The road to sustainability and rural development: ATI CALABARZON’s strengthened commitment to farm tourism

Farm tourism, or agritourism, supports the local economy by bringing additional revenue to rural areas, helping farmers diversify their income. Typically, farm tourism sites also showcase innovative agricultural technologies and practices that can be adopted by visitors. Thus, this form of tourism promotes sustainable farming practices as visitors gain awareness, insights, and methods, helping them appreciate and engage in agriculture even more.

The Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) CALABARZON, under the supervision of Center Director Dr. Rolando V. Maningas, takes on various initiatives to support and foster farm tourism—recognizing its role in enhancing agricultural knowledge and skills, promoting sustainable practices, and supporting rural development.

Last February 24-26, Dr. Maningas led the team from the Center to join the 8th Philippine International Farm Tourism Conference 2025 held at KCC Mall in General Santos City. The activity brought together key stakeholders to discuss the pivotal role of farm tourism in driving sustainable economic growth in rural communities.

Themed “Stimulating Sustainable Economic Growth in Rural Communities through Farm Tourism,” the conference served as a critical platform for sharing knowledge and best practices, as well as fostering partnerships that contribute to the growth of rural tourism and local agriculture.

As part of the Center’s participation, the DA-ATI CALABARZON showcased its extension project AGRI360 with a virtual walkthrough of Learning Sites for Agriculture (LSAs) in CALABARZON, offering a 360-degree view of farms, their facilities, and the technologies used. The booth was made possible with the assistance of the Information Services Section (ISS) of the DA-ATI Region 12.

It can be recalled that the Center launched the AGRI360 on February 3, 2025, during its 38^th Anniversary Celebration. As one of its innovative extension projects that supports farm tourism, the DA-ATI CALABARZON aims to promote farms as technology demonstration hubs and tourist destinations while empowering farmers and farm operators. The platform showcases their best practices, helping to attract visitors, raise public awareness, and potentially increase revenue from farm visits and the purchase of products and services. To access the site, visitors may go to: https://agri360daati.com/.

Passionate for undertakings that highlight farm tourism, Dr. Maningas, together with the Information Services Section of the Center, remains committed to improving the AGRI360. After its successful launch, this year, the DA-ATI CALABARZON, as the lead project implementer, plans to map out other LSAs and Private Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Service Provider (PAF-ESP) farms in the region and update the platform’s features to ensure they remain relevant and useful.

Meanwhile, as part of the 8th Philippine International Farm Tourism Conference, CALABARZON’s LSA cooperators also contributed as esteemed resource speakers. Mr. Mike Caballes from Bukid Amara Farm (Lucban, Quezon); Ms. Flor Tarriela, founder of Flor’s Garden (Antipolo City, Rizal); and Ms. Mikki Hontiveros from Denso (DNPH Smart Agritech Farm) shared their valuable insights and best practices. Their contributions to the conference underscored the essential role of local farms in the success of farm tourism.

On top of this, conference participants visited various farm tourism sites to explore their best practices and innovative approaches. In line with this, the DA-ATI CALABARZON took part in the activity to gain knowledge on how these successful farms contribute to sustainable agriculture and rural development. The tour, which included visits to MBX Grape Vineyard, Sarangani Highlands, Felicidad Orchard & Garden Organics, and Keisha’s Garden, provided valuable insights into the growth of farm tourism in their region.

With these insights earned and strengthened appreciation of farm tourism, the DA-ATI CALABARZON, under the leadership of Dr. Maningas, will continue its commitment to implementing programs, projects, and activities that accentuate the vibrancy of agritourism and its significance in enhancing agricultural knowledge and skills, promoting sustainable practices, and supporting rural development.