Republic of the Philippine
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session
3708
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Rep. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to declare the Second Legislative District of Bohol which is composed of
the Municipalities of Ubay, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Bien Unido, Trinidad, Danao, San
Miguel, Talibon, Getafe, Buenavista, Dagohoy, Clarin, Inabanga, Sagbayan, and San
Isidro as the “Farm Tourism Destination Capital of Bohol.”

Under Republic Act No. 10816, otherwise known as the “Farm Tourism
Development Act of 2016," farm tourism, also referred to as agri-tourism, is the practice
attracting visitors and tourism to farm areas for production, education and recreational
purposes. It involves any agriculture-or fishing-based operation or activity that brings to
a farm visitors, tourists, farmers and fisherfolk who want to be educated and trained on
farming and its related activities, and provides a venue for outdoor recreation and
accessible family outings

Known as the “Jewel of the Philippines’ Bohol is the tenth largest island in the
country it is popular among local and foreign tourists because of its stunning landscape.
It is divided into three legislative districts including the Second Legislative District. The
people mainly depend on farming and fishing for their livelihood. Moreover, the climate
is very conducive to farming, thus the district is a hub of many farming and fishing
activities and operations in the province.

The municipality of Bien Unido, which is now recognized as the “Seaweeds Capital in
Central Visayas” people in this municipality are into seaweeds farming, an industry
wherein seaweeds are either made into gel capsules, soap, toothpaste, slippers and
other food packaging containers.


Ubay's points of interest, destination and attractions include the Ubay Stock
Farm which is the largest and oldest government livestock facility in the Philippines. The
place was chosen by the Department of Agriculture as one of the accredited livestock
technology training facilities in the Visayas and Mindanao. Ubay Agri-Park, the first of its
kind in the Visayas was launched to boost agriculture and tourism industries in the area
The park helps promote farm tourism to agriculture and is a showcase of Bohol's
advances in farm technology. Ubay is also home to Sinandigan Multi-Species Hatchery
which is the biggest multi-species hatchery in the Philippines. It is a fishery
infrastructure and mariculture park established to enable the fish farmers to beccme
totally independent from wild stocks to promote a more stable food security for the
province. The facility is producing fingerlings of various fisheries products such as
milkfish (bangus), groupers (lapu-lapu) and siganids (kitong-danggit). It also houses a
seaweed tissue culture laboratory which aims to rehabilitate quality seagrass planting
materials using tissue branch culture, spore shredding and callus cell culture. Another
attraction in Ubay is the Ubay green park and Techno Center, which was formerly an
‘open dumpsite converted into an ecological facility. The park, which boats of sprawling
flowers and fruit gardens was launched in 2013.

Other nearby municipalities are offering their tourism services and attractions
with special farm activities and products.

This bill, which seeks to boost farm tourism in the Philippines, recognizes that
tourism can propagate the value of agriculture in the economic and cultural
development of the country. Farm tourism also serves as the catalyst for the
development of agriculture and fishery communities, and provide additional income for
farmers, farmworkers and fisherfolk.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

C. AUMENTADO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3708
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado

AN ACT
DECLARING THE SECOND LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTOF BOHOL AS THE FARM
TOURISM DESTINATION CAPITAL OF THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in

Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The Second Legislative District composed of the municipalities of
Ubay, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Bien Unido, Trinidad, San Miguel, Talibon, Getafe,
Buenavista, Dagohoy, Danao, Sagbayan, Clarin, Inabanga and San Isidro all in
second district of is hereby declared the farm tourism destination capital of Bohol.
Accredited farm tourism destinations in the said Municipalities may avail of the
privileges and benefits provided under Republic Act No. 10816, otherwise known as

the “Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016”


and Highways, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Agriculture
in the prioritization of infrastructure projects that will promote farm tourism in the
Municipalities in accordance with the provisions of “Farm Tourism Development Act

of 2016”

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in

The Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,