Upholding the notion that local residents of a tourist destination should benefit from industry revenues, Solid North Party-list Rep. Ching Bernos has filed a bill institutionalizing community-based tourism (CBT) in the country.

In pursuing the passage of House Bill (HB) No. 3110 or the CBT bill, Bernos highlighted the need for a bottom-up approach to tourism and development.

She said this would ensure that local communities "get their fair share" from the financial benefits of tourism.

“Considering the unique richness of our heritage and environment, it is crucial that our tourism policies are not simply top-down directives that are detached from realities on the ground," Bernos said.

“This is why we are pushing for CBT, which is rooted in principles of local empowerment, cultural respect, environmental stewardship, and inclusive economic participation, as a means of empowering our local communities and making them the agents of their own sustainable progress,” the lady lawmaker said.

Bernos said that a key provision in the bill requires the establishment of transparent revenue-sharing mechanisms between local government units (LGUs) and communities, in particular the guarantee of a minimum 30 percent of net tourism revenues in community-managed sites to be allocated to the community for re-investing.

"If we are going to promote their areas, those who live there should benefit. That is the surest way to get our communities to support our government's tourism promotion efforts," she said in mixed English and Ilokano.

HBN No.3110 also seeks to institutionalize CBT by integrating it into national and local tourism planning, policy, and governance.

It calls for the creation of a CBT Support Program under the Department of Tourism to provide grants, technical assistance, accreditation, and capacity-building services for community-led tourism enterprises.

The proposal also mandates the adoption of community-based strategies in all tourism-related projects and ensures the active participation of communities, including Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples, in decision-making processes.

CBT shall also be integrated into Local Tourism Development Plans and Comprehensive Land Use Plans, and the development of a National Community-Based Tourism Framework to standardize best practices in sustainability, equity, and local governance.

The solon expressed hope that the bill could help address the barriers that prevent CBT from further flourishing in the country, particularly with regard to limited funding, inadequate infrastructure and weak policy implementation.

“CBT has a lot of potential for growth in the country, but for it to succeed we must ensure that it gets all the institutional, technical, and financial support it needs,” Bernos said.