Beginnings

Corplan 2010 resulted from months of intensive multi-sectoral discussions. In a series of meetings, administrators, faculty members, and students talked about issues that beset Ateneo de Naga University's vision to be "a comprehensive university dedicated . . . to the integral growth and development of the nation particularly in the Bikol region". One such controversial issue was that of globalization for Bikol that found two seemingly conflicting polarities pulling against each other. One end held the argument that development entailed promoting industrialization according to current trends so as to generate income necessary to alleviate poverty in the region. Another end supported the view that preserving the culture of the region was not to be sacrificed for industrialization, for to give up the knowledge of one's heritage was akin to being stripped of regional and national identity.

This issue spurred the creation of the Institute of Tourism at the Ateneo de Naga University under the auspices of the Office of the President.

"The putting up of this institute seems to be the university's way of bridging such an apparent dichotomy," Vanessa "Vanny" Verdadero, ADNU Class Valedictorian of Batch 2001 and assistant researcher in an ongoing project spearheaded by the Office of the President conjectures. "The thrust of such an institute will be to develop, showcase, and promote Bikol culture yet contribute to economic development as it brings in tourists and therefore, investments."

The Father President, in separate and very informal conversations, broached to Maria Felda "Dada" Alarkon, also an ADNU Class 2001 graduate, and Vanny some time in November of 2001 his dream of pioneering what he then termed as "soft tourism" in the Bikol region through Ateneo de Naga University.

As a step towards this, he asked Dada and Vanny to come up with a project proposal for a feasibility study on an eco-tourism program for Caramoan, a coastal town in Camarines Sur. Its specific goal was to evaluate the feasibility of community-based tourism in Caramoan in terms of facilities such as water and electricity, the receptivity of the people to the program that would entail using their homes for tourists to stay, the cost of upgrading these facilities and running tour packages, among others. Both acquiesced and delineated the rationale, objectives, methodology, structure, and budget for such a project, setting their target date coverage as the months of January to June, 2002. 

This request has since grown into the full-blown task of preparing the stage for the setting up of the Institute of Tourism in Ateneo de Naga.

© 2002 InTours - Ateneo de Naga University