By ANTONIO G. PAPA, Ph.D.
A haven, a sanctuary, a paradise, and a magical rendezvous with gorgeous blooms–that is the EMV Flower Farm, located in the rustic midlands of the province of Cavite, particularly in the town of Indang.
Indang is a first class municipality situated in the central part of the province of Cavite, approximately 55 kilometers away from Manila and 12 kilometers from Tagaytay Ridge. The municipality is currently aspiring to become the tourism capital of the province of Cavite.
The farm is named after Estrella Mojica Vidar or EMV – the mother of the incorporators. She died on September 13, 2013, the same year the farm was being established. Before being laid down to rest, she ensured that her family was secure and in good situation.
According to her daughter-in-law and Administration head, Apple M. Vidar-Cudiamat, her mother-in-law “was very positive and supportive in the establishment of the farm so that all of her savings including the retirement pay of her father-in-law—a retired
Philippine Air Force uniformed personnel—were invested in the endeavor.”
EMV Flower Farm was established in 2013 in a rented lot at Barangay Tambo Malaki before being transferred to a sprawling 3.5 hectare-area planted with around 10 varieties of chrysanthemum of various colors and shades under huge, beautifully well laid-out green houses.
The farm is one of the three independent businesses of the EMV Farm Corporation, a family-owned business corporation registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2022, namely: EMV Flower Farm, Estrella’s House of Flowers, and EMV Villa.
EMV Flower Farm
According to EMV Flower Farm supervisor Rence Paolo M. De Lara or Pao, “the idea of establishing a flower farm came from some agents of the Scene of the Crime Operation
(SOCO), a government agency that deals with gathering evidence from a crime scene.
They suggested to spouses Ronald (who is President and Chief Executive Officer) and Apple, who then, were working with a private agency whose functions are in connection to the SOCO’s work.”
The agents said that producing flowers is a lucrative business because of several occasions among Filipinos such as Valentine’s Day, fiestas, and All Saints/Souls Day, as well as significant family affairs like weddings, birthdays and the like. Likewise, flowers are needed by funeral parlors for their services.
Thus, the spouses resigned from their respective jobs and started establishing the flower farm in Indang, Cavite since the Mojica-Vidar families are from the town of Indang, particularly from Barangay Banaba Lejos.
They started by renting a piece of land in Tambo Malaki, until they were able to buy the current location of the farm at Sitio Portugal, also in Tambo Malaki.
EMV Flower Farm grows Malaysian chrysanthemums in different shades and colors. It also grows sunflowers, a seasonal bloom from January to May of each year.
Listed chrysanthemum varieties planted at the farm include: Single – dark yellow; Rossano – pink; Jimba – white; Dante – pink, red, yellow, and dark pink; Saffier – dark yellow; Radost – white and yellow; Barca – red; Amanda – pink; Green; and Kristine – pink.
It operates two big greenhouses for chrysanthemum flower production, one greenhouse for nursery for seedlings production, and another big greenhouse for the maintenance of the chrysanthemum mother plants. The farm also adopted the Israeli technology of operating the greenhouses with drip irrigation.
EMV Flower Farm offers a wide variety of services, namely day tours, flower viewing activities, and the selling of Malaysian mums; event styling and flower designing; event venue for weddings, birthdays, and debuts; a venue for photoshoots and prenups; staycation amenities; and areas such as a cafe, a garden, and a pool.
At present, in the province of Cavite alone, 10 funeral parlors, around 20 flower shops, 20 flower stalls at the City Market of Tagaytay City, churches, and individual buyers regularly buy flowers from the farm at farm gate prices.
As such, the EMV Flower Farm was designated as an Agri Tourism Site by the Department of Tourism (DoT) in May 2022. It is the best getaway place from the rigor of city life, with so many amenities that offer relaxation to people of all ages and walks of life.
Spin-off businesses
The success of the EMV Flower Farm prompted the corporation to strategically launch Estrella’s House of Flowers, recognized as one of the leading florists in the province of Cavite. It provides full range of services, including creating and designing flowers for all occasions, from a single bouquet and to very stylish and elegant wedding arches.
The success of the two above-mentioned businesses led to the establishment of EMV Villa for hotel accommodations and a venue of all kinds of events, with Bianca’s Café and Restaurant offering various lodging, meals, entertainment, and other services.
EMV Villa started operations in April 2021 offering a unique and close to nature experience, relaxation, and staycation. However, it only caters to 20 persons daily to maintain its tranquility and exclusivity.
It has four Bali-inspired villas with a swimming pool in between the four units for personal use of the guests. It has also both small and large pavilions for open air venues for family occasions and gatherings.
Best agricultural practices
One of the practices in the farm is using bamboo leaves as mulch for the chrysanthemum plants. The leaves help to restore moisture in the soil, and when rotten, serve as organic fertilizer for the plants.
The farm uses urea and complete fertilizers for the vegetative and flowering stage of the chrysanthemum plants, respectively. Likewise, the farm uses magnesium and calcium as supplements for the flowering plants.
The farm also utilizes drip irrigation for regular supply of water to the plants inside the green houses.
The corporation is very proud of having employed more than 60 local residents. According to Apple, “We are so grateful for our staff and their hard work. We are thankful to all those who helped make our dream come true to be one of the best flower farms in the Philippines.”
She adds, “We are also thankful for all of the support and love from our followers and customers. Because of them, the farm is recognized as one of the most visited farms in the Philippines. We hope to bring to our stakeholders more beautiful experiences on our farm.”
Pao was very proud to tell us that two of their previous trainees in the farm now have good jobs in Japan.
When asked how the farm is doing in 2022, both Apple and Pao are very proud, and agreed to mention that their gross income for the year was around P15M.
See, the operation of the flower farm is not only just for maintaining a paradise within the countryside but also a lucrative business opportunity for a family of agripreneurs.
Photos courtesy of Antonio G. Papa, PhD