CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) forged a formal agreement the other day for the implementation of the Katutubo-KAPWA project all over the country.
As per DOT, the Katutubo-KAPWA project is a “nationwide initiative which will enjoin support for the indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs) in tourism development, covering destinations and IP communities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao”.
With the DOT’s Office of Special Concerns (OSC) under the Office of the Secretary (OSEC) as lead implementer, the Katutubo-KAPWA project seeks to address the gaps and needs of each destination, like the lack of infrastructure and of skills and competencies among IPs doing tourism activities.
The program is in line with the current administration’s aim to “diversify and equalize tourism product development, introduce multidimensional tourism, strengthen tourism governance through close collaboration with stakeholders, and improve the overall tourist experience”.
A Technical Working Group (TWG) composed of representatives from DOT and NCIP to monitor and oversee its implementation will also be created.
“We subscribe to the belief that in honoring the origins of the Philippines and the Filipino people, we strengthen the Filipino brand, we enrich the Filipino identity, and we give our fellow Filipinos a necessary and timely reminder that there is indeed so much to love about the Philippines,” said DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.
“ And that starts with ourselves, the Filipino people, including our indigenous peoples, which is why the Department of Tourism has sought this partnership with the NCIP because we sincerely wish to manifest our firm commitment to honoring our indigenous peoples and giving them opportunities for economic advancement through tourism,” she added.
Frasco and NCIP Chairperson Allen A. Capuyan led the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement held at the DOT Central Office in Makati City, with Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Atty. Mae Elaine Bathan and NCIP Acting Bureau Director Glenda Pua witnessing the event.
“This is a happy and historic day for both the Department of Tourism and NCIP as we have formalized our commitment to support the good work that the NCIP has done to ensure the preservation and promotion of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines,” Frasco said.
She said the partnership is part of the current administration’s thrust toward reintroducing the Philippines to the world, with the ICCs/IPs as the starting point.
She also emphasized the importance of “attaining balance between heritage and promotion as a value proposition for tourism, thus, citing as well that the DOT is excited about embarking on the partnership by investing first in soft infrastructure for IPs who are also tourism frontliners”.
“Our indigenous communities are the vanguards of the Filipino identity. In their heritage, their history, and their living cultural traditions, we are reminded of that which we all know to be true—we all love our country. There is so much to love about the country, foremost of which is our identity as a Filipino people,” Frasco said.
She said DOT also committed to the inclusion of financial support to tourism-related capacity building/capacity development, infrastructure projects, product development, and other tourism-related programs activities, and projects to eligible and interested ICCs/IPs to “help improve their socio-economic status as well as for the development and promotion of their ancestral domains”.
DOT would likewise provide assistance and funding for the ICCs/IPs tourism-related projects for enterprise, livelihood, and jobs creation, with the support of its attached agencies, as well as on promotional platforms for ICCs/IPs products to attract tourists to patronize the local tourism economy.
Capuyan, meanwhile, expressed elation and gratitude to the DOT for the partnership.
“It is our honors and privilege to be partnering with the Department of Tourism in the implementation of our Katutubo-KAPWA project, which aims to involve the indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples in tourism development,” he said.
Capuyan said the Katutubo-KAPWA Project will be piloted in ancestral domains of Benguet, Surigao del Sur, and Batanes. (BANAT NEWS)