This flower farm in Lucban will not only let you take selfies with the blooms, but eat them, too

I visited Bukid Amara in Lucban, Quezon, a popular vegetable and flower farm among both tourists and farmers.

BY YVETTE TAN

Sep 18, 2023 04:55 PM

  

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By YVETTE TAN

I visited Bukid Amara in Lucban, Quezon, a popular vegetable and flower farm among both tourists and farmers.

The 2.5 hectare farm is a sight to behold. The first thing that catches the eye is a field of different types of flowers that stretch out from the farm entrance towards a man-made pond filled with tilapia, with the mystical Mt. Banahaw peeking out from its cloud cover just beyond. 

The flowers grown are annuals, and can be changed according to the season, so for example, couples who visit during Valentine’s Day will be greeted by a sea of red. The only blooms that remain constant are the sunflowers, which are the crowd favorite. 

A close up of a begonia, one of the many flowers that can be found in Bukid Amara. (Yvette Tan) 

Bukid Amara is a tourist hotspot for locals as well as for folks in surrounding provinces, some coming as far as Metro Manila, which is three hours away without accounting for traffic. A P150 entrance fee (P120 for students, PWDs, and seniors) allows visitors access to the farm, which includes the flower field, pond, and in-house restaurant. Farm activities include cut-and-pay flowers and fish-and-pay (and paluto). The farm also allows for small events to be held there, and is constructing a holding area so bigger celebrations can be held.

The 2.5 hectare farm is a sight to behold. The first thing that catches the eye is a field of different types of flowers that stretch out from the farm entrance towards a man-made pond filled with tilapia, with the mystical Mt. Banahaw peeking out from its cloud cover just beyond. (Yvette Tan)

The flowers aren’t only beautiful to look at–they’re edible, too! Guests can experience this when they dine in the cafe, which serves food decorated with the edible blooms. We had the salad and the pancit habhab, the latter a Lucban specialty which gets its name from the way it’s eaten–placed on a banana leaf which is lifted to the mouth with one’s hands. Both were just as delicious as they were eye-catching. The vegetables in the salad are picked on-site, and the flowers add color and vibrancy to the dishes, resulting in a weird, but welcome sort of joy during the meal. It feels like every meal at Bukid Amara would feel like a fiesta.

A popular dish in Bakid Amara Cafe is the salad, which features edible flower petals. (Yvette Tan)

The farm isn’t just well known for its blooms. The farm is owned and run by horticulturist Michael Caballes, a well known name in the farming industry. A former executive for a seed company, Caballes is known for his business acumen, enterprising spirit, and interest in experimentation.  

Behind the flower field are several domed net greenhouses that house different things–hydroponic setups, vegetable seedlings, flower nursery, and a Japanese melon grow house. Bukid Amara is the only farm in the Philippines that has successfully grown Japanese melons, the type that can go for as high as USD1000 per piece in auctions in Japan. It’s known for its crisp sweetness and its uniform, blemish-free exterior. The melons are hard to grow and demand a lot of care and attention, hence their high price. While Bukid Amara’s melons aren’t as expensive as the ones sold in Japanese auctions, they are priced higher than usual in the Philippine market, and with good reason. They are grown in a hydroponic setup, the fruit covered in newspaper to prevent overexposure and accidental bruising. It’s one melon to one vine, with everything, from the nutrient solution down to the number of leaves on the vine accounted for. 

Bukid Amara is the only farm in the Philippines that has successfully grown Japanese melons, the type that can go for as high as USD1000 per piece in auctions in Japan. (Yvette Tan)

The farm also holds training sessions for beginner and experienced farmers, as well as agriculture students. Caballes is very interested in experimentation, so many of the greenhouses are set aside to test things, which include prototypes of agricultural machinery. He also uses his acquired knowledge to help fellow farmers both increase their yield and fortify their businesses, often for free. For example, he is a consultant for the Korea Program on International Agriculture (KOPIA), which aims to bring the Korean agricultural mindset and technology to developing countries. 

Behind the flower field are several domed net greenhouses that house different things–hydroponic setups, vegetable seedlings, flower nursery, and a Japanese melon grow house. (Yvette Tan)

So whether you’re the type to smell flowers, grow flowers, or eat flowers, if you’re in Lucban, it would be worth your while to drop by Bukid Amara. 

Inside one of the greenhouses used to cultivate flowers. (Yvette Tan)

Photos by Yvette Tan

Read more about gardening and farming at agriculture.com.ph

Eala barges into main draw of Guangzhou Open

BY KRISTEL SATUMBAGA-VILLAR

Sep 18, 2023 03:16 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Alex Eala survived American Elizabeth Mandlik, 7-5, 7-6 (3), to barge into the main draw round of the Guangzhou Open in China over the weekend.

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Alex Eala survived American Elizabeth Mandlik, 7-5, 7-6 (3), to barge into the main draw round of the Guangzhou Open in China over the weekend.

Alex Eala wins two qualifying matches to barge into the main draw of the Guangzhou Open. (Alex Eala/Facebook)

The 18-year-old Eala had to dig deep to outlast her more experienced rival to bolster her campaign in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 250 event.

Eala actually needed to win two qualifying matches to make it to the main draw. Prior to her victory over Mandlik, she overcame the persistent attempts of Chinese Taipei’s Liang En-Shuo, 5-7, 6-1, 7-5, in the first qualifying match. 

Up next for Eala is third seed Tatjana Maria of Germany, who is currently ranked No. 48 in the world.

This would be the third time that Eala and Maria are battling one another, with the Filipino bet losing all their previous meetings.

They first clashed in the first round of the Thailand Open last January where Eala lost, 6-2, 6-2, and then faced each other once again in the opening round of the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain where the Filipina also yielded, 6-1, 6-1.

The Guangzhou Open will be Eala’s last tournament before she sees action in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where tennis competitions will start on Sept. 24 at the Hangzhou Sports Park Tennis Center.

What Germanic languages are dying?

 

Joachim Pense

Dave, my mind is going.

8,312 followers

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I am from Mainz, Germany, spent a couple of months in Warwick/Coventry (England) and in the Bay area. Graduated in Maths (Dr. rer. nat.), became an IT guy. Used to work in a group of artists in the 80s and early 90s producing noise-music and sound/light-installations. Have some interest in Linguistics and Philology. I like various kinds of music, European classical, modern, South-Indian classical, Japanese, Bluegrass, Jazz, Soul, Korean etc.

What Germanic languages are dying?

East Frisian (1500 to 2000 speakers left); North Frisian (still 8000 to 10000). The German dialect isles in northern Italy (Mocheno, Cimbrian) are dying, but they might not count as languages. Similarly Frans Vlaams (almost not spoken anymore in coastal France near the Belgian border) is a Dutch dialect, but extreme from a Dutch point of view. But then, the Frisian dialects can be seen as part of Frisian, which as a whole is not yet dying, with many more speakers of West Frisian. Still, mutual intelligibility between those is poor.

Yiddish seems to experience some revival currently, but still I am not sure about its destiny.

And - thanks to Daniel Ross, Scots should be mentioned as well.

Old Pangasinan comes alive at Casa Real

 

“Banaan,” the new provincialmuseum at the historic Casa Real in the provincial capital Lingayen pangasinan

By: Yolanda Sotelo - Correspondent / @yzsoteloINQPhilippine Daily Inquirer / 05:02 AM September 17, 2023

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN — Like most residents here, 75-year-old Paco Santos’ life seems to be intertwined with Casa Real (Royal House), the province’s first seat of power.

He was born, and lived all his life, just about 100 meters from the historic house, which brought back memories of his childhood when it reopened as a museum on Sept. 8.

“My friends and I used to hide behind its colossal posts when we played hide and seek,” Santos tells the Inquirer in an interview. “When we were older, we played basketball in its backyard, where there was a basketball court.”

Santos recalls that day in 2006 when he and two others took students to Casa Real, then already abandoned. Two years later, Typhoon “Cosme” (international name: Halong) would blow off the building’s heavy roof.

“I wanted them to learn about the value of the building in their midst and the need to preserve it,” he shares.

Santos was so attached to the building that he decided to make it the subject of his master’s thesis, or about the need to have it reconstructed and renovated.

And when the Casa Real was transformed into a provincial museum, now named “Banaan” (meeting place), Santos’ art pieces were displayed, some of them for sale.

“Unknowingly, even the name Banaan seemed to be of significance to us because it was the place where my friends used to meet and play basketball,” he says, amused.

Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil, a former Pangasinan lawmaker who initiated the reconstruction of the heavily damaged Casa Real, says he “wholeheartedly” supports the establishment of the museum, “which was the original plan when we were working for the building’s restoration to its former glory.”

“It is very appropriate as a place for people to meet to appreciate the history, heritage and culture of Pangasinan,” Bataoil says.

Casa Real has been a mute witness to the province’s rich history, heritage and culture.

Featuring Spanish architectural design, the building played different roles in its almost 200-year existence in the heart of Lingayen, the provincial capital of Pangasinan.

It was used as the provincial capitol, as an elementary school, as “Juzgado” (Court of First Instance), as the sanctuary of Spaniards fighting Katipuneros, and as the “Gobiyerno” (seat of power of the provincial civil government) office of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.

The structure survived bombings and earthquakes, but not the howling winds and rains of Cosme in 2008. Later, at least 40 families squatted in the building and its yard while unscrupulous people carted away important components, like the balusters, wood trusses and doors.

But Casa Real is not just about to be relegated to history’s dustbin. Instead, it again stands proud and has metamorphosed into a museum that continues to tell the province’s history.

“This is not just a building. This is the story of us,” Pangasinan Gov. Ramon Guico III tells the crowd during the inauguration of the first provincial museum that features historical, anthropological, cultural, industries, contemporary arts and religious artifacts, among others.

The story is told through 11 galleries that taps technology to bring to life the past and the present.

The galleries feature ancient to modern periods, starting from when the legendary warrior Princess Urduja was said to rule over the province in 1300, to when Chinese pirates established a domain somewhere in Lingayen in 1500, to when the Spanish reigned in the province, and up to contemporary times.

“This is a proud moment for us,” Guico remarks as he stresses the importance of the museum, adding that “if we do not look back and institutionalize our past, we may be lost as people of Pangasinan.”

Vice Gov. Mark Lambino says the museum is a realization of a plan that he and Guico discussed when they were campaigning last year.

“We talked about what is in Pangasinan that we can be proud of. Now, we are showcasing some, if not all, of the cultural heritage of the province,” Lambino says.

For Emmanuel Franco Calairo, chair of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, there’s much more to see and enjoy at the museum, noting that it preserves the memory of the past.

Calairo underscores the role of present generations in establishing museums “because histories will be lost because of several hazards like industrialization that invades agricultural and historic sites and technology.”

A tour of Banaan starts through a massive wooden door that leads to the lobby, which features Pangasinan’s two major landscapes: salt farms in the west and a green rice field framed at the back with bolo bamboos in the central part.

The ground floor has three galleries, one of which has walls adorned by Pangasinan maps showing the congressional districts, a video on how coastal residents turn seawater into salt, and central Pangasinan folk creating furniture and useful articles for the house and the farm, from bamboo.

On the ground floor, the “Kaluyágan Art Exhibit” showcases local artists’ paintings and other works that are for sale.

The staircase leading to the second floor is just one of the few original parts of Casa Real that survived looting. It is, after all, made of weighty “piedra China” or granite stones used as ballasts for Chinese ships and galleons.

All the original balusters, however, were gone, and the replacements are replicas.

“These are the stairs that American Judge William Taft used when he visited the Casa Real,” the tour guide notes.

Taft and his commissioners visited Lingayen on Feb. 16, 1901, and were given a grand reception at Casa Real. Historians said the Taft Commission organized Pangasinan as a civil province.

re themed galleries occupy the second floor. One gallery is titled “Water by the Hands of Ama Gaolay” and features natural heritage, ecotourism and flora and fauna.

“The Descendants of Apolaqui ‘’ gallery displays artifacts from prehistory, archaeology, myths, and legends.

Replicas of the locomotive (train) and Pantranco (the first provincial bus that traveled from Dagupan City to Manila) are displayed. Also featured are the ox-pulled carts called cattle caravans that used to bring native products to Metro Manila and other provinces.

Pangasinenses who carved a name in politics and the arts are given their place of honor at the museum.

These include Geronima Pecson, the country’s first female senator; Maria Magsanoc, a novelist/writer and leader of the Women Suffragists of the Ilocos region; and former President Fidel V. Ramos.

Also given a place of honor are National Artists F. Sionil Jose (literary), Victorio Edades (visual arts), Salvador Bernal (theater design), and Fernando Poe Jr. (film).

Restoration work that started in 2015 through the efforts of Bataoil, the provincial government, and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, had tried to be as faithful to Casa Real’s original design as possible.

By 2019, Casa Real was ready to be reintroduced to the public but its inauguration had to be delayed as the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1832495/old-pangasinan-comes-alive-at-casa-real#ixzz8DigH7aov

Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Cayetano to DA execs: Step up, shape up

 

PRESS RELEASE

SEPT. 18,2023

Cayetano to DA execs: Step up, shape up

 Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to take more proactive measures to address the state of agriculture in the Philippines as the prices of rice continue to remain high despite a price cap imposed by Malacañang.

“Step up nang kaunti,” Cayetano told Senate reporters at a press conference on September 15, 2023. “[Dapat mag]-shape up ang agriculture (department) kasi from the first year [up to now] panay agriculture na ang mga issues.”

The independent senator praised President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for being a sincere Agriculture Secretary intent on improving the food situation in the country, but he stressed that the DA’s officials should not rely on the Chief Executive for solutions.

He said the agriculture department needs to engage in "full staff work" and explore multiple options to address the problems.

Cayetano attributed the increase in the price of rice to various factors such as erratic weather conditions globally that have affected rice supply as well as Russia's change in its grain export deal with Ukraine which has indirectly impacted food prices worldwide.

He also pointed to India’s announcement in August that it would ban the export of rice, which he said should have triggered DA officials to take steps to secure rice supplies elsewhere.

"So noon pa lang nung pinag-uusapan ‘yan, may alarm bells na dapat sa agri department. Dapat dalawa, tatlo, lima, anim na options ang binigay nila kay Pangulong Marcos, but they tried to make him do it on his own,” he said.

While he commended the President’s efforts in securing rice imports from Vietnam, Cayetano said the DA and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should have engaged with Vietnam earlier, without waiting for high-level discussions.

He urged the DA to seek long-term solutions to stabilize food prices, emphasizing that temporary measures may not address the root causes of the problem.

 He said among these measures is the outsourcing of expertise from countries like Japan and China, where rice holds cultural significance, to develop a rice sufficiency roadmap for the Philippines.

“Kailangan ng long-term na solution here. We support him (the President) there but hopefully sa budget hearing, ma-explain na ng Agriculture Department kung ano [ang mga plans na] ito,” he said.

“In the budget hearing that’s one department I’d like to listen into and really just encourage y'ung mga taga-Agriculture na Presidente ang Secretary n’yo. Magpakitang-gilas kayo,” he added.###

Writing for the young

Filipino experiences immortalized into youth-focused capstone projects

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Sep 17, 2023 00:28 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• To raise awareness in preparation for heavy downpours and possible floods during the rainy season, Maria Reyes, Sabrina Rodas, and Rainier Santiago produced the informative handbook of Disaster Busters: Typhoon and Flood Preparedness.

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Young artists encapsulated the country’s history, culture, environmental, health, and food issues into printed storybooks and multimedia projects to educate and empower the Filipino youth.

 

With the aim to uplift the communities and drive positive change, the homegrown students of the Multimedia Arts (MMA) Program from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of New Media Arts (SNMA) presented their latest pioneering creations in the recent MMA Capstone Plenary. 

 

Simone Tan crafted an illustrated story collection entitled Firecrackers, which introduced pupils to real-life Martial Law accounts through a fictional approach. It had narrations that utilized the concepts of magical mysteries, peculiar creatures and metaphors of actual tales that embodied the important lessons of friendship, courage, and human rights. It also contained original explanations of these anecdotes to guide the parents and educators to explain them to the children. Firecrackers can be accessed through its website, together with its additional flip book, downloadable PDF, audiobook and video version.

Firecrackers

Tricia Gonzales, Janica Mendoza, Kaila Rogando, and Gabrielle Villapando captured the rich flavors of Pampanga, hailed as the culinary capital of the Philippines, in a captivating 3D cooking game called Ensaymama. Through an interactive activity, it focused on the preservation of family heirloom recipes and trained kids how to prepare iconic Kapampangan dishes. Ensaymama may be imparted to foreign nationals who are interested to know more about Filipino cuisine.

Disaster Busters

To raise awareness in preparation for heavy downpours and possible floods during the rainy season, Maria Reyes, Sabrina Rodas, and Rainier Santiago produced the informative handbook of Disaster Busters: Typhoon and Flood Preparedness. It equipped readers with the essential knowledge to lessen the risks and impacts of natural calamities in the Philippines. The handbook also portrayed the themes of resilience, teamwork, and proactive measures through age-appropriate and colorful worksheets, stickers, and scannable QR codes for animations. 

Reignite a toolkit for creative burnout

Inspired to address artistic fatigue and stress among students, David Clemente, Cielo De Leon, Naida Dubongco, Arabella Florencio, and Justin Reyes designed a contemplative and therapeutic journal, Reignite: A toolkit for creative burnout.

 

The diary possessed card prompts with reflective questions that sought to spark the learners’ passions and generated insightful conversations among themselves to analyze their past, present, and future situations. It provided ways of acknowledging struggles, as well as uncovered effective coping mechanisms throughout their experience. 

Sa Akin 'To

To navigate the purpose and relevance of Intellectual Property (IP), Cedric Dela Cruz, Seatiel Marcelo, Maria Marquez, and Jamie Tuisieng created the online graphic hypernarrative Sa Akin ‘To!

 

The educational webpage featured IP use and formation in the innovational workforce. The website also had socio-cultural and ethical-based functions in a relevant and simplified manner. It wished to regenerate interest among their mentors and innovators to gain a deeper insight into the value of their work.

OPM stars shine brighter in 'YuleStars'

 BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

Sep 18, 2023 10:53 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Dubbed "Christmas musical spectacle," the series will feature Joey Generoso and Angeline Quinto on Nov. 30, with Ice Seguerra as special guest; Jose Mari Chan, Christian Bautista and Roselle Nava on Dec. 1; and Ogie Alcasid and Nina and special guest Ice Seguerra on Dec. 2. The singers have lined up a repertoire of their best-loved songs and all-time favorite Christmas carols.

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Well-loved OPM singers make the season of hope happier and brighter through "YuleStars: A Christmas Concert Series" to be held at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City on Nov. 30 (Thursday), Dec. 1 (Friday) and Dec. 2, 2023 (Saturday). All shows start at 8:30 pm. 

Dubbed "Christmas musical spectacle," the series will feature Joey Generoso and Angeline Quinto on Nov. 30, with Ice Seguerra as special guest; Jose Mari Chan, Christian Bautista and Roselle Nava on Dec. 1; and Ogie Alcasid and Nina and special guest Ice Seguerra on Dec. 2. The singers have lined up a repertoire of their best-loved songs and all-time favorite Christmas carols. 

The concert series is truly meaningful as it will also serve as a fundraising activity to generate resources for the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Inc. (PMAAAI), to fulfill its mission to help the less fortunate members of the organization, including the members' dependents in the areas of death benefits, hospitalization and educational assistance.  

Tickets can now be purchased online at the Ticketworld website (ticketworld.com.ph).