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ARAYAT, PAMPANGA: A local group of travel agencies forged an
agreement with Hands on Manila in a bid to help promote volunteer
vacations in the country.
Robert Lim Joseph, chairman emeritus of the
National Association of Independent Travel Agencies, said his group
has tied up with Hands On Manila for Hands On Volunteer Vacations in
various provinces.
Joseph explained that their group would provide
logistical support for the vacation aspect of the program. The
Philippine Tour Operators Association will also be tapped for the
same assistance.
He said the new advocacy would promote travel to
communities where local or foreign travelers could help while
enjoying the sights and company of residents and appreciating
indigenous arts and culture.
Volunteers offer travelers the opportunity to
lend a helping hand literally and also share their expertise and
knowledge. The advocacy is not new in other countries but it is only
being introduced here.
Joseph said the pilot volunteer vacation areas
are Mount Halcon forest in Oriental Mindoro, Baclayon and Pamalcan
in Bohol, Boracay mangrove plantation in Aklan and heritage and
environment sites in Laguna and Batangas.
Volunteer vacationers can plant trees in Mount
Halcon, engage in organic farming in Alaminos, Laguna, conduct
environmental clean-ups in Aklan, among other things, he said.
Specifically, Joseph said the volunteer
vacationers could learn piņa weaving in Aklan and at the same time
contribute to new designs that will enhance finished products from
the indigenous fiber.
Joseph said this new program runs parallel with
an early advocacy of developing a culture of tourism in the country,
as well as promoting domestic tourism.
He said local and
foreign travelers are not only informed about the many tourist spots
in the country, but also about the rich diversity in culture and
history in these places which are worth visiting. In the end, the
visitors and the residents learned from each other and were able to
get the chance to enrich their own lives.
-- Francis Earl A. Cueto
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