By Debra Magallon-Estero
DESPITE the legal battles it is facing, a developer of a high-end condominium project reported that it was still able to receive better than expected sales from the local market.
“It came as a surprise,” said Syntech Properties sales and marketing manager Anita Go Blanco during an interview last Thursday.
For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter
“They are mainly the ones who have heard about the negative publicity, but they are still buying the units,” said Jesus Alao, sales executive for Syntech Properties Inc.
Syntech Properties is the developer of Citylights Gardens, a four-tower condominium compound located in Nivel Hills, Apas, Cebu City.
Local buyers account for 18 percent of the buyers of units at the Citylight Gardens Towers 3 and 4.
Sixty percent of the buyers are mainly foreign nationals with Filipino spouses, while 22 percent are foreign nationals who are either expatriates or retirees.
Of the 216 units of Towers 3 and 4, 150 units have been sold, of which 120 units were already turned over to their owners.
Optimistic
Blanco said the company is optimistic it will be able to sell the remaining units next year.
“If only there was no global financial crisis, we could have sold all the units this year,” she said.
Syntech Properties has invested P44 million in the rehabilitation of the common areas and facilities of the development.
However, it still cannot determine when the rehabilitation will be completed since some common areas are being occupied by officers of the condominium corporation of Towers 1 and 2.
This includes the coffee shop room, which is used as their administrative office, and the electrical room, which was converted into a storage room.
The rehabilitation project of Syntech Properties led the residents of Towers 1 and 2 to file legal cases against Syntech Properties.
Last July, residents of Towers 1 and 2 filed a contempt case against Syntech Properties for allegedly cutting off the water supply to the two towers last March.
But Alao said a court decision on the water issue was already served, which “hopefully settles everything,” he said.
According to the omnibus order from Regional Trial Court Branch Six, copies of which were furnished by Syntech Properties to reporters, the court decided against the unit owners’ petition for a preliminary injunction against Syntech Properties since Syntech was found not to have been in violation of the conditional water permit (CWP).
The unit owners of Towers 1 and 2 had wanted Syntech to stop supplying water to Towers 3 and 4, saying this was a violation of Syntech’s conditional water permit.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
CHI launches "Greenology" campaign
By Ehda M. Dagooc (The Freeman) Updated September 15, 2009 12:00 AM
CEBU, Philippines - With climate change now becoming one of the most important issues that needs utmost attention, Cebu’s real estate giant Cebu Holdings Inc. (CHI) recently launched a sustainable development campaign promoting environmental awareness.
“It is time that we involve not only our mall tenants but also the mall-goers to be proactive in helping protect the environment,” said CHI President Francis Monera during the launching of the mall’s “Greenology” campaign.
CHI, the developer and operator of Ayala Center Cebu (ACC) shopping center, will pioneer a very active move in educating shoppers to embrace full responsibility on environment awareness, through introducing year-long activities that promotes environmental protection.
One activity is the drive to eliminate or reduce the use of plastic shopping bags.
Monera explained that shoppers are given incentives when they turn over plastic shopping bags that contain items purchased inside ACC.
The Greenology campaign will also feature environment-friendly bags produced by Filipino designers, “green” garments and recyclables fair, among others.
This campaign according to Monera came as an offshoot of CHI’s sustainable development policy by implementing a sound management system that involves a collaborative effort by the company’s employees, partners, and tenants.
According to CHI, the system involves creating of a sustainability committee; raising awareness among employees, tenants and partners on the importance of environmental protection and sustainable development; implementing energy and water conservation programs; tree planting; and setting in place a solid waste management program.
CHI supports the principle of sustainable development, in which the property developer undertakes measures to ensure that its business activities have little or no impact on the environment, Monera said.
“We put sustainability at the core of the business,” Monera said, citing for instance the mall’s The Terraces, which carries a resort-theme- combining several plant varieties and water fountains surrounded by shops and restaurants.
“Others commented that we could have utilized the garden portion to accommodate more tenants and rake more revenues. But the ‘green portion’ is our way of sending out a message that our projects carry with it our efforts in raising environmental awareness,” he said.
As part of its sustainability program, CHI will start calculating this year the carbon footprint of each employee. The activity is meant to raise the awareness of CHI employees on how their activities contribute to climate change.
Monera said CHI will eventually require employees to reduce their carbon footprint. But the company has to educate employees before establishing benchmarks and setting targets, he added.
Elson Homez, CHI head for property management division, reported that since it implemented energy and water saving measures last year, CHI has cut power consumption by 8.7 percent and achieved a three-percent reduction in water consumption.
CEBU, Philippines - With climate change now becoming one of the most important issues that needs utmost attention, Cebu’s real estate giant Cebu Holdings Inc. (CHI) recently launched a sustainable development campaign promoting environmental awareness.
“It is time that we involve not only our mall tenants but also the mall-goers to be proactive in helping protect the environment,” said CHI President Francis Monera during the launching of the mall’s “Greenology” campaign.
CHI, the developer and operator of Ayala Center Cebu (ACC) shopping center, will pioneer a very active move in educating shoppers to embrace full responsibility on environment awareness, through introducing year-long activities that promotes environmental protection.
One activity is the drive to eliminate or reduce the use of plastic shopping bags.
Monera explained that shoppers are given incentives when they turn over plastic shopping bags that contain items purchased inside ACC.
The Greenology campaign will also feature environment-friendly bags produced by Filipino designers, “green” garments and recyclables fair, among others.
This campaign according to Monera came as an offshoot of CHI’s sustainable development policy by implementing a sound management system that involves a collaborative effort by the company’s employees, partners, and tenants.
According to CHI, the system involves creating of a sustainability committee; raising awareness among employees, tenants and partners on the importance of environmental protection and sustainable development; implementing energy and water conservation programs; tree planting; and setting in place a solid waste management program.
CHI supports the principle of sustainable development, in which the property developer undertakes measures to ensure that its business activities have little or no impact on the environment, Monera said.
“We put sustainability at the core of the business,” Monera said, citing for instance the mall’s The Terraces, which carries a resort-theme- combining several plant varieties and water fountains surrounded by shops and restaurants.
“Others commented that we could have utilized the garden portion to accommodate more tenants and rake more revenues. But the ‘green portion’ is our way of sending out a message that our projects carry with it our efforts in raising environmental awareness,” he said.
As part of its sustainability program, CHI will start calculating this year the carbon footprint of each employee. The activity is meant to raise the awareness of CHI employees on how their activities contribute to climate change.
Monera said CHI will eventually require employees to reduce their carbon footprint. But the company has to educate employees before establishing benchmarks and setting targets, he added.
Elson Homez, CHI head for property management division, reported that since it implemented energy and water saving measures last year, CHI has cut power consumption by 8.7 percent and achieved a three-percent reduction in water consumption.
Wellness industry players hope to gain from SEMP
(The Freeman) Updated September 07, 2009 12:00 AM
CEBU, Philippines - Stakeholders of Cebu’s health and wellness industry are hoping to take advantage of the multi-million earning sector, which includes the medical tourism market, after it completes a market guidance blueprint that will be supported by the Center for Promotion of Imports from Development Countries (CBI)-Netherlands.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-Cebu Provincial Office) provincial director Nelia F. Navarro said the health and wellness players through the Cebu Health and Wellness Council (CHWC) put their hopes on the upcoming completion of the Sector-Export-Marketing-Plan (SEMP), that will pave the way for dramatic growth of health and wellness sector in Cebu in the next few years.
The SEMP, which will be developed by foreign and local experts in export industry, with the support of CBI-Netherlands, German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), will provide an intensive marketing plan for the identified priority sectors like seaweed, health and wellness, fashion accessories, furniture, and gifts-toys-housewares.
Navarro said it is important for Cebu players to have updated information on market intelligence, in order to benchmark with competitor countries in health and wellness, such as Thailand, India, Malaysia, and Singapore.
“We will be expecting experts from Netherlands to coach with our players here especially hospitals. Our major concern now is the market access,” said Navarro.
As far as facilities are concern, Navarro said Cebu is already close to competitors like Thailand, India, Singapore and Malaysia, but the problem is how to access the huge health and wellness market in the world, especially the medical tourists.
Once Cebu gains market access, growth in the health and wellness sector is expected to soar, and Cebu will be able to have another economic revenue backbone through health and wellness.
For the meantime, Navarro said the industry is trying to attract the “Balikbayans” to avail of the world-class standard health and wellness services in Cebu, specifically the most popular vanity and dental services.
Navarro said while it will take some time to engrave Cebu’s emerging position as health and wellness destination in Asia, the players can easily start with attracting millions of Filipinos working and residing abroad.
Earlier, the Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu (SWAC) announced that it is closely working with CHWC along with other organizations in the health and wellness sector, to provide a sound package for the Medical Tourism market. — Ehda M. Dagooc
CEBU, Philippines - Stakeholders of Cebu’s health and wellness industry are hoping to take advantage of the multi-million earning sector, which includes the medical tourism market, after it completes a market guidance blueprint that will be supported by the Center for Promotion of Imports from Development Countries (CBI)-Netherlands.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-Cebu Provincial Office) provincial director Nelia F. Navarro said the health and wellness players through the Cebu Health and Wellness Council (CHWC) put their hopes on the upcoming completion of the Sector-Export-Marketing-Plan (SEMP), that will pave the way for dramatic growth of health and wellness sector in Cebu in the next few years.
The SEMP, which will be developed by foreign and local experts in export industry, with the support of CBI-Netherlands, German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), will provide an intensive marketing plan for the identified priority sectors like seaweed, health and wellness, fashion accessories, furniture, and gifts-toys-housewares.
Navarro said it is important for Cebu players to have updated information on market intelligence, in order to benchmark with competitor countries in health and wellness, such as Thailand, India, Malaysia, and Singapore.
“We will be expecting experts from Netherlands to coach with our players here especially hospitals. Our major concern now is the market access,” said Navarro.
As far as facilities are concern, Navarro said Cebu is already close to competitors like Thailand, India, Singapore and Malaysia, but the problem is how to access the huge health and wellness market in the world, especially the medical tourists.
Once Cebu gains market access, growth in the health and wellness sector is expected to soar, and Cebu will be able to have another economic revenue backbone through health and wellness.
For the meantime, Navarro said the industry is trying to attract the “Balikbayans” to avail of the world-class standard health and wellness services in Cebu, specifically the most popular vanity and dental services.
Navarro said while it will take some time to engrave Cebu’s emerging position as health and wellness destination in Asia, the players can easily start with attracting millions of Filipinos working and residing abroad.
Earlier, the Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu (SWAC) announced that it is closely working with CHWC along with other organizations in the health and wellness sector, to provide a sound package for the Medical Tourism market. — Ehda M. Dagooc
Cebu Medtourism campaign gaining favorable feedback
By AJ de la Torre (The Freeman) Updated September 21, 2009 12:00 AM
CEBU, Philippines - The promotion of Cebu as a premier destination for medical tourism is slowly paying off with positive feedback from tourists and local and international guests being noted by the font liners of such effort.
Engr. Oscar Tuason, president of the Cebu Health and Wellness Council and the Administrator of the Cebu Doctors hospital shared that despite the financial crisis, medical tourists in Cebu surprisingly increased as opposed to what they were expecting.
Tuason said that especially these days, customers now give value to how much they spend at the same time making sure they get the quality they need at affordable prices.
He shared that in other countries, aside from higher payments, there are longer waiting lines for patients to undergo the medical procedure.
Tuason said that the patients see the greater importance of securing their health and not on the high status of the place they are treated like the accreditation that it has achieved.
He said that the accreditation in fact is not a basis of how it could attract the customers but it is mainly on the “availability of good quality services that will attract medical tourists.”
However, despite that Tuason said that the three major hospitals in Cebu, which are partners of the CHWC, are undergoing accreditation to further push for the expansions of the hospitals.
But Tuason said that this does not mean that if the hospitals will be accredited, this will gather more medical tourists.
“As long as they are happy and they feel guaranteed of the clinical procedures and services, they would go for it,” Tuason added.
The three hospitals in Cebu are undergoing processes for international accreditation but Tuason said that they are also aiming for the Philhealth accreditation to go side by side with the international accreditation.
Tuason said that the facilities of the hospitals in Cebu are also not behind the facilities from other leading countries as they are continually striving to stay on track in using state of the art facilities.
This is part of the efforts of the CHWC, said Tuason, which persistently advocates the many services that could be availed in Cebu like the medical services aside from the council’s effort to push the Spa and Wellness Tourism.
CEBU, Philippines - The promotion of Cebu as a premier destination for medical tourism is slowly paying off with positive feedback from tourists and local and international guests being noted by the font liners of such effort.
Engr. Oscar Tuason, president of the Cebu Health and Wellness Council and the Administrator of the Cebu Doctors hospital shared that despite the financial crisis, medical tourists in Cebu surprisingly increased as opposed to what they were expecting.
Tuason said that especially these days, customers now give value to how much they spend at the same time making sure they get the quality they need at affordable prices.
He shared that in other countries, aside from higher payments, there are longer waiting lines for patients to undergo the medical procedure.
Tuason said that the patients see the greater importance of securing their health and not on the high status of the place they are treated like the accreditation that it has achieved.
He said that the accreditation in fact is not a basis of how it could attract the customers but it is mainly on the “availability of good quality services that will attract medical tourists.”
However, despite that Tuason said that the three major hospitals in Cebu, which are partners of the CHWC, are undergoing accreditation to further push for the expansions of the hospitals.
But Tuason said that this does not mean that if the hospitals will be accredited, this will gather more medical tourists.
“As long as they are happy and they feel guaranteed of the clinical procedures and services, they would go for it,” Tuason added.
The three hospitals in Cebu are undergoing processes for international accreditation but Tuason said that they are also aiming for the Philhealth accreditation to go side by side with the international accreditation.
Tuason said that the facilities of the hospitals in Cebu are also not behind the facilities from other leading countries as they are continually striving to stay on track in using state of the art facilities.
This is part of the efforts of the CHWC, said Tuason, which persistently advocates the many services that could be availed in Cebu like the medical services aside from the council’s effort to push the Spa and Wellness Tourism.
Friday, September 18, 2009
AboitizLand to pour P2B on more housing projects
CEBU, Philippines - Bullish about Cebu’s real estate market, property developer Aboitiz Land Inc. will be spending P2 billion next year on more residential projects in Cebu as well as expansions of its existing developments.
AboitizLand president Andoni Aboitiz said that the company just closed a deal to acquire a 15-hectare property at Cordova on Mactan Island, for the establishment of another middle-range subdivision, the first development of AboitizLand located in Mactan.
Bigger chunk of the capital expenditure (capex) allocated for 2010 will be poured on the expansion of its City-based condominium project called “Persimmon”, as the company will spend about P400 million for the construction of each tower.
Aboitiz said the company is on the constant look out for available land for other projects, especially for condominium developments, as it has seen a strong take up of condominium units in Cebu since the company offered the Tower 1 units to the market.
Part of the expenditure will also be used to construct the commercial segment of its high-end residential project in Talamban—the Pristina North, including the Town Houses component of the chic subdivision.
AboitizLand’s middle-range subdivision project in the Southern part of the City, Kishanta, will also be expanded next year, as take up sales is also strong, he said.
The company expects to complete all the 628 condominium units at 1.4 hectare Persimmon project located in Mabolo area, Aboitiz said.
“[We noted] good uptake of [real estate] sales especially in condominium market. Some years ago we made judgment call that Cebuanos will embrace condo living,” Aboitiz said adding that today, the condo market is hitting very strongly and he projects a more competitive market in the next few years.
“We are studying some areas and good properties [around Metro Cebu] for our future condominium development projects,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the launching of the 15-story Persimmon North Tower that will offer another 157 condo units.
Last year, AboitizLand Inc. spent P2.3 billion in for projects it started in 2008, including Persimmon, iMEZ project at the Mactan Export Zone (MEZ-2), Kishanta expansion, among others.
According to Aboitiz, the company will be spending more on condominium developments in the next few years, as soon as it can spot good location for its next condo project.
The Persimmon is the company’s 15th project. It has realized “impressive” uptake attributed to its combination of strategic location, excellent amenities and value-for-money construction.
For its Tower 1, surprisingly, 80 percent of the buyers are local residents in Cebu, 10 percent international Filipino market, and seven percent foreigners.
AboitizLand president Andoni Aboitiz said that the company just closed a deal to acquire a 15-hectare property at Cordova on Mactan Island, for the establishment of another middle-range subdivision, the first development of AboitizLand located in Mactan.
Bigger chunk of the capital expenditure (capex) allocated for 2010 will be poured on the expansion of its City-based condominium project called “Persimmon”, as the company will spend about P400 million for the construction of each tower.
Aboitiz said the company is on the constant look out for available land for other projects, especially for condominium developments, as it has seen a strong take up of condominium units in Cebu since the company offered the Tower 1 units to the market.
Part of the expenditure will also be used to construct the commercial segment of its high-end residential project in Talamban—the Pristina North, including the Town Houses component of the chic subdivision.
AboitizLand’s middle-range subdivision project in the Southern part of the City, Kishanta, will also be expanded next year, as take up sales is also strong, he said.
The company expects to complete all the 628 condominium units at 1.4 hectare Persimmon project located in Mabolo area, Aboitiz said.
“[We noted] good uptake of [real estate] sales especially in condominium market. Some years ago we made judgment call that Cebuanos will embrace condo living,” Aboitiz said adding that today, the condo market is hitting very strongly and he projects a more competitive market in the next few years.
“We are studying some areas and good properties [around Metro Cebu] for our future condominium development projects,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the launching of the 15-story Persimmon North Tower that will offer another 157 condo units.
Last year, AboitizLand Inc. spent P2.3 billion in for projects it started in 2008, including Persimmon, iMEZ project at the Mactan Export Zone (MEZ-2), Kishanta expansion, among others.
According to Aboitiz, the company will be spending more on condominium developments in the next few years, as soon as it can spot good location for its next condo project.
The Persimmon is the company’s 15th project. It has realized “impressive” uptake attributed to its combination of strategic location, excellent amenities and value-for-money construction.
For its Tower 1, surprisingly, 80 percent of the buyers are local residents in Cebu, 10 percent international Filipino market, and seven percent foreigners.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)