THE Department of Tourism (DOT) will fund initiatives that develop and promote indigenous peoples’ culture, in a bid to advance heritage tourism in the country.
The DOT said it had signed a memorandum of agreement with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to jointly implement the Katutubo-Kapwa project, “a nationwide initiative which will enjoin support for the indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples [ICCs/IPs] in tourism development, covering destinations and IP communities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.”
As per the MOA, a technical working group, with representatives from both agencies, will be created to monitor and oversee the project’s implementation, which will be led by the DOT’s Office of Special Concerns.
“Our indigenous communities are the vanguards of Filipino identity,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco in a news statement.“We subscribe to the belief that in honoring the origins of the Philippines and the Filipino people, we strengthen the Filipino brand…[The] Department of Tourism has sought this partnership with the NCIP because we sincerely wish to manifest our firm commitment to honoring our indigenous peoples and giving them opportunities for economic advancement through tourism,” she added.
Under the MOA, the DOT chief said the agency has committed to provide “financial support to tourism-related capacity building/capacity development, infrastructure projects, product development, and other tourism-related programs activities, and projects to eligible and interested ICCs/IPs that will help improve their socio-economic status.” With support from its attached agencies, the DOT will likewise help develop and promote the ICCs/IPs’ ancestral domains and fund the latter’s identified tourism-related projects, including their local products, to generate business and create jobs.
The MOA was signed by Frasco and NCIP Chair Allen A. Capuyan on August 16, 2023 at the DOT Central Office in Makati City.
For his part, Capuyan said: “It is our honor and privilege to be partnering with the Department of Tourism in the implementation of our Katutubo-Kapwa project, which aims to involve the indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples in tourism development. We hope that this will pave the way for a more stable and secure future.”
Under the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028, the DOT has identified the need to invest “in defining our cultural experiences to stand out more effectively in Asean’s highly competitive tourism environment.”
This, after a survey the agency commissioned in 2021 showed the Philippines ranked lowest in terms of historical landmarks (51 percent), and very poorly for cultural/art activities (29 percent) after respondents were asked about what they thought about Southeast Asian countries being ideal destinations for several types of activities.
On the upside, the survey showed the Philippines ranked among top three Southeast Asian destinations for sun, beaches, and islands (76 percent) and nature (50 percent), as well as several outdoor activities like hiking and water sports. (See, “They won’t visit for history, culture,” in the BusinessMirror, May 26, 2023.)
Image credits: DOT