Their Future Our Future: Lessons learnt from using video as a tool to engage stakeholders and governments in national policy for wildlife tourism interaction in the Philippines

National legislation for marine wildlife tourism interaction guidelines does not exist in the Philippines, despite increasing visitor arrivals. A Joint Administrative Order (JAO) on regulations for marine wildlife tourism... [ view full abstract ]

National legislation for marine wildlife tourism interaction guidelines does not exist in the Philippines, despite increasing visitor arrivals. A Joint Administrative Order (JAO) on regulations for marine wildlife tourism interaction drafted by government Departments in 2014 hopes to address this with the objectives to enhance visitor experience and safety, and to preserve the environment, the animals involved and the livelihoods relying on it, through guidelines, regulation and prohibition of activities.

To engage stakeholders and the public, a video campaign ‘Their Future Our Future’ was launched in 2016 using the drafted JAO policy as a foundation to promote sustainable marine wildlife tourism. Five communities engaged in wildlife tourism were featured in the films. To instil cooperation and ownership, local tour guides delivered the guidelines, while community workshops aimed to inspire local pride by developing a message on the value of the guidelines. The films targeted national and international guests calling them to follow the guidelines and be responsible tourists. The final call to action was a petition in support of the JAO.

The impact of the campaign was measured against pre-determined targets based on commitment and outreach. Over 200,000 people engaged with the campaign, 60,000 via 16 public screenings, 140,000 online, and 2,300 signed the petition. Seven NGOs collaborated on the campaign, two government Departments and five local government units signed their support. To date, the JAO remains unpassed. Challenges, successes and failures to meet targets provided invaluable lessons on how best to use video as a tool to engage stakeholders.