By Jing Ramos

After 45 years of marriage to Golden Ocampo, having raised two sons—Carlo and Franco—as well as managing a huge household in Manila, Bernice Romualdez-Ocampo had an unexpected change of heart. One day, she realized that she was wishing for a much simpler life in the countryside. “Living in the nation’s capital wasn’t exactly my scene anymore, particularly at this point in my life. I have always longed for a garden on a farm to tend to. Having grown up seeing my mother, Milagros Lebumfacil Romualdez, puttering around with plants—in fact, I was inspired by her love of the land and devotion to the process of creating a garden,” Bernice reflects on the start of her journey.

The pillows that adorn the beige sofa are hand-painted by her brother, the artist Chicoy Romualdez.

The charming contrast of biscuit-colored walls and ceiling against the wooden doors and flooring creates a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Eventually, Bernice inherited the Toledo farm property with her siblings, but only she took an interest in developing the land. The property spans around 3.4 hectares of farmland, teeming with a biodiversity of fruit trees, endemic species of plants, birds, and even bees.

There are fruit-bearing trees: mango, santol, breadfruit, atis, lime, dayap, and the like. Combining different fruit trees in a mixed orchard enhances pollination, biodiversity, and pest resistance. These fruit trees grow side by side with other endemic trees like kampong, narra, royal poinciana, and the local Palawan cherry.

All the architectural details were taken from the Lebumfacil ancestral house in Fuente Osmeña, Cebu.

Antique blue and white ceramics hold anahaw palm fronds gathered from the garden.

The lanai, bordered by wooden columns, opens to a thriving garden.

Back in the days when Bernice would visit her mother Milagros, she noticed that it was indeed a healthier lifestyle—simple and peaceful—and being surrounded by foliage was just the kind of life she was yearning for. She worked on the relocation tirelessly, and today the farmhouse is tastefully done in a colonial-style, thatched-roof building with wooden columns bordering the lanai. The interior of the building is an exercise in calm restraint: the walls are painted a shade of biscuit, providing a pleasant contrast to the polished wooden floors. Most of the architectural details integrated into the building came from the Lebumfacil ancestral house in the center of Fuente Osmeña in Cebu—hence the name, Milagros Farm House.

Lunch is served with arrangements of parsley and lemon, the primary ingredients in the pasta dish.

Garden of earthly delights

“Decades back, in my youth, I reveled in Manila city life: dining out with friends, staying up late into the night, traveling extensively, and even strutting down a fashion ramp as a model. That was the life then, I thought. These days, the tables have turned, and instead, gardening has taught me that nature always gives us back whatever we put in—rewarding our labor with fruits and flowers, and most importantly, blessing our lives with a strong sense of fulfillment and inner peace,” Bernice offers us a glimpse of her idyllic life on the farm.

Bernice Romualdez-Ocampo, photography by Raymond Isaac, styling by Patrick Rosas

by Jing Ramos

This iconic restaurant was named Hill Station because of the building’s personal history. Casa Vallejo was built in 1909 as a dormitory for Japanese engineers and workmen who were responsible for the construction of Kennon Road under the American regime at the turn of the last century. The Americans invested in road construction to improve Baguio’s infrastructure.

The upholstery of the dining chairs similar to the color palette of the curtains are a suggestion by Lulu Tan Gan.

Hill stations were usually located in high-altitude areas with a predominantly subtropical climate, similar to other hill stations found in Sri Lanka and India during the British colonial period. Baguio was established as a hill station by the Americans primarily for its cooler climate, which proved ideal for their military servicemen in need of rest and recreation. The hill station also served as a recovery location for men stricken with viruses such as dengue and malaria, often picked up in the lowlands.

Owner and chef Mitos Benitez-Yniguez.

“So my concept for the restaurant—being inside and part of an old historical building such as our setting—was to build a menu that reflected the times when indeed it was a hill station,” owner and chef Mitos Benitez-Yñiguez explains the challenge of creating the restaurant’s fabled menu. “Spanish and Mediterranean food for Spanish colonial times, American colonial when it switched over, Filipino with a twist reflecting our mestizo roots. And basically, I like to introduce certain dishes from my travels around the world. Hence, some entries are North African, some European, Sri Lankan, Thai curries—whatever was inspirational in my travels and the taste of their local food.”

The curtains in swaths of grey and burnt-sienna fabrics are by Jiro Estaniel.

The interior décor of Hill Station Baguio harks back to the American colonial period: painted in all white, with high ceilings and exposed wooden beams in natural tones. This time around, the space has a spruced-up look, with the ceiling redone in a deep shade of taupe. The drapes around the restaurant were designed by interior designer Jiro Estaniel in swaths of grey and burnt sienna fabric. The upholstery of the dining chairs, in a similar color palette, was suggested by fashion designer Lulu Tan Gan.

The buntings hanging on the wooden beams are called banderitas.

There were also multicolored buntings hanging from the wooden beams, called banderitas. Installed by the waitstaff and some bakers from the kitchen every summer for a festive touch, Mitos explains the process of seasonal changes in the restaurant’s look:

“When the monsoon season begins and it starts to pour—usually around July and August—we change the look to classic off-white curtains to brighten up the entire floor. At Christmastime, the restaurant’s look changes again, and we set it up with vintage Capiz shell lanterns in diamond shapes for a totally festive look.”

Hill Station has an extensive collection of black and white photographs by important artists.

The most important facet of the restaurant’s décor is the extensive black-and-white photography by Mitos’ husband, Boy Yñiguez, and his friends and colleagues—giving the space a deeply personal touch. The photographs mounted on the walls are silver prints from the 1970s to the 1990s, all of which are valuable and irreplaceable.

There are works by Tommy Hafalla, famous for his images of people and rituals from the Cordilleras; portraits by Wig Tysman; architectural photographs by Boy Yniguez; and a striking series by Charlie Lenoir featuring Ifugao women and traditional huts. There’s even an Ansel Adams original tucked unobtrusively among the artworks.

The restaurant has a view of a pocket garden right in the midst of Baguio central.

by Mia Durano

After a period of reconsideration and restructuring, Qube Gallery opens its doors once again at Crossroads, Cebu — its original home — with a new curatorial direction. This reopening signals a clear shift from event-driven programming to purpose-fueled representation and deeper cultural engagement. With a focus on long-term artist support and a commitment to thoughtful, locally grounded art exhibitions, Qube Gallery repositions itself as a platform for contemporary practices that speak with clarity and intent.

We Are So Much More Than Our Scars, 2021 | Sio Montera | Mixed Media on Canvas; Seek What Sets Your Soul on Fire, 2023 | Sio Montera | Mixed Media on Canvas.

Director of Qube Gallery, Maris Holopainen, is emphatic:
“This isn’t just a reopening — it’s a return to intention. At Qube Gallery, we have chosen to move more deliberately, with focus and care. It’s no longer about keeping pace, but about creating space for artists to grow, for ideas to deepen, for practice to unfold with meaning. Cebu remains our anchor, but our conversation is widening — reaching across disciplines, communities, and contexts. This moment is a distillation of what matters: a commitment to clarity, care, and presence in the works we show, the people we stand behind, and the stories we choose to tell.”

Stillness, 2025 | Xandrine | Acrylic and Oil on Canvas.

Spotted gum, 2025 | Francis Dravigny | Handwoven Fabric, Abaca, Raffia, Buntal, Antique Pinoy tribe fabric, hand embroidery mercerized cotton.

The reopening exhibition, Unscattered Voices, sets the tone, featuring works by Sio Montera, Francis Dravigny, Jewelle Yeung, Amanda Luym, Golda King, Janine Barrera, and Xandrine. The show brings together seven distinct voices whose disciplines are rooted in material, memory, and form.
This moment marks more than just a return — it’s a reset. Qube Gallery moves forward with a curatorial mandate that extends beyond the gallery walls, emphasizing artist-led narratives, cross-industry collaboration, and meaningful placement within both local and global contexts.

Interconnecting | Janine Barrera | Oil on Canvas.

📍 Qube Gallery, Crossroads Mall, Banilad, Cebu City
📞 +63 956 839 4598 | ✉️ info@qubegallery.ph