House committee on tourism, spearheaded by Bohol First District Rep. Rene L. Relampagos,has tackled a bill on the proposed “Farm Tourism” in the country on June 11, with representatives from both the government and private sector joining the discussion. House Bill No. 3745, or “An Act Providing for the Development and Promotion of Farm Tourism in the Philippines and for Other Purposes,” was principally authored by Rep. Sharon Garin of the AAMBIS-OWA Partylist and co-authored by Relampagos. “Twenty years ago, we are the envy of our regional neighbors. They go to the Philippines to study agriculture. Now, Thai rice has become more popular than our own rice. Worse, we had to resort to importation,” Relampagos said. “Studies show that the average age of Filipino farmers nowadays is 56. Just imagine that in the near future, there will be no more farmers to till our lands and produce the food that we eat. It is a sad reality that the Filipino youth are veering away from studying agriculture. And agriculture graduates, more often than not, work in more progressive farm environments such as New Zealand and Australia,” he said.

Indeed, there is gain in boosting farming in the country. There is a need to promote farming not only as a means to produce food but also as an appealing tourism activity which will attract visitors and guests. Hence, the tandem of farming and tourism, “farm tourism,” has been proven, in several countries, to provide additional opportunities for farmers, farm owners and farm producers in generating additional income, according to Relampagos. “The Bohol Bee Farm is a perfect example of farm tourism. While not the traditional farm as we know it but a farm which tends to bees, the Bohol Bee Farm has become a regular part in the itinerary of tourists – local and foreign alike, in Bohol,” Relampagos said. If passed, farms will undergo accreditation process in order to qualify for benefits, incentives and promotion. To date, there are five farms accredited with the Department of Tourism, mostly organic farms. “But we have all sorts of farms – bee farms, flower farms, pearl farms, turtle farms, aqua-culture farms, livestock farms and many other farms not limited to our common and traditional notion of what a farm is,” Relampagos said.