BOAC, Marinduque--In an effort to cushion the province's lack of hotel rooms, local tourism officials have focused on the province's home-stay program, which would allow the local tourism industry to absorb the influx of tourists in the province by accommodating them as transients in houses of willing local residents acting as hosts.
According to Gerry Jamilla, provincial tourism officer, there are 38 hotels and resorts in the province accredited by the Department of Tourism or a total of only 400 hotel rooms.
Jamilla says about 7,000 guests visited the province during last year's Holy Week to witness the Moriones Festival, the peak period of tourists' arrivals.
Of this figure, about 100 were foreign tourists.
Initially, the home-stay program aimed to accredit 10 to 20 homes that are situated within the vicinity of the most-frequented tourist destinations in the province.
In the home-stay program, local homeowners are required to convert one or two of their rooms into guest rooms.
Some of them have refurbished and repainted their rooms while others have maintained the original look to make the room cozier.
Homeowners improved their toilets and ensured continuous supply of water so guests would always feel that they are never away from the comforts of their respective homes and that their stay would be a memorable one.
The local hosts were provided training by resource persons from the DOT on how to handle the tourists' bookings and reservation, meal preparation and bed and room accommodations.
White beach houses
Freddie Pelaez of Barangay Maniwaya, an island village in Sta. Cruz that boasts of powdery white-sand beaches, says his house was always open to visitors.
"In the absence of resorts and hotels, I make sure that our house can accommodate visitors looking for a place to stay," Pelaez says, adding, "The home-stay training program provided by the provincial tourism office has been very helpful to us."
Pelaez charges P300 per room for an overnight stay. Guests can always use also their kitchen if they intend to cook their own meals.
Russell Real, a storeowner at the White Beach in Barangay Poctoy in the town of Torrijos, is also involved in the home-stay program.
Real is presently the caretaker of his aunt's house located at the front of the White Beach.
His aunt is living abroad and since there is no one to stay in the house permanently, they have accommodated visitors looking for a place to stay in the beach.
According to Real, the two-storey house with three bedrooms is frequently rented because there are no hotels at the White Beach.
"Our regular rate is P1,200/room/day or they can rent the whole house for P7,000/day. The rate, however, is only during peak season. It is still negotiable during off-season," says Real.
"The rate is already inclusive of the use of the appliances inside the house. However, we can also cook food for our guests for a very small fee," he adds.
Real recalls that in 2007, an Australian couple and their children rented the place for a week and they earned P35,000 for house rental and cooking charges.
Martin Joseph Esteves, a professor at the University of the Philippines and a three-time visitor of the province, is among those who enjoyed his home-stay in Marinduque.
"The sights are great and the people are warm. Not to mention, the fresh and delicious foods that were served to us," he says.
"Our hosts have been most genial guides and I shall certainly miss the whole family," adds Joy Acosta, a first time visitor who works as a quality administrator for a call center company in Makati City.
Other popular tourist destinations in the province are the White Beach in Torrijos, Bathala Caves in Barangay Ipil in Sta. Cruz, Malbog Sulfur Spring in Buenavista and Susana Hot Spring in Buenavista.
DTI intervention
Carlito Fabaleña, provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)–Marinduque, is looking forward to working with the provincial tourism office to improve and enhance the home-stay program of the province.
"We believe that the tourism industry of the province will make a great leap in the future. And since the province still lacks infrastructures such as hotels and resorts, enhancing the home-stay program will be the best alternative," Fabaleña said.
"Aside from providing them trainings in hospitality and home improvements, we intend to incorporate values reorientation to interested homeowners so that they can provide quality service to guests and visitors," he adds.
Fabaleña believes that the home-stay program will further bolster the image of the Marinduqueños as friendly and hospitable hosts to their guests.
Provincial officials have taken notice of the enormous potential of Marinduque's tourism industry and they are expecting that there will be massive development of hotel and resort infrastructure and facilities in the years to come, Jamilla says.
"But even with developments in hotel or resort facilities and infrastructure, the inherent hospitality of the Marinduqueños will always be there. As Marinduque welcomes more visitors, the home-stay program will definitely stay," the provincial tourism officer claimed.
