Philippine Harvest promotes sustainable farm tourism

“At the core of our programs and projects in the Department is our sustainable and responsible tourism advocacy which we aim to promote with this edition of Philippine Harvest,” shared DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.In partnership with Central Square Mall, the Store Specialists Incorporated Group and the Tourism Promotions Board, the event will bring together DOT-accredited farm sites across the different regions together with selected travel agencies and thirty local food exhibitors.

The three-day food and travel expo will also present mini-lectures on sustainable tourism and sustainable dining, organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.“We hope to develop sustainable farm tourism as a dependable source of income for Filipinos in line with the implementation of the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016, which serves as one of our strategies for countryside development,” added Secretary Romulo-Puyat.

Among the Luzon-based farm tour operators joining the cause are the Terra Verde Eco Farm from Maragondon, Cavite; Layog Country Farm from Mountain Province; Amancio’s Dairy and Produce Farm from Cordon, Isabela; Tam-An Eco-Tourism Farm from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya; The Farmhouse by EDL from Capas, Tarlac; and Amadeo Nurture Farmacy from Cavite.

On the other hand, Sonrisa Farm from Magarao, Camarines Sur; Ephrathah Farms Corp. from Iloilo; Binahon Agroforesty Farm from Lantapan, Bukidnon; and Mariano’s Blooming Agri-Tourism Park from Tupi, South Cotabato are part of the Visayas and Mindanao contingent.

Local produce from the partner exhibitors will be bannered in the food show. These include dried seafood, coffee, heirloom rice, chocolate, craft beers, fruit wines, fresh fruits and local sausages, among others.

For more information, please contact DOT’s Sheila Villabrosa or James Nacario at 0927-791-1275 and 0956-059-0349, respectively.