La Union host 1st North Luzon Agri-Tourism Summit
To further strengthen agripreneurship, tourism, and culture as key drivers of economic growth in the northern Philippines, the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) led by Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III held the first of its- kind BURAS 2022: North Luzon Agri-Tourism Summit on March 17-18, 2022 via hybrid events.
Hosted at the Awesome Hotel Convention Center, BURAS 2022 brought together farm, heritage, and leisure professionals and key stakeholders from the public and private sectors to learn the latest in industry trends and forecasts, as well as to discuss strategies for recovery, developing resilience, and brand management for sustainable growth and effective communications amidst the on-going challenges of CoViD-19 pandemic.
The niche event gathered about 200 participants from Regions 1, 2, 3, and the Cordillera Administrative Region – 70 of whom were only allowed onsite as adherence to health protocols.
In a video-recorded message, Gov. Pacoy encouraged everyone to continue to manifest their strong camaraderie as they strive to revive the Agri-Tourism industry in the provinces. “Our unity and resiliency are our key strengths to rise again and emerge stronger in these trying times,” he said.
Keynote speakers include Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, Cong. Loren Legarda, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, represented by DOT Region 1 Director Joseph Francisco R. Ortega, and Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
Ms. Yanna Valerie N. Paz of the Office of Provincial Strategy presented the best practices of the Stronger La Union Agri-Tourism Strategy. She mentioned that the Agri-Tourism industry plays a vital role in the economy. Her presentations emphasized that the provinces’ agriculture and tourism sectors must be given equal opportunity to grow because it paves the way for more economic development.
The summit’s second day lined up an outstanding roster of resource speakers who imparted expertise and insights along with four comprehensive topics: “Empowering Local Communities through the Unique Fusion of Farming and Tourism” by Dr. Mina Gabor of International School of Sustainable Tourism; “Roadmap for Low-Carbon and Resource-Efficient Tourism” by Mr. Kiko Velhagen of Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc.; “MSMEs Investment, Innovation, and Market Diversification Strategies” by Dr. John Paolo Rivera of Asian Institute of Management – Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism; and “Cultivating the Heritage Roots and Cultural Sustainability of Farm Tourism Practices” by Prof. Eric Zerrudo of the University of Santo Tomas – Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics.
During her talk, Dr. Gabor lauded the efforts and synergy of PGLU and stakeholders and said “…not [to] wait for 2025 because today, La Union is already the farm tourism center of Northern Luzon.”
The summit also became a successful avenue to convene the La Union Tourism Development Council and to form the new organization for farm tourism establishments dubbed as La Union Farm Tourism Association. These indicators alongside multi-level coordination among various stakeholders push forward all the initiatives in realizing La Union’s vision to become the Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025.
Joy Ann L. Gurtiza, GPC-LUPTO
