A unique farm-restaurant in Bohol's Panglao Island

CEBU, Philippines - Florencia Gundaya and her Australian fiance never miss a visit to Egay’s Farm and Restaurant whenever they are in Panglao Island, Bohol.  Their reason – it's the only resto that offers delicious fried organic rabbit meat in Panglao Island   which her fiance liked.

Rabbit meat is just one of the many delicious dishes offered by Egay's Farm.  According to Marilou Escalona, the 47 year old proprietor of  Egay's Farm in Dauis town, Panglao Island, the idea of serving fresh exotic dishes came when the animals they raised started to reproduce and they needed to sell it.

To serve food right from the farm to the table is the concept she and her husband, Egay, planned to operate. That's why the farm has its own abbatoir, and a  weighing scale to determine the price of the slaughtered animal.

At the entrance of the farm is the restaurant which serves delectable cuisine such as roasted native chicken, calderetta, papait, crispy fried and duck adobo, fried pugo, fried rabbit, grilled and fried turkey among others.

They started to raise animals and plant crops in 2006, but  it was only in 2012 when they opened the restaurant and offered menu from organically-grown crops and animals.

The phenomenal growth of the business had its solid foundation on client satisfaction. The farm is located in one of the world-renowned white sand beach resorts in Panglao Island frequented by foreigners.  Her farm-restaurant is on the top list of good eating places in the area.

Marilou, who has Ilocano descent, was born from parents who are agriculturists themselves and so the penchant to raise animals and grow crops is in her veins. Though a nurse by profession, she chooses to manage the business as she finds fulfillment in it.

Technical Assistance

Johnny Samson,  Bohol Provincial Artificial Insemination  Coordinator who is assisting Marilou,  said that behind the success of the farm-business is the  technology he shared to the four farm caretakers which he learned from the Department of Agriculture.  

Samson said recycling farm wastes is one of the best practices in the farm. Six beds of vermiworms  is capable of meeting the fertilizer needs of his around 500 sq m organic papaya, kangkong, melon and squash. The vermicast brought excellent result on the crops.

The health of the animals is attributed mainly to the organic feeds composed of a mixture of forages which Samson himself  created. To boost the immune system of chickens, he mixes it with indigenous fermented fruit juices.

Another technology Samson used in the farm is the unique  design of the  brooder house, where the chicks have access to the hen anytime but during feeding time, the chicks  are separated from the hen through a small opening. Samson said  the hen stays  for only three weeks in the brooder house without using electricity but the survival rate of the  chicks is 90-100%.  

Marilou said Egay's  Farm had its down moment and had she stopped during the lowest period, she wouldn't have enjoyed what it is now. The farm is located in a rocky area with acidic soil.  She recalled the tedious task of excavating the rocks  so they could have space to plant. They also had to fertilize organically the soil to make it productive. 

In 2006, she started with only three heads of native goats and four Anglo-Nubians. After three years she was even more motivated to push through with the project as the goat population reached 50 heads. Time was against her  in 2008, when she was left with only two goats when a virus wiped out all her stocks. 

The will to carry on pushed her to invest once again in  hi-breed goats, poultry, turkey, native chicken, duck, horse, cow, rabbit and carabao production which makes up the current inventory in her farm.

Today, the farm-restaurant is one of the favorites among foreigners. From a weekly earnings of Php3T to PhP15T in 2012, it is now making around Php50T this year. Marilou attributes this increase to a rising demand for organic food with more health buffs willing to spend money on good food. Proof of the buoyancy of the business is that Egay's farm has an increasing income despite the established organic farm in the same municipality.  With major improvements to be done next year,  Egay's farm-restaurant might just be the one place to dine in Dauis, Bohol. (FREEMAN)