CTHC 1007 -Micro Perspective in Tourism and Hospitality

FINAL EXAMINATION

Case Study:
BANAUE RICE TERRACES RESTORATION
by: Jaime S. de los Santos
Let me start with a little scenario.

Tomorrow, one family or  barkada  will take a trip to the mountain resort of Baguio and then the
magnificent rice terraces where tourists will pick up native carvings by the mountain tribes and if they
are lucky, some authentic image of rice gods.
They are doing what tourists have always done: taking in a little sightseeing, a little sunbathing, enjoying
the local flavors.
Tourism has always been an activity of man. In fact, a Greek philosopher once advised: “The world is a
book. If you have not traveled, you have only read page one.”
Boracay has gained much fame around the world for its unequalled beauty, a signature label, and idyllic
tourist destination. It has received numerous accolades and awards. On the positive side, it has provided
a lot of economic benefits to the area and to the country as well.
Lately, however, the downside of neglect and disregard for environmental needs has threatened the
future of the island paradise. The timely intervention of the government arrested what could have been
an irreversible trend for the island, and great difficulty in resuscitating an ailing facility.
The same situation is believed to be happening in other destination areas, such as Bohol, Palawan, and
Baguio. For instance, in the mountain resort of Banaue, the condition of the rice terraces is not healthy.
In all of these cases, our eyes have been opened to the incapacity of the Filipinos to manage and sustain
such tourism treasures. The negative effect of tourism development is upon us, and we are hard pressed
to fend of the gloom.
Primarily, tourism affects the environment, the degree of which rises in direct proportion to the volume
of tourists. The destruction maybe in terms of damage to plant and animal life (biological), pollution of
air and water, or in the destruction of the landscape through uncontrolled building and inappropriate
infrastructures and superstructures.
At a conference on the social and economic impact of tourism on pacific communities, held sometimes in
the 70’s, one conclusion was reached unanimously: “Tourism promises dreams but produces
nightmares.” This impression was a result of the information and insights shared by developing countries
about the problems attendant to tourism growth. Tourism can be disruptive when it reinforces the desire
for socioeconomic aspirations that are not locally attainable. A look at Boracay and other tourism resorts
reveal the cultural degradation of the locality. They have lost their native identity. The injection of the
culture of an alien element has greatly influenced the concept of development, so much so that basic
considerations that impact of long-term operations are ignored or unattended too, all in the name of the
might tourism dollars.
Coupled with the greed of national and local officials, the effects are really disastrous. Boracay and the
rest of the booming tourist spots showcase irresponsible governance and lack of control mechanisms to
achieve sustainability.
In 2016, a successful businesswoman, a philanthropist, a corporate social responsibility advocate was
awakened after being briefed on the situation of the Banaue Rice Terraces by Mayor Jerry Dalipog,
municipal mayor of Banaue. Dr. Milagros How is a visionary, a distinguished alumni awardee of the
University of the Philippines for Corporate Social Responsibility in 2017. A physical inspection of the area
exposed the stark reality that if no one will start, the Philippines stands to lose a rich UNESCO heritage,
one of the 7 wonders of the world.
Universal Harvester, Inc., a private corporation, initiated the project that will restore a portion of the rice
terraces as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility efforts. The project is a joint partnership with the
Banawe Municipality under the leadership of its mayor.
The initial area for development is about 30 hectares. This will be the model that will create spill-over
effect into other areas in order to achieve development and restoration of about 500 hectares within the
next 3 years.
Aside from the physical restoration, the project hopes to revive the sociocultural values of the populace
that has nurtured the rice terraces for the last 2,000 years.
One major objective of the project is to enhance the tourism value.
With its restoration, corresponding development in physical infrastructure will follow, which will create a
big demand for tourism-oriented facilities like accommodation, transport, attractions, etc.
It aims not only to improve the physical condition of the natural heritage but also protect the cultural
identity of the destination and the locals, and develop the cultivation of rice terraces that will enhance
livelihood. Banaue is a good example of destination development as it promotes restoration and
sustainability by improving or rehabilitating Banaue Rice Terraces with the involvement of the important
stakeholders: the host community and the host government.
Ensuring that the community is part of the said project is necessary because the host community and the
host government are more knowledgeable about the place. Community, private, and government
partnership will ensure that the interests of the stakeholders are addressed.
Banaue will try to avoid the moves or mistakes that have resulted in the deterioration of Boracay, and
other destinations. The reasons affecting sustainability can be attributed to lack of governance,
command and control, and leadership.
Governance has been delegated to the local government units (LGUs). The LGUs by the nature of limited
terms of their officials, dictated by periodic elections, reveal an absence of vision that must be achieved
and perpetuated towards a long-term goal. Complicating sustainability is the myopic mind-set of local
officials who view their office as a reward to perpetuate political and economic power.
Command and control are based on political allocation and accommodation. Local government
regulations are so dysfunctional, resulting in massive inefficiency. These are the major obstacles to
sustainability. It also discourages empowerment of people who must be the architects and engineers of
sustainable development.
Last March 8, the Banaue International Music Composition Competition was launched. Composers of
symphonic music from all over the world are sure to experience an in-depth musical and cultural
immersion program and create music inspired by the Banaue people’s musical heritage.
Through a creative musical endeavor, we hope to showcase the Banaue Rice Terraces and raise
awareness for restoration and prevention of its cultural significance to the Filipino people.
The Banaue Rice Terraces restoration project holds a lot of promise. It rests upon a solid foundation of
strong private-public partnership under the stewardship of Dr. Milagros O. How, president and CEO,
Universal Harvester, Inc., Banaue Municipal Mayor Jerry Dalipog and the people of Banaue. It is hoped
that Banaue will become a success story in sustainability. It will be anchored on a responsible, moral,
and ethical leadership. These attributes are always found wanting in the implementation of our tourism
program. Brig. Gen. Yogyog (Ret), a native of Banaue, supervises the project on sight.
We shall make the difference.
While tourism is not the job of a soldier, it is better done with the application of the essential attributes
of military leadership.

Case Analysis Format

A case study is a description of an actual administrative situation involving a decision to be made
or a problem to be solved. It can be a real situation that actually happened just as described, or portions
have been disguised for reasons of privacy. Most case studies are written in such a way that the reader
takes the place of the manager whose responsibility is to make decisions to help solve the problem. In
almost all case studies, a decision must be made, although that decision might be to leave the situation
as it is and do nothing.
Title:
Point of View:
Whose point of view are you going to consider in answering the case?
Objective:
What is the purpose of the case? What is the reason in solving the case?
Statement of the Problem:
Based on the chosen point of view, what do you think is the problem of the case? This should be
in question form.
Areas of Consideration:
What are the things that should be considered in answering the case?
A. Background of the study
B. Persons involved in the Case
C. SWOT Analysis
Alternative Courses of Action
• There should be at least 3 alternatives. (per statement of the problem)
• The alternatives are the possible answers to the problem of the case.
• This should be discussed why these are the possible answer to the case.
Conclusion:
What would be the best alternative course of action?
What would be the best answer to the case?
Recommendation:
What are the things that you could recommend for a better output on the case being studied?
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Requirements:
Short Bond Paper Double Space Font Style: Calibri Font Size: 11

Rubrics of Assessment:
Criteria Performance Indicator Points
Analysis of the situation Insightful and thorough analysis of all the situation 30
Effective Well documented, reasoned, and pedagogically appropriate 40
Solution/Strategies comments on solutions, or proposals for solutions, to all the
situations in the case.
Link to Course Readings Excellent research into the situations with clearly documented 20
and Additional Research links to class discussions.
Sentence Structure, Well-constructed and have varied structure and length. The 10
Grammar, Mechanics and authors made no errors in grammar, mechanics, and spelling. A
Spelling comprehensive presentation of ideas is evident.
TOTAL 100