Lingayen Strategic Development Plan

TOUR 202 | CONCEPT PAPER of the PROJECT PROPOSAL RATIONALE The Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office of PTCAO is a department under the Provincial Government of Pangasinan, mandated to be the primary planning, programming, coordinating and implementing office in the development and promotion of the tourism industry including various cultural affairs concern in the province (PTCAO, Provincial Annual Budget, 2018). PTCAO is currently preparing its Provincial Tourism Development Plan (PTDP), with the technical support of the Department of Tourism (DOT), monitoring the formulation of local plans to ensure a comprehensive alignment with the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2016 – 2022. The department is ensuring that the planning is jointly pursued and participated in by all stakeholders in the industry (LGUs, NGAs, industry partners and cultural workers), especially among the province’s 48 local government units. (PTCAO, 1ST Quarter Report, 2018) PTCAO is following the Tourism Guidebook for Local Government Units (2017 Revised Edition) in drafting the PTDP, and is now on the stage of gathering the baseline data through the active participation of tourism officers of each town and cities. The baseline data coming from each LGUs are necessary to be able to identify site priorities provincewide and to be able to move on with the rest of the work plan to accomplish the PTDP and at the same time ensuring that all LGUs are accounted for. Amongst the 48 LGUs in Pangasinan, 31 have already submitted the required data, 10 LGUs are due for submission, while 7 LGUs are considered incapable of delivering the required data due to various reasons within the control of the provincial government.

Commented [RA1]: Beyond the control?

One of the 7 LGUs is the town of Lingayen, Pangasinan’s capital town, home to the seat of the provincial government, and a destination identified by PTCAO as one of its priority areas because of the presence of several important attractions. Lingayen is also the proponent’s place of residence. Besides the province’s own interest with the Lingayen baseline data, is necessary to its PTDP, these data are also essential for the LGU per se, as a future reference in the creation of its own local tourism development, as mandated by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Wherefore, the proponent wishes to take advantage of the knowledge earned in taking the Destination Development and Management course and apply it in assisting both PTCAO and the LGU Lingayen in gathering the required data. The tourism guidebook proposes several strategies to achieve identified goals and objectives, one of which is the Cluster Strategy and tourism circuit development - two concepts that are being discussed in Destination Development and Management. Given the relevance of the subject and the theoretical concepts to the above-mentioned scenario, the proponent wishes to apply these in gathering the Lingayen Tourism Baseline data and Proposed Tourism Circuit by following the tool Tourism Rapid Assessment (TRA).

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT In formulating the Local Tourism Development Plan, PTCAO is following the work plan prescribed by the tourism guidebook one of which is the Data gathering with the Baseline data as its expected output. In gathering the Base Line data, each LGUs were requested to conduct the following steps (1) Tourism Rapid Assessment; (2) Site or Attraction Evaluation; and (3) Site Evaluation and Prioritization. Afterward, in a joint workshop conducted with DOT the LGUs, using their baseline data, conducted a writeshop that includes (3) SWOT Analysis; (4) Problem Identification and Analysis; (5) Goals, Objectives and Strategies, and (6) Developing Tourism Circuits. (DOT, Tourism Guidebook for LGUs, Revised Edition, 2017). The proponent wishes to conduct the above-mentioned steps in order to develop a proposed tourism circuit for Lingayen. The proponent also plans to include, consult and closely coordinate with LGU Lingayen and at the same time request for their approval for the conduct of the said study, with the proponent assisting them mostly as a graduate student and not as provincial government staff. This step ensures that LGU Lingayen still has ownership of the data to be gathered. Both the LGU Lingayen and PTCAO shall benefit from this project.

M. A. N. LABAUPA (2018)

Commented [RA2]: Gunn’s Destination Zone concept applies here. But also use Porter’s concept of industrial cluster to map the tourism value chain within Lingayen and beyond.

TOUR 202 | CONCEPT PAPER of the PROJECT PROPOSAL PROPOSED OUTLINE The following outlines the content of the project (Sources: Tourism Rapid Assessment Manual, DOT, June 2018, and Tourism Guidebook for LGUs, DOT, 2017 revised edition) 1. Tourism Rapid Assessment (TRA) of Lingayen sites and attractions using the TRA form. This data generates the site profile, market profile, key support infrastructure, human resource information, and an assessment narrative report. All identified sites/attractions by the LGU and the proponent shall be included in the TRA and it is to be conducted with a team composed mainly of LGU representatives ideally the tourism officer, planning officer, and licensing officer. 2. Site or Attraction Evaluation. After all the sites are identified, these sites are evaluated and given scores by the above-mentioned team following the Site/Attraction Evaluation Form. This is done for all categories such as Uniqueness and Natural Beauty, Historical/Cultural Value, Accessibility, Availability of Basic Utilities, Availability of onsite facilities, Ownership of property, and Quality of surroundings 3. Site Prioritization Evaluation. This creates a ranked list of sites for enhancement and/or development using the Site Prioritization Ranking Worksheet. 4. SWOT Analysis, Problem Identification, and Analysis. The proponent shall review the LGUs Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) both of which include the town’s SWOT Analysis, problem identification, and analysis, as a reference to this step. Given the time constraint and lack of financial requirements, these steps can be used in a separate and/or future more comprehensive study. 5. Proposed Tourism Circuits. After the major sites and attractions have been identified, the proponent shall create possible circuits based on the location of the sites. The proponent shall then use her acquired knowledge in clustering in doing so.

PROPOSED CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING THE PROJECT The output of this project is only deemed successful if it contains accurate, up-to-date, and complete data is usable as a significant reference in creating the Local Tourism Development Plan and the Provincial Tourism Development Plan. To ensure that data is accurate, updated, and complete, it is proposed that LGU Lingayen evaluates this criterion. To evaluate its usability in the drafting of the PDFP, it is proposed that a DOT Tourism Development Planning division representative and Professor Randi Alampay (Destination Development and Management Professor and Local Economic Development and Sustainable Tourism Consultant) to evaluate this criterion.

Prepared by:

MONIKA ALIGUAS N. LABAUPA

FINAL COMMENTS: You can update the DOT approach by adopting Gunn’s attraction complex concept. Instead of doing individual site assessments, first identify clusters of attractions that form these complexes. Then assess them as clusters rather than as individual attractions only. You can also consider, using this project as a training activity for the PTCAO staff. Using Lingayen as a case, they can learn and apply the principles of tourism planning as well.

M. A. N. LABAUPA (2018)

Commented [RA3]: Gunn prefers to use the term “attraction complex” so that you can identify and plan for clusters of attractions rather than for individual sites. This is a core principle of his cluster concept. I recommend that you take this approach.