Making Each Day Count

I have always been keen on spending a weekend in a farm, so when I found the opportunity for a farmstay through Numana Farm in Facebook, I reached out to them right away. The farm is in Angat, Bulacan – close to where I grew up when I was a kid. It’s the Angat Dam and about an half an hour away (with traffic) from La Mesa Dam – so it’s pretty much located in a place filled with trees. Coordination with the owners of the farm was smooth and fast, and they even helped me reach out to the manager of the Hound Haven Philippines, a non-government organization whose advocacy is caring for and looking for forever homes for retired K9 dogs from the Philippine Army. Hound Haven is located in the same compound as Numana Farm.

After a bit of an impromptu adventure (in other words, we got lost), we finally found the farm. I got all excited as soon as I saw the kubo we were going to stay at for the weekend. Kubo is the traditional Filipino hut mostly made of bamboo and cogon, a tall tropical grass which is dried to create the kubo’s roof. You see, when I was young, my dad had a kubo built next to our house, and I have a lot of good fun momories of playing with my siblings and friends in our kubo.

Here’s our room in the kubo – check out the kulambo, the net enclosing the bed. The kulambo used to be widely used especially in the province, as it protects people in the bed from mosquitos and bugs. I remember when I was a child, I felt suffocated sleeping in the kulambo when we visited relatives in the province. Now I find it dream-like to sleep in a kulambo, as if I am in a princess’ bed.

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And here’s the view from the kubo’s balcony, overlooking the farm. In the farm there are various animals like hens and chicks walking around, rabbits, turtles and fish in the koi.

What I like most about Numana is the relaxing vibe, being close to nature, and the childhood memories it brought me. I was able to use one of their bicycles which I drove to get to the nearby Three Lucky Mountains Dragonfruit Farm. I also enjoyed the swing and the duyan. I remember back in my hometown, my lola had a playground built for me and my cousins, and everyday we would ride the swing.

At night, I heard the sound of geckos and crickets. In the morning, I woke up to not just the sound of chirping, but literally a symphony of birds. My attention was also caught by the hoard of butterflies flying from one flower to another of a tree – it was mesmerizing!

And that, my dear friends, is a recap of a restful, laidback weekend at Numana Farm. It’s truly a hidden gem, a breath of fresh air, a couple of hours away from Makati City. I’d do this again in a heartbeat.

Numana Farm is located at Pulang Yatok, 3012 Angat Bulacan. To book a stay with Numana, you can send them a message in Facebook, or you can find them in AirBnB to book a casita or a kubo room.