Gensan rises as Mindanao farm tourism hub

Gen. Santos City – long regarded as the country’s Tuna Capital – is fast earning a new reputation: farm tourism hub of Mindanao.

The recent 8th Philippine International Farm Tourism Conference, organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) with support from the City Government of Gen. Santos, made this possible.

“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,” said Department of Tourism secretary Esperanza Christina Garcia-Frasco who was keynote speaker at the conference.

This year’s conference highlighted sustainable growth through the cultivation of fruit farms, aquaculture and livestock, and investments on agriculture and tourism.

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 from Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon, as well as experts from the United States, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan.

Some of the farm tourism sites include Felicidad Orchard and Garden Organics, and Bougainvilla Avenue, Sarangani Highlands, MBX Grape Vineyard, Saxonylyn Scifish Farm, Envirogreen Village Educational Foundation, Villamor Agrotourism Park, Keisha’s Garden, JB Guava Farm & JBalayo H20 Garden Villas, and Patricio’s Coco Island.

The farm sites, which provide agricultural activities and experiences, have become additional tourist destinations on top of the usual attractions of Gensan.