Category: Business Mirror

Amid a surge in seasonal water- and vector-borne diseases, the Department of Education (DepEd) has ordered all public schools to step up dengue and leptospirosis prevention, monitoring, and reporting protocols following heavy monsoon (habagat) rains and tropical cyclones recently.

In dual advisories, DepEd directed school heads, health personnel, and staff to enforce strict sanitation standards and health monitoring for dengue and leptospirosis cases across public basic education institutions nationwide.

To guarantee rapid escalation and response, DepEd has rolled out an automated Dengue and Leptospirosis Case Monitoring and Reporting Tool accessible to all schools, Schools Division Offices (SDOs), Regional Offices (ROs), and the Central Office.

Schools are required to encode reported dengue and leptospirosis cases in the DepEd monitoring tool in accordance with prescribed internal reporting timelines, including within 24 hours of receiving information.

This internal DepEd monitoring mechanism complements, and does not replace, existing DOH and local disease-surveillance and notification systems.

‘Katulad ng palaging paalala ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, hindi dapat nahihinto o naaalanganin ang edukasyon dahil sa mga banta sa kalusugan at kalamidad…Ating ipinapanawagan sa ating mga school heads, guro, at magulang na magtulungan. Ang simpleng pagpapanatili ng kalinisan sa ating paligid, ang pagpuksa sa mga pinagmumulan ng lamok at pag-iwas sa pagbabad sa baha, ay malaking bagay upang mailayo ang ating mga kabataan sa sakit,’ said

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara highlighted President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to prioritize learner and personnel safety during environmental and health emergencies.

Under the directives, schools were instructed to vigorously implement the Department of Health’s (DOH) Enhanced 4S Strategy of search and destroy, secure self-protection, seek early consultation, and support fogging/spraying only when indicated by the appropriate local health authorities, in accordance with DOH administrative orders.

To eliminate mosquito-breeding sites, school heads and personnel must conduct regular inspections of classrooms, grounds, gardens, comfort rooms, storage areas, gutters, and drainage systems where stagnant water accumulates. The 4Ts under the so-called 4 O’Clock Habit comprising Taob, Taktak, Tuyo, and Takip will be integrated into regular school environmental sanitation and source-reduction activities.

For self-protection, learners and personnel are encouraged to wear long-sleeved clothing and long pants whenever practicable, apply mosquito repellents appropriately and according to product instructions, and use appropriate physical barriers such as window screens and mosquito nets, where applicable.

Schools shall conduct age-appropriate and evidence-based health education activities to increase awareness on dengue prevention and control. School heads and health personnel must also ensure early medical consultation by promptly referring individuals who exhibit dengue symptoms, including sudden high fever lasting two to seven days, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, abdominal pain, or bleeding signs, to appropriate health facilities.

At the same time, DepEd cautioned school communities that exposure to contaminated floodwater or soil may place individuals at risk for leptospirosis even in the absence of visible wounds.

DepEd instructed schools to strictly restrict learners from swimming, wading, or unnecessarily walking in floodwaters and muddy soil.

When exposure to floodwaters is unavoidable, individuals must wear appropriate protective gear such as boots and gloves, cover skin cuts or wounds with waterproof dressings, and wash exposed skin thoroughly with clean water and soap immediately after contact.

Schools must also enforce environmental sanitation and rodent control by disposing of food waste properly, keeping classrooms, canteens and storage facilities clean, eliminating rodent nesting sites, and ensuring flooded school grounds are thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and safety-assessed prior to re-entry.

Individuals exposed to floodwaters or potentially contaminated soil are advised to promptly consult the nearest health facility or local health office for appropriate risk assessment and determination of whether post-exposure prophylaxis is indicated. Those who subsequently develop symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, calf muscle pain, headache, or reddish eyes should seek immediate medical attention. The advisory stresses that post-exposure prophylaxis or antibiotics must never be self-administered and should only be taken under the advice or prescription of a qualified health professional.

DepEd calls on parents, LGUs, and community partners to maintain close coordination with local school authorities to ensure a clean, safe, and disease-free environment for learners nationwide.

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to streamline the acquisition of tenurial instruments for critical onshore infrastructure supporting offshore wind projects (OSW).

The MOA, signed by DOE secretary Sharon S. Garin and PNOC President Franz Josef George E. Alvarez, establishes a coordinated framework for developers to secure essential land access for cable landing points, substations, and grid interconnection facilities.

‘This agreement gives offshore wind developers a clearer and more coordinated pathway for securing the onshore areas needed to support their projects,’ Garin said. ‘By defining institutional roles and procedures, we are reducing uncertainty and helping address an important requirement in moving viable offshore wind projects toward construction and eventual operation.’

The MOA outlines a structured, time-bound process for OSW developers to secure land or water area access.

OSW developers will identify sites and submit technical, legal, environmental, and geospatial documents. The DOE then validates and endorses qualified site proposals to the PNOC which, in turn, evaluates the proposals and helps secure tenurial instruments from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Tenurial instruments issued by the government allow individuals, communities, and the private sector to control and use forestlands and their resources.

PNOC must then complete its evaluation of DOE-endorsed proposals in 30 days. Thereafter, PNOC should notify the developer once the DENR issues the tenurial instrument.

After which, PNOC and the OSW developer must finalize in 15 days a project-specific use agreement after notification.

The initiative is particularly timely as the DOE advances the Fifth Green Energy Auction (GEA-5), the country’s first Green Energy Auction round dedicated to OSW, with a capacity offering of 3.3 gigawatts (GW) of fixed-bottom offshore wind for delivery between 2028 and 2030.

Beyond GEA-5, offshore wind will play an important role in the country’s long-term energy transition. The Philippine Energy Plan 2023-2050 sets a target of 19 GW of offshore wind capacity under Clean Energy Scenario 1 by 2050, while the country’s estimated 178 GW of technical offshore wind potential underscores the scale of the resource available for future development.

The DOE and PNOC will continue to coordinate with DENR and other concerned agencies to ensure that the framework is implemented transparently, consistently, and in accordance with law.

The partnership supports the national goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in the power generation mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said there is still no report on the whereabouts of Dr. Juan Carlos Cinense Manalo, a Filipino physician listed among those missing in the catastrophic flash flood that struck the Nepal­-Tibet border on August 26.

The spiritual group Isha Foundation said that based on accounts from people closest to the border, they now fear the worst for Manalo and 79 other members caught in what they described as an ‘unimaginable calamity.’

Inside the immigration office

Isha founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev confirmed that 80 members of the Foundation’s Kailash Mansarovar Yatra group were inside the Gyirong immigration building minutes before it was swept away.

He said the group’s leader messaged at 9:05 a.m. local time that they had arrived at immigration. The flood struck at 9:14 a.m.

‘This is a terrible and extraordinary event,’ Sadhguru said, breaking down as he disclosed that the group comprised 34 men and 46 women from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Singapore, Spain, and the Philippines.

Embassy coordination

The DFA noted that the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi and the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Kathmandu continue to coordinate closely with Nepali authorities regarding Dr. Manalo’s case.

Aside from being a pilgrim, the Embassy confirmed that Manalo was a volunteer with the Isha Foundation, a global, volunteerled nonprofit spiritual organization, and had been assigned to the Gyirong border area in Tibet. To date, no information about him has been received.

Isha Foundation statement

The Foundation said Chinese authorities are conducting search and rescue operations at Gyirong Port.

‘At this time, there seem to be no encouraging indications of survivors at the immigration office area. The immigration office complex has been completely washed away,’ it said, citing multiple sources.

Teams remain stationed about 25 kilometers from the Gyirong site the closest permitted location and are in direct contact with frontline rescue teams and officials.

‘We have been informed that the valley at Gyirong Port is covered with significant debris, probably as much as 45-50 feet of silt and rubble. Local experts told our onground team that it is very unlikely anyone could have survived the force of the flood. The mix of debris and water rose as high as 150 feet with immense force, completely wiping out the entire building complex,’ the group added.

While ‘desperately hoping for some positive indication,’ the Foundation admitted that verified findings so far ‘are not giving us any encouraging indication.’

On the Nepal side, access to the affected area remains blocked by massivedestruction of roads and bridges.

Rising toll

Nepalese authorities and responders continue the painstaking work of accounting for victims. As of August 29, the government reported 626 bodies recovered.

About 2,400 people remain unaccounted for, while more than 4,450 individuals have been rescued, including 187 foreign nationals.

Nepali disaster officials said 155 foreign nationals have been rescued, but none from the Philippines.

Officials emphasized that the Nepalese government ensures all information is officially verified before release to avoid confusion.

Triggered by heavy rains and glacial runoff, the flash flood devastated communities along the NepalTibet border, sweeping away infrastructure and leaving families across multiple countries desperate for news of their loved ones.

Rescue teams continue to struggle with damaged roads, unstable terrain, andisrupted communications.

Filipino family’s appeal

Dr. Manalo’s family in the Philippines has appealed for prayers and assistance in reaching agencies and Nepali authorities to help in search operations. Relatives released contact numbers for coordination: Jose Rodrigo Manalo (0917 302 3077), Dinah Marie Manalo (0917 514 3465), and Chiara Manalo (0917 791 7849).

‘We are asking for prayers and assistance in connecting with agencies or Nepal authorities to help with search operations,’ Chiara Manalo wrote in her social media post.

The DFA said it remains in close touch with Nepali authorities and will provide updates once verified information becomes available. International rescue teams are continuing efforts to account for missing tourists and locals, including Dr. Manalo.

Our nation was built not only by the heroes whose names became legends, but also by patriots like Cayo Alzona-individuals whose faithful service helped transform a dream of independence into the institutions of a Republic.

Every August, the Philippines celebrates three observances that, at first glance, seem unrelated. We commemorate National History Month, celebrate Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, and conclude the month with National Heroes Day.

Yet these are not separate celebrations. They tell one story. History gives us memory. Language gives us identity. Heroes give us purpose.

The heroes we honor are not only those whose monuments dominate our plazas or whose names fill our textbooks. Many helped build the country in quieter but equally meaningful ways. Their stories may have faded from public consciousness, but their contributions remain woven into the nation’s foundations.

Shared history

This August, the City of Biñan joins the country in that act of remembrance.

Just last week, historians, educators, researchers, museum workers, and cultural advocates gathered in Biñan for the 2026 National Conference on Local History and Heritage organized by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

It was a timely reminder that history is not merely studied in classrooms or preserved in archives. It is continually rediscovered, revisited, and shared by every generation.

That commitment finds another expression on August 26 with the unveiling of the refabricated National Historical Marker dedicated to Cayo Alzona (1868-1927), one of Biñan’s distinguished sons.

Alzona’s life reflects the many ways patriotism can be expressed beyond the battlefield. A lawyer by profession, he belonged to the generation that transformed the ideals of the Revolution into nation-building. He taught alongside Apolinario Mabini before joining the Malolos Republic as Secretary of Foreign Affairs in 1899.

During his sojourn in Hong Kong, he maintained ties with the revolutionary movement led by Galicano Apacible before returning to public service as fiscal, judge, and government official in various provinces across the country.

His career reminds us that winning independence was only the beginning. A nation also needed laws to uphold justice, institutions to preserve order, and public servants willing to dedicate their lives to the common good. Men like Cayo Alzona quietly carried that responsibility.

Yet today, few Filipinos know his name.

Perhaps that is why historical markers matter.

Restoring the forgotten

They are not simply plaques. They restore forgotten lives to our national consciousness. They invite us to pause, to ask who these people were, and to understand that history is richer than the handful of names we learned in school.

But recent events in Biñan have also made me confront a more difficult question: Are we doing enough to make people understand why these markers matter?

Early August, several local historical markers installed in privately-owned heritage houses in Biñan were looted. These markers were mounted by the LGU to identify and commemorate places connected to the city’s history.

Their disappearance was not only a loss of physical objects. It was a painful reminder that preserving history and making people value history are two different challenges.

We can install markers. We can restore heritage houses. We can build museums, hold conferences, publish research, and commemorate important dates. But if the stories behind these efforts remain inaccessible or irrelevant to the people we hope to reach, then preservation risks becoming an exercise that happens around communities rather than with them.

Perhaps this is where our work in the promotion of history must evolve.

We need to find more ways to amplify history-to tell it in classrooms and communities, in museums and theaters, through digital platforms and popular culture, and in the language that people actually use and understand.

We need to make history not only something to be protected, but something people can recognize as part of their own lives.

The same is true of language.

Deeper meaning

History survives because it is told. It is preserved through documents, speeches, letters, literature, and the languages that carry them across generations. Language allows memory to endure, while history gives language its deepest meaning. Together, they shape our understanding of who we are as Filipinos.

Perhaps this is the deeper connection among National Heroes Day, National History Month, and Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa. All three ask us to remember – but remembrance is not simply knowing a name or reading a date. It is understanding why a person, a place, a word, or an event matters enough to be carried forward.

As we celebrate National Heroes Day, National History Month, and Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, may we look beyond the familiar faces of our past. Our nation was built not only by the heroes whose names became legends, but also by patriots like Cayo Alzona-individuals whose faithful service helped transform a dream of independence into the institutions of a Republic.

Our challenge today is not only to remember them. It is to make sure that the generations that come after us understand why they should remember.

Remembering them is more than an act of nostalgia.

It is an act of nation-building.

East West Bank sees P9B from stock offer

THE Gotianun-led East West Banking Corp. is set to raise some P9 billion from its stock rights offering at the Philippine Stock Exchange.

The lender said its board has approved the said funding exercise, and will be backed by its major shareholders, Filinvest Development Corp. and FDC Ventures Inc.

EastWest is the banking arm of the Filinvest Group and one of the country’s leading consumer-focused banks.

As of June, it had total assets of P623.9 billion and one of the largest consumer loan portfolios in the Philippine banking industry, amounting to P337.6 billion.

Key terms of the transaction, including the final offer size, entitlement ratio, offer price, record date, and timetable, will be determined and announced upon receipt of the necessary approvals, the bank said. VG Cabuag

Manulife, Chinabank renew partnership

THE Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Manulife) and China Banking Corp. (Chinabank) renewed their bancassurance partnership for another 15 years to expand access to insurance, health, savings and wealth-management solutions.

A joint statement issued read that the insurer and lender extended their collaboration through the Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corp. (MCBL).

A joint venture between Manulife and Chinabank, the company distributes life insurance and other financial products through 650 Chinabank and China Bank Savings Inc. (CBS) branches nationwide.

Both organizations said MCBL has gained fresh momentum since the renewal of the partnership, recording double-digit year-on-year growth.

MCBL began operations in October 2007 and serves customers of Chinabank and CBS. In 2014, Chinabank increased its equity stake in MCBL to 40 percent. Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

Pru Life UK re-launches plan

THE Pru Life Insurance Corp. of UK (Pru Life UK) re-launched a savings and protection plan with a one-time single premium of P50,000, the life insurer said last Thursday.

A statement read that the plan, called ‘PruLove Wealth Direct,’ is crafted for customers seeking savings solutions without the need for large upfront contributions or recurring payments.

The plan provides a guaranteed annual cash benefit equivalent to 4 percent, which Pru Life UK said is comparable to high-yield time deposits. It also comes with life insurance coverage of up to 125 percent of the premium paid, providing protection for beneficiaries while customers build their savings.

Customers are covered for seven years and are guaranteed a 100 percent return of their premium at the end of the seven-year term, provided the insured is alive through the end of the policy period. Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

SAVI DAVISON fired 30 points to lead PLDT’s title-retention bid in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational in a 25-23, 25-15, 26-28, 25-14 victory over EST Cola of Thailand Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

For all her brilliance, the Filipino-Canadian admitted the defending champions came into the weeklong tournament virtually unprepared but still to the challenge.

‘I think we were unprepared coming into this game, but we knew we needed to adapt,’ Davison said. ‘Thailand is always going be a strong force in volleyball, so I’m pretty glad that we were able to kind of fire from every angle and get it done in four sets.’

Davison, who had five blocks, found a perfect partner in middle Mika Reyes, who added six blocks for 16 points.

Jovie Prado, Kim Dy and Majoy Baron provided ample support with nine, eight and seven points, respectively, underscoring the depth that carried PLDT to a breakthrough two-title campaign last year, including its triumph in the PVL On Tour.

Kath Arado finished with 26 excellent digs and 12 receptions, while Jovielyn Prado also shone in defense with 21 digs and 13 receptions.

Nirarach Srikuta led the Thai side with 14 points, including the clutch hits that kept EST Cola alive in the third, while Nannaphat Moonjakham added 12 points.

Hantima Aekpatcha finished with eight points before her injury, while Papatchaya Phontham and Supawadee Panwilai chipped in six points apiece.

PLDT now turns its attention to Nxled at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, while EST Cola seeks to bounce back against Farm Fresh at 4 p.m.

PLDT dominated EST Cola across the board, outscoring the Thai squad in attacks (60-42) and blocks (14-11) with setter Kim Fajardo finishing with 29 excellent sets, eight more than counterpart Natnicha Saelao.

The High Speed Hitters also targeted EST Cola’s shaky reception to fire off six service aces while giving up just two, further capitalizing with 25 points off opponent errors compared to the 21 they conceded.

WHAT if the diwata were not simply the mystical figures often depicted in contemporary imagination, but a way of reconnecting with an older understanding of the Filipino relationship with nature?

This question takes center stage at Hiwaga ng Diwata, a solo exhibition by artist Ian Cartalaba currently on view at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Gallery. Opened on July 9, the exhibition invites audiences into an otherworldly realm where Philippine folklore, indigenous references, and contemporary artistic expression converge.

Featured artist Ian Cartalaba utilizes traditional materials and motifs to decolonize the concept of the Filipino diwata. Through his work, Cartalaba seeks to reclaim the figure’s authentic narrative, reconnecting it directly to its rich indigenous roots. Known online as an ‘art-chaeologist,’ the creator behind Hiwaga ng Diwata presents an unconventional gallery exhibition of abstract paintings. Looking closely through careful perspective, the hidden form of the diwata gradually emerges.

Inspired by Angono Petroglyphs where human and animal figures are engraved onto different rock formations, Cartalaba converged the plethora of diwata images with native Filipino traditions. During the pre-colonial era, the native Filipinos already had a steadfast belief in animistic practices wherein they commonly worshiped animals, plants, rocks, and different natural entities, believing that they possessed spiritual essence. Diwata is one of the ubiquitous guardians of nature which Cartalaba used to materialize his imagination to a tangible art on canvas.

Majority of his art pieces include different images of the diwata but looking closely, it entails a vivid visualization of how these spirits are supposed to be reimagined. Also included in the artist’s inspiration is the faded notion of how Spanish colonization had set aside the animistic nature of earlier Filipinos, thus the gallery holds a deep admiration of how the audience should view it from the perspective that traces back to its original identity. Rather than presenting a single definition of the diwata, Hiwaga ng Diwata leaves room for discovery. The figures are deliberately embedded within the works, requiring the audience to pause, look closely, and allow forms to emerge.

In this way, the exhibition becomes more than a collection of paintings. It is an invitation to look inward and backward-to reconsider stories, symbols, and ways of seeing that have endured, transformed, and continued to find meaning in the Filipino imagination.

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) welcomed debates among candidates in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), saying campaigns should focus on substance and principles instead of personalities and crowd-pulling.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said debates could help bring campaigns back to issues that matter to voters, particularly by giving candidates an opportunity to explain their positions and qualifications.

‘At least, we can bring back campaigns that are based on substance. Campaigns that are based on principles,’ he said.

Garcia urged candidates who join debates to avoid personal attacks and heated exchanges, saying they should instead explain why voters should choose them.

He said the Comelec is also considering its approach to debates for the 2028 elections, but stressed that the poll body should not be the one to finance such events.

Comelec cited the 2016 elections, when a media entity served as sponsor while the Comelec participated only as an observer and guest.

‘The sponsor should be like in 2016, a media entity. The Comelec should only be an observer, a guest there,’ Garcia said.

He further explained that the poll body would not spend public funds for debates, but would encourage media organizations to organize them.

Comelec would support media-led debates as a way to promote more substantive campaigns and avoid a repeat of the issues that emerged during the conduct of debates in 2022.

‘We will definitely encourage media entities to hold debates. We will support that,’ Garcia said.

He said debates are particularly useful in allowing voters to see how prepared candidates are and what they stand for on issues affecting the country.

Rather than limiting debates to presidential candidates, Garcia said the same platform should be available to other candidates so voters can assess their preparedness and positions.

‘It is better to participate, so our fellow citizens can see the preparedness of those running,’ Garcia said.

‘Not only for the presidency, but so they can see our preparedness and views on issues that are important to the country,’ he added.

The Philippine Statistics Authority’s release of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) offers a sobering reality check that extends far beyond the headline figure of 12.8 percent- or 14.4 million Filipinos-living in multidimensional poverty in 2024. While the percentage may seem modest when compared to income-based poverty metrics, the MPI reveals something far more insidious: poverty in the Philippines is not merely about the absence of money, but about the systematic denial of basic human capabilities. (Read the BusinessMirror story: ‘New PSA index goes beyond income in measuring poverty,’ August 27, 2026).

The MPI’s methodology, which examines deprivations across education, health and nutrition, housing, water and sanitation, and employment, exposes the interconnected nature of disadvantage in ways that income statistics cannot. When 40.7 percent of multidimensional poverty stems from educational deprivation-the largest single contributor-we are forced to confront an uncomfortable truth: the country is failing to equip its citizens with the most fundamental tool for social mobility.

This is not a new problem, but the MPI’s granular data makes it impossible to ignore. The fact that educational attainment and housing materials each register a 10.7 percent censored headcount ratio-the highest among all 17 indicators-suggests that the foundations of dignified life remain out of reach for millions. A family without adequate shelter and without educated members faces compounding disadvantages that perpetuate poverty across generations.

Yet perhaps the most alarming finding is not confined to those officially classified as multidimensional poor. The uncensored deprivation rates reveal that certain forms of deprivation have become normalized across Philippine society. When 38.7 percent of all Filipinos-regardless of income status-suffer from housing-material deprivation, and 26.4 percent lack internet access, we are looking at structural failures that transcend traditional poverty lines. The 24.1 percent without proper sanitation facilities and 20.2 percent facing educational-attainment deprivation represent millions of Filipinos who may earn enough to avoid income poverty classifications but remain excluded from basic standards of modern life.

This ‘hidden deprivation’ poses a particular policy challenge. As De La Salle University economist Ma. Ella C. Oplas correctly observes, ‘being poor based on income should not necessarily mean being deprived of basic services.’ The inverse, however, is equally troubling: millions who earn above poverty thresholds are nevertheless deprived of the building blocks of human development. The government’s responsibility extends beyond cash transfers and income support to ensuring universal access to quality education, adequate housing, sanitation, and digital connectivity.

The MPI’s value lies precisely in its ability to illuminate these blind spots. With a national MPI of 0.045 and an average deprivation intensity of 34.7 percent among the poor, policymakers now have quantitative evidence of where interventions are most urgently needed. The data suggests that even among the multidimensionally poor, the average individual is deprived in more than one-third of weighted indicators-meaning poverty is rarely singular but rather a cluster of interconnected disadvantages.

For a nation that has achieved upper-middle-income status, these numbers represent both a milestone and a mandate. Every child still deprived of education, every family living in substandard housing, every household without sanitation remains a drag on national productivity and a reminder that economic classification must translate into tangible human dignity.

The MPI is not merely a measurement tool-it is a mirror held up to Philippine society. What it reflects is a nation where millions remain trapped not just by low incomes, but by systemic deprivation that limits their very humanity. The government’s response must match the scale of this revelation: targeted, multi-sectoral interventions that recognize poverty for the multidimensional crisis it truly is. Anything less betrays the 14.4 million Filipinos whose deprivation has finally been counted, and the millions more whose struggles remain hidden in plain sight.

THE country’s growing farm tourism industry takes on higher ground, quite literally, as it goes to Baguio for the 9th International Farm Tourism Conference. This was how the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) introduced for the first time the conference in Baguio with the theme ‘Highland Harvest: Cultivating Sustainable Agriculture and Tourism. ISST held its first farm tourism conference in 2014 in Daet, Camarines Norte and has since gone around in the lowlands and coastal areas like Tagaytay, Iloilo, Cebu, Bohol and General Santos.

Farm tourism has been the mission of ISST and its president Mina Gabor has since been indefatigably pushing for its promotion. Farm tourism is defined as the practice of drawing visitors and tourists to working farms or fishing areas for production, educational and recreational purposes, that can provide both farm and community some income.

In a press conference, she said what was important is the creation of a knowledge base for those involved in agriculture to be able to create a solid program that is not wasteful.

The conference in March covered the status and potential of agricultural industries like coffee, fishery, ornamental flowers and systems needed to upscale farm tourism like branding, cultural heritage, marketing and exporting. Included also were talks on climate change and biodiversity.

But it was the tangible responses farm tourism offers to prevailing woes in agriculture Gabor discussed in a press conference that felt meaningful and most relevant. On this, Gabor and ISST movers brought in experiences and best practices from other places that may also work on the local level.

Among these main threats is the ageing population of farmers. Cordillera tourism regional director, Jovy Ganongan said the average age of the country’s farmers is 57 years old, even younger in Cordillera, at 55 years old. And will the young ones take over? That’s a hard question.

On a road trip to Benguet farms, this writer also heard and observed farmers encouraging their children to pursue what to their minds were more lucrative courses. And there are the young themselves immersed in an internet generation where progress equates to the speed of digital information and tilling the land is seen as backward and bereft of economic opportunities.

Gabor sees the solution in starting them young. She prodded the education department to promote the interest of young students in agriculture through farm tourism. Agriculture must be part of the curriculum, to include field trips to farms, so that the young will become aware that farming is not just about planting and harvesting, but also about enterprise and product development, which is enticing to the young.

The older generation need not fade away, too. In interviews she made among farmers living near the Kinatabangan River in Sabah, Gabor found that older farmers acted as historians because they could even predict the weather. ‘Old experience makes the link between the old and young important,’ she said.

Another aspect the young find exciting is edible landscaping, which is now in some schools. ‘We have reached up to the Visayas and by the last count, one part of Southern Luzon,’ said Gabor

Asked about the intrusion of agriculture into forest land which is a serious concern in the region, Gabor cites a practice in Costa Rica which she has already communicated to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

All around the huge rainforest reservation in Costa Rica are farmlands the government gives free and farmers can keep the income they derive from tilling the land. In return they act as stewards of the forest so no hunting nor destruction occurs in the protected area. She believes this can be a way to protect Sierra Madre while also helping farmers.

Places can also be designated as sacred where elders call a ceremony and declare the place sacred, with rules like being clean when entering the place. She cites a place in Indonesia where a spot has been protected and treated as sacred for the last 15 years through this practice.

ISST dedication to farm tourism

THE establishment of the ISST is by itself a significant move in strengthening farm tourism. The school started offering only a certificate program with three courses: Farm Tourism 101, Marketing and Finance, Marketing and Promotion. ‘Today we have 16 courses, one of which is the edible landscape,’ she said.

‘Edible landscaping, designing areas instead of the usual horizontal plots, brings out the passion and creative side of the students, so it is passion complemented by action,’ she explained.

ISST Board Director Dr. Jose ‘Jojo’ Bernardo brought his experiences from his leadership roles at the Tokyo, Japan-based Asian Productivity Organiztion (APO) to the ISST.

He was director of the APO agricultural department where he spearheaded initiatives in sustainable agriculture, and one of his key projects was promoting rural ecotourim. Together with a colleague, he developed a farm tourism program, which he brought home with him after retiring from ATO.

‘I’m bringing to ISST my experiences in Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia where I conducted training on farm tourism. We have been giving ecotourism courses at ISST and holding conferences for more than a decade to promote farm tourism,’ he said.

ISST is the only school in Asia-Pacific that offers courses in sustainable ecotourism.

The good news is that ISST is now coordinating with CHED for the development of a four-year Bachelor of Science for Sustainable Tourism Management course. They are completing the documents and looking at places to hopefully get it off the ground and have the first batch by next year.

Urban farm tourism, Gabor said, is one of the most important trainings they have. She cites Paranaque where after the ‘riles ng train’ portion was fixed, there are now farms and they have produce given to school children.

In fact, in urban agriculture where space is a concern, this may not demand a large area. In Manila, she cited three mushroom producers occupying only about 50 sqm who earn some P65 thousand a month. They are not just in production but also in processing, and people watch the process. ‘The important thing is to get started, even in small ways, and people will follow,’ she said.

Farm tourism also brings people to the product, which costs less rather than bringing the product to the market. Gabor’s relentless enthusiasm and persuasive passion has also earned government support for farm tourism.

In 2015, she met with then Senator Cynthia Villar to convince her that farm tourism is the answer to the problem of ageing farmers and farmers who give up and turn to more reliable sources of income like carpentry or construction work.

In November of that year, Villar called for a public hearing where Gabor brought all the supporting documents and some 20 people who were into farming to join her. On May 16, 2016, six months after the hearing, the late then President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino 111 signed into law RA 10816 or the Farm Tourism Development Act. This RA offers tax privileges and support programs for accredited tourism farms.

More recently, on February 16 of this year, the agriculture, trade and tourism departments launched the Strategic Action Plan for Farm Tourism 2016-2031 which expands agritourism from policy into execution.

This six-year roadmap links farming directly with tourism and gastronomy and encourages hotels and restaurants to buy directly from local farmers. It also aims to make the country a top farm and food destination across Asia.

Already, Gabor says that 30 percent of tourists go to farms with about 100,000 visitors at the peak of summer. Despite the potential, by 2023, only 231 farms have been accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT). ISST, meanwhile, has identified 800 good farming sites. To boost the number, ISST organizes farms for organic agriculture training, a requirement for accreditation.

The Cordillera region, which fills 80 percent of the country’s demand for high- value crops, ironically has only 25 farms accredited for farm tourism.

Farmers here can take inspiration from the success stories of Northern Blossoms, a must-go destination in Benguet; the Cosmic Farm of Rogel Marzan, now a Tesda- accredited training center for organic farming; and the Living Gifts Nursery that has the biggest collection of cacti specie in the country, for they all started in simple and small ways

For the love of it

DESPITE over a decade of tireless pursuit of farm tourism, Gabor thinks of it as always exciting as every step of the way, every story heard gives a new learning. She has her own story to tell on how old wisdom can be steeped in superstition.

As children at her grandmother’s house, they used to throw slippers at a bees’ nest to drive them away, and her grandmother would scold them as the nest brings good luck, although she could not say how. In time, Gabor understood the sound science behind it-where bees build their colony indicate a balanced ecology. ‘Every province has their own anecdotes to tell. We learn from them more than what we teach them,’ Gabor said.

Farm tourism promises economic and environmental gains, but its real charm and allure seems to lie in nostalgia,

Gabor said that when people were asked why they go to farms, visitors would say it’s because they miss the old and simple ways. With all the stress and complexities of modern life, farms offer the refreshing simple needs of life-fresh air, clean food and the joys of sharing and storytelling.