Tatak Siargao, Sustainable Siargao: Bridging between coconut and tourism stakeholders’ forum

Panel discussions

• Leveraging the potentials of Siargao’s coconut industry for a tourism-driven economy

  The panel explored value-adding support and how tourism can serve as a platform to promote and sustain Siargao’s coconut industry:

  • What do you think will be the biggest challenge/s to linking coconut farmers to Siargao’s booming tourism industry? What would be a key strategy for your institution to address the challenge/s you have identified?
  • What are your views on the recommendations presented in the value chain study? What do you think about the development of the coconut charcoal briquette facility as a job generation measure towards a greener coconut value chain? With regard to the organization you represent, what could your role be to support any of the recommendations in the value chain study?
  • Given Siargao’s need for agricultural resilience and youth empowerment, what innovations in the coconut sector could lead young people to pursue and embrace sustainable career paths in this industry?
  • What core elements do you believe define the Tatak Siargao brand, and how can these elements enhance tourism development on the island?
  • What do you think of the recommendation to establish a model of a multi-stakeholder platform for coordination and collaboration and the proposal to reformulate the provincial coconut industry development council into a Siargao coconut industry development council?
• Innovative tourism strategies for sustainable growth in Siargao

  The panel highlighted sustainable tourism models and practices that promote economic growth while minimizing environmental impact, reducing waste and fostering ecological balance:

  • What other trends in the tourism industry should Siargao capitalize on to ensure sustainable growth that benefits both the tourism and coconut sectors?
  • What strategies do you think will be most effective in making coconut-based products the key attractions or highlights of the Siargao tourism experience? What programmes and strategies will you introduce to integrate coconut-based products and services into your tourism offerings, enhancing business growth, sustainability, and local culture?
  • As Siargao continues to grow as a global tourism destination, what do you think will be the most challenging task(s) in ensuring that minimizing the environmental impact of tourism growth remains central to the island's development strategy?
  • What are your views on the waste management models and recommendations presented earlier? What do you think would be the key challenge/s to operationalizing these models in the context of a small island economy such as Siargao? What are your additional recommendations for addressing these challenges?
  • What core elements do you believe define the Sustainable Siargao brand, and how can these elements enhance tourism development on the island?
  • What do you think of the recommendation to establish a model of a multi-stakeholder platform for coordination and collaboration and the proposal to reformulate the provincial coconut industry development council into a Siargao coconut industry development council?
• Local government support for sustainable coconut and sustainable tourism in Siargao

  The panel brought to light how local governments can better support integrated growth in agriculture, fishery, and tourism:

  • What do you think of the recommendations about
    a) social protection,
    b) digitalization of MSMEs, farmer livelihoods, SCFOs, and cooperatives,
    c) skills development,
    d) community contracting, and
    e) financing opportunities? What programmes and policies (such as Executive Orders and ordinances) would you formulate and adopt to support any of these recommendations to create more attractive and sustainable employment and livelihood opportunities in the coconut and tourism industries in your municipality?
  • As the local chief executive, what will be your priority policy in your municipality to develop a sustained cross-sector collaboration between coconut farmers and tourism industry stakeholders? How will you implement and operationalize this policy?
  • What do you think of the recommendation to establish a model of a multi-stakeholder platform for coordination and collaboration and the proposal to reformulate the provincial coconut industry development council into a Siargao coconut industry development council?