WOMAN INNOVATOR. Marivic Bawalan-Aguirre shows her best-selling special buko halo-halo with fresh locally produced ingredients. This woman innovator is set to represent Apayao province in the upcoming Department of Science and Technology National Innovation Challenge in Metro Manila from June 23 to 24, 2023. (PNA photo by Leilanie Adriano)
LAOAG CITY – When Marivic Bawalan-Aguirre started planting coconuts and other fruit-bearing trees in their idle lot about 13 years ago, little did she know that one day, she would be transforming a once sleepy rural village into a quaint agro and ecotourism destination perfect for nature lovers and foodies across the globe.
Now 48 and married with two children, Aguirre is the owner of Agguimangan Agro Ecotourism Farm sprawling on a 10-hectare hilly farmland of coconut trees and other high-value crops, such as bananas, pineapple, cacao, langka, and rambutan.
Located in the rural village of Swan, just a few minutes’ drive from Pudtol town proper, the farm is accessible to all types of vehicles and is near several ecotourism spots and historical landmarks.
As one of the top innovative women entrepreneurs in the Cordillera region, Aguirre, along with four others from Benguet, Kalinga, and Mountain Province, will represent the region in the Department of Science and Technology's National Innovation Challenge in Metro Manila from June 23 to 24.
The competition aims to bring out the most innovative project of women entrepreneurs, with a grand prize of PHP100,000 and a chance to receive a grant of PHP5 million in support of women helping fellow women through an innovative social enterprise.
Early on, Aguirre – a pharmacist by profession but considers herself a "jack of all trades" – has always dreamed of running her own farm.
So aside from putting up a pharmacy business, she decided to start her ecotourism business, making sure to be hands-on at the farm’s kitchen even if she has on-call assistants.
“At Agguimangan, we want our guests to relax and enjoy the natural foods that we serve,” she told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) during a visit to her farm over the weekend.
Offered at Agguimangan (an Isnag word for "resting place”) are unique Apayao culinary "treats, such as pinalatan (spicy pork intestine with fresh pomelo leaves), sinapan (smoked meat), binanayan (a dish made of the young shoot of banay, which belongs to the ginger plant family), abraw (a combination of grated coconut flesh with crablets and hot chili), and sinursuran (a combination of any kind of fish with coconut milk and young banana stalk).
For a fee of PHP350 per head, visitors can enjoy a lunch buffet of Isnag cuisine served farm-to-table style. Locally-grown pineapples, bananas, rambutan, and avocado are also available for dessert.
This emerging agro and ecotourism farm in Apayao is also famous for its PHP100 buko halo-halo with locally sourced natural ingredients, and comes with fresh buko juice upon request.
In partnership with travel agencies, Agguimangan can also take in guests for farm tours while promoting Apayao’s various ecotourism destinations, among them the Lussok Caves in Luna, Hutungan Hidden Paradise, and Mataguisi Church ruins in Pudtol.
With the help of the local government of Pudtol and various national government line agencies, the farm is also expanding its services as a learning site for young farmers, including out-of-school youth and home-grown entrepreneurs.
Soon, guests may opt to stay longer with more rooms being constructed for public and private gatherings.
While showing the farm’s view deck overlooking the Apayao River and a coconut plantation that the family planted out of gifts from their children’s ninongs and ninangs, Marivic beamed as she looked forward to welcoming more visitors at the farm.
It was truly her dream come true after more than a decade of hard work, persistence, and passion to achieve more. (PNA)
