The Damires Hills Tierra Verde Leisure Farm is an agricultural estate gradually developed by Dr. Louie Tirador and his family into a nature’s paradise.
The 45-hectare farmland is a namesake of the barangay – Damires, where it is nested in the town of Janiuay, a First-Class municipality in the Third District of Iloilo. The farm resort is about 33-kilometers northwest of Iloilo City and reachable by a private vehicle or public transportation.
Despite the plethora of natural resources throughout the farm, Damires Hills’ boasts itself on investing in sustainable farming solutions. The “Lolo Dikoy’s Aquaponics and Organic Farm” division provides a more efficient farming technology that utilizes less water and space. Consequently, it regularly offers learning tours to guests and even to academe, allowing them to acquire a deeper understanding of the technology and processes involved in Aquaponics farms.
Named after the grandfather of Dr. Tirador, Lolo Dikoy’s Aquaponics farm is clustered into two sectors. It starts in the aquaculture section, which shows the development process of Tilapia from an egg, to fingerling, and up to maturity, and proceeds to the vegetable section, which displays how the tilapia’s feces help the vegetables such as lettuce and cucumber grow from the nursery up until they are ready for harvest.
Eventually, all of the farm’s produce are used as farm-to-table ingredients in the resort’s menu, with some vegetables and fruits also sold at Norma’s Coffee and Souvenir shop. Should yield be more than the kitchen’s demand, they are supplied to the local supermarkets and restaurants in Iloilo.
Aside from their own produce, Damires Hills also sells a variety of organic food inside Norma’s Coffee Shop such as organic eggs from free-range chicken, different types of organic rice, root crops, fruits, and vegetables, as well as selling local delicacies and hand-made souvenirs from local suppliers.
The Damires Hills Tierra Verde Leisure Farm regularly accommodates daytime and overnight guests keeping them comfortable in casitas, hotel rooms, and cottages, all wrapped up in Filipino-inspired architecture. It also has amenities including two swimming pools, conference rooms, and function rooms. The farm resort also serves as a magnet for eco-adventure enthusiasts because of its trails that are fun for biking, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and ziplines.
The Damires Hills Tierra Verde Leisure Farm was developed by the Tirador Family with a high regard for the natural environment. The unique contours of its natural terrain has enhanced the once idle land into a venue with a breathtaking rural landscape. Hence, it stands true to its name as a Tierra Verde or “green land.”
*This farm profile feature is a project of Panay Organic Producers Association (POPA) in November 2018.