Here is the rewritten content:
Known for decades as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines,” General Santos City, more popularly known as GenSan, has earned a new moniker as an emerging farm tourism hub in Mindanao. It recently hosted the 8th Philippine International Farm Tourism Conference, the country’s largest gathering of practitioners and authorities on farm tourism.
Themed “Stimulating Sustainable Economic Growth in Rural Communities through Farm Tourism,” the three-day conference provided avenues for collaboration among farm owners, farmers, and participants while emphasizing the positive socio-economic impact of the sunshine industry on the countryside. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, the keynote speaker, said that “at the heart of farm tourism lies a simple yet powerful idea: that our farms are more than just places of production. They are living landscapes of culture, history, and sustainability, where traditions are passed down, innovation takes root, and communities find new pathways to prosperity.”
The conference featured a range of topics, including diversified agriculture and sustainable farm tourism models, enhancing the land for food security, innovations and technology adoption for increasing farm productivity and sustainability, and aquaculture development on new products. Resource persons included owners of successful farm tourism ventures from Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon, as well as international speakers from Indonesia, the USA, Japan, and Malaysia.
The event also featured an exhibit of agricultural produce, processed food, native crafts, and finished products from the SOCCSKSARGEN Region, and participants visited several farm tourism sites in GenSan, including Felicidad Orchard and Garden Organics, Bougainvilla Avenue, Sarangani Highlands, MBX Grape Vineyard, and others.
The conference concluded with a farewell dinner and entertainment program at Patricio’s Coco Island, hosted by City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao. The event was supported by various government agencies and private organizations, including the Tourism Promotions Board, Philippine Airlines, and more.
