Stride Guide No. 4. MALAGOS GARDEN RESORT

I have been visiting every now and then at Barangay Malagos in Calinan, Baguio District, Davao City basically to steer guests and friends who wanted to personally see the Philippine Eagle in the Philippine Eagle Center. All of those trips obviously allowed me to overlook the Malagos Garden Resort located just before the Philippine Eagle Center. Many other visitors in Malagos might have the same experience with those of mine and hopefully this blog would be able to open their eyes and would prompt them to visit this very wonderful place.

I got the chance to be in Malagos Garden Resort when I facilitated a seminar last November 12, 2012 as a requirement of my graduate school curriculum along with my classmates Nhessryll and Mae Ann. I discovered then that Malagos Garden Resort is more than just an ordinary resort. It actually compliments with the Philippine Eagle Center as it has a traditionally-designed accommodation facilities and other nature-themed structures.

Apart from the cool ambiance brought about by the man-made forest in the area, Malagos Garden Resort also houses several bird species. According to one of the owners Doctor Bo Puentespina, they just allow their birds to fly around the place to really let them experience their natural habitat. Unlike any other resorts where birds are caged, Malagos Garden Resort serves as an innate aviary.

As a park for all ages, the management of Malagos Garden Resort made sure they have all the facilities necessary for an overnight stay and day tours. They have a restaurant serving vegetable dishes freshly harvested from their farm. They also have children’s playground, a soccer field, an outdoor pond dwelled by lovely tamed fishes, a water ball park and several function halls for trainings and seminars.

Mr. Puentespina also revealed that aside from the ecotourism program, the resort is also going into a more interesting field of agri-tourism where guests can be treated for a tour in their huge agricultural farm.

“We wanted to be known also for our agricultural productivity that’s why we are into enhancing our farm here,” said Doctor Puentespina who, along with his staff, personally oversees their cacao plantation and dairy goat farm. While having a farm tour, I was amazed by how the farm was managed. They are basically employing natural farming practice with minimal and/or zero chemical usage.

We were fortunate then that we were also taught the basics about dairy goat production from kidding to milking right at their ventured Golden Sunset Farm. Their breeds of milking goats produce an average of 2.5 to 3 liters per goat per day.

Currently, the resort is accepting agricultural tours and at the same time catering to seminars related to dairy goat production with Doctor Puentespina himself taking care as training and education section in-charge.

To all readers of this blog who are inclined to dairy goat production and cacao plantation, I would recommend Malagos Garden Resort as one of the best places in Mindanao to visit.