Cervantes Farm advocates Square Foot and Vertical Gardening method

For someone who’s spent half her life working at a hospital and seeing just about every kind of disease and its horrible effects on the human body, I consider myself quite conscious about my health.

Especially since my state of health hasn’t been optimal for the past few months, I’ve been very particular about the food I eat. I avoid eating pork, worry about serving sizes, and eat as much green veggies and fruits as I can. I’ve also been reading the labels of the products I buy, staying away from those snacks with heavy doses of MSG and going for those with the ORGANIC tag.

Going Organic has been the trend for the past few years, and though it doesn’t come cheap, I felt it was worth spending the extra pesos.

But I have to admit my knowledge of organic has been quite limited, all I know is that organic food is fresher, free from GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms, and pesticide-free.

So when I got the invitation to join a group of bloggers on an “OA” (Organic Agriculture) adventure down south, I quickly cleared my schedule and said YES! After all, I’ve always wondered where those bok choys, romaine lettuce, and all those ingredients from those “fresh” salad bars actually came from.

Under the auspices of the Agriculture Training Institute, our 4D3N CDO-Bukidnon adventure would take us to five “farmventures” and even through forests to learn about new agricultural practices. It was my first OA trip, but as it turns out they have done it four times already in the past couple of years.

To say I was excited would be an understatement and even my body clock would betray me. I set the alarm for 4 am but I was already up at 3 eager to get to the airport way ahead of our scheduled 9 am flight. The flight took about an hour and a half and as soon as I saw those lush green mountains I was eager to get off the plane to start our adventures.

It was going to be my first time to visit a farm—a real organic one.  When you say organic farm, the produce relies on fertilizers of organic origin such as compost, manure, green manure, and bone meal and places emphasis on techniques such as crop rotation, companion planting, and water conservation. From this organic farm comes organic produce such as vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meat. It is designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution.

Our first stop for the day was the Cervantes Farm. It was a two-hour drive from Laguindingan Airport, Misamis Oriental.

Ret.Col Honorio Cervantes

Now whenever I heard the word farm, I would immediately think of large acres of land that would stretch as far as my eyes would see. So when we were told by our ATI official Ms. Niet Jarceo that the Cervantes farm espoused square foot gardening, it was as if someone popped my thought bubbles and replaced it with images of my sad little virtual farm when I used to play Farmville.

What can you plant with a squarefoot when I could barely plant my feet inside that small space.
We were greeted by Retired Colonel Honorio Cervantes who owned the Cervantes Farm located in Brgy. Pagatpat, Cagayan de Oro. His farm was recognized by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) Learning Site for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and is open to farmers, students and the public.

He said he advocates square foot gardening and wants to teach everyone how they could start planting with just a small space. He said square foot gardening is the most practical, foolproof way to grow a home garden and even make a living out of this. You can start planting your own pechay, basil, tomato, melon, kangkong and or eggplant.  Mr. Cervantes told us that anyone with a backyard and some sun can grow an abundance of food for their family, regardless of where they live so no one will go hungry.

To start your own square foot farm, you just need to start by building a raise bed frame. This bed would measure 4 x 4 and at 6 inches deep or any size you want, just make sure you don’t make your bed too wide.  Then, you just need to make it into a 3x3 (3 squares by 3 squares) grid, 2x2, 4x4 or more if you want more produce.  Place a weed barrier such as cloth in the bottom before you fill in with the soil mix. Measure out the squares, and fill the bed with soil.

Growing in square foot gardening style saves 20% more space than growing plants in rows, he told us.

This police turned organic farmer practitioner advocates urban gardening and has proven that we can really grow our own food no matter how little land we have. His farm which only measures 300sqm has been utilized perfectly that they are able to grow a lot of vegetables using his square foot and vertical gardening methods.

Mr. Cervantes said he learned about the method through a book by Mel Bartholomew, a retired businessman and engineer from Utah, USA.

According to the Wikipedia entry: “Bartholomew used a 12’ x 12’ square with a grid that divided it into 9 squares with equal lengths of 4 feet on each side. Each of these 4’ by 4’ squares was then invisibly divided into sixteen one foot squares that were each planted with a different species. In smaller square gardens the grids may simply serve as a way to divide the garden but in larger gardens the grids can be made wide enough to be used as narrow walkways. 

After his lecture we got the chance to try out and harvest “kangkong”. Unlike the usual kangkong, his vegetables are grown on plots of land, not on water. Following his square foot gardening method, his kangkong and the other vegetables are planted systematically every few days so there will always be a new batch ready for harvesting.

He also shared the secret of his soil—the Cervantes mix, which is made up of composted cow manure, chicken dung, bamboo charcoal, and other natural ingredients.

Before we checked out on Sir Cervantes backyard farm. We had our sumptuous lunch “boodle fight style” first at his simple nipa house. The table was set where a big pile of food are served on top of banana leaves loaded with steamed rice, topped with fish, pork, vegetables, mangoes, bananas and vinegar/ soy sauce dips, he proudly told us that our lunch are crops from his backyard farm. They tasted delicious, healthy and fresh.

We were served mangoes, bananas,  and fresh buco juice with milk for dessert.

His parting advice to us: "Go organic. You can provide food for your family without the harmful chemicals.” 

It was a very “fulfilling” first stop both for our minds and our  tummies and I couldn’t wait for the next stop. 

Contact Cervantes Farm at 0927-4699994 to schedule a learning visit / farm tour.

Celebrate #WellnessFestival at Robinsons Magnolia

Its that time of the year again when Robinsons Supermarket celebrates its "Route to Wellness" with the Wellness Festival and Freshtival Launch. Now on its 3rd leg, Robinsons Supermarket treated the media and public to an afternoon of fun and excitement as we tried and get our cards stamped with all the wellness activities at each participating booths. We went home with products from  Robinsons Supermarket and a bowl of salad and fruits from the biggest walk-in salad bowl.  The event was held at Robinsons Magnolia QC with Coaches Jim and Toni Saret kickstarts the afternoon with a mix of  zumba, stretching, and muay thai boxing.

The Wellness Festival was recently launched with a larger-than-life FRESH salad bowl and lots of fun and engaging booths on healthier choice and practices. You may still catch up with the festival as it is open until tomorrow June 26!

Continuing the path to a healthy lifestyle becomes even more rewarding at Robinsons Supermarket (RSC) this July. From the Explore and Learn legs, the year-long “Route to Wellness’ journey reaches an eventful checkpoint with its 3rd leg –the Wellness Festival.

For this promo, shoppers can get an exclusive Healthy You Rolled Oats bundle for every P3,000 single receipt purchase inclusive of P750 worth of participating products from Nestle and Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, Wyeth, Fontera, Nivea, Delfi, Del Monte, Federated, Unilever, Unilab and P&G, among others. All these brands share RSC’s mission to bring health and wellness options to all Filipinos. Promo is from July 1 -31, 2016.

Healthy You is Robinsons Supermarket’s exclusive healthy brand. The product line ranges from nuts, juices, oats, brown rice, coffee and many more. All of these products have been evaluated healthy by DOST-Food Nutrition and Research Institute (DOST-FNRI). Loyal customers will also get an additional 15 Robinsons Rewards Card points for purchase of P500.00 worth of Healthy You products for the whole month of July.

“A truly healthy and fulfilling lifestyle takes genuine commitment and follows a process that requires the will to say ‘yes’ to what it takes to achieve it. And Robinsons Supermarket’s role is to keep everyone on the right track by offering an accessible and fun route to their desired lifestyle,” said RSC General Manager Jody Gadia.

There’s also more reason to celebrate in July as RSC also holds its annual festivity highlighting the Fresh department called “Freshtival.”  The festivity features daily exciting offers of fresh items – from discounts and additional Robinsons Rewards points, to amazing freebies. This compliments the ongoing wellness program as it encourages shoppers to choose more fresh items for a healthier lifestyle.

Join RSC in celebrating wellness by checking out its special promo this whole of July and be on the lookout for the exciting activities and amazing deals.

RSC’s Route to Wellness campaign is a testament to its commitment to ease access to healthier food options and alternatives for Filipinos. Find out more about RSC’s year-long Route to Wellness series of promos and activities. Like it on Facebook www.facebook.com/RobinsonsSupermarketOfficial or visit its official website at www.robinsons-supermarket.com.ph to stay updated on the activities that it has in store, and learn more about the #ILoveWellness campaign.

Readers Digest Trusted Brands 2016:Honor the Products that Filipinos trust most

What is the mark of a good business?

Is it the consistent increase in sales; the continued accumulation of assets or a financial statement that will keep investors smiling?

Five or ten years ago, these figures may be enough, but in the current business landscape, there is one other factor that has become critical in building a strong foundation-- Trust.

TRUST has become a “high-value” currency that is accepted globally outweighing the value of any monetary conversion. Gone are the days when people just look at the lavish office buildings when choosing their banks, on shiny new equipment of service centers or rely on commercials and celebrity endorsers when deciding which brand to purchase.

Today, trust plays a crucial element when consumers make a decision--and with the widespread ubiquity of the internet and social media, the importance of establishing a good reputation has only become more pronounced.

Companies can recover from decreasing profits or a downtrend in sales, but when its consumers lose confidence it can result in irreparable damage regardless of how old a brand is.

Trust is that one factor that remains constant. Once trust is established, it becomes an instinctive response – the consumer buys the brand without so much as a second thought because they can relate to it as "their" brand.

Trust is the ultimate vote of confidence. For businesses it is a forward-facing measure imbued with expectation, promise and satisfaction and a solid reputation of distinction.

For consumers, the mark of a Trusted Brand fosters loyalty and a relationship that goes far beyond price, trends and marketing campaigns.

MOST TRUSTED SURVEY

Now on its 18th year, Reader’s Digest, one of the longest running print publications in the world, will again honor the products and services that Filipinos trust most. The Trusted Brands 2016 Awards ceremony will be held on June 30, 2016 at the ballroom A of the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas, Pasig.

Renowned motivational speaker and business influencer, Ms. Anna Esperanza will be the keynote speaker while Reader’s Digest Asia Pacific Mr. Walter Beyleveldt, Managing Director of Readers Digest Asia Pacific and Ms. Sheron White, Group Advertising & Retail Sales Director, Asia Pacific will be personally awarding the trophies to the winners.

Reader's Digest has approached ordinary Filipino consumers to ask their opinions on what brands of products and services are important to them.

For the 2016 Trusted Brand Survey, Readers Digest has commissioned global market research company CATALYST to survey a representative sample of people in the Philippines about the companies they truly believe. The survey covers 44categories of products and services across a wide range of industries.

Approximately 8,000 individuals were selected across 5 of Asia’s key markets such as the Philippines, HongKong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Around 1000 respondents were surveyed in the Philippines.  Half were subscribers to Reader's Digest, while the remainder were selected to reflect the demographics of the general population.

Each respondent was required to complete a questionnaire or participate in a mail, face to face, telephone or online survey.  Queried participants are to mention the name of their most trusted brands and then rate each of brands listed based the following six attributes: Trustworthiness, Credibility, Quality, Value, Understanding of Customer Needs, Innovation and Social Responsibility.  This year the awards will be presented in each of the 44categories.

GOLD Trusted Brands Awards – will be given to brands that scored significantly higher than their rivals.
PLATINUM Trusted Brands Awards – will be given to brands that performed exceptionally, winning their category with a score that vastly outpolled their nearest competitor.

ASIA TRUSTED Brand Awards will be given to a brand that wins the Reader's Digest Trusted Brand award in the same category for at least three countries surveyed.

Special awards will also be given out to the Most Trusted TV News Presenter; Radio Presenter; Entertainment Presenter as well as Marketing Excellence Awards.

Recipients of the Trusted Brand awards will receive given a Trophy and will be allowed to use the globally recognized Trusted Brand Logo in their marketing collaterals and merchandising materi

The Brewery celebrates 1st year anniversary with new beers and dishes

                                                                                                                                                                           

If you are a beer enthusiast like me then its about time you visit The Brewery. The Brewery recently celebrates its first year anniversary with new dishes and two artisanal beers last June 22,  The Brewery’s beer menu has expanded doze adding variety and excitement to one’s beer connoisseurs.

“We wanted to showcase the artistry of the beer brewing process and simultaneously be a major force in changing the local dining landscape. It's a different kind of gastro pub experience,” says  Raj Sadhwani, CEO of  The Brewery.

Its been a year after I set foot to The Brewery.   I have learned then, that the darker your beer is, the better digestion  you'll get as it contains one gram of soluble fiber, That is why, Im loving my Stout beer from The Brewery. It has the strongest flavor of roasted malt or roasted barley, hops, water and yeast. The latest addition to their beer is the Moscow Beer or Moscow Mule. This cocktail drink has ginger,  vodka and calamansi. The best thing is it has the right sweetness that compliments each other.

The other beer flavors using local ingredients  (like tamarind and ginger) and  others to spice up different seasons of the year.  The list includes honey ale, ginger, Marzen (traditional Oktoberfest beer), Smokey Oakey, Santa's Little Helper (Christmas Bock), Sampaloka, Jasmine Citra Lager,  Brewmaster's  Gold, Uptown Ale and Fighting Irish.

The Brewery has been producing beers of different flavors much to the delight of the local market.  This hip and happening place also prides itself in its unique dining experience that beer consummates would readily welcome.  The microbrewery is a permanent fixture housed on mezzanine floor, and shares a two-level space with a stage for performing bands, a fully-stocked bar and a dining area.   Both floors has a mix of homey and industrial feel to it with images of microbrewery scale models on the walls and the actual microbrewery where beers are legendarily brewed.

Moscow Beer

The Brewery proud itself of its new menu dishes. The Brewery's Chef Carlo Miguel whipped up new dishes at The Brewery's first year anniversary. The menu was conceptualized by Chef Carlo Miguel who periodically updates it with new dishes some of which are flavored and infused with beer.

Soft Tacos

The tacos is stuffed with US Angus Hanging tender, kimchi aioli, pickled vegetables, pork sisig and garlic aioli, with shrimp and mango salsa, avocado puree on home-made mini soft flavor tortillas. This is good to pair with my Moscow beer. I love the flavor it creates.

Chorizo Burger Sliders

Chorizo sliders in home-made slider buns, romesco and caramelized onions with sherry. The best pulutan for your beer. Try it with their artisanal beers.

Not Your Ordinary Barbecue

US Angus beef, Pork Belly and Chicken, I love how the sweet, slightly spicy sauce compliments the 3 meats. Its deliciously good and one stick is not enough.

Beer Cheese Pizza

Home-made pilsner beer and spent grain pizza dough. With beer cheese sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, gruyere and caramelized onions.

Beef Rendang

This is Chef Carlo Miguel's wife signature dish, with Indonesian beef stew, fragrant rice, and crispy shallots.

Modern Sisilog

Brewery's signature sisig over garlic fried rice, 62 degree egg, finished with calamansi foam

Clam and mussell spaghetti

Spaghetti tossed in garlic, clam and mussels in wheat beer butter sauce. I finished the spaghetti first, it has the ramen feel and flavor to it. My second favorite dish.

Beef Pot Roast

                                   US Angus beef pot roast with cauliflower cheese.

Indonesian Fried Duck

Indonesian-style fried US Duck Leg, served with sambal sauce and steamed fragrant rice


In celebration of its 1st year, two new flavors were introduced - Epic IPA and  Chokolate Boom.   Described as a double IPA that’s out of this world, this beer is brewed with more malt and three kinds of hops (Cascade, Chinook and Williamette) giving this Indian Pale Ale a strong bitter character with citrus and floral hints. Its red copper color makes it a highlight for the eyes as well. The Chokolate Boom, on the other hand, is a bottom fermented craft lager beer brewed with the finest chocolate malt giving the beer hints of chocolate taste and color.  It’s very smooth and a little bit smoky with a slight spicy finish from local labuyo red chilies.


Raj collaborates with Oliver Ellrotte, The Brewery’s resident beer maestro/brew master in concocting unique beer flavors. Born in Germany, Ellrotte has had extensive experience mastering the art and science of brewing beer in Germany, Thailand, Cambodia, India, China and in Eichof, Switzerland’s biggest brewery.



The latest additions include Crispy Pata -Crispy Pata with pickled vegetables, thai style, classic pinoy and apple onion gravy dipping sauces;

Pork Ramen - egg noodles in a flavorful 36 hour pork dashi broth, pork knuckles, pork belly, 62 degree eggs, togarashi, bonito flakes and leeks;

 Bleu Cheeseburger - house ground 1/2 lb US Angus beef short plate and chuck, bleu cheese, grilled onions and mesclun in a brioche bun; Salpicao Sous Vide - US Angus beef chuck with garlic, butter, chives and  pork crackling served with steak cut fries; Tuna Belly - tuna belly marinated in garlic, salt and pepper grilled to perfection with  a ginger-radish dipping sauce;

Chori Burger - pork chorizo pattie, fried egg, manchego cheese, and caramelized onions finished with sherry;

Potato Leek Soup - light  and velvety potato;

Indonesian Fried Duck – Indonesian-style fried US Duck Leg, served with sambal sauce and steamed fragrant rice;

Sticky Date and Banana Pudding served with ale butter beer sauce and home made vanilla seed ice cream

Banana Split – with choice of three ice cream scoops from  home-made ice cream selection served n caramelized bananas, walnuts, whipped cream and home-made spent grain cookie crumble, drizzled with ale butter beer sauce.


Guests can look forward to sipping their beers and enjoying their carefully thought-out menu while listening to a mix of their favorite well known groups playing a whole stream musical genre, ranging from jazz, soul rock and reggae.

Thanks to Rico Blanco, who happens to be one of the men behind The Brewery, making  sure live entertainment hits the spot and is always exciting.

Freshly brewed, beer, great food, live entertainment plus a sprawling two-storey restaurant – these are reason enough for guests to hold their private and corporate functions at The Brewery.

For functions with 300 guests and less, the second floor is advised while the whole restaurant is available for bookings of up to 300 pax.  A VIP room is also open for reservations for intimate gatherings of 25 persons and less.

The Brewery offers amenities that will make your party-planning a breeze.  These include projector and white screen, a stage with band equipment; complete sound system and a private bar.

“We are very pleased with the market’s reception of The Brewery and we look forward to more years of brewing beer using unique ingredients. While commercially- brewed beer will always be a mainstream product, there will always be room for beverages that offer new experiences and new choices. The important thing is that everything is of premium quality,” Sadhwani explains.  This is what the beer-loving set can expect at The Brewery with their every visit.  

The Brewery is run by the same owners and operators of The Distillery Group, a company whose reputation is built on its serious appreciation for beer and food. It is  located The Palace 10th avenue cor 38th in Uptown Fort, Bonifacio Global City and is open Mondays to Sundays, 11am until 2am for dine in, take out and events reservation. It is open for corporate, social and private functions. Contact their reservations hotline at 0917.813.9429 and Events hotline at 0917.638.3339)

Essilor launches interactive new website

Blurred vision. Poor night vision. Eyes that feel tired almost all of the time. Frequent eye exposure to the sun.  Poor vision for your school-age kid. What are the causes of these vision problems and how do you protect your eyes from them? More importantly, what solutions are available to help you address these problems?

To help and guide consumers in understanding and finding the best solutions for their eye problems, Essilor, the world leader in corrective ophthalmic lenses, has launched a newly designed website at www.essilor.com.ph.  The website is more than just an educational portal on vision and eye care, it also offers a comprehensive guide to help consumers find the best and most suitable solutions for their vision problems.

The website makes it very easy for consumers to choose the lenses they need. Click on the “Products” section to see the entire brand portfolio under Essilor: Crizal for clearest vision; Crizal Transitions for optimum vision solutions both indoors and out;  and Varilux as the #1 progressive lenses for smooth transition from distance through intermediate and near visions.  Then there’s Crizal Eyezen for connected people who frequently use digital devices;  Xperio for polarized sunwear for best protection and comfort outdoors; Optifog for long lasting fog-free vision; and Myopilux for the most effective myopia control lens available.

Within the section, consumers can easily choose from lenses which have been carefully classified according to Age, Need, and Activity.   For instance, if you click on Age, you can choose from lenses for kids, young adults, adults and senior adults.  If you’re looking for lenses based on Needs, you can choose from UV protection, blue light protection, reduce glare, fog resistance, distance vision and even eye strain prevention, among other issues. Or if you require lenses based on Activity, you simply click on any of the following: reading, driving, computer use, and playing sports. Simply click on the relevant item and the website will recommend lenses based on your requirement.

Easy-to-understand information on vision is discussed on the “Learn about Vision” landing page. “All About Your Eyes” gives facts and trivia about the eyes, eyesight and vision problems, while “Age And Your Vision” discusses eyesight conditions and problems through the different life stages. The “All About Lenses” subsection shares the types and functions of lenses and gives details on caring for these lenses and the possible conditions that may occur upon using them.

Imparting the significance of proper eye care is also a top priority.  The “Eye Care” subsection goes through each symptom, condition, sickness, cause and preventive measure for vision problems comprehensively, and even has a page devoted to the latest news in eye care and vision research. Finally, “Visiting Your Eye Doctor” explains the critical role of eye care professionals in vision care. This is helpful for site users who are planning to have their first-ever optical check-up and trying to find the best vision solutions for eye problems.

The new website also now includes a dedicated locator, powered by Google, for visitors to easily find the licensed vision care clinic or optical shop nearest them. Each page in the website also has contact functions to allow customers to reach out to the wide network of eye care professionals accredited by Essilor Philippines.

Visit the new website now and learn more about what Essilor can do for you at www.essilor.com.ph. You can also visit the Essilor Philippines Facebook page at www.facebook.com/essilorph.