On their second day, students on AIM’s weeklong Sustainable Tourism Management course explored the town of Taal, Batangas. Students traveled through time as they visited Taal’s impressive historical sites and colonial architecture. Mr. Bennet Amoroso of Casas Taal brought students to the 1755 St. Martin de Tours Basilica, Asia’s largest Catholic Church. Students also visited the Don Gregorio Agoncillo “White House,” Casa Ylagan-dela Rosa, and Casa Villavicencio — restored “Bahay na Bato” or adobe stone houses that reflect the Filipino’s struggle for independence over the centuries. GNAM students stayed for two nights at Paradores Del Castillo, one of three restored stone houses converted into hotels by the Villavicencio family. The popularity of cultural tourism in Taal only shows that preserving one’s heritage can clearly be both economically and socially sustainable.

On the third day, students hiked Taal Volcano—the smallest active volcano in the world. With over 47 craters and 35 volcanic cones, it is also known to be one of the most deadliest. Majority of Volcano Island emerged from a brutal eruption in 1911, which killed thousands of people in surrounding areas. Many eruptions have since then sculpted the island’s unique appearance. To get there, the GNAM group took a forty-minute boat ride through the scenic stretch of Pansipit River and Taal Lake. Upon arriving on the Island, students embarked on a 1.5 -hour hike—some on foot, others on horseback—to Crater Lake. Their efforts were rewarded with stunning 180-degree views of the crater.

The last leg of the course brought students to Anilao, one of the richest micro-dive destinations in the Asia Pacific region. Its coastline has some of the highest concentration of diverse marine life on the planet. Students stayed at the Mountain Province-inspired Bontoc in Batangas Bed and Breakfast (BBBB) in Mabini, Batangas overlooking the South China Sea. Mr. Romeo Trono, owner of BBBB, and former Country Director of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Philippines shared decades worth of experience in conservation over meals and live music. Eager to enjoy Anilao’s marine life, all of the GNAM students went on their first ever SCUBA diving experience at the foothills of BBBB, only a few hundred meters away. Students were able to see first-hand how increased enforcement and patrolling of Anilao’s marine protected areas contributed to the flourishing of the area’s coral reefs and marine life. Bleached corals, however, point to the continuous struggle against climate change.   

In a formal lecture, Mr. Trono also discussed Conservation International’s (CI’s) proposed ecotourism plan for the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) in Tawi-Tawi, southwestern Philippines. The Turtle Islands are the only major natural nesting ground for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in all of Southeast Asia. In a bilateral agreement signed in 1996, Philippine and Malaysian governments established the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA), the first and only trans-frontier protected area for marine turtles in the world. Trono espouses tourism as a means to 1) increase livelihood opportunities for locals; 2) ease territorial tensions between the Philippines and Malaysia; 3) improve security in the area; and 4) ultimately rid the prevailing negative perception of the region as a conflict area. He also discussed the many challenges involved in development and conservation—stressing the pivotal role of political buy-in and local community participation when initiating ecotourism in the TIWS.

For sustainable destinations to thrive, they must have a wide range of well-connected tourism attractions and services. As Batangas’ slogan claims, it is “All Here, So Near.” Its proximity to Manila, and its unique mix of nature and culture-based products show how Batangas came to be one of the most competitive destinations in the Philippines. Dyanamic business owners, who are passionate about the tourism product that they offer (and its longevity) play an important role in shaping the tourism industry for years to come.

This article was written by Andrea Liamzon, of the Asian Institute of Management’s Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism.