Osmeña: Intricate subdivision and development concept

Antonio V. Osmeña
Estatements

IN PRACTICE, the terms “subdividing” and “developing” are used interchangeably. Professionally, however, the application of these terms differs significantly.

There are owners, operators and speculators, for instance, who are interested only in the less intricate business functions of acquiring tracts of land at wholesale and selling them, subdivided, at retail. In the case of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s pet project, the South Road Properties, the reclaimed area covering a total of more or less 300 hectares of raw land is now being subdivided and offered retail to those interested in developing them.

Filinvest and, more recently, SM, are interested in going far beyond this initial stage of urbanization. They seek to assume business functions that involve the creation of an entire development and the building of “living” areas that will integrate effectively with the surrounding civic and cultural environment, which is the business concept of Mayor Tom.

Literally interpreted, subdividing merely means the breaking up of one or more large tracts of land into smaller sites or plots.

Where subdividing is the owner’s intent, as in the SRP, he need not incur any additional expenses, other than those incidental to reclaiming the foreshore area and survey of the land.

He or she will also have to place markers or stakes at intended plot boundaries and submit a surveyor’s “plat” (or survey plan) of the proposed subdivision for city officials’s approval.

On the other hand, whenever land improvements are carried out in accordance with subdivision plans, and expenditures are made to provide essential site facilities, the field actions are appropriately classified as “land development.” Mayor Osmeña does not favor undertaking this in the SRP.

The SRP was planned and approved as a site for light manufacturing industries. Then, because of China’s cheap labor force, the SRP lost its economic opportunities in light manufacturing.

What the critics are now concerned about is whether the SRP has become a hodgepodge road network. It might be worthwhile for Mayor Osmeña to submit to the public a coordinated road network system, so that Filinvest and SM can synchronize their plans with the master plan for the 300-hectare property.

This road master plan is necessary for all those who wish to invest in either development or joint venture arrangement; they should subscribe to the master plan so that the different developers’s road systems interconnect.

To illustrate: The City of Cebu has consistently failed to implement a comprehensive road network system, thus developed subdivisions have no access to other adjacent properties. Mayor Serging Osmeña Jr. had the planning board prepare a comprehensive road network system, but unfortunately, it has never been properly implemented.

A good look at the map of the City of Cebu will show that different residential subdivision developments do not follow a pattern of achieving a comprehensive road network interconnection.

Cebu’s national roads suffer constant traffic snarls, and the only solution to decongest this is for Metro Cebu’s town and city planning agencies to interconnect municipal and city roads.

Most city-owned roads are narrow, as these were planned earlier for horse-drawn vehicles.

Who, then, among the political candidates have the political will to solve the obsolescent city-owned roads? Thousands of automobiles can no longer be accommodated in the national roads, and secondary city or municipal roads are a must. Hopefully, the SRP will have wide-enough roads for the ever-increasing number of automobiles.

This early, the Cebu Business Park is encountering traffic snarls, because of its road network design.

The introduction of the automobile and the lowering of the cost per vehicle, through mass production, has provided unlimited mobility and affordability, that have caused the urban sprawl.

Well-designed roads and highways need to be accomplished by the government and private land developers. Cebu’s limited coastal plain has made land developers and property owners stingy in providing the public with a generous area for vehicular use.

Will these SRP-awarded developers and buyers follow a certain pattern of road width that will conform to future vehicular traffic needs? Another problem is the greed of land developers who want to maximize profits by sacrificing vehicular amenities.

Smart launches flat-rate, push mobile email

SMART Communications Inc. has launched the beta phase of Smart mobile email, the country’s first daily flat-rate, unlimited “push” email solution meant to work on all handset models, old or advanced.

“In the same way that Smart’s innovative but affordable offerings made the use of voice and SMS ubiquitous, we would like to turn email into another universally available service from which the everyday Filipino may benefit,” said Danilo J. Mojica, head of Smart’s Wireless Consumer Division.

Like text

Smart mobile email provides all Smart subscribers, regardless of the handset they use, easy access to email through their mobile phone. For a flat rate and in a manner as easy as text messaging, Smart subscribers can read and send emails while on the go.

“Putting email in the hands of every Filipino in the most affordable and convenient way is an important part of our vision of Internet for All, or to bring the benefits of the Internet to more people,” said Mojica.

For only P20 per day, individuals can register and have access to up to two email accounts, allowing them to have their emails automatically sent to their Smart handset from their personal accounts with the most popular email providers such as Gmail, Windows Live!, and Hotmail, Facebook via RSS feeds, among others. Yahoo! is expected to be available by the first quarter of 2010.

Setup

Smart’s mobile email also offers 30 days or one-month access for P199.

Smart subscribers can set up their mobile email anytime through a quick and easy procedure done in a few clicks on their handset. Regardless of handset type, a subscriber simply needs to text MAIL to 7077 to trigger setup instructions.

For Smart Buddy subscribers, payment for SMART’s mobile email subscription will be immediately deducted from their prepaid load. The subscriber just needs to maintain a P1 load balance while subscribed to the service. For Smart Gold postpaid subscribers, payment for the chosen package will be billed upon subscription. (PR)

RLC in talks with prospective partners

(The Freeman) Updated September 28, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) is now in talks with three international resort chains for a possible partnership on the resort development component of its upscale coastline condominium project, the Amisa.

RLC assistant vice president for leisure and retirement Trina B. Cipriano said the company is now talking with international hotel and resort chains to clinch a partnership deal with RLC to kick off the resort development within Amisa considering the strong takeup of condo units and the growing interest from both the local and international markets.

RLC topped-off its first 14-story Tower A, over the weekend, which has a total of 130 condominium units, which as of this writing, are already sold.

Cipriano said the company is very meticulous in choosing the right resort chain partner to complement the property’s high-end positioning and something that will add value to the entire project.

The eight-year Gokongwei-led development project Amisa will be constructing the hotel component in the next one or two years, depending on the market takeup of its condominium unit offering.

Amisa is so far the biggest property development ventured into by the company in Cebu, although it has also invested on several pocket-projects such as the Robinsons Cyber Gate at Fuente Osmeña, among others.

Amisa is designed to have six residential condominiums featuring Australian Gold Coast architecture that offer breathtaking views of the beach, sea and Cebu’s coastline.

It will also have a five-star hotel with amenities, an entertainment center, two pools, tree-lined walks and nooks, pocket parks, and open spaces that lead to a pristine white sand beach, and sports activity areas.

The resort development was conceived to allow its users to enjoy an active interaction with nature while preserving and enhancing its environment. The concept of the towers soaring above the rest of the natural site takes advantage of the picturesque views.

Despite the global economic distress, Cipriano said Amisa has attracted buyers especially from the Southern Philippine market, thus the advance pre-selling of the 18-storey Tower B, which has yet to start construction by the first half of 2010. The Tower B will have 155 condo units.

The building of other high-rise structure that will complete the projected total of 800 condominium units will start units in the first two towers will be completely disposed.

The planned resort that will occupy over a hectare of the sprawling development is part of the five-star mixed-use development of RLC in Mactan Island, including the establishment of over 800 condominium units.

The Gokongwei Group is also known in Cebu for its other properties including the Robinsons shopping mall in Fuente Osmeña, the Midtown Hotel, Robinson’s Supermarket at the Banilad Town Center, and the Blue Coast subdivision in Mactan, and Aspen Heights in Consolacion among other affiliate businesses.

Cipriano said RLC was able to build the vertical development at the area ahead of schedule owing to the positive performance of the project, in terms of market interest.

In an earlier interview with JG Summit Holdings Inc., president and chief operating officer (COO) Lance Gokongwei, he said that the company is looking at expanding its land bank in Cebu to prepare for more projects in the next few years.

RLC is among the most profitable business of JG Summit Holdings Inc., with its 18 malls, 23 residential subdivisions, 22 residential condominiums, six office buildings and three hotels.— Ehda M. Dagooc

Australia renews ties with Banilad development center

(The Freeman) Updated March 23, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Australia has reaffirmed its commitment to assist the development needs of the Philippines by renewing its financial support to the Banilad Center for Professional Development (BCPD).

Through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the Australian government pledged to continue its financial support to BCPD aimed at doubling the capacity of the institution, which implements a poverty-alleviation program for young women of low-income families.

BCPD provides these women with technical and vocational training, industry experience and employment through the help of AusAID’s NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith, during the recent appreciation event, reassures BCPD of continued support stressing that the Australian government will remain a strong partner of the Philippines.

Smith said the Australian government is the country’s second largest grant provider with an average annual fund budget worth P4 billion earmarked for development assistance including educational support, economic reforms, governance, assistance in infrastructure, and programs that collaborate with communities, NGOs and industries.

“The Australian government wants to reach communities and contribute to the development of these communities. We hope that through our support, we will be able to assist those who need assistance and prop up the people from disadvantaged communities,” said Smith.

Smith noted the great achievement of BCPD in achieving its goals of providing technical-vocational training to deserving students.

“BCPD is an example of an effective project that showcases the partnership between governments, NGOs and the private sector. They provide 100 percent stroke rate in employment for their students and they contribute to the development of the tourism industry in the country as a whole,” said Smith.

He said that the Philippines’ tourism potential is very strong and as a staff-resourced intensive industry, it needs to provide support and training to its stakeholders and BCPD is able to help in the endeavour of creating an internationally competitive industry through supplying quality and trained students into the industry.

In 2005, Reledev Australia Limited, an Australian registered NGO partnered with ANCP funding which enabled BCPD to develop its competency-based training (CBT) for the skills needed in the hotel and restaurant services in Cebu’s booming tourism sector.

ANCP has been funding the program for four years already enabling the institution to provide training for some 300 young women from Cebu and neighbouring provinces, said BCPD director Mary Anne Ruiz.

BCPD started in 1990 offering general informal training programs such as cooking, sewing and home-related services.

Now, the institution now teaches six areas of competencies which include: bartending, housekeeping, commercial cooking, front office, baking and food and beverage services which are demanded by the hospitality industry.

During the same event, the Department of Tourism, though DOT chief Joseph Ace Durano, also pledged support to BCPD by handing P2 million to enable the institution to accommodate more students at the same time 20 new grants were also given to replace the 20 scholarships that were given last year. — Rhia de Pablo

Study reveals major shift in IT development, growth

By Ehda M. Dagooc (The Freeman) Updated September 11, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - While network and internet infrastructure companies are investing money to provide connection even to the remotest place in the Philippines, IDC-Digital Universe study revealed that a fundamental shift in the areas of information growth, security, compliance and management is seen in the next few years.

The IDC study revealed that over the next four years, the number of information-generation technologies and interaction will increase dramatically. Mobile users will grow to 600 million in four years time, as more people will become Internet heavy users.

Non-traditional IT devices such as wireless meters, automobile navigation system, industrial machines, RFID (radio frequency identification) readers, and intelligent sensor controllers, will grow by a factor of 3.6.

Because of the increasing high-technology generation, interactions between people via email, messaging, social networks, and others, will also grow dramatically.

Moreover, more of the world’s economic stimulus efforts will also increase the amount of digital information created, the result of increased access to broadband communications, electronic patient recorders, smart electric grids, smart buildings and autos.

By 2012, IDC projected that 850 million people will buy and sell products and services on the Internet and twice as much, Internet commerce will take place versus 2005.

Also in the same year, Internet commerce will become a US$13 trillion industry, mostly involving sensitive business-to-business commerce.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) earlier announced that it is spending a total of P27 billion in expansion investments, including its plan to roll out “fiber-to-home” technology in the middle of this year, and its ultimate goal in providing “broadband-for-all.”

The company incurred P25.2 billion in capital expenditure in 2008. This year, despite the volatile economic conditions, PLDT is increasing its capex allocation by P3 billion more.

“The 2008 capex level reflects PLDTs continued investment in the business, an outlook sustained in our forecasted capex of P27 billion for 2009. We are looking beyond the near-term uncertainty and positioning for the long-term when global situation stabilizes,” said PLDT president and chief executive officer (CEO) Napoleon L. Nazareno

The introduction of “fiber-to-home” technology will provide Filipinos with much reliable and faster internet connection. Although this may cost a little higher compared to ordinary connection, it is considered as the “ultimate” in fixed line infrastructure.

PLDT, the largest telecommunication provider in the Philippines, reported that Internet traffic has grown at least 80 percent year on year since 2006. Broadband subscriber based continued to grow robustly, and approached one million by year-end.

Total broadband and Internet service revenues for the company grew 45 percent to P11 billion in 2008, which now represents eight percent of consolidated service revenues from six percent in 2007.