Location. Abe’s Farm is the late restaurateur Larry Cruz’s
four-room countryside resort at the foothills of Mt. Arayat in Barangay
Ayala in Magalang, Pampanga, about an hour's drive from Manila. Larry
Cruz started the LJC group of restaurants, now with 11 brands and 17
outlets nationwide, including the famous Cafe Adriatico in Malate,
catering to the bohemian and upmarket crowd.
First Impression. I didn’t know what to expect as I walked up the
narrow stone steps leading to Abe’s Farm. The main house looked small
from out front, like a hobbit’s house from The Lord of the Rings movie
set. Once inside I was surprised by the spaciousness of this split-level
“hut” made of bamboo, antique wood and adobe.
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It was also airy and full of natural light. The main house consisted of a
spacious game room/conference area, two big sleeping rooms, living,
dining and bath rooms and on the upper floor, two guest rooms.
Local arts and craft and personal collections of Larry adorned the
interiors: a wooden turtle with a woven basket for a carapace near the
entrance, multi-pointed stars made of capiz used as light fixtures
hanging from the ceiling, an old wooden box shaped like a transistor
radio from the early half of the 20th century, the photo albums of the
Aguilar-Cruz clan and an antique four-poster bed transformed into a
comfy lounge sofa in the living room. Paintings of Filipino coastal and
farm villages and Larry’s portraits hung in the hallway.
This, after all, was not just a resort but home to the late restaurateur
and his wife Merle who collaborated closely with architect Agustin Goy
in designing the farm.
Rooms. Accommodation here consists of three traditional ulogs
(sturdy Ifugao huts made of hardwood, cogon and rattan, inspired by the
tribal huts in the Northern Philippines’ Cordillera region) set in a
garden of tropical plants and bamboo trees. Wooden steps lead you to the
one-storey ulog with bamboo clad flooring and an eclectic array of
woven rugs, blankets and mats. There was a spa bed in the middle of the
room since the ulogs were designed as private spa huts, but traditional
mattresses were also available.
Inside the room, floral batik fabrics, a banig or woven straw mat and
bright orange Ifugao blanket with a deer pattern and zebra-stripe rugs
lined the walls; fine white mesh cloth was draped from the roof; and
from the ceiling hung an Ifugao warrior’s shield and two spears. Modern
trappings included lamp baskets that filled the hut with soft, yellow
light, an overhead swing fan and a Phillips digital cd player.
Underneath the ulog was an outdoor sitting area with two long hardwood
seats, a table with a sungka, a traditional Filipino seashell table
game, and two bulols or Ifugao rice gods sculpted in wood. In the
Cordillera region, rice gods traditionally guarded the ulog or tribal
family home.
On my first day at Abe’s Farm, I woke up refreshed from a rather long
afternoon nap. It was easy falling into a restful sleep since my ulog
was quite airy and located a short walk away from the main house and its
hustle and bustle. On my last day there, I woke up to the trilling of
maya-maya birds.
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The farm also has several animal residents, including the two friendly native dogs I often found sleeping under my ulog, Dagul, the tiny, playful monkey, hens and roosters clucking while roaming the property freely and goats noisily munching on grass beyond the wooden fence of the property.
One downside is the farm’s bath and toilet, located in a separate hut about 10 yards away, making the prospect of answering the call of nature in the middle of the night a not-too enticing proposition. A capiz-and-wooden door led to the bathroom made of adobe and the shower had a cement platform. The sink was a rough-cut adobe wash basin. It’s very spartan with no mirror or bath essentials so bring your own toiletries.
The rooms at the second and third floors of the main house had two to
three double beds with mattresses or the traditional banig. In keeping
with the simple Filipino country life, there’s also a mosquito net made
of fine white mesh hanging from a circular rod above the beds. More
exotic and dreamier than the second floor bedrooms, however, was the
third floor sleep area formed by a trio of four-poster queen-size beds
framed by diaphanous orange curtains. The soft yellow glow of overhead
lamps made it a sight to behold at night.
My personal choice was the bedroom at the topmost floor of the main
house, a narrow attic room that could fit only one queen size mattress,
but had big open windows allowing the steady flow of cool air.
The Activity. Try the farm’s various treatments at its Nurture
Spa. I arranged for an hour-long Aruga or Swedish massage inside my ulog
and came out of it totally refreshed. 
Massage in Abe's Farm (Photo from Abe's farm website)House specialties include Seseng
Ima (“nurturing caress of a mother” in Capampangan) massage and
Dikdiking Ima, a traditional Capampangan head, scalp and neck massage.
Other invigorating Nurture Spa treatments include Mutya Natural Facial, a
refreshing all-natural cleansing treatment packed with vitamins A and C
and the natural antioxidants in honey, almond, yogurt and cucumber;
Hilot Kagalingan, a Filipino massage said to prevent and cure common
like colds, sprains, fever and fatigue since the therapist tries to
address your physical imbalance through massage and the use of
coconut-infused herbs; and Hele Foot spa.
Another option is to go on a trek to Mt. Arayat (a guided four-hour
hike) or fly an ultralight plane at the nearby Angeles City Flying Club
(arrangements to be made with the Farm staff).
The Food. Abe’s Farm serves delicious Capampangan food. If you’re
on a diet, you can ask LJC Group specialty chef Emmanuel Manansala or
current resident chef Ernesto Francisco and head waiter Joey Duenas in
Abe’s Farm to whip up something suitable. Joey, along with the other
waiters, arranged small outdoor indulgences for me like my quiet
candle-lit dinner and early morning breakfast by the pool.
I was served intriguing dishes like adobong puso ng saging or heart of
banana stewed in palm vinegar and balo balo, also known as burong kanin,
a Capampangan delicacy of salad rice and shrimp paste served alongside
fried fish and mustasa leaves. It was, however, my plate of paco (fern)
and tomato salad in a light vinaigrette and young catfish fried crisp
with slices of green mango smothered in fermented shrimp paste which I
wiped spotlessly clean. I’d also come back anytime to Abe’s Farm for its
sugpo sa gata or prawns simmered in coconut milk and spices and pork
sinigang in sampaloc or ultra-tender pork and native vegetables stewed
in sour tamarind broth.
The Verdict. Abe’s Farm is a definite must-visit, if only for a
day trip to sample its food, and experience a place that's been lovingly
and thoughtfully planned.
Abe’s Farm, Mt. Arayat Rates & Packages
Abe's Farm is in Barangay Ayala, Magalang, Pampanga. An overnight stay
at an Ifugao hut for two persons starts at Php2,990. Abe's Farm is also
home to the E. Aguilar Cruz Museum. Visit www.abesfarm.com.ph. Email
info@abesfarm.com.ph Tel. +6345/ 865 1930 or +63917 / 808 5187
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