As tourist continuous to flock in Bauko, the Municipal Tourism Office – Bauko tightens its tourist monitoring system in accordance to the format given by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
According to Mercesa A. Milo, Tourism Operations Officer of the Municipal Tourism Office, there is a decline in the number of recorded tourists in Bauko because a number of tourists do not abide to the registration system set by the municipality. She further noted that this is caused by some barangays that fails to submit their tourist arrival reports.
Milo expressed her concerns regarding the risks that the visitors might encounter when they are not registered. She said, “kapag pumunta sila [visitors] sa tourist attraction natin at may nangyari sa kanila, walang nakakaalam na nandun sila, mahirap ang pag-rescue.”
Basic Tourism Awareness (BTA)
With this, the Basic Tourism Awareness (BTA) spearheaded by the Municipal Tourism Office was conducted on March 20 – 24 to the tourism related enterprise owners and barangay captains, treasurers, and secretaries of the 22 barangays of Bauko. This program aims to remind and educate the residents of the municipality on the importance of tourism.
Milo also shared that the topics included during the seminar is a “glimpse of sustainable development”. Topics in the BTA defines tourism and explains it’s elements. It also discusses the economic importance and impact of tourism. Then, it introduces the idea of sustainable tourism.
To support this cause, Milo also mentioned the proposal Barangay Tungtungan: Tourism Awareness. This proposal aims to educate residents about budgeting and tourism awareness, which will disseminate the importance of tourism in the industry. It is currently adapted by Barangay Bila and Otucan, but other barangays are still skeptic and question its relevance. This leads to the question “anong maitutulong niyan sa amin?”
Administrative side
BTA also reminds tourists of their registration, tourist arrival recording, and submission of reports to the office. Prices of fees to be paid by visitors based on the Municipal Revenue Code and Bauko Tourism Code are also laid down during the seminars. Milo stated that, “as of now we maintain the minimum 100-peso environmental fee. Currently we are reviewing again the code for some amendments lalo na sa fees natin.”
Collaborative efforts
Additionally, Milo said that prioritizing tourism development and community-based tourism is one of the main goals of BTA. She cited Barangay Bila as a great example of community-based tourism, wherein a barangay is independent in the operations of their tourism.
In the year 2022, Bila won 4th place in the “Best Tourism Village” spearheaded by the Department of Tourism – Cordillera Administrative Region (DOT-CAR).
Margarita Pilapil, Barangay Kagawad of Bila said that the award gave them the opportunity to promote and market their local products in Manila and Baguio City. “Mas ginaganahan kaming ipagpatuloy yung ginagawa namin,” she said in an interview.
Furthermore, Milo reiterated that, “tourism is a multiplier effect, but tourism will not be developed if kami lang ang gumagalaw. A collaborative effort of all [is needed] para at least ma-develop natin ang turismo.” By Carl Joshua R. Jumao-as
