Community tourism introduced in Pampanga, Tarlac

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Department of Tourism (DOT) has introduced a community tourism model in depressed villages near Mt. Pinatubo in Pampanga and Tarlac provinces.

DOT Regional Director Ronaldo Tiotuico said the Mosgav and Kibutz tourism models now being implemented in Barangay Sapang Uwak, Porac, Pampanga and Barangay Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac were in patterned after Israel community tourism projects.

Tiotuico attended last month a training program held in Rehovot, Israel together with 60 other tourism officials from 20 countries.

The skills enhancement program was launched by the Israeli government to afford developing countries an opportunity to learn formulating community-level approaches in rural development, Tiotuico said.

In the Mosgav model, for example, rural folk benefit from tourism and travel activities if the government provides infrastructure support like building roads and water systems.

Hundreds of residents, mostly Aetas, have been hired as tourist guides for tourists trekking the world-famous Mt. Pinatubo, said Tiotuico.

Aside from earning as tourist guides, other local residents have been earning by making and selling handicraft and other souvenir items as well as selling refreshments and other local ly made pastries.

The DOT tourism program near Mt. Pinatubo was named the "Best community-based sustainable eco-tourism project in 2002" by Indonesia. The same project received the "Kalakbay Award" for ecotourism project in 2002 awarded by President Arroyo and former DOT Sec. Richard Gordon.

"If only barangays in the country would follow and adopt the tourism project near Mt. Pinatubo we would have created millions of jobs already," DOT Secretary Obet Pagdanganan was quoted as saying.