BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Some 500 farm tourism industry stakeholders from all over the country will be participating in the 9th International Farm Tourism Conference to be held in the city on March 4-6, 2026 which seeks to aggressively promote the rapidly growing industry.
The 3-day event is organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the city government as co-presenters working on the theme ‘Highland Harvest, Cultivating Sustainable Agriculture and Tourism.’
ISST president and former tourism Secretary Mina Gabor said that the event seeks to highlight the growing farm tourism industry in various parts of the country and will bring to the fore the increasing investment and the development of upland farm-based attractions that will ensure their sustainability.
She claimed that there are already around 800 farm tourism sites around the country but only 138 that have been accredited by the tourism department through the years.
Senator Francis Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture, will be the keynote speaker of this prestigious farm tourism conference where he will be expounding on the upper chamber’s legislative agenda on food security.
At the same time, the conference will feature an exhibit of agricultural produce, processed food, native crafts and finished products from the Cordillera to be led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) with Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona leading the activity.
Gabor claimed that participants of the conference will also have a chance to immerse in the exotic cuisine, natural wonders, adventure attractions and well-preserved culture of the Cordillera.
There will also be panel discussions that will focus on highland coffee innovations with Dr. Alejandro Mojica of the Philippine Coffee Board and the Manila Times columnist Noemi Lardizabal-Dado, and tradition to technology with La Trinidad Councilor Belmer Elis, Cordillera culture bearer and master weaver Cathy Ekid, and Cosmic farm president Rogel Marsan.
Among the other topics programmed during the conference are the Six Pillars of Sustainable Farm Tourism by SVD Laudatu Si’ farm founder Fr. Samuel Agcaracar, Digitalization and Farm Tourism by Vulcain.ai founder Gregory Duffel, and Preserving Natural and Cultural Heritage with Narda’s handwoven Arts and Crafts Director Lucia Capuyan-Catanes.
Scientific and technical inputs will also be discussed such as Sustainable Food System for Food Security by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Country Representative Lionel Henri Valentin Dabbadie, Brand Storytelling and Marketing Strategies by Approach Consultancy president Lorenzo Manalang and Adopting Agriculture to Climate Reality International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) Country Director Emilita Monville Oro, and Building Resilient Communities in the Highlands by ASEAN Center for Biodiversity Adviser Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim. (Baguio PIO)
