Surfing for a hideaway somewhere in South Cotabato, I chanced
upon this fascinating destination in Koronadal City. The name sounded creepy at
first, calling to mind the slew of horror movies I’ve seen in the past,
particularly “The Cabin in the Woods”. LOL!
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| The road to Koronadal |
All my hesitations vanished into thin air the moment I
stepped into its placid and picturesque grounds. For this gadabout, it’s the
perfect hideaway he’s been looking forward to run away to for a “calm before
the storm” weekend.
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| Mt. Matutum as seen in Tupi, South Cotabato |
In a Zen kind of place in Mindanao where peace reigns supreme, I
managed to escape even for a day the sores and stresses of the rat race. There,
I indulged in a pastime that has always been my favorite stress-buster:
photography.
I'm no endorser but
if I were one, I'd gladly recommend this resort to out-of-towners. If you’re
one of those yearning for peace and quiet in some secluded corner of
SOCCSKSARGEN, then this is one of those eco-friendly places worth visiting—The
Farm @ Carpenter Hill.
A sprawling 12-hectare private estate located in the
outskirts of the city, this one’s not your ordinary farm but a hotel complex
comprising of rooms and villas, a bonsai garden, pavilions, a restobar-café, a
convention hall, a butterfly sanctuary and an aviary.
The hotel staff billeted me at a spacious den in the
Japanese Courtyard. All the rooms there face an indoor Zen-inspired garden and
pond teeming with brightly-colored koi. Mind you, gazing at that scintillating
koi pond for a few minutes had a calming effect on me.
The resort-hotel also has well-appointed
Oriental-inspired cottages whose minimalist design ooze with Zen-like appeal.
Those looking for a bit more of privacy may opt to stay in one of the villas
which have their own individual gates, terrace and gardens.
When darkness creeps in, there’s not much to do at the
resort-hotel, except to curl up in bed with a bestseller, watch cable TV in
your room, sip a beer or two at the hotel lounge, or take a leisurely stroll
around the vast hotel complex.
Night owls staying there can also hang out at the Aviary,
the resort’s bar and café. The food isn’t exactly gourmet but good enough.
House specialties include popular Pinoy cuisine served with a local twist as
well as Asian and continental dishes.
Food and service were generally good at the Aviary where I had
dinner. The staff, however, need to brush up a little on their hospitality.
Meanwhile, the buffet breakfast was free and ample but the choices they served
weren’t quickly refilled and kept warm.
By midnight, all is still at The Farm. Except for a few
lights, the whole complex is engulfed in darkness. No worries though. Private
security guards roam its vastness, making you feel safe and secure throughout
your stay there.
All through the night, you’ll be lulled into dreamland by
the tweedle of crickets. In the morning, you’ll be awakened by the chirping of
birds (and in my case the rush of water from the koi pond just outside my
room).
Serenity in seclusion—this, I guess, is the selling point
of the resort. And this makes it the perfect hideaway for those in search of a
sanctuary offering a short but satisfying respite from the rigors of the daily
grind.
So, weekend wanderers, if you want some fascinating place
far and away from the madding crowd, you have another destination to add to
your list. Remember the name: “The Farm @ Carpenter Hill”. :-D
Off the beaten track, Sultan Kudarat (perhaps with few exceptions like Tacurong City) is
probably one of those places in Mindanao most people would rather skip in their
itinerary for “security” reasons. I’ve been wanting to explore it myself a long
time ago as I happen to have a few relatives in the provincial capital, Isulan.
But the “fear” of entering a land “just a stone’s throw away” from a dreaded
conflict zone kept hindering me from pushing through with my plan. 
Sultan Kudarat (or the SK in the acronym
of SOCCSKSARGEN Region) happens to be near one of the most notorious war zones
in the country that hugged the headlines not too long ago—remember the
bloodbath that took place in the infamous town of Mamasapano in Maguindanao?
From what I’ve gathered, SK was named
after a fierce leader who ruled a huge part of Mindanao in the 1600s. Sultan
Kudarat a.k.a. Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat (sometimes spelled as Qudarat or
Corralat) headed the Sultanate of Maguindanao who successfully opposed the
Spanish colonizers who attempted to conquer his land and hindered the
Christianization of the island.
As fate would have it, I suddenly found
myself journeying to SK, not just once but twice this year! On both occasions,
I was subdued all the time I was there—so subdued to the point of being
sub-rosa! Being a newcomer, I always try to maintain a low profile whenever I
tread certain places perceived (sometimes, wrongly!) to be “hotspots of
conflict”, particularly those in Central Mindanao like Sultan Kudarat. 
During my first trip there, I passed
through what most travelers would consider the road less travelled—a portion of
Maguindanao, particularly the towns of Datu Paglas and Buluan. To my pleasant
surprise, however, the sojourn to SK turned out to be a pleasant one. And for
the record, SK, as I’ve experience it, is one of the more peaceful provinces in
the island.
For my second trip to SK, however, I
opted to take the other route, the longer but “safer” road, they say, driving
along the smooth stretches that connect General Santos (GenSan) City, the towns
of South Cotabato (Polomolok, Tupi and Tantangan) as well as its capital,
Koronadal City to Sultan Kudarat. For the first sojourn, I stayed in Tacurong
City. Meanwhile, GenSan was my home away from home during my second visit. 
Short
as they were, the sojourns to Sultan Kudarat gave me the chance to explore a
few of its interesting sites. In Tacurong, I was able to visit the secluded
Baras Bird Sanctuary where thousands of birds are said to hibernate during
their mating season (sometime in May). Unfortunately, I only managed to see
some of the fowls when I came. But they were so elusive I couldn’t take snaps
at them even from a distance. 
Aside from the Muslim leader, there’s
another popular local figure that caught my attention—Don Juan Garcia—whose
bust adorns the main lobby of the capitol. Garcia, who was instrumental for the
progress of Isulan, is also known as the prime mover of the development of the
palm oil industry not only in Sultan Kudarat but the whole of South Central
Mindanao Region. 
