THE Department of Tourism (DOT) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) on Wednesday forged an agreement in a bid to support and implement the Katutubo-KAPWA project in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The Katutubo-KAPWA project is a nationwide initiative which will enjoin support for the indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs) in tourism development, covering destinations and IP communities.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco and NCIP Chair Allen A. Capuyan led the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and witnessed by Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Atty. Mae Elaine Bathan and NCIP Acting Bureau Director Glenda Pua at the DOT Central Office in Makati City.

“We subscribe to the belief that in honoring the origins of the Philippines and the Filipino people, we strengthen the Filipino brand, we enrich the Filipino identity, and we give our fellow Filipinos a necessary and timely reminder that there is indeed so much to love about the Philippines,” Frasco said.

She said “this is a happy and historic day for both the Department of Tourism and NCIP as we have formalized our commitment to support the good work that the NCIP has done to ensure the preservation and promotion of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines.”

With the DOT’s Office of Special Concerns (OSC) under the Office of the Secretary (OSEC) as lead, the Katutubo-KAPWA project also targets to address the gaps and needs of each destination such as the lack of tourism skills and competencies among IPs involved in tourism activities, and essential infrastructure, among others.

This is in line with the current administration’s thrust to diversify and equalize tourism product development, introduce multidimensional tourism, strengthen tourism governance through close collaboration with stakeholders, and improve the overall tourist experience.

The tourism chief emphasized that the partnership is part of the current administration’s thrust toward reintroducing the Philippines to the world, with the ICCs/IPs as the starting point.

”Our indigenous communities are the vanguards of the Filipino identity. In their heritage, their history, and their living cultural traditions, we are reminded of that which we all know to be true–we all love our country.

There is so much to love about the country, foremost of which is our identity as a Filipino people,” she said.

Meanwhile, Capuyan said that they are grateful to the DOT for the said partnership.

“It is our honor and privilege to be partnering with the Department of Tourism in the implementation of our Katutubo-KAPWA project, which aims to involve the indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples in tourism development,” he said.

“We hope that this will pave the way for a more stable and secure future,” Capuyan added.

Among the important commitments of the DOT from the partnership include the provision of financial support to tourism-related capacity building/capacity development, infrastructure projects, product development, and other tourism-related programs and activities.

The DOT has also committed to providing assistance and promotional platforms for the products of the ICCs/IPs to attract tourists to patronize the local tourism economy.

Frasco emphasized the importance of striking a balance between heritage and promotion as a value proposition for tourism, thus, citing as well that the DOT is excited about embarking on the partnership by investing first in soft infrastructure for IPs who are also tourism frontliners.

Likewise, the NCIP identifies the DOT as a strong partner for the protection and promotion of arts and culture components of the country as a driver toward nation-building.