Known as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines,” General Santos City has earned itself a new moniker as an emerging farm tourism hub in Mindanao.

This, after its successful hosting of the recent 8th Philippine International Farm Tourism Conference, the country’s largest gathering of practitioners and authorities on farm tourism.

Organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) with the support of the City Government of General Santos, the three-day conference provided avenues for collaboration among farm owners, farmers, and participants and emphasized the positive socio-economic impact of farm tourism on the countryside.

Farm tourism

“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,” says Department of Tourism Secretary Esperanza Christina Garcia-Frasco who was the conference’s keynote speaker.

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to our stakeholders whose dedication has allowed our lands to be as productive as they are purposeful. Your passion fuels this movement, and you deserve our collective commendation and gratitude. The DoT shall continue its support for farm tourism through continued training and capacity building, accreditation, inclusion and promotion in our tourism circuits as well as integration in our flagship and priority programs,” she added.

ISST president and conference director Mina Gabor said that this year’s conference was focused on sustainable growth through the cultivation of fruit farms, aquaculture and livestock, as well as investments in agriculture and tourism.

Phenomenal progress

She noted that this year’s edition is the first in Mindanao, spotlighting the phenomenal progress and peace and order situation attained by the so-called Land of Plenty in recent years.

Conference themes included Diversified Agriculture and Sustainable Farm Tourism Models, Enhancing the Land for Food Security at Home, Innovations and Technology Adoption for Increasing Farm Productivity and Sustainability, Peace and Trust in the Communities, livestock farms tourism sites, and aquaculture development on new products.

Resource persons included owners of successful farm tourism ventures in Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon.

Lending an international flavor to the event were foreign speakers Dewi Suryani of Seameo Biotrop from Indonesia, Gregory Duffel of Vulcain AI from the United States, Kaoru Hirabayashi of Strout Inc., Japan, and Malaysian Nur Azura Binti Adam from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

The three-day conference also featured a trade fair of agricultural produce, processed food, native crafts, and finished products from the Soccsksargen Region.

Farm sites tour

To showcase Gen. Santos’ potential as a farm tourism hub in the south, conference organizers brought participants on a tour of farm sites including Felicidad Orchard and Garden Organics, Bougainvilla Avenue, Sarangani Highlands, MBX Grape Vineyard, Saxonylyn Scifish Farm, Envirogreen Village Educational Foundation, Villamor Agrotourism Park, Keisha’s Garden, JB Guava Farm and JBalayo H20 Garden Villas.

Gabor said farm tourism sites in General Santos add to tourist attractions in the city, which is a favorite for national conventions and special events because of its urban vibe, indigenous culture and tasty tuna catch.

The conference drew to a close with a farewell dinner and entertainment program at Patricio’s Coco Island hosted by City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao.