A visit to The Quiet Place Farm in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City, Negos Occidental, gives one a renewed awareness of how magical Mother Nature truly is.
That is how Ruth Minerva Cruz, manager of the 25-hectare farm, which recently reopened, describes the place.
The Quiet Place first opened in 2001 and became a popular venue for weekend visits as well as retreats and small group seminars.
It closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and after Typhoon Odette cut down a few of its old trees and damaged some structures, Cruz said.
She was at The Quiet Place during the lockdown and took long walks every day.
“It made me see the place in a new light. We had been so focused on the resort part, with the farm treated only as a backdrop. But in fact, The Quiet Place is primarily a farm with overnight accommodations, and not a resort located in a farm,” she said.
The more important component are the plants and the animals, especially the birds, that live on the farm, she said.
So, when they reopened, they decided to rebrand The Quiet Place Farm Resort as The Quiet Place Farm.
“We updated and refurbished the 26 rooms, opened up the reception area, created steps to the gardens and constructed trellises. We pruned the 300 mango trees already growing on site and managed their production and harvesting better”, she said.
Cruz said their father, Donato Cruz, had planted over 200 Long Kong trees in several areas, so they took care of them, installed drip irrigation and did pest control.
There is now also a seedling nursery on site.
Their walks at The Quiet Place during the lockdown also gave them a chance to discover plants that are thriving there now from seeds that they brought to the place and were planted by their mother, Susana Cruz, or those brought in by birds.
The Quiet Place Farm is within the area frequented by migratory birds.
The farm is a legacy from their parents, who acquired the property in the 1980’s when it was planted to sugarcane, said Cruz, whose sister Ruby shares her passion for preserving the farm as a nature sanctuary.
“The name of the area where the farms is located is Purok Kabatuhan and it was truly stony back then. We used to come on the weekends, braving the then unpaved 5 kilometer road leading to the place, and planted trees, whatever tree and plant seedlings we could get our hands on”, she said.
Her father created little canals to bring water inside the paddies that he had carved on the sides of the sloping terrain.
“My mom said The Quiet Place would be our sanctuary and that we must keep it and nurture it. So, us all working on this farm is our way of thanking them for this gift and we hope that people visiting it will get the same joy that we feel just being there,” Cruz said.
The gate to the farm is exactly in front of the km. 14 marker in Bago City. it is a 15-minute drive from Bacolod, so one does not need to travel far to enjoy nature.
“It offers a totally different vibe once you’re inside. There are trees all around you, 5 hectares of rice growing on terraced paddies, gardens with interesting medicinal plants. You can kick back with a swim in its pool or a gentle walk or you can find a quiet corner to read a book or just relax, “ Cruz said.
On certain weekends, they will be featuring guided walks through the garden, beginning with next Saturday, August 26.
The guide will be Philip Cruz, president of Herbanext Laboratories, a multi-awarded nutraceutical company doing research on herbs.
The guided walks will enable one to learn and be amazed at the wisdom of plants and the many ways they can be used for healing and general wellbeing, Cruz said.
“You will get to see, smell, touch and taste herbs, some familiar and others a little strange, but always fascinating, “she said.
Those interested in more information about the farm can call 0917 302 5581 or visit the Facebook page of The Quiet Place to send a message, Cruz said.*