Nestled in the middle of a coconut grove and rice field, our driveway is 100 meters long and connects to the town barangay road, which connects to Loay Interior Road. We are a 2-minute drive or a 9-minute walk to the town market (maybe 500 or 600 meters). We are a 5-minute drive to Chocolate Hills, which is 3.5 kilometers away. This is a 6.67 hectares (16.5 acres) rice farm. We have about 500 dwarf coconut trees (pick all the coconuts you want), a fish pond, two rice fields, mangos, papayas, star fruit, guyabanos, pomelos, etc. We built this house for ourselves, but we find ourselves out of the country more than we are in, so the house sits empty. This house was built to American standards (breakfast bar, sliding glass door, bay window, two bathrooms, etc., etc.). I sure hope you find it restful. We do. Whenever we come home, we call our house The Laughing Place. I trust you will, too.

I was born in Batuan — and here's a piece of trivia: my birthday is December 25. My childhood house was about 100 meters from where we built this house. When working in Hong Kong, I met my husband. He built me this house, where we stay when we visit home. My husband and I also built The Soul Center in the center of town, for the purpose of running a children's program. We call it Kidz Klub.

Hidden in the middle of a gazillion coconut trees, The Laughing Place is a hideway place, a vacation within a vacation. Other than one house on the north side (my brother-in-law), there are no neighbors. Just quiet, privacy, pure air, and peace. And when you've had enough peace, the town market is just 500-600 meters away.