Sunday, January 8, 2012

The visionary behind Sandari Batulao

SET to change the landscapes of Nasugbu, Batangas, is a pioneering mountainside community, carefully master planned to ensure sustainable community living by seamlessly integrating human activity with a consistent effort to preserve the environment.

Culling its name from the Sanskrit words zaanta and dhari, which literally translate to “peaceful valley,” as it espouses the relaxed, nature-oriented lifestyle among its residents, this ambitious project called Sandari Batulao is being spearheaded by fast-rising real-estate company Citystate Properties & Management Corp. (CPMC), under the guidance and vision of highly accomplished business magnate, Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua.

Sandari Batulao is the latest venture of Cabangon Chua who is behind the highly diversified ALC Group of Companies, a conglomerate with expertise on a diverse field of industries such as health care, insurance, banking and financial services, memorial park management, hotel management, car dealership and media, of which industry leaders and known companies such as the Fortune Group, Eternal Gardens and Eternal Plans, Isuzu Makati-GenCars Inc., the BusinessMirror, Philippines Graphic, dwIZ, Home Radio and Citystate Bank are part of.

In stark contrast to the entrepreneurial person that he is now, responsible for building a hugely successful business empire, Cabangon Chua actually comes from very modest beginnings. As a young breadwinner and working student, it was by sheer determination and tenacity that he was able to send himself to school and eventually earned a degree in accounting at the University of the East. He made his very first foray into the world of entrepreneurship by opening a pawnshop with his friends and later on venturing into other businesses such as logging, casinos, entertainment venues, lodging places and wet markets, all of which yielded great success. These allowed him to embark on bigger ventures which now make up his empire.

His achievements, in fact, have not been limited to the field of business. Cabangon Chua is also a military reserve officer with a rank of colonel and served as Ambassador to Laos during the Arroyo administration.

“I have a burning desire to succeed in life because of the way my mother was treated by our rich relatives when I was very young. It pushed me. It motivated me. They were the catalyzers who pushed me to succeed,” says Cabangon Chua in his biography The Continuing Saga of Success. It is this inherent passion for success that has motivated this man to undertake the overwhelming task of developing Sandari Batulao, a sprawling 800-hectare property situated at the foot of Mount Batulao, popularly known as the local European Alps to hikers because of the majestic silhouette formed by its jagged cogon-covered peaks.

From the very start, Cabangon Chua has always been firm that the only way to commence the development of Sandari Batulao is by appreciating what nature has generously blessed the property with, such as its undulating hills and mountains, stretching green sceneries, a picturesque three-river system and even its very own forest reserve. To achieve this, Cabangon Chua sought the expertise of architect Lui Thai Ker, responsible for the urban planning of Singapore as a world-class city-state, to draw up a master plan for the development of Sandari Batulao. Embodying the finest standards of responsible property development, every step in the development of Sandari Batulao is being done with utmost respect and care for the natural topography of the land, following its natural contours instead of going against it, to ensure that the beauty of this property is preserved and will be enjoyed by its residents and even the future generations who will come to live here. Cabangon Chua hopes that his vision of forming a community where people will not interfere with nature but act as stewards of the environment will also be shared by Sandari Batulao residents who will take an active part in helping to maintain the sustainability of this project.

Being a dedicated family man and a devout follower of the Black Nazarene, Cabangon Chua also believes in the importance of instilling a sense of community and spirituality in Sandari Batulao. In a piece of land donated by CPMC’s joint-venture partner, Miguel Puyat of the Batulao Bio-Loop Farms Inc. and Group Developers Inc., a church consecrated to St. Anthony of Padua is set to be built, serving as the community’s dwelling place to unite and enrich their faith.

A firm believer of commerce with a soul, another very important thing that Cabangon Chua ensures all buyers of Sandari Batulao is that all the lots being offered are title-ready, unlike other developers who take so long to turn over titles to lot owners who have worked so hard in order to purchase their property. “It’s a firm commitment to the buyers’ peace of mind,” he says.

As his ever-expanding business empire remains flourishing, one might wonder if there is any secret behind Cabangon Chua’s success all throughout his prolific career, which has already spanned more than five decades. Cabangon Chua reveals that there isn’t any. “There is no secret to success. You just have to work hard and focus on whatever it is that you need to succeed in. A talented man who takes it easy doesn’t stand a chance against a mediocre man who focuses all his energy on a project. But of course, you have to dream to succeed.”

With Cabangon Chua’s dreams continuing to bear fruit in each phase of the development of Sandari Batulao, this 800-hectare splendor of nature shaped by his vision, faith and hard work will grow and stand as a testament to his legacy for years and years to come.

Sandari Batulao is located at Km. 77, Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas, and is just an hour-and-a-half drive from Makati via the South Luzon Expressway through Sta. Rosa and is a short 10-minute drive from Metro Tagaytay.

For more information, pls call our hotline number +639173236123.



In Photo: Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua

No comments:


OTHER LINKS