Project TREASURE

Project SUMMARY/EXECUTIVE BRIEF

                Project TREASURE-Tourism Reinvented for Eco-organic Agri Stimulus of the Unproductive to Rejuvenate Economy has Three (3) Program Components as follows:

 The Program Components

 I.       “Continuing Tourism Awareness-Key to the Institutionalization Culture of Tourism” l This program is aimed at the following:

a.)   Creation and Operation of the Center for Rural Eco-Agri Tourism Education & Development  Training Center & Modern Eco-organic Agri Farm Resort Theme Park in partnership with SUCs-State Colleges and Universities, specializing on tourism and hospitality security risk mitigation management related courses which course curriculum is aligned with to the ASEAN Integration MRA-TP Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Tourism Professionals the CATC-Common ASEAN Tourism Curriculum and serves as the country’s premier training center to prepare tourism learners and professionals for the ASEAN Integration MRA-TP Common Competency Assessment, thus, a major contribution to the country’s compliance with the ASEAN Economic Integration Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Tourism and Tourism Professional Standards. For details of the Development & Operating Concept, Please See Annex “A”

b.) Institutionalization Culture of Tourism in all sectors, particularly the Local Government Units, the Academe and the local inhabitants of the impoverished communities badly-hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda and future disasters thru continuing tourism awareness seminars and workshops utilizing on the process the books Compendium in Tourism & Hospitality Studies First and Second Editions as well as the Philippine Tourism Laws and Related Statutes as the major support and learning tool;

c.) Creation of the Student and Alumni Welfare Fund, for which, not less than Five Percent (5%) Per Cent of the Net Income of CREATED shall inure and reserved for the welfare of students of CREATED, particularly Insurance and Health Coverage while enrolled and the less-fortunate graduates for other Charitable Programs, particularly the Long Term Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood component program. The same welfare fund shall be managed by the Project TREASURE Foundation that shall be created, operated and managed in accordance with the existing laws, rules and regulations.

d.) Organization & Operationalization of Project TREASURE Foundation - The foundation shall be organized in accordance with the existing laws, rules and regulations governed by the Board of Trustees to be composed of FIVE (5) as follows:

1.      Chairman – The Author

2.      Co-Chairman – The Sitting President/Chief Executive Officer of Adopting SUC State University College or LUC Local University College; and,

3.      Three (3) Members composed of the representative of the Local Cooperative or Non-Government Organization (NGO), One (1) Nominee of the Author, and One (1) Nominee of the Adopting Partner SUC/LUC.

II.     “Long Term Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood for the Impoverished Victims of Natural and Man-made Calamities and Disasters.  

 This program is aimed at:

 a.)    Organization of Community Cooperative to operate and manage the following:

i.)     Community-based modern eco-organic agri farm touris, utilizing on the process the world-renowned Israeli Greenhouse Technology for a whole-year-round production of high valued cash crops and vegetables, making this technology as the major attraction in an inland farm campsite resort for wholesome family enjoyment.

Serving as a major attraction for Study Tour Groups and ordinary visitors/tourist where they be served with farm fresh vegetable salads during their visit.

ii.)    Communal Tourism Facilities along the coastlines, lakes or rivers by developing floating cottages with private swimming area each to be offered for rent to visitors and tourists during day.

iii.)  Communal Fish Farms by way of utilizing fish cages to be installed adjacent or underneath the floating cottages/cabañas with solar powered light at night so to attract school of fish with different varieties endemic in the area to enter the fish cages where they will grow into harvestable sizes and harvested. These fish cages shall serve as attraction for the guests using the floating cottages where they may enjoy swimming, snorkeling, hook-line and sinker fishing;

iv.)  Duly organized supplemental services, i.e., outrigger paddle and sail boats for boating, hook and line fishing, etc.; and,

v.)    Production of preserved delicacies and souvenir items for sale to the visitors/tourists and the general public.

b.)   Cooperative Trading Center to:

i.)     Serve as the sales outlet where all the produce of the communal agri-fishery farms shall be traded to the public;

ii.)     Where the grocery shall be operated to be the source of supplies for all the basic needs of the members; and,

iii.)  Where the Micro-Lending business shall be operated to lend cash to members in times of emergencies at minimal interest rates.

III.               Project BUKAS-Bayan Uunlad Kabataan Ating Subaybayan (Country’s Progress with our Guidance of the Youths). This is a periodic Summer Youth Camp open for Grades 10 and 11 students of public and private high schools nominated/endorsed by school principal that shall participate in a 3-day Youth Camp, where they will undergo Seminar-Workshop to be conducted by authorities/experts on the following:

i.)     Anti-Drug Addiction;

ii.)   Filipino Culture, Arts and Tradition;

iii.)  Career Guidance;

iv.)  Effects of Tourism Development; and,

v.)    Community Leadership

After completion of the youth camp the participants upon their return to their respective school has the obligation to submit a written report to the school head that contains among others the Recommended Activities for consideration aimed at disseminating what they learned, observed during the Summer Youth Camp.

OBJECTIVE

Project TREASURE is aimed at preparing the stakeholders in all sectors of tourism for the full implementation of the 2015 ASEAN Economic Integration MRAs-Mutual Recognition Arrangements in Tourism Standards and Tourism Professionals thru the institutionalization culture of tourism and security risk mitigation management in local communities, particularly Local Government Units, Academe and Tourism service related enterprises with the end in view of transforming the UNPRODUCTIVE RESOURCES into POTENTLY PERFORMING and INCOME-GENERATING ASSETS, to be at par with the ASEAN standards and equal playing field with other ASEAN member States/Countries thru the DEVELOPMENT of a TRULY autonomous Eco-Organic Agri SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY TOURISM ACTIVITY where EVERY INHABITANT shall PLAY the IMPORTANT ROLE in the MANAGEMENT and OPERATION of the DULY ORGANIZED SERVICE SYSTEMS offered to TOURISTS and VISITORS in the IDENTIFIED DESTINATION with EACH GETTING the FAIR SHARE of the BOUNTY for his LABOR.

OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT TOURISM SITUATION

Based on the latest report of The UNWTO-United Nations World Tourism Organizations and the ASEAN- Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the tourism sector is unquestionably the world’s biggest employer of workers while bringing the unequalled amount of cash inflow infused to the local economy of countries with tourist attractions in a well-managed destination and the tourism service systems are duly organized and ready to serve the visitors and tourists.

 In the Philippines tourism is only felt in very few areas that were once upon a time isolated from the mainstream of development in urban areas provincial centers. These are the communities situated in island provinces lately discovered and eventually developed into the country’s major tourist destinations. The phenomenal rise to prominence of these destinations transformed the lives of the locales from antiquity to modernity amidst economic prosperity. This is so, because the recorded average per capita income of local inhabitants is currently almost on the level of a middle-class income in Philippine standard from the level that is way below the poverty line before tourism was developed. These are the likes of Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan, El Nido in Palawan, and Panglao in Bohol.

However, it is worthy of note that tourism development in these areas are mainly based on beach and sea resources and none have ever considered the development of modern eco-agri tourism as a potent tool for sustainable rural/community-based tourism. The Philippines is a country where unspoiled, bare and unproductive soils and marine as well as human resources abound in almost all the nooks and corners of her island provinces.

Ironically, the natural attractions and topographic features of these already developed and tourist-frequented destinations are not too far extra-ordinary than those found in other island provinces situated within the periphery that is few hours away from these currently developed destinations.

Incidentally, the inhabitants in these communities are still languishing in abject poverty brought about by retrogressing economy as they are still fully dependent on the very much antiquated traditional livelihood activities rendered to obsolescence by the ever-changing times in recent modernizations.

To arrest the recurring problem and afford a ray of hope to the poorest of the poor in these communities to live a life worthy of human dignity this project is hereby offered as a modest contribution to the sustainable development of tourism to secure the supply chain and continuously support the economic security risk mitigation in the countryside.

The EFFECTS of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)

               The recent visit of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) immediately after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol aggravated the already miserable economic conditions of the poorest of the poor inhabitants in communities badly hit by her wrath that devastated their every precious possession including the lives of their family members. The areas badly hit and hosts to the destructions are the ones considered to be the poorest of the poor in the level of Philippine economic standards. These are the provinces of Bohol, Eastern Samar, Leyte, the Island of Panay, particularly Northern Iloilo, Capiz, Antique and Aklan. The residents in these communities are still lingering in total hopelessness on how to start anew the normal life of their every family that were left without the source of income for  their basic needs no house for shelter, no work/economic activity as a source to sustain even their daily subsistence.

GAIN in EVERY PAIN

               The areas badly hit with the fury of the 2012 killer earthquake in Bohol, and super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), another earthquake in Ormoc City and currently the Marawi Siege left among the survivors the unbearable pain in losing not only their most precious properties but likewise the life of their loved ones. These communities landed in the headlines and special feature stories of almost all national and international media as well as in social networks along the information highway. The pains left behind by the fury of these catastrophes, however unknowingly obtained some gains in the form of publicity of the areas very less known to the international communities. The swiftness of response by almost all member countries of the United Nations to deliver to victims the much-needed relief in a record time of not more than 48 hours or few days after the most brutal strike of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) is considered unprecedented in recent history. This action is a manifestation that the once unheard places in the Philippines gained overnight popularity, and maybe concluded that such popularity shall remain written in diaries of all the people who shared a little of their fortune and service as a humanitarian gesture to save whatever are left in the badly stricken communities. This goes without saying, that once rehabilitated and the survivors are able to return to their normal and improved lives, the possibility is not remote that these areas shall still gain interest as a place to visit and revisited by those who always treasure whatever assistance they extended so for them to personally see how the victims regain what have been lost. However, with or without foreign tourists, Project TREASURE shall continue to thrive in areas where it shall be adopted, simply because the component programs are per se income-generating, thus, self-sustaining.

               By twist of fate and perhaps timely as we may term it to be, the programs in this concept under Project TREASURE were already being conceptualized few days before the killer earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda and such other natural and man-made calamities hit the country. To jump-start its implementation thru the official launching, it is now offered for sponsorship or adoption by government-owned and private corporations as a continuing CSR-Corporate Social Responsibility- a modest contribution to the long-term rehabilitation and poverty alleviation of the badly hit highly impoverished victims.

Sources of Funds

           Contemplated as sources of funds are the following:

Ø Portion of the realized income from the operation of CREATED Center for Eco-organic Agri Tourism Education & Development Training Center and Eco-Agri Farm Resort and Theme Park that is offered for adoption and operation in partnership with SUCs outside urban centers, that in this case NIPSC;

Ø Portion of the realized income out of the sales of the book “Compendium Tourism & Hospitality Service Study First Edition, 2012” to serve as reference learning materials for the continuing tourism awareness special seminars and workshops; the publication, distribution and sell of the Second Edition 2014 and Philippine Tourism Laws and Related Statutes by  Maximino P. Zurbito, Jr. by the adopting agency institution to be donated to public schools as textbook/reference materials of students in tourism and hospitality service related subjects that are enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools as well as TESDA Accredited Training Centers and LUCs/SUC’s Center for Rural Eco-Agri Tourism Education and Development;

Ø Grant/Aid from Sponsoring Institutions/Agencies, officially Adopting Project TREASURE as a CSR-Corporate Social Responsibility;

Ø Funding Assistance from Funding Institutions, i.e., TA 6899-REG: Southeast Asia Sustainable Tourism Facility, Package 2: Tourism Operations and Knowledge Strengthening Support;

Ø Portion of realized income on the sales of books “Compendium in Tourism & Hospitality Studies” First Edition 2012; “Second Edition 2014”; and, “Philippine Tourism Laws and Related Statutes, 2015 Edition” that require the endorsement and recommendation by the following:

Þ Department of Tourism for all its offices as well as LGU Tourism Officers to acquire as a reference material in the institutionalization of the culture of tourism in local governance; 

Þ  Department of the Interior and Local Government for all LGU Sanggunians (Provincial, Municipality, Barangay) to acquire a copy of the book as reference material for sustainable tourism and socio-economic development related legislations and programs;

Þ Department of Education for all public and private schools (Elementary, High Schools) to have at least Ten (10) copies of the book in their library as study/research reference material; and,

 Þ Commission on Higher Education for all colleges and universities to consider the prescription of the book as teaching/study reference material or textbook for students taking up tourism and hospitality service courses.

Ø Donations and other forms of assistance that may be donated by the National and International Organizations and Agencies and other continuing fund-raising activities of the adopting Local NGO and LUCs/SUCs.

The SUPPORT LEARNING MATERIALS and SOURCE OF FUNDS

Compendium in Tourism First and Second Editions; and Philippine Tourism Laws 

The FOREWORD to the BOOKS