Investing during challenging times

[ manilastandardtoday.com ] February 25, 2010


Crisis can be turned into an investment opportunity, according to Alveo Land, an Ayala Land company.

Rex Ma. Mendoza, Ayala Land’s senior vice president for corporate sales and marketing, and a financial expert, flew to Singapore recently to speak to the Filipino community on how to invest their money during challenging times.

“Equipped with proper knowledge and courage, you can actually turn a crisis into an investment opportunity,” Mendoza said during the talk in partnership with Singapore Management University and Philippine National Bank.

The talk, supported by Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Minda Calaguian-Cruz is part of Alveo Land’s Wealth Management Series.

“There is always risk involved in any investment, even during good times. You just have to double the vigilance and forethought on where you put your money,” Mendoza explained.

He said investing in the so-called hard assets such as real estate, especially prime properties, is a more viable and secure option than putting one’s money in stocks of bonds. This, he added, is because of real estate’s unique value feature: economic crisis tends to stabilize real estate prices due to an increase in demand. When the situation improves, prices can rise very quickly, giving significant returns on the investment made during the crisis.

“You don’t have to wait for the recession to be over to reap the benefits of your new real estate purchase. You can enjoy a great address or earn from rentals. It’s also a good way to manage your wealth for your future. It’s just a matter of perspective and foresight,” Mendoza said.

Alveo Land has been on full swing in developing residential projects. Verdana, the company’s family oriented community in the South, launched a new phase while Treveia, a neighbourhood in Nuvali, is starting to take shape with roads and amenities already being completed. Other developments like Senta in Legazpi Village and Two Serendra’s second high rise section in the third phase The Red Oak is also making progress.

“We will deliver as promised, good times or bad so our clients don’t need to worry that their dream homes will just vanish. We stand by our company’s thrust of giving the market the life they deserve and this includes return on their investment,” said Robert Lao, Alveo Land vice president for sales and marketing. Dinna Chan Vasquez