If you will build, they will come, so goes a line of the movie, “Field of Dreams,” starring Kevin Costner. Jesus “Chito” V. Ayala (JVA) and his wife, Fe, may not have heard the statement when they converted what used to be a banana plantation into a mountain resort. Now, after 20 years, people still come to the place.
The couple called it Eden Nature Park and Resort, named after the barangay. But just like the Garden of Eden stated in the Bible, this beautiful man-made resort nestled at the foot of Mount Talomo in Toril is “truly a testament to how man’s ingenuity and concern for the environment can create a paradise on earth.”
At 2,650 feet above sea level, Eden offers breath taking views of Davao City and the Davao Gulf. Although the place was remnant of logging concessionaires in the 1970s and covered only by a blanket of wild grass, Chito saw its potential.
He instructed his people to make terraces carved out of the mountain slope. As this developed, thousands of pine trees seedlings were planted to revitalize the area. Bamboos, which are native to the place, were left to flourish.
Growing pine trees created canopies, allowing other trees and plants to grow and create secondary forest. Today, there are over 100,000 pine trees spread in about 80 hectares, making the resort 95-percent man-made. Today, the once-barren piece of land provides a relaxing alternative to the bustling city life with its cool weather and unpolluted air.
“(My parents) saw the long-term potential of this place when they bought this barren and logged over property in the 1970s,” said Miguel M. Ayala, the resort’s chairman and group chairman of the JVA Group of Companies, during Eden’s 20th anniversary. “They planted pine trees and established a forest to preserve the natural habitat and restore the crisp and cool climate typical of this elevation.”
The couple planted an orchard – mostly to mangosteen – and organically-grown vegetables to provide the local and export markets. They also planted various flowers and ferns and developed a garden that becomes an attraction in itself.
“And they didn’t stop there,” Miguel said in his message. “Aside from providing employment, they also provided land for the workers’ housing, and for the children’s education, and built a chapel for communal worship. They built a community here in Eden.”
While his father was the instrument in creating Eden, it was his mother who provided “the artistic touch to the transformation of the Eden landscape.” Together, the couple “saw their vision for Eden take shape, they passed on the business management affairs to the company’s executives.”
Miguel considered Eden as “the living legacy that my parents left behind.”
Perhaps the man who really saw the transformation of Eden into what it is now is Rafael T. Ayala, a member of the board of directors. “I first started working here in my late teens, doing part time work in the summer of 1999,” he recalled. “I worked as a busboy, waiter, tour guide, etc. Years later, I was formally employed by the company, and I have been with them ever since.”
If it was his coming of age, it was also Eden’s coming of age. “I grew up with Eden, and I have personally witnessed the growth, the changes, the challenges, and the triumphs of our company with the greater context of the growth, changes, challenges, and triumphs of our local tourism and hospitality industries in Davao,” Rafael said.
So, with son’s pride, Rafael is a testament of how Eden “as a community and as a community have proven to be not just resilient, but also thriving in the midst of it all.” He added: “It is with a son’s gratitude that I express my appreciation for the loyalty you have shown us over the past two decades.”
Rafael was referring to government agencies, business corporations, travel agencies and media which have been helping Eden to become what it is now. As a gratitude, all of them were given plaque of appreciation.
“Friends, we have climbed this mountain called Eden over the last twenty years,” Miguel said in his message. “With your continued support and with you by our side, we will continue to scale it with renewed fervor and enthusiasm.”
In behalf of “EDGE Davao,” lifestyle editor Kenneth Ong received the plaque. Other media given recognition were “Sun Star Davao,” “Mindanao Times,” and “Mindanao Daily Mirror.
