TRAILS UP NORTH

Glo Abaeo Tuazon
Tourism blitz in barangays

A TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Tourism is becoming a fast-paced industry in Benguet today. With environmental concerns and cultural sensitive topics to consider, the adaptation of Eco-Tourism was developed to preserve and work with both.

This prodded the Provincial Tourism Office of Benguet headed by Claire D. Prudencio to organize and design seminars and workshops targeting the barangay captains as participants. Tourism has for a long time always been a provincial and municipal matter, today it goes to the simplest and most basic units.

This is giving chance for communities to also benefit by creating industries in their own communities. And with eco-tourism part of everybody’s tagline, everybody is urged to help in the preservation and beautification of the surroundings as lure to tourists.

The first cluster of Benguet barangays invited to the experience sharing seminar recently held at Al’s Restaurant here were those from the municipalities of Atok, Kapangan and Tuba. “The preference for the first slot were given to them for reasons that they are having their planned events during the first quarter of the year,” Prudencio says..

Cooped in a dustbowl somewhere in Benguet is a “Shangrila” one never would have thought existed. The 60 attendees exceeded the expected number of 40 participants, proof that there is an interest in the ongoing program. The whole day activity was graced by Gov. Nestor B. Fongwan of Benguet whose wholehearted opening remarks further encouraged the barangay captains and gave a clear support and backing of the project from the province.

Ms. Claire Prudencio gave an overview of the program before the keynote speaker in the person of barangay captain Norberto Pacio had his turn. It is well remembered that Pacio put his little, unknown barangay in the tourism map with sheer hard work and perseverance.

Today he and his barangay is a frequently visited place in Itogon, Benguet. For the record, his Mt. Ugo Summer climbs has gotten numerous awards in both barangay and municipal levels nationawide. Pacio was also merited for his efforts and is consistently being invited to share his experiences of labours and trade secrets.

So this seminar was dubbed “The Mt. Ugo Experience”, a sharing of the Tourism Development of Tinongdan, Itogon, the beginning and progress of the industry that gave life to a remote community. With hopes of developing every community to cater to this program, cluster by cluster all barangays in all the 13 municiplaities of Benguet will have its chance to the briefing. -- Email: twilight_glo@yahoo.com