Habilin Farms is a permaculture farm that focuses on regenerative and sustainable agricultural practices such as organic agriculture, soil regeneration, agroforestry and more. It is located in Barangay Ilayang Bukal, Tayabas Quezon, more or less a 3-hour drive away from Metro Manila.
Being placed right at the foot of mountains San Cristobal and Banahaw and overlooking Tayabas Bay (at approximately 430 meters above sea level), Habilin Farms is considered as a promising location for farm tourism.
In Habilin Farms, you get to experience what it’s like to grow your own food and live alongside nature itself. Picking vegetables and fruits and sowing seeds are among one of the things you can do while in the farmstay. If you like seeing animals, you can witness chickens, ducks, pigs, dogs and tilapia in the area. You can pet and feed some of them as well.
Lastly, but certainly not least, your sleeping area will be one of the 3 bahay kubo in the farm. Simple as they are, they’re very comfortable to rest and sleep in, and they give you that authentic buhay bukid experience you get from the bahay kubo back in the day. In it you won’t need an electric fan nor an air conditioner, nature provides the breeze you need.
If you’d like to have a genuine experience of Mother Nature, you can pitch a tent or place a sleeping bag on the ground so you can sleep directly under the stars. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can bring a hammock to the farm and you’re good to go. Habilin Farms has several camping areas designated for those who prefer the presence of the outdoors and to rough it out rather than be in the comfort of modern concrete walls.
The camping areas are also very open, making them great for those who’d like to view the stars or any other celestial objects that decide to greet you. So if you’re into stargazing or are interested in the science of astronomy, bring a telescope and watch what the universe shows you through its vast blanket of stars.
You can also walk barefoot in most areas of the farm, particularly in the grassy areas. This is known as earthing and is widely known for its therapeutic benefits. Doing this is known to relieve stress and pain, and also helps improve blood flow and sleep.
There’s also a dirt trail that runs around the main farm’s boundaries that you can take advantage of if you’re training for a trail run race. You could also take a leisurely walk while admiring the beauty of nature or while in a moment of self-reflection.
Habilin Farms allows you to order food but most of the time, it serves its guests whatever dish is prepared for the day. Whatever the food is largely depends on what can be harvested from the farm, making it a more authentic farm-to-table experience.
When you’re done with picking vegetables, planting seeds or just roughing it out under the sun for the morning, you’re free to cool yourself down in the farm’s very own mountain stream. Located 15 minutes away from the main farm, this cold mountain spring water comes straight from the mountains making them clean and feel fresh.
Habilin Farms used to be a coconut plantation years before what it is now. It stayed this way for many years until 2008 when there was a good opportunity to further improve upon it. These improvements did not take concrete form until 2020 however as its founder, Ben “Bambu” Francia, has been focused on building businesses and taking care of his family.
After the pandemic hit however, Ben (also known as Bambu in his farming circles and locally in the area), made further improvements upon the farm. Initially, he planned it to be a retirement home for himself and his family. But as time went on and after getting proper academic training on organic farming and permaculture, he realized it can be so much more.
Back in the day, Spain gave only eight cities and towns in the Philippines the title of Villa, one of them being Tayabas (La Muy Noble Villa de Tayabas) in 1703. Out of all the villas, it was given the title of “most noble”, putting it among the ranks of nobility under Spanish Colonial Rule.
Now known as the City of Tayabas, it is a component city in the Province of Quezon. Best known for its lambanog (coconut liquor or arrack), its food/ delicacies, and its tourism resorts, Tayabas is a wonderful weekend getaway. Being the former capital of the Province of Quezon (formerly known as Tayabas), it is also known for its historical significance and cultural attractions.
Housing the Minor Basilica of St. Michael The Archangel (the church with the longest aisle in the country), along with over 20 Spanish stone bridges with under-carvings from Filipino ancestors, heritage houses and other historical landmarks, Tayabas stands as a vivid reminder of its glorious and historic past. This makes it a potential candidate for being included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Apart from its historical and cultural significance, Tayabas is well known for its agricultural produce. Besides coconut, it also produces rice, root crops and vegetables. Having one of the best lands with fertile soil, growing fruits, vegetables and other useful crops is relatively easy in the heartland that is Tayabas.
Where there is fertile soil and bountiful harvests, there are happy people. According to Pres. Manuel L. Quezon, this provincial heartland is known for having the richest and most joyous places in the province. With feasts like the Mayohan Festival, Tayabenses showcase their harvest to celebrate not only their commonly-held religious beliefs, but also their gratefulness for a good harvest.
Habilin Farms prides itself on growing food in the most natural way possible – the way nature intended. In order to do this, it does not condone the use of man-made or artificial fertilizers and pesticides. The way it survives and thrives is by adapting a permaculture design approach and adapting sustainable ways to plant trees, vegetables and plants.
One way it achieves this is through diversified farming practices. Habilin Farms does not go with a monocropping approach when it comes to growing food. It instead plants trees and crops whilst integrating it with the local livestock to emulate a working and thriving natural ecosystem.
This approach is also evident in the way Habilin Farms takes care of its livestock. Being free-ranged, its animals are able to graze and forage freely. This helps keep weeds in check while, at the same time, providing natural fertilizer produced organically by the livestock themselves. This kind of symbiotic relationship between farms and animals is prevalent in thriving and long-existing ecosystems, making Habilin Farms an excellent example of permaculture design.
By adapting the way flourishing natural systems work from a design perspective, Habilin Farms manages to become a self-sustaining farm that’s not only guaranteed to provide food for its inhabitants, it also gives back to the environment by avoiding potentially harmful practices.
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If you’re looking for a place to stay while you’re in Quezon Province, or just want to have a completely different weekend getaway experience that’s more calm and reflective, feel free to visit Habilin Farms.
Feel free to shoot us a message at our social pages for inquiries or potential bookings:
https://www.facebook.com/habilinfarms
https://www.instagram.com/habilinfarms
You can also reach us through phone at: 0917-558-1543.
