his L-Shaped, white-and-blue house—although built on top of the hills—is not too visible from the entrance to the farm, a blue iron gate that carries the sign: “Paradise Farm.”

“Kumbaga sa movie, working title pa lang ‘yon,” Isabel says of her 10-hectare property's name.

“Kasi, I didn't know what I was gonna call it. E, kasi ang hirap, kapag may bisita ka, walang pangalan ‘yong farm mo. ‘Basta, ‘yong blue gate.' Minsan, nakakalito. So, nilagay ko muna, Paradise Farm,' because na rin of the beauty nitong lugar. Una nga dapat, ‘Paraiso ni Isabel.' Sabi nila, Inglisin mo na lang. ‘Di sige, ‘ Paradise .'”

***
These sheep – more than 25 of them – come from a pair of Isabel brought home from Australia . “Actually, tatlo sila noon, namatay ‘yong isa. Pero later dumami na. St. Croix ang tawag sa breed nila. Hindi puwede sa atin ‘yong ma-wool, namamatay sa init.”

They may not have individual names but, believe it or not, Isabel calls them “my babies.” She actually talks to them as she does to her dog.

“Pets ko din naman sila, e. Hindi ko nga kayang magpakatay kahit isa.”

In time, when they become plentiful, the owner might stop regarding them as pets. “Pero saka na ako magdi-dispose. Sa ngayon, diyan lang sila. I love watching them roam around and play.”

Apart from sheep, the lady farmer also has eight cows.

***
This daybed is one of many comfortable seats in lanai, which is a great place for reading.

Some of the empty spaces surrounding the lanai will soon be home to more structures, such as a multi-level dance floor, a Balinese-inspired sculptured garden, a trellis, and an inifinity pool.

“'Pag nagawa na ang mga trellis ko,” says Isabel, “magpapalagay naman ako ng hammock.”

The spot looks out to a garden that will be filled flowering plants and landscaping materials found in the region. Beyond it is the mango orchard.

***
Isabel adds, laughing: “Dati kasi, may garden na diyan, kasi inubos ng mga tupa ko.” Now her front lawn is fenced by iron wires.

This is one of Isabel's favorite spots. “Ayan, mukha nang Bali [ Indonesia ],” she says. To sit here means getting an unobstructed view of the mountains, the mango orchard, and the pond.

The grafted mango trees, 500 in all, are mostly the kinalabaw variety (the huge and almost-round kind). “May konting Indian mango din. Actually, nag-replant kami kasi nasunugan ‘yong kalapit-lote namin. Ang kalaban kasi ng farming, sunod. ‘Yong mga talahib, pag di mo nililinis, nagiging wildfire ‘yan.”

***
This postcard-like shot looks like it was taken in New Zealand . What with the mountains, stream, and cows. But this is Zambales, folks, just a four-hour drive from Manila , Isabel got the best view; her brother, Dennis Roldan, got none.

“Si Dennis walang view,” Isabel chuckles. “Sa akin napunta. Pero, ‘Neng, hindi ko sinasakya. Hindi naming plinano na ganoon. Kasi noong dumating naman kami dito, ang tataas ng talahib, wala ka namang makitang view. Noong nalinis, saka lang nakitang maganda pala ang view. Pero ‘Neng, walong taon kong nililinis ito. Farming takes a long time. Ngayon lang naayos, ngayon ko lang siya unti-unting nae-enjoy kumbaga. Noon, pag may pa-trabaho ako, nandiyan ako sa gitna. Hands-on ako, kaya noon, ang itim-itim ko.”

***
“Alam mo, perfect itong lugar ko,” says Isabel. “Kasi, sa bukana makipot, tapos papalaki ‘yong sukat niya papataas. You have a body of water, the house is on top of the hill. Free-flowing ang energy. Hindi ko ito pinafeng shui… nagkataon lang. Kaya nga blessing talagang lahat ito ni Lord.”

Riding one of his two ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicle) is Isabel's only child, Richard, 28, years old.

***
Except for the console table beside the wine cabinet, all the wood pieces in this photo are old. Old not just in the sense of being among Isabel's recent acquisitions.

“Maingat kasi kami sa gamit,” Isabel says. She had her mom's old dress cabinet—the one in the corner—converted into a liquor bar. “Interesting, hindi ba?” says Isabel.

***
Isabel's house is modern, but her living room is a mix of old and new.

“This is basically Isabel,” says her design consultant Tito Estrada. “Alam mo naman, maraming alam ‘yan e. But what we're trying to do here is a PInoy-country theme. But Pinoy [design] naman is basically fusion of everything Eclectic.”

***
The four-seater round table is the first set of interior furniture pieces that greet visitors upon entering through the main door. One's attention immediately falls on the upright Kroeger piano standing regally on the opposite end.

“Galing din ‘yan sa old house namin,” says Isabel proudly. “This is an 18 th century piano. Pina-retune ko lang. ang ganda, ano? Nagulat nga ‘yong gumawa kasi ang galing pa rind aw ng tunog.”

The huge two-panel mirror doors flanking the piano lead to the guest rooms. The rooms can e merged into one by tucking in the movable dividing door between them. “So kung isang grupo ang gustong magbakasyon at gusto sama-sama, buksan mo lang.”

***
Isabel especially requested this shot. The woman she's hugging is her Yaya Suzie, who has been with her for more than 25 years.

“She's as much part of my life as my son, my career, and this farm. Wala pa ako sa showbiz, magkasama na kami ang never niya ako iniwanan.”

Suzie is the mayor doma of the farm these days. Under her are four stay-in families whom Isabel hired as caretakers.

After this shot beside the upo vine, Yaya Suzie went to show us the plot where her alagang kamatis, talong, and saging are grown. That is where the vegetables during lunch came from, she said.

***
Bamboo fences such as the ones you see here surround Isabel's 10-hectare spread. Cesar Montano owns the property beyond the fence—all of 20 hectares.

“Nalaman ni Cesar din ito kay Dennis. May bahay din siya diyan. Tapos, sa may unahan bago dumating dito sa akin, kina Christopher de Leon naman.”

The stream, by the way, comes from a natural source. “Pinapasok lang main, tapos pina-develop ko,” says Isabel.

Plapla, hito, and dalag are to be found there in abundance.

***
Richard says his mom Isabel – here cuddling her mini pincher, Chuva – is a cool mom. “Sobra. Barkada kami niya.” Asked if her son loves the farm as much as as she does, Isabel raised her eyebrows and sighed: “Mahilig…mahilig siyang matulog sa farm.” Mother and son like ribbing each other. For instance, when Richard saw his mom wearing a pair of pink bota [farm boots] with floral edging, he said: “Ma, pink?” Isabel retorted: “Susko, ano pa ba ang gagawin ko, kundi magloka-lokahan sa sa farm!”

***
Marilou Yap Gumabao, better known as actress Isabel Rivas, got into showbiz through sheer guts.

“Nauna sa aking artista si Dennis,” says Isabel, referring to her elder brother, actor and former Quezon City 3 rd District congressman, Dennis Roldan.

“Tapos, naging friend ko si [director] Joey Gosengfiao kasi neighbor namin siya sa Quezon City . So, noong kinuha nilang artista si Dennis, nag-apply din ako. I think I was just 18 [years old] at that time. Pero gusto ko nang mag-trabaho.”

She goes on: “One afternoon, pumunta ako sa bahay ni Joey, naka-bisikleta lang ako at naka-shorts. Sabi ko, ‘Pwede ho ba ako maging artista! ‘He replied, O, sige, titingnan ko, ii-screen test kita.' ‘Yong screen test, pelikula na pala! ‘Yong Kambal sa Uma ni Rio Locsin at Al Tantay. Tandaan n'yo?”

Showbiz wasn't easy.

“Na-traumatize kasi ako sa role,” she recalls. “Ang eksena ko, si Rio Locson nagiging daga, nagseselos sa akin, so kinakagat-kagat niya ako sa bathtub. Isang buong gabi akong nakababad sa bathtub. Nahuhulog-hulog ‘yong daga-literal. Kaya sabi ko, ang hirap palang maging artista.”

But that didn't stop her. In time, this girl from Iba, Zambales, would become one of the country's most formidable kontrabidas.

She admits that while she was absorbed with showbiz, she forgot the place she grew up in.

“Kasi s'yempre, nag-base kami sa Manila . “Noon, pag bumabalik kami dito [in Zambales], it was only for the beach. S'yempre, uso beach, di ba? Sun-bathing nang sun-bathing. After a while. I got so bored. Kasi , after maligo, mag-sunbathe, ‘no na? How much sun can take you in? Sunod ka na, wala na.”

It was her brother Dennis who came up with the bright idea of investing in a farm.

“Sabi niya, ‘Lika, mag-mangga tayo.' So, ayon. ‘Yong isang kapatid pa naming sumosyo. Bumili kami 30 hectares—hati-hati kami—tigte-ten. Then, kanya-kanya na kami ng develop. And you know what! I found my love!

“Nahanap ko ‘yong pinagdadasal ko sa Diyos all these years—‘yong pang-retirement ko. S'yempre kahit ka taga-showbiz, mag-re-retire ka din. Eto, binigay niya sa akin ito, and it's beautiful!”

Well, God also gave her industry and dedication.

These days, after eight years of cleaning, bulldozing, fencing, planting, and building on the farm, the lady farmer—I'm farming with glamour!”—is finally taking things slow.

Or is she? - -