Kalinga leaders push tourism growth that protects heritage, culture

MANILA, Philippines — Kalinga officials urged tourism development that protects the province’s heritage and culture, as Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco called for “guided growth” that benefits communities without overwhelming them.

The calls were made during the opening ceremony Thursday of the 7th Bodong Festival in Tabuk City, part of Kalinga’s 31st founding anniversary celebrations. Frasco was the guest of honor.

In her keynote address, Frasco said tourism development should not overwhelm host communities.

“Accessibility must improve. Skills must be further strengthened, and infrastructure must support, not overwhelm, our communities,” Frasco said.

“This is why the Department of Tourism fully supports our national government programs to provide connectivity and accessibility to Kalinga Province as well as to improve connectivity to heritage villages and natural sites,” she said.

Kalinga Governor James Edduba said the province views culture as central to its identity.

“Our traditions must not diminish. Instead, they must evolve with dignity, be preserved with pride, and be passed on with a purpose to the next generation,” Edduba said. “Progress should never mean forgetting who we are.”

He said “true development happens when growth is uncovered in identity.”

Representive Caroline Agyao of the Lone District of Kalinga warned against tourism that commodifies culture.

“Tourism, if done carelessly, can become a predator dressed as a gift. It can reduce our sacred rituals to scheduled performances. It can turn our elders into photographs,” she said.

Agyao said Kalinga offers the “authenticity” travelers now seek.

“Secretary, your presence here today is a recognition that Kalinga has something the world is searching for––authenticity,” she said. “In an era of mass tourism and homogenized experiences, travelers no longer want just a beach and a buffet. They want a story. They want a soul.”

“They want to stand on the rice terraces cared for by ancestors, hear the echo of the chant of our elders, and meet the woman whose plant has kept an art alive for decades, siya po si Apo Whang-od,” Agyao said. 

“We have all of this, but we also have a responsibility,” she said. “We have to tell our story on our own terms.” 

Whang-od Oggay, also known as Maria Oggay, is a tattoo artist from Buscalan village in Tinglayan, Kalinga. She is often described as the last and oldest mambabatok or a master tattooist.

Frasco said that the DOT remains committed to tourism that protects heritage, strengthens communities and delivers economic impact.

During the Bodong Festival’s grand cultural finale, Frasco witnessed cultural performances by subtribes across Kalinga’s municipalities showcasing traditions such as “Salip,” or matrimonial rites, and “Gabbok,” or a first-born dedication ceremony. The performances depicted ancestral songs, dances and rituals rooted in the province’s cultural heritage.

Kalinga, a landlocked province situated within the Cordillera Administrative Region, is currently reachable through long-distance bus rides from Manila. Visitors may also fly from Manila to Tuguegarao in Cagayan or Cauayan in Isabela, followed by several hours of land travel to reach the province.

In 2025, the DOT-Cordillera Administrative Region recorded 331,447 same-day visitors in Kalinga, of which 329,856 were local tourists.