Farmville Resort is one of the go-to places for relaxation and recreation in the province of Abra. Located in Baranggay Cosili West, it only takes an eight-minute drive from the capital town of Bangued.
It is on fairly open space, and integrates the amenities of a modern resort in a natural setting, away from the bustle of busy and exhaustive days in town. The resort is owned and managed by Mr. Alejandro B. Badajos, a retired overseas Filipino worker who worked with Saudi Aramco for 38 years. His job provided him a vast experience in project management and consultancy services, which he applied in the operations of the resort. Also, he was one of the mentee graduates of Abra in 2019.
The resort’s primary attractions are its closed-type adult and kiddie pools. With a depth of six feet, the adult pool features a slide, water–spouts, as well as multi-colored LED lights that make it perfect for evening swimming.
The resort facilities include function rooms, cottages and a mini-store. The resort ensures that the pools and other facilities are always clean and that water is properly treated, for which they invested in a siltation pond and pump room. The business started when Alejandro and his wife were thinking of what to do, after so many years as an OFW. When they returned back home in September 2017; they knew they had to start all over again, but the idea of a resort was not something they had considered in the past. Mr. Badajos visited DTI-Abra several times to seek business consultancy services. He attended several entrepreneurial developments trainings conducted by DTI-Abra. The trainings on How to Start a Business for OFWs, Pro-GED, ISTIV-SIB, 5S, Productivity and Efficiency and various Kapatid Mentor Me (KMME) modules piqued their interest about running a business. With the experiences working in private companies and the knowledge gained during trainings, the couple strived to invest their savings into business opportunities, finally settling on the Farmville Resort.
The couple are now enjoying the benefits of their profitable business which for them is not stressful at their age. The Badajos implemented several improvements to the resort after his attendance to the KMME program in 2019.
In an interview during the graduation of KMME mentees, Mr. Badajos stated that “…the KMME program modules were inter-related and had all the basic information we needed in coming up with a good business plan. I’m happy to say that I learned a lot starting from pre-planning, structuring and organizing the business, creating and delivering something of value, operations management up to marketing and financial management. Mind-setting also enhanced my ability to deal with people, know more good people, and the importance of customer relationship. I also learned that no matter how attractive and excellent the amenities that a resort offers, customer service and hospitality will always play a big role in retaining clients. I was enlightened, and became strong and confident now to overcome various challenges, problems coming across the business especially on the financial aspect. Thank you to DTI and the mentors who unselfishly shared their knowledge and their valuable contribution to the successful completion of this program. Cheers, and a big two thumbs up to your invaluable support with this KMME program that brought exceptional values to our business endeavor.” ♦
Date of Release: 4 November 2022