Today it seems that more people are interested in spending more time in nature, whether it’s living and working in green spaces or relaxing in a nourishing environment. Climate change and the pandemic are making people more careful about their choices, including their vacation- and travel-related decisions. Although it definitely needs more push, there is growing awareness towards sustainable tourism.
Dr. Marissa Cos Alcantara started LuzyFarm Tours as an organization that highlights simple and sustainable attractions that are easily accessible from Metro Manila. She reveals the inspiration for the farm’s name, “It’s from my granddaughter’s name, Luz, the Spanish word for light.” From the beginning, it was all about establishing a humble tour agency that can serve as “a guiding light for weary individuals seeking respite during these difficult times.”
Two destinations
LuzyFarm Tours promotes two lesser-known attractions that both practice sustainable tourism: the Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia (ICLA) – Hermitage and Organic Gardens (HOGAR), an eco-spirituality and organic agriculture center primarily for the religious; and The Apiary Mountain Camp & Farm, a family-run farm and recreation site.
Visitors can buy produce directly from the ICLA-HOGAR farm, with the option of picking these themselves and having in-house cooks create hearty home-cooked dishes. Visitors may also purchase produce directly from The Apiary’s farm, whose highlight is its honeybee colony. Pure honey is available for sale when the supply is adequate. All profits from the sale of produce at both farms go straight to the hardworking farmers who toil the land.
ICLA-HOGAR’s main attraction is its lush prayer garden where visitors can relax, walk, enjoy nature, admire the mountains, and take a deep breath of fresh air. At The Apiary, simple huts offer a venue for families and friends to connect with each other in a natural setting.
Simple, natural, sustainable
ICLA-HOGAR and The Apiary are both located in Sitio Maysawa, Barangay Cuyambay, Tanay, Rizal and are accessible to private and public transportation. LuzyFarm Tours is committed to promoting simple, natural, and sustainable tourism for the good of the planet, and also as a means to support the livelihood of the people working in these places.
“Visitors are sure to be awed by their organic farming practices,” Dr. Alcantara shares. “And unlike their neighboring resorts, which focus on extravagance and opulence, ICLA-HOGAR and The Apiary enable their visitors to reconnect with nature and recharge, with an emphasis on meeting the most basic needs.”
LuzyFarm Tours can customize events for families and groups, as well as corporate functions and activities — all within the rules set by local government units on gatherings. For more details and bookings, please check out LuzyFarm Tours’ Facebook page: facebook.com/LuzyFarm2021