1. Do you think poverty alleviation can be seriously addressed as tourism develops? What examples can you give based on what you have seen in your own country regarding tourism development and poverty alleviation?2. Identify concrete activities local government units can initiate and support to address poverty alleviationthrough tourism development.3. Identify paradoxes and problems that must be negotiated as poverty alleviation and tourism development are considered. How can these paradoxes and problems be managed and converted into opportunities to ensure that marginalized individuals get the support they need?Those questions should be answered based on the Below case study.C A S E
S T U D Y
Governance and Pro-Poor Tourism: The Case of
Marikina City in the Philippines
(Because of space constraints, this case has been
reduced; however, you may contact Dr. Rodriguez for the full version.)
Come and visit the city of Marikina, in the National
Capital Region of the Philippines, to examine the
incredible example of how a city can successfully
adopt a governance and pro-poor tourism program.
Pro-poor tourism was chosen as a major theme for
this case because of the following:
As tourism takes center stage in developing
countries, the tourism sector is increasingly perceived as
being able to contribute to the proliferation of
economic activities, which if managed in a specific way,
can address poverty alleviation issues.
Ashley asserts that community-based tourism
projects are not necessarily pro poor because the
revenues derived from tourism activities can be
confined to serve the interests of relatively well-off stakeholders.
1. The proliferation of books and
articles related to pro-poor tourism makes it an interesting topic especially
for the academe and the poor. The presentation and exchange of data on the
planning and implementation of pro-poor tourism especially in Asian countries
can help inform many stakeholders who are interested in understanding the
contribution of tourism development in poverty alleviation.
Marikina City as a Tourism Site
Twenty years ago, Marikina was an
unremarkable town littered with trash and where sidewalk vendors ruled the
streets. Marikina now wants to be known as the shoe capital of the
Philippines. Located near the city of Manila, it is believed to be where the
shoe industry in metro Manila started. Many residential villages within the
municipality were formerly farms used for agricultural crops until these were
converted to provide housing for migrants from other provinces seeking work in
the metropolis.
Marikina in the late 1980s was not
considered a popular tourism destination. An election in the early 1990s
catapulted a local executive who introduced radical changes in governance. This
led to the emergence of Marikina as a model city. To date, many visitors are
pleasantly surprised to see thoroughfares free of clutter and vendors and a
municipal hall that enforces its own definition of order. As a result of these
changes, Marikina has garnered and continues to garner many awards that
generated interest among other cities executives eager to learn from its
experience. This started the ball rolling for domestic tourism despite the fact
that Marikina has few tourism assets. Marikina has no beach resorts and no
first-class hotels and places of interests are limited to the city proper.
Now, however, Marikina is hailed as a model city for
tourism development, and the interesting thing is that many of the tourists are
other cities municipal officials who have come to see for themselves just how
a city should be governed. Tourists, along with the other municipalities
officials, enjoy the citys attractions: Sentrong Pangkultura: Built in 1887,
this historical edifice, which was the actual home of Kapitan Moy, the
recognized father of the shoe industry, takes tourists down memory lane of
rustic Spanish villas and airy capiz windows.
Teatro Marikina: The citys commitment to the arts
is manifest in the modern arts facility for plays, concerts, shows, seminars,
exhibits, and conventions.
World of Butterflies: A 2000-meter expanse of lush
gardens that is home to 20 species of butterflies.
The Marikina River Park: The Marikina
River Park is a 10-kilometer-long riverside park of 220 hectares. The river
park is for all citizens and tourists to enjoy as a sports and recreational
parkeven for fishing in the river.
The Shoe Museum and Shoe Industry:
Former First Lady Imelda Marcoss 4,000 pairs of shoes had to be housed
somewhere, so why not the shoe capital of the Philippines? Shoes of other
notables are also on display. The shoe industry in Marikina has long been
unable to compete with imported Chinese shoes, but has discovered a captive
market niche of tourists and excursionists. Individuals and groups go on field
trips to Marikina and are brought to small shoe factories to watch how shoes
are produced using labor-intensive methods and are encouraged to buy finished
products.
How
It Happened
In three words: leadership and
governance. Take, for example, the mayors presentation to the Asian
Development Bank: Our targets and goals are clear; our performances are
properly measured. We are challenged and motivated to continuously meet our
productivity and excellence. Public order and safety are excellent;
the police force is cited as the most
outstanding in the region. Taxes due are collectedsomething that does not
often happen in the Philippinesthis facilitates the budgeting process and
avails the city of funds for the many social programs that citizens and
tourists can enjoy.
World Bank executives were so impressed
after touring the city and its Marikina River Park, Homeowners Drive
Settlements site, Marikina Public Market, and bikeways. The bikeways network is
a recipient of a US$1.3 billion grant from the Global Environment Facility of
the World Bank. Additionally, the World Bank named Marikina City one of the
model cities in the world.
Poverty
Alleviation
The citys approach to poverty
alleviation is multipronged, addressing the health, housing, education and
livelihood, and values of our people. Tourism helps poverty alleviation by
providing employment opportunities; by bringing new money into the city for the
multiplier effect to happen; by producing tax revenues for community
services, infrastructure, and education. In fact, the city is so well run that
many other cities are sending officials to see how they do it, resulting in a
boost to tourism.
Ashley emphasizes the value of supply
chains, enterprise linkages, nonfinancial partnerships, and capability building
and translates these into specific activities that can be planned and
implemented at the level of local government officials.2 An investigation of
the Marikina government unit in this study focuses on the context of tourism
development as an alternative source of livelihood and the manner in which the
tourism office is managed, including the leadership style of the local
executive directly responsible for the promotion of tourism. The problems were
as follows:
1. What are the tourism-related
programs, projects and activities that are being done at the level of
Marikinas local government units?
2. What insights on governance can be
generated from the investigation of tourism-related portfolios of this local
government unit to link tourism to pro-poor concerns?
Data obtained given the variables
enumerated by Ashley are shown in Table51.
The data presented in Table 51 are not
exhaustive in the sense that there may be other programs/projects that are operating
but that were not observed and sourced using secondary documents. A comparison
of data shows the diversity of what can be considered pro-poor projects in
Marikina.
Table 51 Comparative Data on Marikina
Using Ashleys Matrix
Is
there government to: City of Marikina
Boost local inputs into the tourism
supply Local government unit (LGU) manages
tours that
chain? This question addresses the
presence showcase local
cuisine and manufactured products. It
of leakages of tourism earnings. It
emphasizes manages museums,
one of which displays the famous
the importance of local sourcing that
opens shoes of Imelda
Marcos.Conscious efforts are also
more opportunities for marginalized
groups. exerted to source materials and local
manpower for
festivals sponsored by the local
government unit.
(Source: MCTTIPO brochure)
Support micro/small/community tourism The LGU has a micro lending project. In addition,
it
entrepreneurs? Lack of financing and
training manages a Manpower House Livelihood
Skills Training
in developing countries are often cited
as and Productivity Centerto encourage
businesses in the
reasons why marginalized sectors are
unable food trade, cosmetology, dressmaking,
spa/massage,
to benefit from tourism development. reflexology. (Source:
Marikina City, 2007, Annual Report)
It has an investment
promotions plan that gives
incentives to local . .
. micro, small scale enterprises.
(Source: Marikina Chamber
of Commerce and Industry
Information Kit). It
also supports a shoe caravan
composed of small shoe
manufacturers that go to the
countryside.
Support craft makers and vendors? Several areas are designated by the LGU to
provide
support for groups of
entrepreneurs.
Provide a market space for tourist craft
sales? The LGU has a cooperatives month to support
micro
entrepreneurs.
Accredit a local guide category? Employees of the
LGU, particularly MCTTIPO, are hired
Employment of local guides provides as guides in the tours
that it manages.
opportunities
to common folks.
Apply levy or rebate to tourism-related No data
businesses?
Apply a minimum
wage? No
data
Stimulate partnerships between the
private The LGU does not depend on a
privately controlled
sector and communities? tourism
association. MCTTIPO, an office attached to
the office of the city mayor, manages tourism. The LGU
has linkages with 62 local sister cities and 12 foreign
sister cities. (Source: MCTTIPO brochure)
Influence private sector behavior via No data
concessions,
licensing, or codes?
Catalyze destination linkages among The LGU plans and
implements several festival projects
stakeholders? every
year. Examples of these are Ka Angkan(Our
Ancestors); Ilog- Nayon(River-Countryside); Sapatos
(Shoe); Christmas; RehiyonRehiyon(Regional Festivals).
________________________________________________________________________________________
Share poverty alleviation revenues with The LGU leases
spaces for local artists (Teatro Marikina),
communities? for
gatherings of groups (Sentrong Pangkultura); it has
a program to help senior citizens have access to
Medicare (Privilege card). (Source: Marikina City 2007
Annual Report)
______________________________________________________________________________________
Channel donations from tourists to No data
communities?
Address social,
cultural costs of tourism? No
data
Address environmental, physical costs of Traffic because of busloads of
visitors is a problem
tourism? identified
as a result of tourism. The absence of
sidewalk vendors probably minimizes the
inconvenience.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Involve poor in plans and policy making? There is diverse representation of stakeholders in
policy formulation.
Make strategic choices based on evidence
for No data
pro-poor
impact?
Many of these projects have
direct links with tourism development even if their effects on poverty
alleviation cannot be directly established.
The material by Ashley is the only one
that details the connection between governance and pro-poor
tourism. The material is impressive
because it contains data obtained from collaborative work of SNV
Netherlands Development Organization
with ministries of tourism, tourism boards, hotel associations,
community based tourism organizations as
well as associations of tour operators3. and contains information in tourism
sites in Asia (Lao PDR) and Africa (Ethiopia, Tunisia, Gambia, Kenya,
Mozambique, Rwanda,
Tanzania, and Uganda).
Insights from
Marikina City
1. On the Value of a Tourism Council as a Vehicle
for Tourism Development. Marikina does not rely on an active tourism council
with heavy participation of the private sector. It has an officeMarikina
Culture, Tourism, Trade, Investment Promotions Office (MCTTIPO)that operates
under the office of the city mayor. This office manages tour packages like
Lakbay Aral(educational trips) with students as its market segment. These trips
are designed to showcase shoe factories, a hat factory, a shoe museum, and a
miniature museum among others.
MCTTIPO collects statistics of tours it manages. The
data on types of tours, number of visitors, and dates of visit are used to
identify markets served by the touristic offerings.
As the city mayor was provided data on tourism revenues,
the decision to invest in related tourism assets became more justified. This
could be one of the reasons why the city is offering diverse tourism
attractions. It has publicly owned museums, shopping malls, a new convention
center, and a hotel. In addition, it manages a number of festivals regularly.
The Ka Angkan (Our Ancestors) festival has developed to be a well-attended activity
of original families who settled in Marikina when it was still an agricultural
municipality. The festival has evolved to a level where interpretive materials
on family monikers are shared in an exhibit that is part and parcel of the
festival. The Rehiyon-Rehiyon (regional) festival has also reached a
spectacular combination of street dancing and performance where constituent barangays
(villages) are represented in performances.
In the last Rehiyon-Rehiyon (regional) festival
(December 2008), MCTTIPO said costumes of the barangay (village) performers
were farmed out to local dressmakers. Skills training, job fairs, promotion of
local products, and provision of financing (microfinance) under the office of
the city mayor provide the linkage with diverse stakeholders who stand to
benefit from tourismic activities.
Given the example of Marikina, one can ask whether a
centrally managed tourism organization can be a more effective vehicle for
tourism to be pro poor. The desire to involve diverse tourism stakeholders
cognitively should lead to more equalized sharing of
the benefits of tourism, and this is widely accepted in Marikina. The active
control of the management of a tourism office by the city mayor provides the
where-withal to address issues related to managing supply chains, diversifying
touristic offerings, and providing the infrastructure and the linkages needed
by marginalized members of the community.
2. On the Role of Leadership Styles in
Pro-Poor Tourism.MCTTIPOs role in maximizing
tourismic revenues
can also be attributed to the style of
leadership of the city mayor. MCTTIPO is managed like an investment
center where return on investments is
included as part of the control system. The supervisor of MCTTIPO
regularly reports on performance of the
office and is rewarded or punished depending on how the office
operates to produce results. This style
of leadership makes the supervisor of MCTTIPO conscious of the need to
aggressively promote the tourismic packages and be on the constant lookout for
new tourismic offerings.
3. On the Context of Tourism Development
as It Relates to the Propensity to Be Pro Poor. Tourism
development in Marikina came at a point
when the city had proven itself to be competent in the many areas
of governance. Marikina received local
as well as international recognition for efficient and effective delivery
of public services. The infrastructure
to include diverse stakeholders to participate in tourism development
was in place before tourism was
recognized as a sector worth investing in. This is an interesting phenomenon in
the management of tourism councils. Could it be possible to put up pro-poor
projects and struggle to
develop tourism at the same time? If the
council is composed of only private business interests, how great
will the propensity be to include
pro-poor projects in the development of tourism? How decisive is the role
of the local executive in this scenario?
4. On Impact Studies of Tourism on
Marginalized Sector. Last but not least, Cattarinich mentions the
complex nature of the phenomenon of
poverty.4. Is it economic, social, cultural, or political? How can local
government units minimize poverty if
they do not attempt to define poverty given its unique context? This
could also be the reason why addressing
cultural, social and physical impactswas mentioned by Ashley as
one of the tools for local government
units to be pro poor. How can pro-poor tourism projects be evaluated
to address the concern of Ashley, that
is, net benefits of tourism projects in relation to costs? Tourism devel-
opment has unintended results, and the
brunt of the negative effects are said to be heavier on disadvantaged
groups. Tourism that is led by private
capital is said to be insensitive to these concerns.5. Using an economic
definition of poverty, one may ask if
beneficiaries earned more as a result of pro-poor tourism.
Conclusion
For this case, the tools prescribed by
Ashley regarding pro-poor tourism were used to examine Marikina City
intheNationalCapitalRegion.Theprograms,projects,activitiesinthesiteofinvestigationwereenumerated
and analyzed. The insights from the
analysis of data show areas of concern that can be used as inputs in
making tourism development more
sensitive to the needs of marginalized sectors.
Questions
1. Do you think poverty alleviation can
be seriously addressed as tourism develops? What examples can you give based on
what you have seen in your own country regarding tourism development and
poverty alleviation?
2. Identify concrete activities local
government units can initiate and support to address poverty alleviation
through tourism development.
3. Identify paradoxes and problems that
must be negotiated as poverty alleviation and tourism development are
considered. How can these paradoxes and problems be managed and converted into
opportunities to ensure that marginalized individuals get the support they
need?
C A S E
S T U D YGovernance and Pro-Poor Tourism: The Case of
Marikina City in the Philippines(Because of space constraints, this case has been
reduced; however, you may contact Dr. Rodriguez for the full version.)Come and visit the city of Marikina, in the National
Capital Region of the Philippines, to examine theincredible example of how a city can successfully
adopt a governance and pro-poor tourism program.Pro-poor tourism was chosen as a major theme for
this case because of the following: As tourism takes center stage in developing
countries, the tourism sector is increasingly perceived asbeing able to contribute to the proliferation of
economic activities, which if managed in a specific way,can address poverty alleviation issues. Ashley asserts that community-based tourism
projects are not necessarily pro poor because the revenues derived from tourism activities can be
confined to serve the interests of relatively well-off stakeholders.1. The proliferation of books and
articles related to pro-poor tourism makes it an interesting topic especially
for the academe and the poor. The presentation and exchange of data on the
planning and implementation of pro-poor tourism especially in Asian countries
can help inform many stakeholders who are interested in understanding the
contribution of tourism development in poverty alleviation.Marikina City as a Tourism SiteTwenty years ago, Marikina was an
unremarkable town littered with trash and where sidewalk vendors ruled the
streets. Marikina now wants to be known as the shoe capital of the
Philippines. Located near the city of Manila, it is believed to be where the
shoe industry in metro Manila started. Many residential villages within the
municipality were formerly farms used for agricultural crops until these were
converted to provide housing for migrants from other provinces seeking work in
the metropolis.Marikina in the late 1980s was not
considered a popular tourism destination. An election in the early 1990s
catapulted a local executive who introduced radical changes in governance. This
led to the emergence of Marikina as a model city. To date, many visitors are
pleasantly surprised to see thoroughfares free of clutter and vendors and a
municipal hall that enforces its own definition of order. As a result of these
changes, Marikina has garnered and continues to garner many awards that
generated interest among other cities executives eager to learn from its
experience. This started the ball rolling for domestic tourism despite the fact
that Marikina has few tourism assets. Marikina has no beach resorts and no
first-class hotels and places of interests are limited to the city proper.Now, however, Marikina is hailed as a model city for
tourism development, and the interesting thing is that many of the tourists are
other cities municipal officials who have come to see for themselves just how
a city should be governed. Tourists, along with the other municipalities
officials, enjoy the citys attractions: Sentrong Pangkultura: Built in 1887,
this historical edifice, which was the actual home of Kapitan Moy, the
recognized father of the shoe industry, takes tourists down memory lane of
rustic Spanish villas and airy capiz windows.Teatro Marikina: The citys commitment to the arts
is manifest in the modern arts facility for plays, concerts, shows, seminars,
exhibits, and conventions.World of Butterflies: A 2000-meter expanse of lush
gardens that is home to 20 species of butterflies.The Marikina River Park: The Marikina
River Park is a 10-kilometer-long riverside park of 220 hectares. The river
park is for all citizens and tourists to enjoy as a sports and recreational
parkeven for fishing in the river.The Shoe Museum and Shoe Industry:
Former First Lady Imelda Marcoss 4,000 pairs of shoes had to be housed
somewhere, so why not the shoe capital of the Philippines? Shoes of other
notables are also on display. The shoe industry in Marikina has long been
unable to compete with imported Chinese shoes, but has discovered a captive
market niche of tourists and excursionists. Individuals and groups go on field
trips to Marikina and are brought to small shoe factories to watch how shoes
are produced using labor-intensive methods and are encouraged to buy finished
products.How
It HappenedIn three words: leadership and
governance. Take, for example, the mayors presentation to the Asian
Development Bank: Our targets and goals are clear; our performances are
properly measured. We are challenged and motivated to continuously meet our
productivity and excellence. Public order and safety are excellent;the police force is cited as the most
outstanding in the region. Taxes due are collectedsomething that does not
often happen in the Philippinesthis facilitates the budgeting process and
avails the city of funds for the many social programs that citizens and
tourists can enjoy.World Bank executives were so impressed
after touring the city and its Marikina River Park, Homeowners Drive
Settlements site, Marikina Public Market, and bikeways. The bikeways network is
a recipient of a US$1.3 billion grant from the Global Environment Facility of
the World Bank. Additionally, the World Bank named Marikina City one of the
model cities in the world.Poverty
AlleviationThe citys approach to poverty
alleviation is multipronged, addressing the health, housing, education and
livelihood, and values of our people. Tourism helps poverty alleviation by
providing employment opportunities; by bringing new money into the city for the
multiplier effect to happen; by producing tax revenues for community
services, infrastructure, and education. In fact, the city is so well run that
many other cities are sending officials to see how they do it, resulting in a
boost to tourism.Ashley emphasizes the value of supply
chains, enterprise linkages, nonfinancial partnerships, and capability building
and translates these into specific activities that can be planned and
implemented at the level of local government officials.2 An investigation of
the Marikina government unit in this study focuses on the context of tourism
development as an alternative source of livelihood and the manner in which the
tourism office is managed, including the leadership style of the local
executive directly responsible for the promotion of tourism. The problems were
as follows:1. What are the tourism-related
programs, projects and activities that are being done at the level of
Marikinas local government units?2. What insights on governance can be
generated from the investigation of tourism-related portfolios of this local
government unit to link tourism to pro-poor concerns?Data obtained given the variables
enumerated by Ashley are shown in Table51.The data presented in Table 51 are not
exhaustive in the sense that there may be other programs/projects that are operating
but that were not observed and sourced using secondary documents. A comparison
of data shows the diversity of what can be considered pro-poor projects in
Marikina. Table 51 Comparative Data on Marikina
Using Ashleys MatrixIs
there government to: City of MarikinaBoost local inputs into the tourism
supply Local government unit (LGU) manages
tours thatchain? This question addresses the
presence showcase local
cuisine and manufactured products. Itof leakages of tourism earnings. It
emphasizes manages museums,
one of which displays the famousthe importance of local sourcing that
opens shoes of Imelda
Marcos.Conscious efforts are alsomore opportunities for marginalized
groups. exerted to source materials and local
manpower for festivals sponsored by the local
government unit. (Source: MCTTIPO brochure)Support micro/small/community tourism The LGU has a micro lending project. In addition,
itentrepreneurs? Lack of financing and
training manages a Manpower House Livelihood
Skills Training in developing countries are often cited
as and Productivity Centerto encourage
businesses in thereasons why marginalized sectors are
unable food trade, cosmetology, dressmaking,
spa/massage,to benefit from tourism development. reflexology. (Source:
Marikina City, 2007, Annual Report) It has an investment
promotions plan that gives incentives to local . .
. micro, small scale enterprises. (Source: Marikina Chamber
of Commerce and Industry Information Kit). It
also supports a shoe caravan composed of small shoe
manufacturers that go to the countryside.Support craft makers and vendors? Several areas are designated by the LGU to
provide support for groups of
entrepreneurs.Provide a market space for tourist craft
sales? The LGU has a cooperatives month to support
micro entrepreneurs.Accredit a local guide category? Employees of the
LGU, particularly MCTTIPO, are hiredEmployment of local guides provides as guides in the tours
that it manages.opportunities
to common folks.Apply levy or rebate to tourism-related No databusinesses?Apply a minimum
wage? No
dataStimulate partnerships between the
private The LGU does not depend on a
privately controlledsector and communities? tourism
association. MCTTIPO, an office attached tothe office of the city mayor, manages tourism. The LGUhas linkages with 62 local sister cities and 12 foreignsister cities. (Source: MCTTIPO brochure)Influence private sector behavior via No dataconcessions,
licensing, or codes?Catalyze destination linkages among The LGU plans and
implements several festival projectsstakeholders? every
year. Examples of these are Ka Angkan(OurAncestors); Ilog- Nayon(River-Countryside); Sapatos(Shoe); Christmas; RehiyonRehiyon(Regional Festivals).________________________________________________________________________________________Share poverty alleviation revenues with The LGU leases
spaces for local artists (Teatro Marikina),communities? for
gatherings of groups (Sentrong Pangkultura); it hasa program to help senior citizens have access toMedicare (Privilege card). (Source: Marikina City 2007Annual Report)______________________________________________________________________________________Channel donations from tourists to No datacommunities?Address social,
cultural costs of tourism? No
dataAddress environmental, physical costs of Traffic because of busloads of
visitors is a problemtourism? identified
as a result of tourism. The absence ofsidewalk vendors probably minimizes theinconvenience._________________________________________________________________________________________Involve poor in plans and policy making? There is diverse representation of stakeholders in
policy formulation.Make strategic choices based on evidence
for No datapro-poor
impact?Many of these projects have
direct links with tourism development even if their effects on poverty
alleviation cannot be directly established.The material by Ashley is the only one
that details the connection between governance and pro-poortourism. The material is impressive
because it contains data obtained from collaborative work of SNVNetherlands Development Organization
with ministries of tourism, tourism boards, hotel associations,community based tourism organizations as
well as associations of tour operators3. and contains information in tourism
sites in Asia (Lao PDR) and Africa (Ethiopia, Tunisia, Gambia, Kenya,
Mozambique, Rwanda,Tanzania, and Uganda).Insights from
Marikina City1. On the Value of a Tourism Council as a Vehicle
for Tourism Development. Marikina does not rely on an active tourism council
with heavy participation of the private sector. It has an officeMarikina
Culture, Tourism, Trade, Investment Promotions Office (MCTTIPO)that operates
under the office of the city mayor. This office manages tour packages like
Lakbay Aral(educational trips) with students as its market segment. These trips
are designed to showcase shoe factories, a hat factory, a shoe museum, and a
miniature museum among others.MCTTIPO collects statistics of tours it manages. The
data on types of tours, number of visitors, and dates of visit are used to
identify markets served by the touristic offerings.As the city mayor was provided data on tourism revenues,
the decision to invest in related tourism assets became more justified. This
could be one of the reasons why the city is offering diverse tourism
attractions. It has publicly owned museums, shopping malls, a new convention
center, and a hotel. In addition, it manages a number of festivals regularly.
The Ka Angkan (Our Ancestors) festival has developed to be a well-attended activity
of original families who settled in Marikina when it was still an agricultural
municipality. The festival has evolved to a level where interpretive materials
on family monikers are shared in an exhibit that is part and parcel of the
festival. The Rehiyon-Rehiyon (regional) festival has also reached a
spectacular combination of street dancing and performance where constituent barangays
(villages) are represented in performances.In the last Rehiyon-Rehiyon (regional) festival
(December 2008), MCTTIPO said costumes of the barangay (village) performers
were farmed out to local dressmakers. Skills training, job fairs, promotion of
local products, and provision of financing (microfinance) under the office of
the city mayor provide the linkage with diverse stakeholders who stand to
benefit from tourismic activities.Given the example of Marikina, one can ask whether a
centrally managed tourism organization can be a more effective vehicle for
tourism to be pro poor. The desire to involve diverse tourism stakeholderscognitively should lead to more equalized sharing of
the benefits of tourism, and this is widely accepted in Marikina. The active
control of the management of a tourism office by the city mayor provides the
where-withal to address issues related to managing supply chains, diversifying
touristic offerings, and providing the infrastructure and the linkages needed
by marginalized members of the community.2. On the Role of Leadership Styles in
Pro-Poor Tourism.MCTTIPOs role in maximizing
tourismic revenuescan also be attributed to the style of
leadership of the city mayor. MCTTIPO is managed like an investmentcenter where return on investments is
included as part of the control system. The supervisor of MCTTIPOregularly reports on performance of the
office and is rewarded or punished depending on how the officeoperates to produce results. This style
of leadership makes the supervisor of MCTTIPO conscious of the need to
aggressively promote the tourismic packages and be on the constant lookout for
new tourismic offerings.3. On the Context of Tourism Development
as It Relates to the Propensity to Be Pro Poor. Tourismdevelopment in Marikina came at a point
when the city had proven itself to be competent in the many areasof governance. Marikina received local
as well as international recognition for efficient and effective deliveryof public services. The infrastructure
to include diverse stakeholders to participate in tourism developmentwas in place before tourism was
recognized as a sector worth investing in. This is an interesting phenomenon in
the management of tourism councils. Could it be possible to put up pro-poor
projects and struggle todevelop tourism at the same time? If the
council is composed of only private business interests, how greatwill the propensity be to include
pro-poor projects in the development of tourism? How decisive is the roleof the local executive in this scenario?4. On Impact Studies of Tourism on
Marginalized Sector. Last but not least, Cattarinich mentions thecomplex nature of the phenomenon of
poverty.4. Is it economic, social, cultural, or political? How can localgovernment units minimize poverty if
they do not attempt to define poverty given its unique context? Thiscould also be the reason why addressing
cultural, social and physical impactswas mentioned by Ashley asone of the tools for local government
units to be pro poor. How can pro-poor tourism projects be evaluatedto address the concern of Ashley, that
is, net benefits of tourism projects in relation to costs? Tourism devel-opment has unintended results, and the
brunt of the negative effects are said to be heavier on disadvantagedgroups. Tourism that is led by private
capital is said to be insensitive to these concerns.5. Using an economicdefinition of poverty, one may ask if
beneficiaries earned more as a result of pro-poor tourism.ConclusionFor this case, the tools prescribed by
Ashley regarding pro-poor tourism were used to examine Marikina CityintheNationalCapitalRegion.Theprograms,projects,activitiesinthesiteofinvestigationwereenumeratedand analyzed. The insights from the
analysis of data show areas of concern that can be used as inputs inmaking tourism development more
sensitive to the needs of marginalized sectors.Questions1. Do you think poverty alleviation can
be seriously addressed as tourism develops? What examples can you give based on
what you have seen in your own country regarding tourism development and
poverty alleviation?2. Identify concrete activities local
government units can initiate and support to address poverty alleviationthrough tourism development.3. Identify paradoxes and problems that
must be negotiated as poverty alleviation and tourism development are
considered. How can these paradoxes and problems be managed and converted into
opportunities to ensure that marginalized individuals get the support they
need?
