Kasanggayahan Business Forum to focus on agri-tourism in Sorsogon

By Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, OCTOBER 25 (PIA)….  Synchronizing with the theme of this year’s Kasanggayahan Festival 2011, ‘Going Beyond”, Leah A. Pagao, provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) office here, said that this year’s Kasanggayahan Business Forum will zero in to the potentials of the province, looking beyond not just with the beautiful tourism destinations but as a prime agri-tourism  place, Sorsogon being an agricultural province.

In the previous meeting of the Sorsogon Provincial Small and Medium Development Enterprise Council the idea of opening the agri-tourism potential of the province was brought out as suggested by no less than the Department of Tourism Region V regional director Maria ‘Nini” Ravanilla, hence this one day forum was conceived and have been supported  by Department of Trade and Industry RO V regional director, Jocelyn L.B. Blanco to be realized.

The forum will be held at Paradise Hotel tomorrow, Oct. 26 with invited participants comprising of owners of developed farm lots , local officials and spearheaded by the Sorsogon Provincial Small and Medium Scale Enterprise Development Council through  DTI.

This one day activity will provide opportunity to farm lot owners who can open their area as a tourism destination providing students, local and international tourists how local farm animals are raised, how farm foods and other agri-products are grown which will include the simple daily farm life away from the city life.

The forum hopes to achieve opportunities to learn how people in the farm thou not so visually seen but are very significant contributors to the country’s development.

This  forum will also open doors to more public and public partnership as government will provide the trainings, technical know -how and how agri-tourism can be marketed online to private owners of farms whose farm potential for tourism will also propel local communities’ development.

Expected to grace the ocassion are the two representatives of the 1^st and 2^nd districts of Sorsogon, Congressmen Salvador H. Escudero III and Diogracias B. Ramos rspectively who will give their messages according to Pagao.

A formal turn-over of the One Town One Product DBR Production Tool /Equipment will be done by Congressman Ramos.

Narciso H. Cayetano, supervising agriculturist of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist together with Nilo Consuelo, aquaculturist of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will  share in the Agri-Marine Industry Situationer of the province of Sorsogon,

The bright prospects of the coconut industry, its contribution to agri-tourism potentials and opportunities will be discussed by Mr. Alejandro O. Olaguera , provincial manager of the Philippine Coconut Authority here.

Meanwhile Mr. Danilo Intong, Tourism Consultant of the Department of Tourism RO V will be the resource speaker to disscuss the Agri-Tourism Industry Challenges and Awareness.

An Open Forum will follow after the discussion of the topics shared and a video presentation on successful tourism related stakeholders/ operators will be shown to add more insight on the topics presented.

The Business Permits and Licensing System (BPLS) implementation updates will be discussed by Mr. Rico Guarino of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), a tie up program with DTI.

The highlight of the forum will be the awarding of BPLS implementers and to give the award will be Governor Raul R. Lee, PD Leah Pagao and PD Ruben Esq. Baldeo. (PIA-Sorsogon)