Megaworld attracts big retiree market

8 Newtown Blvd in Cebu

December 22, 2011, 1:02am

MANILA, Philippines — After successfully opening the market for residential condominiums to mid-income families and launching the business process outsourcing (BPO) office space segment in the industry, Megaworld Corporation blazes on another new trail, as it has started to capture a chunk of the huge market for retirees.
With the soft launch of its 8 Newtown Blvd development in its 16-hectare The Mactan Newtown project in Cebu, “Megaworld hopes to attract foreign retirees and Filipinos who have spent decades working abroad to consider staying in the Philippines for their golden years. With the sensible design of our units and amenities that carefully take into consideration the needs of retirees, the company has come up with the benchmark for retirement communities in the country, after which all future developments will be compared,” said VP for marketing and project head Clifford Legaspi.
Modern and minimalist are what best describe the architectural aesthetic of the project and its overall feel. The four 15-story buildings sport clean lines and a white façade. The four-floor podium level will host commercial spaces on the ground floor and BPO offices, while residential units will start on the fifth floor to the 15th level.
Retirees can choose between executive studio units at approximately 40 sqm and one-bedroom units at about 50 sqm.
All units come with balconies so that residents can enjoy the fresh sea breeze. Units can also be combined to two or three bedrooms for bigger living spaces.
All units will be delivered pre-furnished with premium items such as LCD TV, split-type air conditioning, dining set and bed frame with mattress “to make it extremely convenient for our foreign and Filipino retirees to move in and feel at home in the Philippines,” according to Legaspi.
Once they move in, residents will enjoy spending quality time at the fifth-level play deck. Watch the sun rise while swimming at the horizon-edge pool. Have a hot bath at the onsen room. Exercise their green thumbs at the Japanese garden. Meditate at the rock garden. Share stories at the tea room and do their flower arrangements at the ikebana room.
And since this is a top retirement community, 8 Newtown Blvd will also host a Wellness Center that will address the residents’ medical and health requirements.
The location of the project in The Mactan Newtown gives residents easy access to the beach, as the development is just beside Shangri-La Mactan and adjacent to Portofino Beach Resort. The Mactan International Airport is also just 10 minutes away, where they can catch flights to Hong Kong, Macau, Osaka or even Dubai.
Other landmarks that are nearby, on the main Cebu island, that may be of interest to retirees are commercial establishments at Ayala Center and golf courses including Cebu Country Club and Alta Vista.
“The new project offers everything that a retiree considers in a future home,” according to Legaspi.
He also announced that Megaworld recently inked a partnership with the Philippine Retirement Authority to facilitate Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SSRV) applications of qualified foreign clients through their investment at 8 Newtown Blvd.