TD ‘Agaton’-hit Capiz revives ‘VolunTourism’

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

The Capiz provincial government on April 22, 2022 formally revived its “Tindog Capiz” voluntourism program to attract tourists in the province in the wake of Tropical Depression “Agaton.”

The launch was held at the Capiz Provincial Park in Roxas City, where different Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) techniques were introduced by visitors from different parts of the region and the country.

Capiz Governor Esteban Evan Contreras said that just like in its first iteration, the aim of the “voluntourism” program was to promote random acts of kindness from others.

“We’re just trying to convince and attract people to volunteer, help out, because a simple act of random kindness, it matters to other people especially when one feels sadness and hurt because of losing a loved one or a home, or when their crops get destroyed,” Contreras said.

The launch coincided with the holding of the Capiztahan Festival from April 22 to 24.

Part of the perks of the volunteering-slash-tourism program include assistance from local government units (LGUs) and discounts from restaurants and hotels.

Contreras said that they have identified sites and activities which will be the priority to make it possible that this effort will have fruition.

“A certain area where they can help is with the livelihoods in a certain LGU or a small cooperative. It would also depend on the skills of the [non-government organizations] who would wish to donate, like one which donated farm machineries and organic fertilizers. We will engage them with eco-tourism sites and local farmers there whom they can assist,” he added.

Contreras stressed how voluntourism efforts are important at this time especially, saying that Agaton’s effects had reached where no storm had been before.

“Like in [Typhoon] Yolanda, we experienced the worst kind of flooding in the province [due to Agaton]. It was just a Tropical Depression then, but flooding here was the worst, reaching rooftops in areas where there had been no floods before,” the governor said.

He added that two groups have expressed interest in engaging in the program, and they expect more to join.

Contreras said that there were no plans to make the program a permanent fixture in Capiz’s tourism industry and will depend on the response to the current one.

“It depends on the assessment of [Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Officer Al Tesoro]. If it would help the community, why not? But this will not last, just like the last time with Yolanda. After there was recovery, and the assessment, and the people were already able to get by, [volunteers] were able to leave because there were still places that experienced calamity that they needed to help out on,” he said.

Tindog Capiz was first launched in November 2013 after the devastation of Typhoon “Yolanda”, as a vacation option for tourists who wish to come to the province and join locals in rehabilitation efforts.

Capiz was placed under a state of calamity last week in the aftermath of “Agaton.”

More than 250,000 persons were displaced by massive floods that hit Capiz. The number of casualties rose to 19 with 1 still missing.

The province also suffered P249.3 million in damages to agriculture and infrastructure.

Data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) as of April 17 indicated that 365 barangays in 17 towns got flooded.

Around 8,145 hectares of rice fields and 949 hectares of corn fields were damaged with losses pegged at P176 million.

Agaton also damaged roads (P39.6 million) bridges (P20 million); and livestock and poultry (P8.6 million).