts to accommodate the influx of tourists in rural communities. Casa Rural will convert unused or unoccupied ancestral or vacation homes in appropriate lodging and dining facilities for tourists.

Aided by the Cebu provincial government and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the project will allow tourists to enjoy the experience of rural tourism and at the same time provide locals with jobs and more importantly, pride in their place.

According to Vergara, a native of Cebu, it is fortunate that Secretary Durano himself is from the province and does not need much convincing in making portions of Cebu a pilot area for Casas Rural.

A well-organized community-based tourism can offer not only affordable, comfortable, and safe local accommodations in areas without established city hotels or beach resorts, but also provide new or additional tourist destinations, attractions and packages since each town in the Philippines has something unique to offer.

At the same time, it will be a different cultural experience for foreigners and local urban families who want to immerse and learn more about Philippine rural life, not to mention preserve heritage, culture and cleanliness of the town, increase economic activity and rural development, and provide job opportunities for local residents.

Vergara, in an interview, feels very deeply about how some people and communities take for granted what they have.

For instance, Carcar, a small town in Cebu, has a very rich heritage. The St. Catherine Church in Carcar, which was constructed in 1859, is admired for its Byzantine architecture, Greco-Roman altar and twin-bell towers that mirror a minaret shape similar to the ones founds in Muslim mosques. It was named after the townís patron saint St. Catherin of Alexandria and is the second oldest church in Cebu.

There is also the Boljoon Church which is the oldest remaining stone church in Cebu that offers an authentic sense of Philippine colonial past with its intricate carvings and beautifully decorated interior. It showcases a unique tower that is Islamic in character given its square shape as opposed to the usual curved design.

While Casa Rural will use Argao in Cebu as a pilot area, Vergara says they plan to expand the project all throughout the country. "Our idea is to have one showcased ancestral home per town. We will partner with the owner, renovate, put good toilets," she said.

As for Turismo Rural of which Casa Rural is a key component, Vergara revealed that they have tied up with other companies, such as Boysen Philippines, to help in the restoration of old churches and sites.

While helping promote community-based tourism, Vergara is also busy running the family business.

From 32 rooms in 1989, the lush five-hectare tropical paradise Maribago Bluewater now has 153 rooms and is opening its Amuma Spa Wing soon. Across Maribago, Almont is putting up service apartments to cater to businessmen as well as families who want to stay longer.

There is also Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort, Cebu’s best-kept secret, which was opened only last year. It is 125 km from Cebu City and is very close to Dumaguete. The island has an area of 24 hectares and is the first marine protected area in the Philippines and was made a fish sanctuary in 1974 under the guidance of the Siliman University Marine Reserve. Its sandbar is well known for its changing shapes and shifting locations around the island, depending on the season. It is also known for its "baluarte," a historical watchtower built as part of a warning system to thwart slavers and marauders in the 19th century.