Yamang Bukid Farm draws over 254,000 visitors in 2019

Published: January 24, 2020 01:25pm | PUERTO PRINCESA CITY

Yamang Bukid Farm is among the most visited tourism destinations in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, drawing over a quarter of a million guests last year, government data released recently revealed.

At least 254, 449 local and foreign tourists visited the 20-hectare farm tourism destination in Barangay Bacungan in 2019, according to a report Friday by online Palawan News.

Citing data released by the city government, the report said Yamang Bukid Farm placed fourth in the list of the most popular destinations for tourists in tourism-magnet Puerto Princesa.

Topping the list is Baker’s Hill, a privately-run hilltop destination in Sta. Monica village where popular Palawan delicacies and other pasalubong (souvenir) are sold. It attracted some 630, 455 visitors last year.

The UNESCO-heritage site Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) came in second with 331, 356 visitors. Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center was third, logging in 272, 881 guests.

Rounding up the top five is Luli Island resort off Honday Bay, drawing at least 144,965 tourists.
Yamang Bukid, a two-year old sprawling farm has been popular among tourists for its well-manicured flower gardens and delicacies such as sumbulo—a saccharine glutinous rice cake cooked in bamboo and flavored with health and wellness herbs—among others.

The Farm has some 300 employees, more than 90 percent of whom are former illegal loggers and tree poachers.

It is also an advocate of sustainable and organic agriculture. Last year, Yamang Bukid Farm, has embarked in a partnership with Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) in teaching modern farming methods and technology to the grassroots in Bacungan and nearby communities.
(JL)

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Hundreds of farmers benefit Yamang Bukid-Tesda agri educ scholarship

  • Yamang Bukid Farm, Palawan’s top farm tourism destinations is spearheading farming education in communities after it has helped realize the dreams of hundreds of scholars who late last December finished agriculture-related short courses.

    In partnership with the government’s Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), the farm tourism destination in Puerto Princesa City’s Barangay Bacungan was the venue of over a month of instructions on various agriculture-related short courses.

    (Photo by Yamang Bukid)

    The national certificate level II (NC-II) accredited programs included courses on organic fertilizer making (three batches), hog raising (two batches), field budding and grafting (one batch), propagation activities leading to horticulture (one batch), animal production for poultry-chicken (two batches).

    According to Bro. George Maria, Yamang Bukid Farm Palawan vice president for community relations, the scholarships were handed to grassroots-based beneficiaries under the auspices of the office of Palawan 3rd district Rep. Gil “Kabarangay” Acosta Jr.

    Scholar-graduates were also awarded Tesda certification on production of various concoctions leading to agriculture crops production (one batch), plants crops leading to agricultural crops production (one batch) and land preparation for agricultural crops production with three batches.

    (Photos by Yamang Bukid)

    The government, through Tesda, has been pushing for farming education particularly in rural communities in a bid to revitalize the stagnating agricultural sector in the country.

    The more than 20-hectare farm destination, which has been popular for its well-manicured sunflower gardens, became the latest addition of learning sites for sustainable and organic way of farming after it was accredited as such by the Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) as well as a farm school by Tesda early this year.

    (JL)
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DOT nominates Yamang Bukid Farm for major tourism award

  • Yamang Bukid Farm, an emerging farm tourism destination in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, is being shortlisted for a major award on farm tourism.
    This after Yamang Bukid Farm was nominated by the Department of Tourism—Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) to represent the region in this year’s Lakbay Bukid Awards.
    In nominating Yamang Bukid Farm, Danilo Intong, DOT Mimaropa regional director, in a letter, cited the farm destination’s efforts at promoting community-participated farm tourism.

    (Photos by JM ZAP)

    “As this regional office sees the efforts and practices of your organization in involving the communities and pushing for a more sustainable and inclusive growth community through farm tourism, we are pleased to inform you that (DOT-Mimaropa) is nominating (the Farm) for the 2019 Lakbay Bukid Awards,” Intong wrote Hope Alas, YBFP tourism campaign manager.

    The contest, Intong said, will highlight the 6th Philippine Farm Tourism Conference by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) on Nov. 6-8, 2019 at Cebu City. “Part of the event is the Lakbay-Bukid Award which gives recognition of the resiliency, ingenuity and the strength of our hardworking farmers, fisherfolk and others,” he added. Alas was grateful to DOT Mimaropa for the nomination even as she underscored the farmers’ role in transforming the farm tourism site to it has become now.

    The 20-plus hectare landholding in the hilly and forested area of Sitio (Sub-village) Candes III, Bacungan has been transformed into a virtual paradise of rural park, with well-manicured flower and vegetable gardens, Instagrammable sites; a restaurant serving local dishes made from organically-grown and naturally-raised crops, poultry and livestock and over 200-strong community of farmers who are former illegal loggers—turned-environmentalists.

    “This nomination would not be possible without the hardworking farmers and dedicated people of Yamang Bukid Farm,” she said. “This nomination will once again bring pride to the happy farming community of Yamang Bukid Farm. We will continue living a life for others by doing business with a heart,” added Alas.
    (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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