Ecotourism in Bakun: Natives’ Narratives

by Abigail Anne C. Padrelanan, 2015-35044

Final Paper for SDS 265: Community and Environment Relations
June 4 2018

A BRIEF BACKGROUND

The tourism industry is growing more rapidly than before due to the inevitable spread of
globalization. Because of this phenomenon, the number of countries who engage themselves in
tourism is also unsurprisingly increasing. Due to this, developing a sustainable tourism industry
continues to be a very relevant issue within the academe in the past decade or so. However,
according to an article tackling the differences between sustainable tourism and ecotourism 1,
while the former emphasizes economic viability, sociocultural sensitivity and environmental
conservation, its focus is still rooted on tourist destinations and businesses. Also, it was
mentioned that “the overall objective of initiatives aimed at making tourism more sustainable is
to reduce the negative impacts of travel activities” not only to the environment and communities
affected but also on the businesses involved. This heavily implies that the idea of sustainable
tourism already acknowledges that tourism brings adversities and, thus, it being sustainable is
more inclined to stabilize such adversities instead of preventing them from even occurring.

This is why the idea of ecotourism has been continuing to rise nowadays, because even
though many places already venture in tourism, it is the natural state of their attractions that
they market and, thus, it should not be compromised and abused. Again, while sustainable
tourism focuses on reducing negative impacts of tourism on the area and businesses, ecotourism

1
What is the Difference Between Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism?
https://greencitytrips.com/difference-sustainable-tourism-ecotourism/
is committed to protecting and conserving delicate environments whilst still being able to
maximize it for responsible public use. Also, it attempts to prevent the exploitation of both the
environment and its people while still trying to develop the tourism industry in the process.

Kiper (2013) in her article, “Role of Ecotourism in Sustainable Development,” synthesized

several given definitions and provided three solid indicators that encapsulate the idea of
ecotourism (p. 777); she described it as something that:

a. provides for environmental conservation;

b. includes meaningful community participation, and;
c. is profitable and can be self-sustained.

She also provided a table of differences when it comes to mass tourism and eco-tourism. Overall,
the main difference is that mass tourism is willing to compromise the environment and
community just to please tourists and to gain profit in the process while eco-tourism aims to
provide the same experience but with full consideration and care for the preservation and
protection its environment and community; “The most obvious characteristic of Ecotourism is
that it is nature based” (Weaver [2001] in Kiper, 2013). In addition, aside from the focus on
nature, there is also a particular attention to the fortification of the area’s socio-cultural
practices.

To put things in perspective, it is undeniable that the Philippines is a nation that prides
itself for its tourism industry. The country is very popular for both local and foreign tourists
because of its abundance of culture and natural beauty epitomized by almost perfectly crafted
rice terraces, beautiful mountains, rich wildlife, and pristine beaches.
 In fact, according to a study on Boracay by Ong et.al (2011: 549)2, “coastal tourism is one
of the most popular and fastest-growing areas of global tourism (in Asia) because coasts offer
the best opportunities for leisure, physical activities and pleasure for all age and social groups”.
This is highly evidenced by the extreme international popularity of Philippine beaches, especially
to the Westerners and East Asians due to the polarity between the beaches in their areas and
the ones that we have here in our country. Also, the recent technological and infrastructural
developments along with the ability of Filipinos to communicate in English all the more fueled
the ability of these tourist areas to provide more convenience and comfortability to its visitors
whilst giving them the opportunity to explore not only nature but also culture.

Thus, eco-tourism, in its entirety, seem to be an impeccably positive mechanism for the
development of countries like ours. This is because it does not only generate income on both the
local and national level but it also advances our global reputation and competitiveness. This is
necessary considering the social, political, and economical issues that our country is facing at the
moment. Furthermore, it is indeed a helpful way to promote goodness in times of darkness.

THE RISE OF THE PROBLEM

However, in the recent years, it is also apparent that some of the tourist areas in the
Philippines are being continuously exploited by private businesses and sometimes by even the
government itself; it is treated merely as a source of income and the fact that it was a community
before any development occurred appears to be overlooked.

2
Ong et.al (2011). Beyond the Beach: Balancing Environmental and Socio-cultural Sustainability in Boracay, the
Philippines. in Tourism Geographies Vol. 13, No. 4, 549–569.
 A very good example again would be Boracay, which was just recently closed to tourists
because it was said to be displaying signs of environmental degradation. This might have come
as a surprise to some because the attraction has always been deemed to be one of the best
(beaches) not only in the Philippines but also in the world, but the problems in Boracay did not
happen as sudden as we think it did; it was a consequence of several string of events, both big
and small, that kept happening repeatedly. The problems have grown steadily through the years
and we, as a nation, probably became complacent and just did not pay enough attention to them.
In fact, there have been several studies about the tourism in Boracay as early as the early 1990s;
"Boracay has been through periods where it has been considered as an example of
environmentally and socially unsustainable development. In response there have been a number
of programmes since the late 1990s aiming to improve Boracay’s sustainability" (Ong et.al 2011: 549).

These plans, however, obviously did not work, or were maybe not even implemented, as
evidenced by the fact that Boracay is currently undergoing a temporary closure because of piled
up environmental (and political) problems. Cases as such are a good motivation to further study
the current tourism industry in the Philippines. Failures, although unquestionably adverse and
sad, also present templates on how to avoid having similar outcomes; failures could also serve
not only as warnings but also as an inspiration to come up with plans and concrete actions to
remedy the existing problems. However, this is only achievable if we truly pay attention and only
if we actually learn from them.

Yet again, issues such as the Boracay closure indeed proves that the Philippines has
difficulties in handling tourism. However, it will also be ridiculous to just close all areas to the
public just because we lack the skills and knowledge to handle them. Thus, the need to study it
further and to apply appropriate eco-tourism measure in order to avoid the occurrence of the
same situation in other tourist areas, especially the potential and unscathed ones, becomes all
the more necessary.
IN FOCUS: BENGUET – BAKUN.

However, this paper, in particular, will not be focusing on coastal tourism. This is because
aside from beautiful beaches and islands, the Philippines has also a lot to offer when it comes to
mountain tourism, especially in several areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR),
particularly in the province of Benguet. This area is interesting to study because of the diversity
it offers. Also, it is said that the local communities have high participation in developing tourism
in their areas and it is indeed intriguing to know how it all plays out.

As mentioned, Benguet is a Philippine province situated in the Cordillera Administrative

Region (CAR). It is composed of 13 municipalities, namely: Atok, Bakun, Bokod, Buguias, Itogon,
Kabayan, Kapangan, Kibungan, La Trinidad, Mankayan, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay; Baguio City has
been included in the past but now operates as an independent chartered city. The province is
also home to several indigenous communities which makes the area become more diverse yet
more inclusive at the same time.

These days, the province of Benguet is popular not only because of its obvious natural
and cultural richness but also due to the several growing tourist attractions it offers to people
both local and foreign. In the past, its area’s tourism was limited to Baguio and some parts of La
Trinidad. However, currently, it is evident that the spread of tourism is slowly (sometimes even,
drastically) permeating almost the entire province in different ways.

Located in the highlands, the province is very popular to mountaineers and hikers as it is
a home to several mountains that are suitable for both professional and amateur climbing (e.g.
Mount Pulag, Mount Ulap, et.al). Because of this, the previously exclusive sport has become open
to people of different ages and backgrounds. Furthermore, several municipalities are slowly
coming out with different tourist attractions. For instance, Atok has just recently been promoting
their Sakura farm while Kabayan puts so much pride in their lakes and other natural sights; both
have been offering travel packages at such affordable rates at the moment.

Benguet is also famous for its cool temperature especially when compared to other places
in the Philippines. Because of this, many people from the lowlands visit the province to
experience a different ambience. Plus, the recent developments in terms of travel time reduction
made it more accessible to people; for example, in the past, a car ride from Manila to Baguio
takes 6 to 7 hours because of the lack of express highways but, currently, it could be reached in
only 4 hours or sometimes even less due to immense improvements in the transportation system,
particularly the addition and extension of expressways.

However, this paper, will only focus on the eco-tourism in the municipality of Bakun.
Bakun is a 3rd class municipality in Benguet, composed of 7 barangays and approximately 15,000
people (according to a Philippine Statistics Authority report in 2015). It has an area of 286.91 km 2,
almost five times that of Manila which only has 42.88 km 2. It is a very rich and vast area of land
and is home to the Kankana-eys, a part of the collective group of Cordilleran indigenous people,
locally referred to as Igorots.

Bakun has not been a tourist attraction until, recently, when people started to discover
its abundance of natural attractions especially the mountains, waterfalls and rice terraces within
it. Also, its cultural richness is embedded in its nature; for example: Mount Kabunyan, which is
known to be the home of the Kankana-ey god, Kabunian, is popular due to its beauty and to the
burial grounds that promotes rich culture around it. Furthermore, Bakun is also popular for its
production of rice (Bakun rice terraces), vegetables, and other products like their famous ginger
tea powder which is manufactured locally but is shipped to different parts of the country as a
flagship product.
 Compared to other areas in Benguet, there are very little studies (if not none) regarding
Bakun’s ecotourism and how it affects the relationship between the environment and its
community of people. According to the website3 of the municipality, tourism in the area is not as
developed and commercialized as let’s say, Baguio or La Trinidad. In fact, it is directly mentioned
that accommodations and amenities are very limited at the moment but, still, homestays with
local people are available to tourists. Also, most of the attractions mentioned were deemed to
be “potential” ones, meaning that they are not yet considered to be official tourists at this time.
However, the province and the municipality express their desire for people to visit these potential
attractions in the hopes of developing a functional ecotourism in the area.

Indeed, Benguet’s tourism industry has already developed a lot when compared to the
past and will inevitably and undeniably continue to develop in the following years; and like
aforementioned, it also seems that this development is accepted, embraced, and even
encouraged by the local citizens themselves. This is quite evident through the several
municipalities who are trying to come out with their own attractions and products to promote
and sell to the tourists. However, just like in other tourist spots in the Philippines, the issue on
how to keep the province’s environment and communities safe and unexploited whilst keeping
a healthy and growing tourism industry remains a dilemma. Also, since Bakun is relatively new to
this industry, it would be fascinating to find out what the local residents really think about the
gradual growing tourism industry that is happening in their area and their take on whether it is a
positive or a negative development to their communities. Also, knowing if they would want to
continue or stop such phenomenon would be equally interesting.

3
Benguet Province Website.
http://www.benguet.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/municipality-of-bakun/attractions
Thus, this paper aims to fulfill two objectives:

1) to describe and explain the current ecotourism situation in Bakun, Benguet by

collecting and presenting narratives directly coming from local residents, and;

2) to evaluate if the data gathered coincides with the ecotourism parameters given by
Kiper (2013).

METHODOLOGY AND DATA ANALYSIS

To be able to get accurate and unbiased narratives, I conducted a mini survey-interview

with six people, all of which were with people who grew up in the municipality of Bakun. The
survey-interview consisted of a main question and three sub-questions; follow-up questions
were also asked when necessary; these questions are used to fulfill the first objective of this paper.

Main question:

“Are you aware that tourism is rising in your area?”

Sub-questions:

1. What changes has it brought to your area?

2. Are they positive or negative? Why so?
3. Do you want it to continue? To what extent?

--
 As reflected in the interview responses, all of the respondents expressed awareness when
it comes to the rise of tourism in their area. (below are the exact responses)

Figure 1. Responses to the Main Question, "Are you aware that tourism is rising in your area?"

Respondent #1:
Yes.

Respondent #2:
Yes.

Respondent #3:
Yes, some mountains are becoming tourist attractions as well as some caves and the view and climate.

Respondent #4:
Yes.

Respondent #5:
Yes, because in every barangay, there are beautiful spots that people can visit.

Respondent #6:
Yes. Reasons/Cases:
*barangay fiesta- people from nearby places and other regions come to have fun during the event and then they
find out that there are spots certain spots where they can visit when they want to go on a trip like caves, mountains,
and waterfalls.
*social media accounts of residents, especially young people- they post photos of amazing sites on the internet
and people are curious where to find the place

These answers reflect that they all know that there is indeed an actual tourism industry in their
communities. While most of them just gave very brief answers, some were able to give particular
examples of how their communities participate in the tourism industry (e.g. mentioning the
growing popularity of Bakun as a tourist area due to its beautiful scenery, caves, mountains, and
waterfalls). The 6th respondent, in particular, mentioned that aside from local events that draw
people to their municipality, the people who live in the area also take it upon themselves to
promote their community to other people by the means of social media; fortifying the fact that
the rising tourism is endorsed not only by outsiders but also by the local people themselves.

These responses coming from the locals are very much relevant because the existence of
local participation and affirmation means that the type of tourism which is practiced in their place
is indeed “eco.” Nazarea et.al (1998) emphasized in their paper that the problems surrounding
the issue of tourism is mostly due to the exclusion of the local involvement when it comes to
identifying the needs of a tourism community. This is because most of the literature and
parameters regarding the proper management and development of communities, environment,
and tourism are deeply rooted within the western context. Thus, the tendency to always
universalize factors which affect people and to generalize experiences becomes higher; this
universalization and generalization, then, neglects what is happening within the local and
eventually mutes the voices of the local people.

"the external biases are clear. Generally speaking, these indicators tend to be: 1)
technocratic/academic; 2) urban/mainstream; 3)
productive/economic/ecological; 4) time frozen/short-term; and 5)
unidimensional/aggregated. These biases are difficult, if not impossible, to avoid
because, despite good intentions, civil servants, development specialists, and
academics who develop the criteria for indicators do so from their own economic
and cultural standpoint. There is, in other words, a tendency to universalize and
thereby decontextualize parameters such as income, potable water supply, loss of
biodiversity, and others that are important from one's own perspective" (1998:
260).

However, if we want to stop this trend, then we should also advocate for plans and
programs that would let local voices be heard. This will only be possible if the communities within
the tourist areas would be involved in the development of their own respective areas; only if
their ideas and opinions would be considered before the implementation of projects; "...any
small step we can make towards closer approximation and representation of what people
affected by development change, either voluntarily or involuntarily, consider important and/or
relevant; any step towards giving voice to local perceptions and concerns is certainly a step in the
right direction" (1998: 168).
As for the sub-questions, these were the responses towards the first and second follow-up
questions. (below are the exact answers)

Figure 2. Responses to Sub-question #1, "What changes has it brought to your area?"

Respondent #1:
Positive: infrastructure development, investment, tourist spots in our place became known to other places,
livelihood to people, introduction of different culture of that place
Negative: destruction of resources, disturbance of wild life

Respondent #2:
Positive: improvement of the tourist spots, additional income to the residents
Negative: more garbage

Respondent #3:
It becomes opportunity for locals to be a tourist guide for additional income

Respondent #4:
Tourism brought new job opportunities to the people near the area because people nearby could sell whatever
the tourists need. The area is always clean considering it is a tourist spot.

Respondent #5:
Tourism makes our municipality popular. Tourism also provides jobs for the people.

Respondent #6:
Yes, a lot of changes.

Figure 3. Responses to Sub-question #2, "Are they positive or negative?"

Respondent #1:
Like I said, there are both positive and negatives impacts

Respondent #2:
Positive in the sense that it helps in the development of the community

Respondent #3:
Positive, it promotes tourism to local and international tourists

Respondent #4:
It is positive because people nearby learn to cooperate in maintaining any possible good thing for the good of the
tourist spot and the community

Respondent #5:
Positive because the people in the community will maintain and protect their environment to attract more tourists

Respondents #6:
Positive: the place is becoming famous as a place of wonderful sites.
: it provided temporary work for some residents- they make souvenirs and sell them to tourists like shirts, bags,
and pouches made out of recycled and local materials and snacks.
Negative: it’s hard to control the tourists because most sides don't have fences and guards for its preservation
: accumulation of more wastes which is detrimental to the longevity of the tourist sites.
As observed from the responses, it is clear that a majority, if not all, of the respondents
acknowledged that while there were really changes in their community because of the rising
tourism industry, these changes mostly render positive impacts not only on a community level
but also on an individual one. Based on their answers, more than the popularity and higher
acclaim for their place, the reality that tourism brings them more income through increased job
opportunities is the main reason as to why they approve of this development. While it could not
be denied that the rise of tourism in Bakun also generates more garbage, brings destruction of
natural resources, and cause disturbance of wildlife (Respondents #1 and #2), the fact that it
benefits local people economically and boosts their morale through being able to have a source
of livelihood whilst also being given the capability to showcase their own products seem to be
enough to justify the currently minimal threats posed by tourism to their community.

These results also touch another rampant problem in the Philippines - unemployment. As
we know, unemployment is a prevalent issue in the country and only seems to grow more severe
with each passing day due to lack of opportunities not only for jobs but particularly on education.
It is a known fact that having finished a degree in a college or university is already a prerequisite
in having employment opportunities in the Philippines. In fact, there are so many people who
already hold degrees but still find it so difficult to get jobs due to the initial circumstances in this
country; for example, the nurses and doctors who seek employment abroad just to utilize what
they learned in school. However, the others who choose to stay in the country are trapped in
limited opportunities. Thus, they tend to grab job offers which undermine their educational
backgrounds; this is observed by the number of people who become underemployed or
experience employment mismatch. In addition to that, another flaw in the Philippines’
employment system is that opportunities are only (most of the time) found in urban societies,
resulting to lesser to no chances in the rural communities, and much more less in the ICCs.
 Furthermore, it is evident that education in the Philippines has already turned into a
privilege instead of a right. The existence of schools in rural areas is definitely lower as compared
to urban areas; also, the number of school in indigenous communities are much lower (if not
close to none) which means that they need to travel kilometers just to attend classes. This
situation makes it more difficult for them to prioritize education and instead of getting joy from
learning, they only get a heavier burden because of it. This often cause many of them to just
completely give up on school in order to do more productive things in their respective
communities. However, such things do not necessarily help them economically because nothing
really changes in their social statuses; they are merely getting by while the people in urban
societies continue to get more livelihood and financial opportunities. Looking into this, it seems
rather unfair because it is not their fault and they did not choose to be born in that kind of life;
they are victims of the standards set by the society even before they existed.

Going back to the issue of the people in indigenous communities such as in Bakun, given
these initial employment circumstances, it is very hard for them to have a stable source of
livelihood if they choose to stay in their municipality; the inconsistent changes in temperature
and climate does not help either for it only limits the produce they can put up for selling. This is
the reason as to why several local people (including the people I interviewed) migrate to Baguio,
being the closest city in proximity, just to land employment opportunities. They leave their homes
and families just to find better opportunities elsewhere, because given the current situation, they
are often left with almost no choice; it is either to leave and hope for economic stability in the
city or to stay and risk being stagnant in their own hometown. Thus, it cannot be denied that the
additional livelihood opportunities brought by the rising tourism industry in Bakun is definitely
beneficial because it greatly helps local people in having chances to generate income while
staying in their homes; this tourism impact gives the interviewees’ responses more sense and
validation in the process.
 Lastly, for the last sub-question, I have received the following responses: (in exact words)

Responses to Sub-question #3, "Do you want it to continue? To what extent?"

Respondent #1:
Yes, as long as it won’t bring major destructions and threat to the community resources and the wild life

Respondent #2:
Yes, to the extent that it is not harmful to community people and the community itself

Respondent #3:
Yes, until the area will be known to others for the investors to invest in order for the locals to have work

Respondent #4:
Do continue, if tourists learn to cooperate in the ordinances of the community

Respondent #5:
Yes, I want it to continue

Respondent #6:
Yes, as long as the community can still protect their place and the tourists follow the rules strictly. If the community
fails to preserve the tourist sites, then it better not to promote the place as a tourist destination.

It is clear based on their responses that the people I interviewed are all willing to share their
community to the world. They are proud of where they come from and they collectively agree
that the advantages of tourism in their area outweighs the disadvantages. They only ask for
tourists, and the developers, to not compromise their homes just to accommodate their own
pleasures and just to boost the popularity of the place. To be honest, it is very simple, they are
basically just asking the tourists to respect the area and to follow the ordinances set by the
community (take note that one of the respondents [#4] involved ‘the community’ in setting
regulations which means that it is important for them to be able to participate in development
planning and projects). In addition, the employment plea is again reiterated by Respondent #3
when he/she said that tourism needs to continue up to the point where in “investors (will) invest
in order for the locals to have work.” Also, Respondent #6 insisted that the development of Bakun
as a tourist area should greatly depend on the ability of both locals and tourists to protect the
area and the community; it was also emphasized that if they fail to do so then maybe it will be
better off not to be promoted as a tourist destination. This fortifies the fact that although tourism
helps them, the protection of their home is much more important that economic development.

To fulfill the second objective of this paper, I related the respondents’ answers to the
parameters of eco-tourism which Kiper (2013) has enumerated in her article. However, it is still
too early to conclude if Bakun really implements policies and regulations which intertwine with
Kiper’s eco-tourism standards. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that it aspires to be a community
which aims to promote itself and showcase what it has for the world to see whilst still being able
to protect its own community by keeping the natural resources safe and providing its people
opportunities to grow both in their morale and their economic statuses by giving them
representation in the national level and livelihood opportunities. If these things are fulfilled, then
it would not be ambitious to say that Bakun is indeed a place which fully exhibits the
characteristics of eco-tourism.

Also, knowing this narrative from Bakun’s local people, it is again safe to say that this
knowledge and data could also be used to further the studies on knowing the locals’ perspective
when it comes to establishing tourism industries not only in Bakun, but also in other areas. Unlike
Boracay, Bakun is still new to the tourism industry and, thus, the actions to keep it safe and
regulated is still very much effective and preventive as compared to more popular and already
exploited places like the former. Our goal, then, as people who study development is to balance
out the pros and cons while maintaining a steady increase in development per se. However,
‘balancing the negatives and positives’ has already been used and abused as a solution.
Therefore, now, we need to come up with more concrete ideas on how to control the problems
that arise in tourism and how to solve them for the benefit of not only a few people but for the
majority of Filipinos. This is indeed a very difficult task but knowing and understanding the local
perspective is always a good starting point. After all, we are all Filipinos, and thus, it should be
acknowledged that more than economic growth (which is, do not get me wrong, also very
important), we as one people, in order to develop, should recognize that everyone is needed and
no one is a spare part.
--
REFERENCES:
Kiper, T. 2013. Role of Ecotourism in Sustainable Development in Advances in Landscape Architecture. Book edited
by Murat Özyavuz, ISBN 978-953-51-1167-2.

What is the Difference Between Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism?

(https://greencitytrips.com/difference-sustainable-tourism-ecotourism/)

Ong et.al. 2011. Beyond the Beach: Balancing Environmental and Socio-cultural Sustainability in Boracay, the
Philippines. in Tourism Geographies Vol. 13, No. 4, 549–569.

Benguet Province Website. (http://www.benguet.gov.ph/index.php/municipalities/municipality-of-

bakun/attractions)

Nazarea et.al. 1998. Defining Indicators Which Makes Sense to Local People: Intracultural Variation in Perceptions
of Natural Resources. Human Organization; Vol 57, No. 2. Society for Applied Anthropology.