Solid Group Inc. (SGI) continues to explore new Filipino brand business ventures after championing the first Filipino mobile phone, My|Phone, which has now emerged as the leading mobile phone in the country. This time, SGI aims to revolutionize the Philippines’s housing industry through a modular insulated steel housing technology under the My|House brand.
SGI Chairman Atty. Elena S. Lim can still remember how she spent her younger years. “We were seven in the family, living in a 20-square-meter room, and it’s very uncomfortable to live in that kind of house. Because of that experience, we thought of helping to improve the lives of many Filipinos by expanding into a housing technology to give hope to the young working-class Filipinos, especially civil servants and teachers, by providing them a dignified home they could call their own. With our modular steel housing system, they don’t have to rent a small room and share with other persons. We can build houses that will uplift the spirit of young Filipinos who choose to stay here in the Philippines to work instead of abroad. It is time to give back by helping the next Filipino generation. I, along with my husband Mr. Joseph Lim, are very excited that my children, headed by Susan Lim Tan, chairman, and the rest of her siblings, are very passionate in pursuing this vision. With this new venture, we will be able to provide hope, dignity and pride to the Filipino people,” said Lim.
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Solid Manila Corp. a wholly-owned subsidiary SGI is the lead organization responsible for pursuing this vision, led by its chairman, Mr. Jason S. Lim, as the real estate arm of SGI. The Solid Manila Corp. team consists of young architects and engineers who are focused on understanding the growing housing needs of the Filipino working class, such as teachers, civil servants and government employees, working within their budgets and enabling small developers to also invest in small housing projects as well.
➜ Why steel technology is the innovative choice for modern housing
Beda T. Mañalac, the president of My|House, said, “In My|House, we believe that steel will be the future of innovations in modular building technology. As seen in landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Juanico Bridge, and even ocean liners and airplanes, steel provides strength and long-term durability. Because of technology advancements, steel products have become stronger, more affordable, lighter and more attractive—perfect for the modular building technology. My|House’s technology makes residential steel buildings that are built to last as long as the steel landmarks we admire so much. This is why this modular steel building technology is fast becoming a viable alternative to traditional concrete in many markets.
➜ Steel sandwich panels make a cool environment
Steel sandwich panels have a special powder paint coating to keep them attractive and rustproofed for years. It has factory-installed, high-grade insulation to repel heat, keeping the house cool even without airconditioning. The My|House steel structure strength is certified to withstand strong winds, typhoons, earthquakes, and to be fire- and pest-resistant. But like other metal and concrete structures, proper maintenance is still the key to preserving the life and quality of the structure.
SGI has built more than 50 years‘ business experience in marketing some of the leading brands, like Sony, Samsung, TCL and more recently My|Phone, supported by Solid’s strength of its own nationwide after-sales service network and data system. It is now using this total service system as pillar to support new businesses with the same commitment of after-sales support to My|House customers. The My|House after-sales support system will use a detailed database of all installations and provide regular service alerts that will remind customers of the regular service activities needed for their installations. This specialized data warehousing software will provide scheduled after-sales service reminders and keep detailed repair and replacement information of every steel panel and column, glass, screws and bolts, and other informations for the owner of the structure using state-of-the-art Enterprise Resource Planning system through SAP, one of the world's best software company. My|House, through professional third-party insurance companies, can arrange up to three-year insurance protection for their installed units when required in case of damage from accidents, fire, flood, typhoon and any other disasters.
As early as last year, My|House has already developed a number of building projects in school classrooms and daycare centers for the public in partnership with very active institutions such as the city of Taguig, under the leadership of Mayor Lani Cayetano; the Security Bank Foundation, led by its chairman, Rafael F. Simpao Jr.; and Caritas, led by Fr. Anton Pascual.
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➜ The world’s No. 1 modular building company
“While we are new to the housing industry, we have partnered with Yahgee Corp. the biggest modular building technology provider in the world. Chinese modular construction standards are of international quality and serve markets around the world,” said Mañalac. “So our objective is to bring this technology and adapt it for the Filipino community needs and address our shortage in classrooms, housing and disaster-relocation communities.
Yahgee Corp. has shown great support and understanding in all our projects, sharing our heart‘s desire to better the lives of Filipinos as their goal as well. Our goal is to use this technology to build whole communities of young working-class Filipinos.” Yahgee Corp. has the manufacturing capacity to produce 200 million sq m of steel housing per year. An example of this enormous capacity was the
relocation work last 2008 after an earthquake hit Sichuan, China, killing 68,000 people and leaving thousands of families homeless. As part of the relocation effort, Yahgee was able to build a total of 80,000 houses in a period of one month. As part of its total quality control, Yahgee Corp. submitted its products to TUV certification tests and other quality, environmental management systems and product safety.
➜Technology builds real public-private partnership
Beda T. Mañalac has great hopes for this project, especially now that the local government is showing great support for this endeavor. And SGI Chairman Emeritus Elena S. Lim, because of her own experiences and struggles, continues to inspire My|House to give the young Filipinos the hope to have a home in their own land and uplift the dignity of their own life.
“We are honored that the Philippine government has been very supportive of our efforts. Following President Noynoy Aquino’s direction and under the leadership of Vice President Jejomar Binay as the country’s housing czar through HUDCC [Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council] as the main coordinating office, government agencies and departments such the National Housing Authority General Manager Chito Cruz, through its new technology accreditation Housing Development Technology Office head Architect Beth Regala, have extended valuable assistance in making the technology more available with the needed government recognition and accreditation. The Pag-IBIG Fund, through the proactive team of Atty. Darlene Marie B. Berberabe, is also working with us to develop dignified housing and provide financing to make monthly amortizations more affordable for young government employees,” Mañalac said.
“Following the direction of Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and the leadership of Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, our first planned project in Tandang Sora, Quezon City, has already gained overwhelming interest from groups such as the Teacher’s Welfare Group of the Department of Education and the Civil Service Housing group. They like the project because it will remove their two-hour commutes and expensive bed-spacing cost. With their P10,000-to-P18,000 salary per month, they now turn their commute expense into a worthy real-estate investment. At a bigger picture, if they own their own home in this country, they will not be forced to seek employment outside the country,” Mañalac added.
“We are hoping to help the working-class Filipinos eventually realize their dream. We are building communities, not just individual houses, and we will be calling them My|Rainbow.Place. Our pilot project is in Tandang Sora, Quezon City, targeting to highlight the celebration of the 200th birthday of Tandang Sora, known as the Mother of the Katipunan. It is just the first of a series of our developments to serve young, working-class Filipinos,” said Manalac.
➜Affordable high-tech homes in urban areas
All of the Tandang Sora 200 My|Rainbow Place units are carpeted, fully furnished, including especially designed toilet with built-in FM radio, kitchenette and basic furnishing, to provide the buyers with a “step-up” in their lifestyle. All the units are steel-structured with high-grade insulation, for temperature comfort, fire safety and pest protection. With this development, ordinary civil servants can achieve dignified lifestyle at an affordable monthly cost, with price ranging from P2,000 to P5,000 per month, through Pag-ibig financing with zero down payment. My|House’s units, with various designs and construction types, are the best investment young professionals, customized to fit their specific needs and budget in affordable housing.
➜A call for a greener, more beneficial land use
My|House continues to work with national and local government agencies to address the concerns impeding our progress. “Our aim is to provide affordable and safe housing for working-class Filipinos near their place of work to create savings in travel time, cost of commuting, bed-spacing cost and lessen physical strain of travel. This segment of our population, which is more than 90 percent of our working population, are commuters and do not own vehicles nor need parking,” Mañalac explained. “As such, we are working with the different local government units to adjust the parking space requirements to remove unnecessary building costs like parking, which only burden the working-class Filipino even more.”
My|House community designs promote an eco-friendly community through incorporating more trees that will give shade and add greenery to the city. It is the design philosophy of My|House that the city needs more green trees than cement parking lots. We believe that this design emphasis on eco-friendliness is key to preserving our environment even in urban areas.
“We are also working with the same government agencies to adjust the zoning restrictions on densities in certain areas to enable this kind of affordable housing to be built in places that are safe, near to their work and accessible to public transportation for these young commuting Filipinos.Allowing higher densities of these affordable but attractive three-story walk-up condominium-type buildings in such areas will then remove the option of expensive bed spacing or renting in squatter areas as a thing of the past. This gives young working professionals a chance to own very nice units in prime locations like Metro Manila and other similar urban areas. In the near future, these properties will have greater value than the properties in the far suburbs,” Mañalac added, “and can eventually sell it for a good value when they are ready to upgrade or expand their living space requirements."
My|House would like to share its modular steel technologies to help build communities and individual structures in cooperation with both private and government entities, including homes, classrooms, dormitories, warehouses and offices. It provides information on any of its products or projects on its website http://www.myhouse.net.ph as well as upon request through its e-mail inquiry@myhouse.net.ph.
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