Eco-friendly resort partners with Yamang Bukid Farm to help COVID-affected families in Palawan

Published: May 6, 2020 01:25pm | PUERTO PRINCESA CITY

By Brittny Lourde Trinidad

Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort, an internationally acclaimed, multi-award winning resort of Sabang, Palawan, which promotes eco-conscious business practices, partners with Yamang Bukid Farm in feeding heavily affected families of COVID-19 crisis.

The only tourist stay in the Philippines that has garnered a Level 4 Anahaw certification, an award recognized by the Department of Tourism as the first national green certification in the Philippines, Daluyon Resort, through YB, has sponsored 200 bottles of Buffalo milk to the seafaring communities in Sabang. This community consists of over 300 families with 1000 individuals. They were denied access to DOLE’s 5k assistance program, according to Teresita Austria, the BOD Chairperson of the Sabang Sea Ferry Service Multipurpose Cooperative.

Daluyon wanted to do their part to provide relief for these localities. So, Sir Bruce Tan, CEO of Daluyon, and his people convened with Br. George Maria, VP of Public Affairs at YB Farm-Palawan, on how to further help Sabang gain food security by reaching out to those communities affected by the tourism industry’s decline.

This establishment is a world-renowned resort part of the European Union’s project for more sustainable tourism in the Philippines. They offer various ways of clean-and-green methods, like those as simple as using refillable bottles instead of disposable sachets for their guest rooms, to state-of-the-art technology and interior design. They are situated a 15-minute boat ride away from the UNESCO world-heritage tourist destination, Puerto Princesa Underground River.

Daluyon also conducted a meeting with Yamang Bukid Farm-Palawan’s Chief Agriculturist, Sir Totong Arceo, along with their three young agriculturists, on how to develop a sustainable organic farm right within their premises by the beautiful Sabang Beach. In adapting to this pandemic and keeping their people sustained, Daluyon also hopes to help support the surrounding communities of Sabang Village, Puerto Princesa to rise from this pandemic together.


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Agriculture flunker gets 2nd chance with Yamang Bukid

  • He dreamed of becoming a musician and Daniel John Zabala ended up trying to become an agriculturist.
    A native of Palawan, the 26-year old is one of two aspiring agriculturists Yamang Bukid Healthy Products Inc. (YBHPI) is funding to take this year’s licensure examinations. The would-be examinees are in the thick of their review classes at the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB).

    “While being an agriculture in itself is good, it’s still better if you pass the exams and get a license,” Zabala said during an interview at the foot of a tall monument at the UPLB grounds.
    His love for farming sprouted when he was still young, although his family was not really into farming. “I just love to grow plants. I love farming,” Zabala said, adding this motivated him to take up agriculture.

    After graduating from college at a university in Palawan, Zabala did not take the exam immediately. He went to Manila and worked for a call center company, doing punishing graveyard shifts that took a heavy toll on his health. He only lasted months before deciding to return to Palawan.

    He got a job at the city agriculture office in Puerto Princesa, doing special projects in the barangays. While it was somehow a rewarding job, Zabala still yearned to become a licensed agriculturist and improve his career. He therefore decided to take the boards years after he had graduated. “I started my self-review routine but found it quite difficult because I’ve been out of school for a long time already,” said Zabala. Nevertheless, he still took the exams. He failed.

    Zabala said he was saddened but undeterred by the results. He continued his job visiting the barangays of Puerto Princesa doing technical works, until he came to Yamang Bukid Farm, an agri-tourism destination at Barangay Bacungan that is becoming popular among locals and visitors. Zabala said he was struck by the uniqueness of the agri-tourism farm because it operates based on novel ideas, like not having an entrance fee for visitors. He also appreciated how the farm cares for its employees, particularly the farmers who were given a chance to turn a new leaf after engaging in illegal logging and other destructive forest activities as means of livelihood.

    That’s why Zabala readily accepted an offer of employment extended by the farm management, leaving his government job of a year-and-half. There, Zabala immediately embraced the farm’s culture and made friends with the employees.

    “I found working at YB (Yamang Bukid Farm) very fulfilling. i adjusted well with the working environment. They let you learn and improve at the same time,” Zabala said. Apart from getting a compensation well above his previous income, Zabala also got additional bonus when he the farm offered to shoulder his review and board exam expenses.

    “I could not contain my happiness. God gave me the second chance to reach my dream of getting a license through Yamang Bukid’s generosity,” Zabala said, vowing to make good his second attempt.

    For his second try, the aspiring agriculturist sees to it that he is well-prepared. “I have to read many modules. The board exams is for those who have so much knowledge. You can’t rely on a single module and expect to pass.” Whether he makes it this time might be not yet certain, but Zabala was sure he would stay working with Yamang Bukid Farm after the board exams.
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Veteran physician endorses Yamang Bukid’s way of “natural health and wellness”

  • A Quezon City-based physician has hailed the natural and organic products of Yamang Bukid Healthy Products Inc. (YBHPI) as ideal food supplements even as he urged people to go natural in food and wellness products.

    A tourist shows off her bundle of sumbulo (suman sa buho), a glutinous rice cake cooked in bamboo and is a popular delicacy at the Yamang Bukid Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The emerging farm tourism destination has been praised for its organic products and nature-friendly farming activities.
    (Photo by Emee Lapurga)

    In an interview by Puerto Princesa City broadcaster and city councilor Elgin Damasco, Dr. Mario Adraneda noted YBHPI stores are sprouting up in Quezon City and in other areas in the capital, which he said is a good indication that natural and organically-made food supplements are readily available.

    He said Yamang Bukid’s turmeric-based products, particularly the Turmeric 10-in-1 tea is a good supplement for those suffering rheumatism as it is a known vasodilator, or that which helps veins and arteries become wider thus helping blood and nutrients flow smoothly.

    Sales personnel at a Yamang Bukid Healthy Products Inc. outlet inside a shopping mall in Quezon City, with the food supplement maker's array of health and wellness products (YB photo)

    “Yamang Bukid (turmeric 10-in-1 tea) is a combination of turmeric and lemongrass which have been proven good for our body,” said Adraneda, a 43-year veteran gastroenterologist who currently practices at Delos Santos Medical Center. He admits being a user of the health and wellness tea.

    Aside from turmeric and lemongrass, Yamang Bukid’s turmeric 10-in-1 tea has also eight other herbs as ingredients that are recognized by experts for their medicinal properties. These include pandan, sambong, lagundi, banaba, ginger, malunggay, peppermint and Gynura procumbens.

    Adraneda noted people’s unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle has caused prevalence of disease that afflicted even to the young. “During our time, most people usually got sick at age 65 or above. But nowadays, we can hear of children and teenagers getting hypertension, cancers or heart diseases,” Adraneda told Damasco.

    He urged people to go natural and maintain healthy non-sedentary lifestyle. “Exercise regularly, eat healthy food that are free from preservatives and take food supplements that help enhance healthy bodily functions like Yamang Bukid products,” the gastro-intestinal specialist said.

    “Let’s try nature’s way of wellness. Let’s support alternative food supplements like Yamang Bukid’s,” Adraneda said.
    During his visit at the Yamang Bukid Farm in Puerto Princesa’s Barangay Bacungan, Adraneda praised the delicious and organically-prepared food, such as native chicken, that according to him did not contain any genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). Present in preservatives and in livestock and poultry that are artificially manipulated in the laboratory, GMOs are known harmful to the body and can cause various diseases. “Let’s advocate going organic,” he said. (JL)
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Yamang Bukid Farm, Tesda offer NC-II trainings on farming, poultry raising

  • Yamang Bukid Farm in Palawan has partnered with the Technical Skills Education and Development Authority (TESDA) in offering scholarships for competency and assessment training next month.

    Free-range native Zamboanga Peninsula (ZamPen) chickens are being bred at Yamang Bukid Farm-Palawan, a Tesda-accredited farm school and farm tourism destination in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The farm tourism destination is conducting National Competency (NC) II-certified trainings on poultry raising and organic farming to scholars nex month.
    (Photo by JM ZAP)

    Following its accreditation as a farm school by Tesda, the farm tourism destination in Puerto Princesa City’s Barangay Bacungan will host and provide National Competency (NC) II training for organic agriculture and animal production (poultry chicken), according to Ms. Elaine Marie Durian, Yamang Bukid Farm executive assistant. The trainings, which will be participated in by a total 50 student-scholars, will be conducted for free by the Farm’s agriculturists Fernan Hubo, Liza Jean Yocto and Marilyn Cenit.

    Tesda’s Kenneth Roque will head the pool of trainers.
    Lectures will be conducted at the ATI Training Center inside the Farm at Purok Kandis 3, Bacungan while field work is at the Farm’s organically-developed farm and poultry area where native species of chicken are being bred.
    “This is an opportunity for Yamang Bukid Farm to share its technical know-how through its competent pool of trainers,” said Ms. Durian.
    The training will start on Sept. 9, with the organic agriculture running for 29 days and the animal production training lasting for 32 days.

    Founded as a small farm in 2017, Yamang Bukid Farm has evolved into an emerging farm tourism destination in Palawan that is supportive of sustainable agriculture practices.
    With its rich pool of agriculturists and farm technicians, the Farm has been accredited as a farm learning site by the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and as a farm school by Tesda.
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