Episode 54: How A Curious Mind Built a Successful Organic Farm with Raffy Dacones

Episode 54: How A Curious Mind Built a Successful Organic Farm with Raffy Dacones

Great farming doesn't begin with the harvest. It begins with healthy soil. In this episode of Good and Green, Chit Juan sits down with Raphael "Raffy" Dacones, Chief Farming Officer of Teraoka Farm, to share his journey from studying architecture and working in Japan to becoming one of the country's leading advocates for organic farming. What started as curiosity grew into a thriving farm that now supplies premium organic produce to some of Metro Manila's top restaurants. Raffy shares the lessons he learned through years of trial and error, from finding the right market and diversifying crops to building a farm school, mentoring future farmers, and creating stronger partnerships with chefs. He also explains why healthy soil, regenerative agriculture, and continuous learning are essential to building farms that are both productive and sustainable for generations to come. GUEST BIO: Raphael "Raffy" Dacones is the Chief Farming Officer of Teraoka Farm, an organic farm in Mangatarem, Pangasinan. Under his leadership, the farm has become a national benchmark for sustainable agriculture, supplying premium organic produce to many of Metro Manila's leading restaurants. He also consults on farm development and leads Soil Studio, integrating agriculture, landscape design, and sustainability to create greener, more resilient spaces.  WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: * How curiosity led Raffy from architecture to organic farming. * Building a successful organic farm through trial, error, and persistence. * Finding the right market for premium organic produce. * Growing farmers through education, partnerships, and farm immersion. * Why healthy soil is the foundation of sustainable agriculture. QUOTES: * I've always liked getting my hands dirty. —Raffy Dacones * I was so determined to start a farm, but I never had that give up attitude despite it being very difficult at first. —Raffy Dacones * I like being challenged. —Raffy Dacones * I've always believed a farm should have a track record of producing and selling commercially. —Raffy Dacones * Take care of your soil. Soil is the life of everything. —Raffy Dacones * Composting is the key. —Raffy Dacones LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED: Connect with Raffy Dacones: * Teraoka Farm on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/teraokafarm/] * Teraoka Farm on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/TeraokaFarm/] Listen, rate, and subscribe! * Subscribe to the Good and Green Podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-and-green/id1755076035] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6vhHLmBCztpOFf9Jcz5NJs] * Follow Chit Juan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chitjuan] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/pacitajuan], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacita-juan-64767917/] * Subscribe to EchoNews on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/echonews-7103877612539715584/]. Purchase Brew: Cafe, Coffee. Kape  at Echostore.ph [https://echostore.ph/]. For more information about Brew: Cafe, Coffee, Kape, visit the Food Writers Association of the Philippine Facebook Group. [https://www.facebook.com/fwap.ph]

Episode 53: How Island Living Sparked a New Purpose-Driven Life with Raul and Ichay Bulaong

What happens when you leave the corporate world and start over on a remote island? In this episode of Good and Green, Chit Juan talks with Ichay and Raul Bulaong about their decision to leave city life behind and build a new life in Coron, Palawan. What began as a search for a simpler lifestyle evolved into a series of purpose-driven businesses focused on sustainability, fair trade, and community impact. From growing salad greens and developing products from breadnut and cashew to creating opportunities for indigenous gatherers, the couple shares how they turned challenges into meaningful enterprises. They also reflect on the lessons of island living, the value of slowing down, and why it is never too late to learn new skills, pursue new passions, and create positive change. GUEST BIO: Raul and Ichay Bulaong are former corporate executives who left city life 12 years ago to build a purpose-driven life in Coron, Palawan. Ichay is an entrepreneur, educator, and founder of Island Girl Calamancello, a locally crafted calamansi liqueur inspired by Italy's limoncello, and currently teaches at Palawan State University. Raul is the founder of Palawan Cashew Company and Pedro's Gelato, enterprises that create local livelihoods through value-added agricultural products and sustainable business models. United by their love for sailing and island living, the couple continues to champion community development, entrepreneurship, and sustainable lifestyles in Palawan. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: * Why Ichay and Raul chose to leave city life and build a new life in Coron. * Creating sustainable businesses from local agricultural products such as cashew and calamansi. * Lessons learned from starting new ventures without prior industry experience. * How purpose, community, and simplicity shaped their approach to work and life. QUOTES: * The number one realization after a year or two was we could have done it earlier. —Ichay Bulaong * When we moved to Coron, our lifestyle changed. It wasn't deliberate. It just happened. —Raul Bulaong * Our house is surrounded by trees, and we're always out in the water. It's really healing. I feel it. It's very healing. —Ichay Bulaong * That's another realization. You can learn anything. —Ichay Bulaong * Find the problem. Figure it out, and help solve it. —Raul Bulaong * It's okay to make mistakes, but don't do it twice. —Ichay Bulaong LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED: Connect with Raul and Ichay Bulaong: * Pedro's Cashews on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/pedroscashews/]  * Pedro's Cashews on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pedroscashews/]  * Pedro's Gelato on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/p/Pedros-Gelato-100063640674352/]  * Pedro's Gelato on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pedrosgelato/]  * Island Girl Calamancello on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/IslandGirlCalamancello/]  Listen, rate, and subscribe! * Subscribe to the Good and Green Podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-and-green/id1755076035] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6vhHLmBCztpOFf9Jcz5NJs] * Follow Chit Juan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chitjuan] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/pacitajuan], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacita-juan-64767917/] * Subscribe to EchoNews on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/echonews-7103877612539715584/]. Purchase Brew: Cafe, Coffee. Kape  at Echostore.ph [https://echostore.ph/]. For more information about Brew: Cafe, Coffee, Kape, visit the Food Writers Association of the Philippine Facebook Group. [https://www.facebook.com/fwap.ph]

Episode 52: Why Mindful Tourism Creates the Most Beautiful Impact with Jeannie Javelosa

Sustainable tourism becomes more meaningful when it is rooted in community, culture, and care for the environment. In this episode of Good and Green, Chit Juan talks with Jeannie Javelosa about how Banahaw Circle Nature Retreat grew from a personal connection to Mount Banahaw into a thriving community-based tourism initiative in Dolores, Quezon. Jeannie shares how the retreat supports local farmers, guides, artisans, cooks, and micro-entrepreneurs while helping preserve the mountain’s cultural and spiritual heritage. From transforming old homes into upcycled spaces to developing local products and training community members in tourism and hospitality, this conversation highlights how small, thoughtful tourism initiatives can create meaningful impact while protecting nature and local identity.  GUEST BIO: Jeannie Javelosa is a thought leader in culture, sustainability, and gender, as well as an award-winning artist, writer, entrepreneur, and social impact advocate. She co-founded ECHOstore Sustainable Lifestyle, which promotes green community products, Great Women, which supports indigenous textiles and women-led enterprises, and Banahaw Circle Nature Retreat, a Mabuhay-level homestay and wellness destination in Dolores, Quezon. A finalist for the Cartier Women’s Initiative Award and recipient of multiple ASEAN and women entrepreneurship awards, Jeannie continues to champion sustainable communities, cultural heritage, and inclusive enterprise development through her work across business, tourism, and the creative industries.  WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: * How Jeannie’s lifelong connection to Mount Banahaw led to Banahaw Circle Nature Retreat. * Turning old homes and local resources into a sustainable community tourism destination. * Supporting local farmers, cooks, artisans, and micro-businesses through tourism. * Preserving Banahaw’s spiritual, cultural, and environmental heritage through storytelling. * Why community tourism can create meaningful and sustainable local livelihoods. QUOTES: * Anybody connected with meditation, energy healing, UFOs, psychics, all those weird, strange phenomena have always come to Banahaw. —Jeannie Javelosa * I think this, for me, was always the call of the mountain. —Jeannie Javelosa * We positioned Banahaw Circle as something more than just houses where you can stay. Because it's small, it's like your doorway to the whole mountain. —Jeannie Javelosa * What our role is here is to storytell what the mountain is about so people respect it more and understand it more. —Jeannie Javelosa * No matter how small you are, you make an impact when you begin to work with many, many smaller ones. —Jeannie Javelosa * There are so many beautiful spaces in the country. They don't need to be so curated. —Jeannie Javelosa LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED: Connect with Jeannie Javelosa: * Banahaw Circle Nature Retreat on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/banahawcirclenatureretreat/]  * Banahaw Circle Nature Retreat on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/banahawcirclenatureretreat]  * Banahaw Circle Nature Retreat Website [https://www.banahawcircle.com/]  Listen, rate, and subscribe! * Subscribe to the Good and Green Podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-and-green/id1755076035] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6vhHLmBCztpOFf9Jcz5NJs] * Follow Chit Juan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chitjuan] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/pacitajuan], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacita-juan-64767917/] * Subscribe to EchoNews on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/echonews-7103877612539715584/]. Purchase Brew: Cafe, Coffee. Kape  at Echostore.ph [https://echostore.ph/]. For more information about Brew: Cafe, Coffee, Kape, visit the Food Writers Association of the Philippine Facebook Group. [https://www.facebook.com/fwap.ph]

Episode 51: Sustainability Education Is Changing Hospitality For The Better with Dr. Harold Bueno

Sustainability is no longer just a trend in tourism and hospitality. It is becoming part of how future professionals think, work, and serve. In this episode of Good and Green, Chit Juan talks with Dr. Harold Bernardo Bueno, Dean of the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management at FEU Manila, about how sustainability, food systems, and education intersect in today’s tourism industry. Drawing from his roots in farming and his personal experiences hiking across the Philippines, Dr. Bueno shares why understanding local food systems, edible plants, and community traditions can deepen tourism experiences and even support survival skills. He also explains how hospitality education must balance high tech with high touch and high trust to remain relevant in an AI-driven world.  GUEST BIO: Dr. Harold Bernardo Bueno is the Dean of the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Far Eastern University (FEU), Manila, and a strong advocate for sustainable food systems. A certified Sustainable Tourism Professional, he champions the integration of food, culture, and sustainability in tourism and hospitality education. With over a decade of leadership in higher education and international research collaborations, he advances initiatives that promote responsible consumption, local food heritage, and inclusive tourism development. Through his work with academic, industry, and global partners, Dr. Bueno continues to shape future professionals toward building resilient and sustainable food and tourism ecosystems. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: * How Dr. Bueno’s farming roots shaped his passion for sustainable food systems and tourism. * Why hiking and foraging can deepen understanding of local ecology and culture. * The need to train tour guides about edible plants and survival knowledge along hiking trails. * How hospitality education is adapting to sustainability and changing industry demands. * Why modern hospitality requires a balance of high touch, high tech, and high trust. QUOTES: * It's nice to go to a place unknown to you and then discover traditions along the trail. —Dr. Harold Bueno * We should create more training for our tour guides because identifying all these edible plants and fruits along the trail is a form of survival. —Dr. Harold Bueno * The biggest challenge is to always make sure that our curriculum, the teaching and learning are always up-to-date. —Dr. Harold Bueno * Being a Dean is a powerful position. —Dr. Harold Bueno * Hospitality is all about making our guests feel at home and feel comfortable. —Dr. Harold Bueno *  We have to build trust with our guests. Sustainability can build that trust with our guests.  —Dr. Harold Bueno LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED: Connect with Dr. Harold Bueno: * Dr. Harold Bueno on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/harold_bernardo_bueno/] * Dr. Harold Bueno on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/harold.bueno1/] * FEU Manila Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management [https://www.facebook.com/FEUMNL.ITHM] Listen, rate, and subscribe! * Subscribe to the Good and Green Podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-and-green/id1755076035] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6vhHLmBCztpOFf9Jcz5NJs] * Follow Chit Juan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chitjuan] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/pacitajuan], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacita-juan-64767917/] * Subscribe to EchoNews on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/echonews-7103877612539715584/]. Purchase Brew: Cafe, Coffee. Kape  at Echostore.ph [https://echostore.ph/]. For more information about Brew: Cafe, Coffee, Kape, visit the Food Writers Association of the Philippine Facebook Group. [https://www.facebook.com/fwap.ph]

Episode 50: The Best Adobo Recipe Comes From Family Traditions with Nancy Reyes Lumen

Filipino food is deeply rooted in family, tradition, and everyday life. In this episode of Good and Green, Chit Juan sits down with food advocate and author Nancy Reyes-Lumen, also known as the “Adobo Queen,” to explore why adobo continues to be one of the most powerful symbols of Filipino identity. As part of a multigenerational food family, Nancy shares how recipes are passed down, adapted, and preserved over time. From sourcing ingredients directly from local producers to practicing zero-waste habits long before they became trends, this conversation highlights how our food traditions are shaped by history, culture, and survival. Nancy also reminds us that there is no single “correct” version of adobo and that the beauty of Filipino food lies in its diversity and personal stories. GUEST BIO: Nancy Reyes-Lumen is a Filipino food advocate, researcher, writer, and culinary ambassador best known as the author of the best-selling The Adobo Book. A passionate champion of Filipino cuisine, she is widely recognized as the self-proclaimed “Adobo Queen” for her mission to elevate adobo as a signature Filipino dish for global audiences. She has also written several other cookbooks, co-hosts the Adobo Connections segment of Our Awesome Planet, and teaches Filipino and Asian cooking classes as a chef instructor for Cozymeal USA. Based in Houston, Texas, Nancy continues to promote Filipino food heritage both in the Philippines and abroad. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: * Why adobo is considered a strong symbol of Filipino identity and culture. * The role of family traditions in shaping and preserving Filipino recipes. * Why there is no single “correct” version of adobo. * How sourcing from local producers and artisans was practiced even in earlier generations. * Traditional Filipino practices such as fermentation and zero-waste cooking. QUOTES: * I'm just a good collector of adobo recipes and stories. —Nancy Reyes Lumen * The 4th and 5th generations are bringing in new taste, new ways, new techniques, but we still want to instill some of our Lola's ways. —Nancy Reyes Lumen * One of the healthy ways of having food is fermentation. —Nancy Reyes Lumen * You can standardize adobo for a global recipe, only if you use branded. Branded vinegar, branded soy sauce, branded everything. —Nancy Reyes Lumen * Alisin na natin ang "lang". —Nancy Reyes Lumen LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED: Connect with Nancy Reyes Lumen: * Nancy Reyes Lumen on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/adoboqueen/] * Nancy Reyes Lumen on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/nancy.lumen/] * The Adobo Book by Nancy Reyes Lumen and Reynaldo Gamboa Alejandro [https://www.amazon.com/ADOBO-BOOK-TRADITIONAL-JAZZED-UP-Philippine/dp/9712715485] Listen, rate, and subscribe! * Subscribe to the Good and Green Podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-and-green/id1755076035] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6vhHLmBCztpOFf9Jcz5NJs] * Follow Chit Juan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chitjuan] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/pacitajuan], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacita-juan-64767917/] * Subscribe to EchoNews on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/echonews-7103877612539715584/]. Purchase Brew: Cafe, Coffee. Kape  at Echostore.ph [https://echostore.ph/]. For more information about Brew: Cafe, Coffee, Kape, visit the Food Writers Association of the Philippine Facebook Group. [https://www.facebook.com/fwap.ph]