NATIONAL ECOTOURISM STRATEGY
Prepared by the
NATIONAL ECOTOURISM STEERING COMMITTEE
and
ECOTOURISM TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP
through the
NEW ZEALAND OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCEJuly 2002
Message
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lobally, the 1992 Earth Summit has compelled all nations to draw action plansto implement the Global Agenda 21.The Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21) was adopted in September 1997 to expandthe national agenda on sustainable development. Sustainable development is defined in PA21 as the “harmonious integration of a sound and viable economy, responsive governance,social cohesion and ecological integrity to ensure that development is a life enhancingprocess.” This concept translated a development paradigm that looks very closely intorelationship of environment and biological diversity at all levels, industry and tourism. In thecontext of conservation, the environment provides the wealth of wonders for the developmentof tourism and ecotourism in particular.In this case, we have to be guided by the concept of ecotourism adopted in the BoholCongress in 1999, “a form of sustainable tourism within a natural and cultural heritage areawhere community participation, protection and management of natural resources, cultureand indigenous knowledge and practices, environmental education and ethics, as well aseconomic benefits are fostered and pursued for the enrichment of host communities and thesatisfaction of visitors.”The Executive Order No. 111 establishing the guidelines for the development of ecotourism in the Philippines provided the legal framework for the partnership of Department of Tourism and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources incooperation with other concerned stakeholders. The EO required the formulation of the Philippine National Ecotourism Strategy to provide the framework for sustainableecotourism development.This Strategy is the Philippines contribution to the celebration of 2002 as theInternational Year of Ecotourism. The UN declaration of IYE was spearheaded by theDepartment of Tourism. Hopefully this Strategy will serve as a guide to planners,developers, decision-makers, public and private entrepreneurs and the academe aswell as government and non-governmental organizations including donors working onsustainable tourism development.RICHARD J. GORDON
SECRETARY OF TOURISM AND CHAIRPERSONNATIONAL ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
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cotourism is a significant tool in sustainable development as it also advocatesprotection of our natural resources, the base from which the ecotourism industrythrives. Ecotourism seeks to put in place mechanisms that are environmentally-sustainable, economically-viable, and socially-equitable in order to bring aboutdevelopment in the country that would redound to the benefit of local communities,especially the poor and marginalized sectors of society.To promote sustainable development in the Philippines, the National EcotourismSteering Committee and the Regional Ecotourism Commitees, in consultation with theregional stakeholders, have formulated a strategy for the development of ecotourismthroughout the country. The National Ecotourism Strategy (NES) is envisioned to providean integrated and coordinated mechanisms as it provides for partnerships amongthe government, the private sector, the local communities and tourists to ensure theindustry’s viability and competitiveness in the long run.The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), as one of theDepartment of Tourism’s (DOT) partners in implementing the NES, commits its roles andmandates in the promotion of the National Ecotourism Programs. The DENR shall continueits campaign on environmental advocacy so that Filipinos and all ecotourism enthusiastsmay gain deeper appreciation of the value of biodiversity and of the benefits that can berealized through conservation. With the NES, the DENR co-shares the vision of positioning the Philippines as aglobally competitive ecotourism destination as it endeavors to develop and protect thecountry’s environment and preserve our cultural heritage for the benefit of the presentand future generations.HEHERSON T. ALVAREZ
SECRETARY OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCESAND CO-CHAIRPERSON, NATIONAL ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
Acknowledgements
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his publication is a cooperative undertaking of the Department of Tourism(DOT) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Government of the Philippines in cooperation with the New Zealand OfficialDevelopment Assistance (NZODA). It is the result of hard work by people from a broadrange of sectors from the government, non-government organizations, academe, peoplesorganizations, the private and business sectors, indigenous peoples, and local people.The DOT and DENR jointly extend their sincere thanks and gratitude to all of thosewho cooperated and participated in the formulation of the National Ecotourism Strategy.
Executive Summary
T
he Philippines is regarded as one of the top 25 biodiversity hotspots in theworld in view of high percentage of endemic plants and animals which arethreatened by extinction.Recognizing the diverse natural and cultural resources of the country, ExecutiveOrder (EO) No. 111 was issued on 17 June 1999 to establish the guidelines forecotourism development in the Philippines. The EO likewise created the NationalEcotourism Development Council as policy making body, and the National EcotourismSteering Committee (NESC) and Regional Ecotourism Committees (RECs) as operatingarms. In addition, the EO called for the formulation of National Ecotourism Strategy (NES)to provide an integrated management plan for the development of ecotourism.Pursuant to EO 111, the NESC through the assistance of New Zealand Agency forInternational Development (NZAID) spearheaded the preparation of the NES. Regionalstakeholders consultation and national planning workshops were conducted by NESC,RECs and NZAID to provide venue for key stakeholders to contribute in the planningprocess as well as elicit issues, concerns and recommendations. The planning processwas capped by the launching of NES during the Second National Ecotourism Congress inTacloban City.The NES viewed ecotourism not as an imported concept but a direct response to realneeds and circumstances in the country. Ecotourism rests on the following pillars:• sustainable management of natural and cultural resources;• environmental education and conservation awareness;• empowerment of local communities; and• development of products that will satisfy visitor needs and position the Philippines asa globally competitive ecotourism destination.The NES is founded on the vision to advocate, foster, coordinate, monitor and mobilizesupport for ecotourism. It specifically aims to:• promote and mobilize support for ecotourism from all sectors-government, businessesand general populace;• develop a culture of tourism among the local people;• institutionalize community participation in planning, development, implementationand monitoring of ecotourism projects;• promote environmental education and ethics;• develop capability of LGUs and local entrepreneurs; facilitate domestic and foreigninvestments to fill in facilities requirements; and• develop globally competitive ecotourism products for quality visitor experience;ensure benefits redound to the local community.The general approach to achieve NES goals involve the establishment of network of sites and products through a “top-down and bottom-up” approach. The Top-down seeksto define flows from the national government by developing and marketing key ecotourismsites as well as setting the standards to regulate and monitor ecotourism projects. Thebottom-up is envisioned to provide opportunity for host communities, local governmentunits, local entrepreneurs, non-government organizations and other stakeholders toactively participate in the protection and management of their resources and other viableecotourism projects. An important approach in the NES is the establishment of communication networkvia the website, newsletter and other media to facilitate sharing of information andexperiences among stakeholders. It also provide for linking key sites and products tofacilitate the development of new packages and programs that will ensure a longer visitorstay and a quality experience. A set of National Ecotourism Program has been identified in the NES in supportof its implementation. The program includes selection of key ecotourism sites, productdevelopment, marketing and promotions, education and advocacy, establishment of ecotourism fund, support programs and monitoring. Action plan for each national ecotourism program was also identified in the short term(2002 – 2004), medium term (2002 – 2007) and long term (2002 – 2012).
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National Eco Tourism Strategy 2002
To promote sustainable development in the Philippines, the National Ecotourism Steering Committee and the Regional Ecotourism Commitees, in consultation with the regional stakeholders, have formulated a strategy for the development of ecotourism throughout the country. The…
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