A destination that’s a celebrity in its own right

From Kathryn Bernardo, Jane de Leon, KC Concepcion, Nadine Lustre and Iza Calzado to couple Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles — and the list goes on. It is no doubt that wellness is now a top priority of our favorite celebrities.

The demanding schedule post-lockdowns brought so many life realizations to many that taking care of one’s well-being is being prioritized. Well yes, instead of spending your hard-earned money in a hospital or clinic, why not go to a paradise right? While we could name so many beautiful places in each and every corner of our country, this one is putting so much technology and meaning to wellness and living that it keeps the low-key customer to the biggest superstar as loyal guests in their 48-hectare enclave.

No surprise here, it’s The Farm at San Benito in Lipa, Batangas. Yes, we keep on hearing about it and chances are we saw one of our acquaintances’ social media being flooded with posts about it and celebrities raving about it, too. Hello, remember the viral nudist posts of Aubrey and Troy? Guess what? Those weren’t paid posts, we were told. They were genuinely enjoying the moment at The Farm.

Vic Sotto and Pauleen Luna with their daughter Tali.

Going there, one should look past the beautiful interiors of each villa and pool area as their main reason for going and focus on the whole experience itself. Did you also know that The Farm has been around for decades with loyal clients from abroad being the bulk of its clientele and that it is just recently that Filipinos are discovering it?

We met the spa manager Lem Senillo and he was saying that if it is a globally-known holistic doctor, chances are, they already went to them. There were also talks that Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson spent a long time at The Farm to write his book. Diving deeper past the Instagrammable destination that it is, because of its numerous pools, beautiful animals in the wild, waterfalls and lakes, it is the journey of immersing at The Farm that makes people stay.

Luis Manzano and Jessy Mendiola

“We have terminal guests and people who simply just want to find themselves a cure (for) their depression, address their fertility concerns and even those who want to lose weight and get healthier postpartum. We have a treatment for all,” he said. “Here, we do not get angry. Because whatever emotion we have, we manifest it in our health. That is why it is a total healing here.”

He shared that the stars commonly avail of the three-step colon cleansing, which is popular if you want a surge of natural glutathione to be produced. It’s the reason why celebrities leave the farm glowing, as well as a vital dome that they stay inside in the nude for 45 minutes in tolerable warmth. It removes toxins, relieves body discomfort and combats chronic fatigue.

There are also in-house doctors, who assess one’s cellular health that will tell you your stress level and what you have to improve on in your overall immunity.

Over the last few years, we also spotted celebrity families posting about The Farm such as Vic, Pauleen and Tali Sotto. Jolina Magdangal’s family was also there to enjoy. It is because their children had activities to do, while the parents went out for their treatments. Children could feed the ducks and fish by the lake, have painting activities and learn more about nutritional food.

The Farm’s Alive! Restaurant has the best faux chicken nuggets, made out of chickpeas, which I have tried. Another notable item in their spread is their cashew cream cheese and the Chef’s recommendations set menu, which is so tasty and filling you’ll forget that there is no meat or dairy in it.

With The Farm being a leading wellness destination in the Philippines and competitive with its holistic programs, it is expanding to Nepal and Jordan in the next few years. This will surely attract more celebrities in different parts of the world looking to decompress and detox amidthe daily demands of life.