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