Cultural mapping to lead way for new tour offerings in NegOcc, Bohol
Bohol offers a cultural heritage tour package that take visitors to ancestral homes around
Baclayon such as the one pictured above.
“Sometimes, economic benefits of [aggregate] local cultural resources is higher than a building a new factory,” says Jeffrey Evenson, a Canadian Cultural Planning consultant leading coaching sessions in the provinces of Negros Occidental and Bohol this September.
Around 60 government personnel together with local private sector will be trained on cultural mapping through a series of sessions to be held from September 17 to 20 in Negros Occidental and September 22 to 25 in Bohol.
This activity is supported by the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic
Development (LGSP-LED) a program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) that is funded by the Government of Canada.
Tourism and investment officers of Baclayon, Bohol discuss with private sector and consultants to create an action plan for Baclayon’ cultural tourism plan last September 10-11.
LGUs are aiming to create new tourism packages through the said workshops. However,
according to Evenson, the approach and tool he will introduce can also serve as a framework for LGUs to later on map other assets such as transport, energy, agriculture, among others.
The role of the LGU in LGSP-LED’s approach is to serve as a portal linking tourism assets
together in such a way that it spurs inclusive growth.
“Cultural heritage tour providers in Bohol, for example, may see the beaches in Panglao island as competitors for tourists,” said LGSP-LED Manager Randi Alampay. Through this innovation, however, LGUs and private sector alike will be able to see the linkages, opportunities between local assets and, together, take advantage of tourism growth.
“What we really want is for LGUs to see this tool as an innovation and learn from the
experiences of Canada,” said LGSP-LED Field Director Francis Gentoral.
Both Negros Occidental and Bohol are pilot sites of LGSP-LED. This Program helps LGUs
become business-friendly and competitive through tourism development. The new tour
packages to be developed in Negros Occidental and Bohol are viewed to bring in more
investments and jobs in the said provinces.