Philippines holiday, fair trade tour
| country: | Philippines |
| departures: | 2009: 15 Apr |
| price: | From £1495 for 2008 & £1625 for 2009 (15 days) excluding flights. We can help arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The Philippines is an intricate network of islands whose natural beauty and ethnic diversity make it a fascinating country to visit. A chance to get to know the Filipino fair trade scene in depth, this tour heads south from Manila through the Bicol Region, stopping off at cooperatives making crafts from hemp and abaca as well as visiting fair trade pineapple farmers and development projects. We stay on the coast, with opportunities to visit marine sanctuaries, take nature walks and explore monuments from Spanish colonial days.
The tour will be led by Arnel Astillero. Native to the Bicol Region, Arnel has worked in the NGO sector since 1998 and is passionate and knowledgeable about his country.
He belongs to the Advocate of Philippines FairTrade Inc (APFTI), a non-governmental organisation born of the Philippine Fair Trade Program (PFTP) initiated by traidcraft Exchange in 1995. This program built the capacity of small and medium enterprises to become competitive both in the local and international market thereby providing sustained employment and income opportunities to the community where it operates: one of the expansion areas is the Bicol region.
Highlights of the tour include:
The tour will be led by Arnel Astillero. Native to the Bicol Region, Arnel has worked in the NGO sector since 1998 and is passionate and knowledgeable about his country.
He belongs to the Advocate of Philippines FairTrade Inc (APFTI), a non-governmental organisation born of the Philippine Fair Trade Program (PFTP) initiated by traidcraft Exchange in 1995. This program built the capacity of small and medium enterprises to become competitive both in the local and international market thereby providing sustained employment and income opportunities to the community where it operates: one of the expansion areas is the Bicol region.
Highlights of the tour include:
- Time with APFTI producers and other projects of broad development interests
- Tours to sites of natural, historical and cultural interests
- The chance to visit people in their homes
- Opportunities to discuss and learn about a wide variety of issues
- The chance to be part of a small group of like-minded individuals
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flight to Manila. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Manila to be met by our guide, Mr Arnel Astillero. Transfer to hotel, our base for the next 3 nights. Welcome dinner. |
| Day 3: | Tour of Manila. |
| Day 4: | Visit Advocate of Philippine Fair Trade, Inc (APFTI) whichseeks to assist businesses in profitable fair-trading which can be pivotal for community development. The afternoon will be spent visiting two partner producers in Manila. The first, Bahay Pangarap, is a home for physically disabled and able-bodied people who have been disenfranchised from their families or communities.We’ll also visit a familiar Traidcraft supplier, SAFFY (the trading name for Social Action Foundation for Rural and Urban Development Inc). The organization produces handicrafts from indigenous materials as well as coordinating health-related and other social projects. |
| Day 5: | Travel to Daet (7-hour trip, air-conditioned coach) via the thick rainforest of Quezon province and interesting stops en route. Dinner with APFTI partners and some local leaders. |
| Day 6: | Visit weaving community in the town of San Lorenzo Ruiz, about 15 minutes away from Daet. Dinner in the community. |
| Day 7: | Travel to Naga City, 3 hours south of Daet, touted as the religious pilgrimage capital of the region. Visit a cooperative of pineapple growers and processors en route. |
| Day 8: | Free morning & optional cultural tour. Afternoon travel to Legazpi, the capital of Albay province. Stops en route to see a deer farm, and a tour of the Camarines Sur Capitol complex and visit to Lake Buhi, habitat of the world’s smallest commercial fish! Arrive in time to see the splendour of Mayon Volcano at dusk. |
| Day 9: | Tour of Legazpi. We will be arriving in Albay during the “Magayon Festival”, a celebration of the province’s history, culture, beauty and nature. The afternoon will be spent with the Sto. Domingo Spinrrad Development Foundation. This enterprise is a partner of APFTI and they produce decorative frames out of handmade paper and twigs. Rest of day to enjoy the festival. |
| Day 10: | Visit Donsol, Sorsogon for whaleshark interaction or observation. Briefing & cruise. Overnight in the homes of local people in Donsol. |
| Day 11-13: | Visit FGM Handicrafts & Barcelona Multipurpose Cooperative where we will stay for the next 2 days. Created in 1989 to provide skills training in the production of woven handicrafts and income to parents, this expanded to a wood/metal craft shop and other indigenous crafts. Membership has grown to over a hundred and a number of social programmes have been developed to support the members including nutritional workshops, herbal medicine training, childcare support and a disaster relief fund. Time may be spent getting to know the cooperative members, or alternatively we may choose to take excursions. |
| Day 14: | Legazpi - Magayon Festival activities. After lunch we will proceed to the Mayon Rest House, a resort 3,000 feet up the slopes of Mayon Volcano. En route, we will pass by Kobo, a place known for cutlery making, visit the Tiwi Ceramics Centre and learn about the Tiwi geothermal power plant. Return to Legazpi for evening festivities. |
| Day 15: | Flight to Manila. Camiguin Community and Nature Tour extension or onward travel |
this tourism business was Highly Commended
In our 2005 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards, the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine. The idea behind the Awards is that all types of tourism – from niche to mainstream – can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people. how this holiday makes a difference
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If you’re interested in fair-trade and are looking for an opportunity to meet the people behind the products then these are the holidays for you. Global adventures start with a local perspective – that's our philosophy. Whether abroad, or just as importantly at home, the start point is the same; how to get the most enjoyable holiday for our customers while benefiting the local people, economy and respecting the environment.
This is the UK's leading fair trade organisation which is engaged in innovative and effective trade and has been fighting poverty through trade since 1979. We work at the national and international level advocating changes in trade rules to make them work in the interests of the poor and mobilise public opinion to support fairer trade practices. Our sales are now worth more than £12 million a year, providing vital income for producers in over 30 countries. Working with a local partner on fair trade terms this tour offers the unique opportunity to visit producers, development projects and cooperatives in the Philippines, a great way to understand how effective sustainable trading improve the lives of the local people. There is an optional extension to explore Camiguin Island. In selecting accommodation in small hotel, private homes and guest houses we make sure that the local communities benefit. By collaborating with locally based people when visiting wildlife areas we are able to contribute to the regional economy. Being able to participate and connect with the local culture provides a richer holiday experience. Accompanied by a local knowledgeable guide who truly knows the area, our guests are able to get more of a feel for the place and the environment. We provide guests with Travellers’ Codes that encourage the reduction of water usage, systems for collecting, recycling or safe disposal of litter and relevant suggestions to minimise damage to the environment, wildlife and marine ecosystems. All our holidays have a maximum group size of 12 to 14 people minimizing both the social and environmental impact. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |