Mt Prov students tour eco-farms to promote tourism

By Alpine L. Killa

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Some 50 Junior High School students were toured in farm tourism sites in this capital town March 6 to orient them on role of the youth in promotion of tourism through the use of social media.

The participants were students from Mountain Province General Comprehensive High School (MPGCHS) who have subjects on photography and video production.

Municipal Tourism Officer Caren Guinayen said this was the first time an educational tour on farm tourism catering to junior high school students was initiated and funded by the Bontoc Local Government Unit through its Municipal Tourism Office.

The transportation, food and corresponding fees to include the entrance fees and environmental fees were shouldered by the Bontoc LGU.

The activity aimed to equip participants with necessary knowledge on the different tourism sites in Bontoc, encourage students to become tourism ambassadors, and promote Bontoc as a tourism destination through the use of social media. Guinayen added that this was also a way to promote farm tourism in the municipality as it is one of the main thrust of the Department of Tourism. 

She said through farm tourism, people will be encouraged to go back into farming and create dependable source of income. Also, the activity will be an avenue for the students to put into practice what they have learned in school considering that photography and video production is now integrated in their subject in school.

Among the sites visited were the Bontoc Dairy Farm owned by Fonet Modesto Dirige, Lanfang Farm owned by the family of Ben Ayochok, Blue Farm owned by Dan Evert and Shirley Sokoken, Khayad Orange and Dragon Fruit Plant Farm owned by Lynda Khayad and Demo Farm managed by the Bontoc LGU through the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist.  Also, the participants have the chance to visit the Maligcong Rice Terraces.

Guinayen said students were oriented to take photos and videos of farm tourism sites they visited and process these using skills they learned in school on photography and video editing to produce outputs.

Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey approved the proposal citing  capabilities of the youth in promotion of tourism destinations of Bontoc through skills they learned in school and through responsible and effective social media posting.

The participants were accompanied by their teachers and were assisted by staff from the Municipal Tourism Office along with students taking up Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management at the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC) who are having on the job training at the Municipal Tourism Office