CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Northern Mindanao’s farm tourism got a boost as a Lanao del Norte town recently developed its own coco farm.
Lanao del Norte Governor Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo said the Provincial Coco Farm Tourism Camp in Barangay Poblacion, Magsaysay town is being primed to become a tourist attraction in the province.
In a statement Wednesday, Dimaporo noted that farm tourism “is now becoming popular in the country.”
“Lanao del Norte, with its vast agricultural land the primary source of income aside from fisheries, will surely encourage local and foreign tourists to come and experience the beauty and bounty, as well as the hospitality and see for themselves the unity of the people,” she said.
Local traders, she said, will benefit from farm tourism as it will create more economic activities.
Restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops will flourish to meet the demands of the tourists, the governor added.
Magsaysay, which celebrates the importance of coconut through the Niyogan Festival every May 23, was chosen by the provincial government to be the pilot municipality due to its model coconut plantation.
Dimaporo said the farm was established in line with the government’s thrust to promote farm tourism as mandated in the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016.
The law recognizes that tourism, coupled with agriculture extension services, can disseminate the value of agriculture in the economic and cultural development of the country, serve as catalyst for the development of agriculture and fishery communities, and provide additional income for farmers, farm workers, and fisher folk.
The law also aims to promote environment-friendly, efficient and sustainable farm practices; provide alternative recreation facilities and farm tourism activities for families, students and other clientele; and promote health and wellness with high-quality farm-produced food.
Farm tourism, according to an article of the Philippine Information Agency, is where tourism and agriculture meet, where people are invited to properties that offer recreational activities or adventures that enable them to enjoy the freshness of nature.
For an area to be recognized as a farm tourism camp, its proprietors must obtain accreditation from the Department of Agriculture and Department of Tourism. (Jigger Jerusalem/PNA)
