Farm-to-table Restaurant Is Nueva Vizcaya's New Attraction

Dupax del Sur, a hilly town in Nueva Vizcaya province, is fast becoming a preferred destination for food and nature lovers, thanks to its beautiful scenery and a new attraction called Green Oasis of Dupax.

The Green Oasis of Dupax is a unique dining concept that combines the freshness of farm-to-table cuisine with Italian inspiration. It is situated in an ancestral farm in the inner part of the town, which is famous for the 18th Century St. Vincent Ferrer Church, the Spanish era Dampol Bridge, Sea of Clouds and the oldest Acacia tree in Northern Luzon.

It has a restaurant that offers Italian and local cuisine using fresh ingredients from the fertile soil of Dupax. Guests can eat fresh food, stroll around the lush garden and purchase local produce.

"We believe we are the first in Nueva Vizcaya to offer a variety of services—from food, garden park and shops—in one destination,” said John Lacanlale Danao, Managing Partner of the Green Oasis of Dupax.

Danao said the name of the destination speaks for itself.

"As what oasis connotes, we foresee it as a haven of greens—from different plants, fruits trees, flowers and vegetables. We get most of our ingredients from the farm especially the herbs and vegetables. Nueva Vizcaya is known for delicious citrus and is considered the vegetable basket of Cagayan Valley region.”

“The project site is an ancestral farm inherited from our Mendoza ancestors whose heritage are Tagbanuas from El Nido, Palawan,” said Danao.

It is situated five kilometers from Saint Vincent Ferrer Church or a three-minute drive from Poblacion. Green Oasis welcomes both local and foreign visitors who put a premium on their food and health.

The restaurant—Green Oasis Kitchen—is open Tuesdays to Fridays from from 11am to 7:30pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 9am to 7:30pm. It offers Italian staples as well as all-veggies pizza which is loaded with tomatoes, eggplants, onions and black olives; Teriyaki chicken, Paella; vegetable soups; Mulberry smoothie; Tarragon tea; and many other dishes made from fresh produce from the area.

Aside from the fresh food, diners and visitors can go around the greenhouse, herbal and medicinal plants area and lush garden with colorful flowers.

"You can try walking our reflexology path. Kids can play at our playground and view different animals at our animal world. You can also shop for native goods and organic products and different plants and flowers," said Danao.

Green Oasis will soon open a fish pond area, hold Sunday farmers market of organic products and showcase the arts and crafts of local artists.

"With this, we hope that we can help Dupax del Sur and Nueva Vizcaya become a tourism attraction, not merely a transit point for the Banaue Rice Terraces. We also hope to be a venue for local farmers and local artists to showcase their products and talents," said Danao

Nueva Vizcaya aims to be a premium ecotourism destination for local and international tourists. Among its attractions are cascading waterfalls, majestic mountains, unspoiled caves, crystal-clear rivers and brooks, historic churches and sacred sites. It also offers a unique cultural experience with multi-ethnic and indigenous people.

Gifted with temperate climate and bountiful agricultural lands, Nueva Vizcaya is also a major producer of high-value crops, vegetables and cut flowers.