Tell us about your journey to The Farm. We know you started in the field of sales and marketing. What was that like?
Yes, indeed I started in sales and marketing, but as I revisited my career path in the hospitality industry, I eventually discovered that operations suit me better. Thus, I embraced this aspect of my career, which eventually led me to working with The Farm at San Benito

You have worked abroad before. Did this change your view of the hospitality industry?
Yes, it broadened my perspectives on the delivery of services and allowed me to understand various sets of cultures in the industry’s definition of providing hospitality services.

What kind of adjustment did you need to work with other nationalities?
Different cultures require different kinds of services. The demands can be so varied oftentimes, and this means we need to adapt, be flexible, and be sensitive to certain traditions and beliefs, all in order to gain people’s trust and confidence.

How is The Farm at San Benito different from other hotels or resorts you have worked with before?
The Farm is special and unique. It is not like the usual hotels where you just have to fill-up the rooms and get “heads in beds.” Guests come to The Farm at San Benito for a purpose. As general manager, with the support of the entire The Farm team, it is our goal to journey with our guests in their desire to achieve a sound mind, body and spirit. This is the commitment we strive to accomplish, and blessed as we are through the years, our guests can attest to the good life changes that staying in The Farm have led them to.

Does The Farm have a vision for itself, a mission? Could you share that with us?
Nutrition and nature lie at the heart of the philosophy at The Farm at San Benito. Nutrition, because how we nourish our bodies with the right food is key in building strenght, not just of body, but of the mind and the spirit. Nature, because the kind of environment we choose to surround ourselves with can be a factor in our overall well-being, too.

How does The Farm translate its vision into action through its programs?
The Farm is a center for holistic healing and wellness, where people can learn how to balance their mind, body and spirit, with nourishing live foods in an eco-friendly place. In The Farm, our guests can undergo a healing journey, a “must have” in every individual’s life at least once a year. This personal journey is needed for recharging one’s mental, physical, and spiritual state. It’s a personal journey that each of us owe ourselves.

Are there any programs in The Farm for specific conditions? What do the programs target?
All our programs are geared towards preventive medicine. We uphold this approach because there is actually much wisdom and practicality in ensuring that our bodies are resilient.

How would you differentiate between retreats and wellness programs?
These are basically the same. Varieties in our programs can also come in based on the specific needs of guests.

We notice other programs for rejuvenation, restoration and regeneration. What’s the difference?
They basically have the same foundation and principles of natural healing, but each program deals with a specific need. For example, rejuvenation is for the mind; restoration is for the spirit; and regeneration is for the body.

Where does Naturopathy figure in all these programs?
All our treatments and programs are rooted in natural healing principles. Again, this is aligned with our overall philosophy of upholding nutrition and nature.
The cuisine is generally vegan. Is vegan the same as Vegetarian?
There’s a difference. Our cuisine is distinctively and purely vegan; not vegetarian. Vegans are plant-based.

Who develops the menu? If you had to describe the cuisine in one sentence, how would you describe it?
Our executive chef, Francis Tugnao, gets credit for this. Served straight from the farm to the table, our guests experience the guilt-free pleasure of dining healthy, all while savoring the premium flavors that only Mother Nature can offer. We really advocate this kind of cuisine here in The Farm. We are also delighted to note that even those who are not initially vegan eaters eventually get converted and start eating vegan, after their experience in partaking of our vegan cuisine. We believe that even your writer Marco Torres Misa said that if only vegan cuisine outside of The Farm can be as good as that from The Farm, there would be more vegan diners around.

Let’s talk a bit about yourself. Do you have family?
Yes, I’m a father of three and I am very proud of my children. I consider my family as my source of inspiration and personal strength.

What is your favorite family fun time? Where do you spend it?
I make sure that I spend simple bonding moments with my family, whether by watching TV, eating pizza together, and just simply being together. The important thins is to enjoy each other’s company.

How about Rouel the individual? Do you have any private time for your self?
I’m a very private person and I consider having a book and a cup of hot chocolate, as my “me time”.

Any parting message for your clients? Could you invite them to The Farm at San Benito?
May The Farm’s advocacy of nurturing and propagating wellness serve as an inspiration for everyone. We at The Farm at San Benito hope that our guests can get to revisit the clean and healthy way of living that each of them actually all started from, before the pressures of daily modern life overwhelmed them. We hope to inspire them to adapt a healthy lifestyle, and we hope that their every visit to The Farm at San Benito gets them rejuvenated, restored and regenerated.