Eco-tourism Development Plan: A Strategy towards synergy of Economic Development and Ecological Integrity
Eco-tourism development of the Lumot Lake area should be directed not only with the preservation of environmental integrity of the area but also with the improvement of the economic conditions of the residents of the area to fully realize the ultimate goal of preservation of the environment. Development of eco-tourism is tied up with the local economic goals, which is ultimately the advance of economic condition of the local population by providing sustainable and equitable income. Aside from the ecological preservation objectives of the eco-tourism development, most eco-tourism programs are used as strategy for economic development. The Philippines, for instance, earned nearly US$2 billion in receipts in the year 2000 from tourism sector. It is argued that the absence of good economic condition leads to the unsustainable management of the natural resources that the people utilize for their direct economic use. Argument being, the improved economic condition of the people can lead to sustainable utilization of the natural resources for livelihood needs. With reference to the different barangays covered in the survey, some of the male respondents who also are the heads of their households are involved in small-scale illegal timber logging. Though aware that their timber logging is illegal, however small-scale it is, they still rely on this as their source of household income. They also reveal that they are not using sustainable practice to maintain. For instance, a respondent mentioned that they, along with his co-workers, don’t reforest or plant new trees to replace the timber they logged. A second respondent remarked that there were no timbers to be logged anymore, when asked the reason why he shifted from small-scale logging to construction job. But it was more of a case of less access to resources rather than the decline of the resources per se. This is because more economically powerful groups have more access to the timber resources; in effect, they limit the access of the local residents to the said resource. There will still be a conflict over the protection of ecology and the population’s demand for food and natural resources even with the absence of political economy of the access to land resources. Such conflict, which emanates from generation of income from land – based commodities, is evidenced by the intense utilization of land resource. In the long-run, this may result to land degradation. Economic pressure causes the intensified utilization of land resource and in turn, land degradation induces poverty. The vicious cycle of economic underdevelopment is perpetuated because of the narrow understanding of the protection of environmental resources and the inability to marry it with the sustainable economic use of natural resources. The eco-tourism development is a good strategy to de-escalate the conflict between ecological integrity of land resources and economic demand for land resource and to unite the fulfilment of economic demand for and preservation of ecological processes in natural resources. Borrowing from Tourism Canada, under the guidance of Brundtland Commission’s definition, sustainable tourism development refers to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled, while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems.
Development Opportunities and Constraints:
The assessment of the current economic condition of the residents of five barangays , namely, Barangay Cansuso, Bukal, Sisilmin, Lumot, Inao-awan and Talaongan, was directed towards the understanding of the economic impacts and benefits of the proposed Lumot Lake Eco-tourism Development Plan. To come up with the understanding on the economic effects of the development plan among the affected residents, it is important to identify the area’s economic strength. Economic strength pertains to the characteristics of the area that incline to facilitate and foster the eco-tourism development plan. Aside from the area’s economic opportunities, it is necessary to point out the its economic constraints that can impede the economic growth that can be possibly generated by such development plan.
I. Economic Opportunities
- Labor resources
From the conduct of interview, it can be said that the six barangays surrounding the Lumot Lake, has a large size of working age population. The large size of working age population translates to an abundant labor resource for the facilitation of the eco-tourism development in the area. Moreover, this working population possess indigenous skills that can contribute to tourism development. Majority of the residents are into sambalilo weaving, thus this activity is considered to be the prevalent small-scale home cottage activity. Sambalilo weaving and other related livelihood activities can contribute to the tourism industry; in the same manner, the tourism industry can provide opportunity for the development of sambalilo weaving and other small scale cottage activities. Tourism-related investments created by the tourism plan can take advantage of the labor pool comprised by the skilled local residents. Given the time and proper training, these residents can be employed as construction workers, restaurant servers, hotel personnel, boatmen or resort caretakers. This is in unity with the outlook of Philippine Tourism Master Plan that tourism development should be geared towards maximizing livelihood opportunities and the employment of local resources, especially human resources, for such opportunities. Domestic tourism must be encouraged as a means to improve the people’s quality of life, especially of the local population. To take advantage economic opportunity from eco-tourism development and the strength of the community, supplies and personnel for the eco-tourism establishments must be procured from the local community. Prioritizing the local community in the labor pool of eco-tourism investments were also the concern of the respondents on the survey. The respondents are willing to accommodate such development in their area if and only if the employment opportunity induced by tourism-related investments will be directed towards them. They should be the direct beneficiaries of the development in terms of employment opportunities. They believe that it is appropriate that the investors should draw their labor resources also from the local residents. Otherwise, the tourism plan will create negative impression among the resident, thinking that they will get only the negative externalities created by tourism development such as increased number of in –migrants in their area. In terms of development of the labor resources, which will be basically drawn from the local community, some respondent broached the idea of introducing them to formal training sessions, particularly the sambalilo weavers. These weavers – respondents expressed their interest in continuing as weavers upon the implementation of eco-tourism development in Lumot Lake and in acting as producers-marketers of the sambalilo in the eco-tourism sites. Although sambalilo weaving is indigenous to them, they believe they still need formal training to introduce innovation in their products, in terms of design and perhaps techniques. The establishment of eco-tourism sites will create a secure market for sambalilos. But to ensure the marketability of the sambalilos, it should have the design that would attract tourists. The weavers are not yet knowledgeable of the design and innovation aspect of the said cottage activity so this is where the need for trainings arises. The local weavers will progress as producers in a higher value chain (e.g., application of designs) and hence selling them to higher rates. Aside from higher value of their products, they can also act as marketer of their own produce because its market is within the Lumot Lake area – they have direct access to the market. Currently, weavers are left with no choice but to sell their lower value (no design) sambalilo to middlemen at lower rate because they don’t have access to the markets. In this case it is important to formulate a program for the integrated development of human resources.
- Basic infrastructure facilities
Land Transportation
The rural barangays surrounding Lumot Lake can take advantage of its established infrastructure facilities that provide necessary conditions for economic activities. The residents believe that they have a good access to the market and urban centers because they have roads and bridges and public transport vehicles that allow easy transportation of their agricultural and related outputs. The already established infrastructure facilities will alleviate the growth of tourism as an income-generation strategy of the locality by providing prospective tourists with good access to the Lumot Lake and surrounding barangays. This will serve as initial infrastructure facilities that can carry out tourist facilities and activities.
Water Transportation
Barangays surrounding Lumot Lake are accessible by motorized banca.
Waterworks
Power/ Electricity
First Laguna Electric Cooperative (FLECO) is the distributor of electricity to most of barangays.
- Small-Scale Cottage Industry
As mentioned, most of the residents, especially the female population, are engaged in sambalilo weaving. The proposed eco-tourism development can take advantage of this cottage activity. Local cottage activities and tourism industry can spur up the development of each other. As in the One Town One Product (OTOP) strategy, tourism development is also anchored on the marketing of the town’s main product. By instituting this strategy, a demand for the town’s main product i.e., sambalilo, is created. The increased demand for sambalilo implies more employment opportunities for the local weavers. In similar manner, the establishment of sambalilo as the one of the primary products of barangays surrounding the Lumot Lake can give a better packaging to the tourism development in Lumot Lake.
II. Economic Constraints
- Lack of stable markets for the local products
The Cavinti government has created strategies to promote sambalilo as their local product and more importantly, to create impetus for sambalilo weaving industry. Notwithstanding the strategies formulated by the local government, the sambalilo weaving industry remains to be dormant as evidenced by the sentiments expressed by the respondents in the 5 barangays. Based on the interview, what the industry lack is a market for their final products. The eco-tourism development in Lumot Lake will create market for the products of local community. This implies promotion of rural enterprises and accelerating urban-rural integration and cultural exchange
- Lack of investments/ business establishments
According to the Inventory of Licensed Business Establishments in the municipality, there are total of 154 business establishments (in all sectors) in 1999. As per observation from our on foot survey, the number of business establishments is not considerable enough to generate employment among local residents. This may be one of the reasons why some of respondents don’t have stable source of income. Some respondents seconded by remarking that there is lack of business establishments in their community and had there been any, say as factories, they could have been employed.
- Lack of financial markets and financing schemes to stimulate investments in the area
According to sambalilo weavers we interviewed, as much as they would want to increase their production in times of high demand, they are hampered by their financial/capital constraints. Some respondents who don’t have stable source of livelihood would want to establish their own business like small sari-sari store or carinderia, but they cannot do so because of lack of capital. As per Cavinti Physical and Socio-Economic Profile, the Cavinti Rural Bank is the sole financial institution that services the whole municipality. Respondents in Barangay Cansuso mentioned that they earn extra money from an informal fund raising scheme or “paluwagan”. Small business investments can be induced by formation of cooperatives, micro-financing for small businesses. This will allow weavers and other residents who want to create small business in eco-tourist site in Lumot Lake to take advantage of the economic opportunities offered the eco-tourism.
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