Sandari Batulao reemerges as tourism hub

Written by Ruben Terrado and Ira V. Panganiban

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 21:00

LONG before the days when Metro Manilans needed to board a plane to go on a vacation, a short trip to Batangas was the best option. Nasugbu town, in particular, with its hilly terrain and cool weather shared with adjacent Tagaytay City, its rich shoreline for beach fanatics, was known until the late ’80s as the perfect getaway for those who wish to rest from the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila. The government, never losing sight of its potential, had, in fact, declared Nasugbu a special tourism zone through an executive order issued by President Arroyo in 2007. Nasugbu is on its way to its reemergence as a tourist haven with the recent groundbreaking of Sandari Batulao, a master-planned mountain resort and leisure community. Located in barangay Caylaway at the foot of Mount Batulao and Mount Talamitam, along the Nasugbu-Batangas National Road, Sandari Batulao promises to become the premier mountainside development in Nasugbu. It will rise on gently rolling to gradually sloping grounds 300 to 600 feet above sea level. The 800-hectare property is being developed by Citystate Properties and Management Corp. as a joint venture with Group Developers Inc. and Batulao Bio-Loop Farms of the Puyat family. JC Rodriguez Construction Corp. and Pro-Construct Corp. are also involved in the project. Citystate Properties is a member of the business organization organized by Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, which also includes the Fortune Insurance Group and Eternal Group of Companies, among other business entities. At the groundbreaking ceremonies on April 24, J. Wilfredo A. Cabangon, Citystate Properties executive vice president and general manager, forecast that Sandari Batulao will boost development in cities and towns south of the metropolis. “This project is envisioned to become one of the more popular out-of-town, self-sustaining communities, as it is located right in the midst of a tourist destination. It should spur further growth for Nasugbu and other nearby towns of Batangas, which is the goal of Sandari Batulao,” he said. “Nasugbu used to be the destination of choice during Holy Week or long breaks by Manila folks, but after its beaches were not taken care of and the other provinces caught up, we were kind of forgotten,” said Ramon Tuazon, head of a local tourism revival team that seeks to restore the town of Nasugbu to its old place as a leading tourist destination. Sandari Batulao, he added, will restore Nasugbu to its old glory and spur the decadelong efforts of local officials to rehabilitate the town. “We encourage developers like CityState Properties to put a stake in Nasugbu simply because it is the most logical place to come to for a short break from Manila since it is near and economical,” added Nasugbu Mayor Antonio Barcelon. Architect Noel Saratan said Sandari Batulao will be the first of its kind in the country. Its architectural style will be comparable with similar mountainside developments in Bali, Indonesia and Chang Mai, Thailand. “As far as I’m aware of, this is the first time there will be a residential resort with a mountain theme in the Philippines,” Saratan said. “Right now, all residential resorts that are sprouting are on the beach. This time, here, it is situated in a mountain environment.” Robie Sandoval, president of Proconstruct Corp. and project manager of Sandari Batulao, agrees with Saratan. “It is unique because I think this is the first time that we are going to have a project with this terrain. Nobody has also built this kind of project here,” Sandoval said. “There are also mountainside developments in Baguio. But they are plain residential. Here, we try to make it a point that it is a mountain resort,” said Saratan. Sandoval said the 800-hectare project will be done in three phases, with the first phase further broken down into three stages to cover 30 hectares. Construction of the first part of Phase One is now ongoing. “Phase 1-A started on March 15 and its target completion is in September,” he said. The Calamias River, which is situated in the property, offers another great potential for attracting leisure travelers and guests. With all its offerings showing nature at its finest, Sandari Batulao promises to hasten the revival of Nasugbu as a tourist destination in Southern Tagalog. IN PHOTO -- ROBERTO SANDOVAL(top left), president of Pro-Construct Corp; Teodoro Rodriguez, president of JC Rodriguez Construction Corp.; Milagros Puyat, landowner of Group Developers Inc. and Batulao BioLoop Farms; J. Wilfredo A. Cabangon, executive vice president and general manager of Citystate Properties and Management Corp.; Arch. Noel Saratan, architectural consultant; Nasugbu Mayor Antonio Barcelon; and Arch. Art Butac, project technical head of Citystate Properties.