EDITORIAL
Will farm tourism solve the plight of Boholano farmers?
The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the
Bohol economy hit P171 billion in 2023. The economy’s
growth, estimated at a 7.1% GDP growth rate, is mainly
due to the influx of local and foreign tourists.
Bohol’s title as a UNESCO Global Geopark has
immensely contributed to this growth. Under its
International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme,
UNESCO disclosed that the primary source of income in
the province is agriculture, with rice, coconut, and corn
crops as the primary agricultural outputs. Fishery and
aquaculture are also important for local livelihoods. With
white sand beaches, diving spots, magnificent geological
formations, rich biodiversity, and cultural heritage, Bohol
has been consistently recognized as a prime eco-cultural
destination.
Despite its fame and glamour, poverty incidence in
the province remains high. In PSA’s Official Poverty
Statistics for the first semester of 2023, 23.1% of the
Boholanos have income below the per capita poverty
threshold of P15,175.00 per month. The provinces with
the least poverty incidence include NCR, Benguet, Cavite,
Ilocos Norte, Laguna, Pampanga, Rizal, Siquijor, Batanes,
Batangas, Aklan, Apayao, Bataan, Cagayan, Camiguin,
Guimaras, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Nueva Vizcaya.Sadly, Bohol
is not among the provinces with the least poverty
incidence among families.
In an article entitled Food Inflation and Poverty, the
Philippine Institute of Development Studies pointed out
that agriculture accounts for 22 percent of the country’s
workforce and that the poverty rate among farmers is at
30 percent. Hence, being a farmer is seen as a life
sentence for being poor. Who would not be? Farmers lack
access to inputs, credit, and markets. Our farmers are
deeply in debt to traders who provide them with the
financing to buy seeds, fertilizers, and other essentials
before the planting season starts. The same traders will
buy the produce at below market prices, and the farmers
have no choice because they have to pay their debts, and
they have no way of bringing their produce to market
anyway.
This sad reality in the agriculture industry is the main
culprit why Bohol is still unable to join the ranks of
provinces with the lowest poverty incidence. While the
province takes pride in its being a UNESCO Global Geopark
and a prime eco-cultural destination, the blessings that
should have come with these accolades have not been
extended to the people who provide the province’s major
source of income—the farmers.
Interestingly, a law has been enacted to improve
farmers’ economic situation while the province continues
to maintain its titles as a UNESCO Global Geopark and a
prime eco-cultural destination. The Farm Tourism
Development Act of 2016 (Republic Act No. 10816) aims
to maximize the combined benefits of agriculture and
tourism. It provides policy and an environment that
encourages, develops, and promotes farm tourism in the
country.
Farm tourism in Bohol is gaining traction. Farm tours
are now being offered as part of the tour packages that
visitors can choose from. According to reports, since food
tourism was introduced, the provincial government has
provided capacity training programs to food producers and
farm owners.
For farm tourism to truly succeed, it is imperative that
the government implements structural reforms in the
agriculture and tourism sectors. These changes will enable
and capacitate legitimate small-scale farmers, ensuring
that the benefits of the law are not monopolized by big
businessmen masquerading as farmers.