Paraiso Village Farm

Paraiso Village Farm in Barangay Sabang, San Jose, Batangas is the 2019 awardee for Social Tourism of the Rotary Club of Manila.

What is Social Tourism? Social Tourism is now becoming a buzz word to millennials. It is also an attractive proposition to midlifers and retirees who will live longer and happier if they find something meaningful to so with their lives to help create a better world. It is about pleasure and profit with a purpose. It is proof of concept that doing good to people and the environment is pleasurable, profitable and sustainable. It is a piece of heaven on earth where rich and poor are equal in worth and dignity, where there is no bias or exclusion due to race, religion and gender. The goal is to end poverty in the community by creating shared prosperity. It is a social business model where workers are shareholders and stakeholders, not simply employees, farmers and laborers

As the founder of Gawad Kalinga, I clearly defined the concept in 2010 when I built the Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan as a platform for Social Tourism. The principle is simple. See the rising poor in the rural areas as potentially the new middle class and the Philippines as the perfect setting for this social experiment with its vast undeveloped fertile land and its talented but unmotivated human capital in the countryside.

After retiring as Chairman of Gawad Kalinga in 2018, I pursued the dream for Social Tourism by building the first Paraiso Village Farm in San Jose, Batangas with retired friends from their corporate careers who discovered a new passion to add quality to their remaining years by improving the quality of life of those who have been left behind. Doing good has no retirement, age limit or expiration date.

What is special about Paraiso Village Farm as a model for Social Tourism?

It is about FARM tourism. It is designed to attract city folks to the joy of farming, breathe unpolluted air and introduce them to the beauty of nature and farm animals that they do not see in the busy city.

It is about FAMILY tourism. It is built and operated by families in the community. The men build the infrastructure- restaurant, hotel, chapel, farm facilities; the mothers manage the restaurant and B&B villas; and the teenage children help in vegetable gardening, landscaping and cleanup. They help entertain families of guests, especially their children, and introduce them to the joy of farming. It is can be a lifechanging and gratifying experience for families in the city to experience the simple joy of country living in the company of less fortunate families striving to live a more dignified life making the land productive through honest hard work.

It is about FAITH tourism. It promotes interfaith solidarity and is an ideal place for retreats and other spiritual activities that shows faith in action. The Chapel and Bamboo Sanctuary are serene areas for prayer and meditation.

It is about FOOD tourism. The farm promotes healthy food and healthy lifestyle with the abundance of organic vegetables, herbs and fruits. It has 3,000 fruitbearing trees like langka, durian, mangosteen, marang, lychee, lanzones, rambutan, avocado and bananas. It will have monthly food festivals featuring heirloom Filipino dishes and outstanding cooks from the grassroots.

It is about FUN tourism. Guests and village residents will have fun together, grateful to God that this piece of heaven brings out the best in everyone.