Punta de Fabian: Serenity on a hill

MANILA, Philippines - There is a resort in Baras, Rizal that literally brings one closer to the sky, with a panoramic view of the countryside that takes one’s breath away: Punta de Fabian.

With first-class amenities that can cater to as many as 300 guests at a time, Punta de Fabian sits on three hectares of land on Evangelista Hill, affording a bird’s eye view of both the soothing greenery of the Sierra Madre mountains and the calming blue-gray fresh waters of Laguna de Bay.

Punta de Fabian has been a choice getaway place of weekend warriors since 2005, when it was formally opened to the public by founder Teresita “Tessie” Fabian-Pamintuan for the innumerable outings, weddings, other family gatherings, and corporate team-building sessions that require a resort-like ambience that is easily accessible from the metropolis. One may call its architectural style Filipino Zen for its homey exclusivity complemented by a serene, sprawling garden setting.

Guests can stay in tastefully furnished living quarters named after the popular creative artists who hail from neighboring Rizal towns: the Martin “Ka Ante” Catolos house, Rafael Pacheco, Tam Austria or Nemi Miranda. The fifth house, inaugurated just in December 2011, is named after a known karatedo, Meliton Geronimo.

Punta de Fabian’s homage to the inspiring artistry of the province’s illustrious personages is further reflected in the resort’s other facilities: the main lecture or workshop halls are called Rizal and Carlos Botong Francisco and guests may dine in the main restaurant named after Vicente Manansala or at the al fresco deck called Pedro Piñon.

Those who want some time for contemplation and mental exercise usually find their way to the Gazebo called Juancho Senson, which, depending on the time of the day or night, is enveloped in airy, thought-provoking surroundings.

Then there’s Punta de Fabian’s quality of resort service. Here, the hospitable staff serves each and all guests’ in-package demand promptly and unobtrusively — and with a smile.

Punta de Fabian came at a time when Tessie Pamintuan was battling Stage 3 breast cancer in 1994. Before she fell ill, she was the driving force behind RJ Pamintuan Furnishing Corp. For many years, it was a thriving enterprise that supplied a number of top public and private agencies and companies with prime furniture and other interior fixtures. Tessie was also the head of three other companies engaged in road and building construction.

While she felt devastated that her illness came at a time when she was a single parent raising four very young kids, what grieved her most was having to decide to close her four companies, leaving her many loyal employees suddenly without jobs. Dazed but still undaunted by her condition, she underwent treatment for her ailment while keeping her faith, mind, and spirit intact. Wanting to be mobile, she would ask her driver to bring her around the many towns, nooks, and crannies of Rizal, Laguna, and Quezon provinces.

On one of those trips, while motoring through Rizal’s eastern towns, her curiosity was piqued by a wooded outcropping on a hill in interior Sitio Hangan in Baras, one of the province’s off-the-beaten-track routes. With the permission of the hill’s owner — a certain Sacramento — she began the steep climb. Holding on to the protruding roots of trees and tall cogon grass, she inched her way up slowly.

When at last she got to the top, she was rewarded by an amazing scene — picture-perfect lakeshore towns bathed in glorious sun and seemingly throbbing with unseen life. Immediately, she felt a sense of being at peace with her entire being. On this hilltop property, the ailing Tessie felt she was close to heaven.

From then on, she would climb up the hill many times to spend hours in solitary communion with her thoughts, affirming that it is where her spirit felt uplifted. When it became a daily habit, she would sleep over in the house of then Tanay Mayor Ka Leoning Vergel de Dios, who was more than happy to have her as a guest.

In 1995, she decided to buy the property, immediately building a vacation house made of bamboo and nipa, and calling it Villa Teresita. The resthouse eventually became her prayer room — and headquarters of her advocacy group which was into rebuilding the lives of the less fortunate.

Since then, Tessie — in collaboration with municipal officials and doctors from all over — would host medical missions every July 20, her birthday. Residents from Barangay Evangelista, Baras, Rizal, and Tanay would benefit from free medical consultations, medicine, and relief goods. Villa Teresita was transforming itself from being Tessie’s personal place of refuge and rejuvenation into a place of relaxation for others.

In 2005, Tessie changed Villa Teresita to Punta de Fabian Resort. The resort’s opening was graced by no less than former president, now Manila mayor-elect Joseph Estrada and First Lady Loi Ejercito, herself a doctor. (The story goes that after one of those medical missions wherein Dr. Loi was one of the consulting doctors, Erap, upon the request of Tessie, gladly gifted Barangay Pinugay with a paved road so the place could be accessible to everyone.)

With the name change, new facilities were constructed. Among the very first clients were the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, UP Diliman, Miriam College, San Miguel Corp., the Department of Agriculture and PLCPD (an NGO) that supported and helped the company flourish its market in the corporate world. Since then, it has hosted many great parties and events.

The indefatigable Punta de Fabian owner is also “grateful for the inspiration,” she says, to Sen. Loren Legarda for putting up a foundation for her mother Bessie and to Speaker Sonny Belmonte for taking care of his wife Betty Go-Belmonte. Bessie and Betty were breast cancer patients.

Today, as Punta de Fabian (actually one of Tessie’s advocacies in helping the poor) continues to grow. Tessie’s loving daughter Theresa Joy has taken over the helm of operations, supported by her older son Michael John. With the outpouring of blessings, Tessie feels deeply in her heart that she is a success in her own right, the result of her “vision, focus, determination, perseverance, and dedication to hard work.” Thus, she never fails to express her gratitude with a short prayer: “Lord, I accept all the trials you are giving me and the wisdom and strength to handle them. I know, with your help, I will survive.”

And to celebrate not just her birthday but also her good health, Tessie threw a party that saw her sharing good vibes with scores of well-wishers.

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Punta de Fabian is located at Manila East Road, Barangay Evangelista, Baras, Rizal. For more information, call (632) 994-9560 or (632) 994-9546, e-mail at puntadefabian@yahoo.com or visit its website at www.puntadefabian.com.