Beauty and Bliss in High Living

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10 | CondoCentral

editor’s note

Carlomar Arcangel Daoanacarlo@condocentral.com.ph

Beauty and Bliss in High Living

Carlomar Arcangel DaoanaEDitor in ChiEf

Chrysler de GuzmanArt DirECtor

Godwin neronaLAyout Artist

Benhur ArcayanChiEf photoGrAphEr

Ana Kristine B. ValenzuelaContriButinG wwritEr

Dexter r. dela CruzEDitoriAL AssistAnt

Arnold A. Altamirafelicisimo A. tejuco, Jr.

EDitoriAL ConsuLtAnts

ContriButors

Cita Abad-DinglasanEdwin Calica Cacayorin, Jr.

renne isidroCoLumnists

Johanna Acab-faustinoBernadette Bangayan

matt BienvenidoKeith Bryan Cortez

Jaime Licaucomariel Lorenzo

roel hoang maniponDr. Adelaida V. mayo

Jenny orillosmaripet L. posoJohanna sampan

writErs

nadia Camit-upton (London)reyann Kong (new york)

CorrEsponDEnts

pranz Kaeno Billonesrhoy Cobillashaira Luna

photoGrAphErs

Cherie mae AyongaosALEs AnD mArKEtinG DirECtor

Editha B. ignacioEmma mangalindan

Cyd V. ponceACCount ExECutiVEs

Bong CayananCirCuLAtion mAnAGEr

Alfred matrimoniowEB DEsiGnEr

Revisiting one of my most fAvoRite films, American Beauty, I was struck, this time with more poignancy, the scene where Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening, playing the dysfunctional couple Lester and Caroline, are about to make love. At the corner of her eye, Caroline catches Lester about to spill his drink on a $4,000 sofa upholstered in Italian silk. The foreplay terminates, with Lester, for obvious reason, visibly miffed. “This is not life,” he exclaims, gesturing at the things in their middle-class, suburban home. “This is just stuff. And it’s become more important to you than living. Well, honey, that’s just nuts.”

As a glossy editor, I sometimes find it hard to remind myself that things are just things whenever comfronted by an exquisitely beaded haute couture by Pitoy Moreno for example, the sinuous evocation of an Italian chair, a gorgeously designed condo unit sparkling with Swarovski crystals, or the Zen-like simplicity of an iPod. We relate to things not only on the physical but emotional level as well. This is the reason why we have so called “sentimental objects,” ordinary things with which we accord their own level of value and significance.

It’s just nuts when we let things bear the brunt of projecting what and who we think we are to the world. We want to appear success-ful? Then let’s purchase that power suit and PDA phone. We want to look cool and hip? Then let’s get that pair of Chucks and the latest distressed jeans. We want to evoke the notion of domestic bliss? Let’s buy that $4,000 sofa upholstered in Italian silk. Instead of doing the hardwork of how to possibly make our aspira-tion happen, we instead get into the trance of “buy mode,” thinking that things will do the work for us. Well, I have news for you: it ain’t gonna happen.

That’s why I deeply appreciate when things serve the human, a concept awakened in me by personally listening and interviewing stellar designers Karim Rashid and Gaetano Pesche.

Case in point: our cover story, the Manhattan Garden City (MGC), a revolutionary project of Megaworld and the Araneta Group of Compa-nies. Integrating human activities—live, work, play, move—in one community, MGC offers the unique opportunity to respond to the demands of the modern world and at the same time nurture personal and social relationships in a nature-inspired setting. The ease of doing one activity after another also engenders free time that can be devoted to creativity, hobby and reflection.

It is in the same vein that I’m taking my hats off to Philips which has designed a slew of simple and yet intelligent products that serve the many essential needs of soul and body such as good drinking water, warm light benefi-cial to those afflicted with Seasonal Affective Disorder, story-telling session, among others. This line of products dubbed Simplicity looks every bit the wave of the future.

I do indulge and encourage a little harmless shopping spree, as evidenced by two stories featuring the newly built TriNoma and the new wing Archaeology in the Power Plant Mall. What I feel vituperative about is the mindless purchase of knick-knacks, the blind submission to marketing, and the sticky reliance on brands and labels. A variety of options will give us pause, prompt us to think and consider. Our Preview section offers that through five differ-ent condominiums and the respective lifestyles they evoke.

If there’s anything that American Beauty has taught me, it’s that your life should look better than your house.

Making things work— for us

10 eDitoR’s notemaking things work - for usCarlomar Arcangel Daoana

44 Review CentRAlThe hottest lifestyle picks

70 suRveyPeripheral missionArnold A. Altamira

72 legAllegal optionsAtty. Edwin Calica Cacayorin, Jr.

74 oPinionCondo Café Renne Isidro

i n e v e r y i s s u e

is published monthly by Condo.Com.Ph, Inc.; 2nd Floor P&L Building, 116 Legazpi St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines; Tel. Nos. (632) 812-3333 Fax No. (632) 893-8134; E-mail admin@condocentral.com.ph; Website www.condocentral.com.ph. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in Condo Central are solely those of writers and are not necessarily endorsed by Condo.Com.Ph, Inc. We welcome unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. Kindly accompany a self-addressed stamped envelope if they are to be returned. While every reasonable care will be taken by the editor, no responsibility is assumed for the said materials.

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Vol. I No. 11August 2007

is published by

www.condo.com.ph

Daniel R. dela CruzPRESIDENT/CEO

Danilo R. dela Cruz, Jr.ChIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Bing LauExECuTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Renne IsidroSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT - ADMINISTRATION

AND MARKETING

Patrick R. BlancoVICE PRESIDENT - SALES

Justin ParkMANAGING DIRECTOR -

INTERNATIONAL SALES DIVISION

Jhun-Jhun ArceroOPERATIONS MANAGER

Nel GarbanzosADMINISTRATION

AND COLLECTION OFFICER

Villanueva Gabionza & De Santos Law Offices

LEGAL COuNSEL

contents

76 RefleCtionsofw notes Cita Y. Abad-Dinglasan

78 ConDo memoview from the top Keith Bryan Cortez

82 ConDo guiDeYour condominium hypermarket

94 CentRAl mARketClassified ads

102 HAPPeningsThe condo gets an upgradeCondo.Com.Ph, Inc. inks deal with PhilbridgeCrown Regency toasts to its Boracay project

PReview

54 Zensational design 56 A refreshing change of pace58 RsvP to exclusivity60 Coming home to chic manila62 investing in paradise

14 ReveAl

simplicity in complexity The most innovative and human-sensitive products from Philips18 sPotligHt

Through the lens of the beholderAmerica’s Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker believes that beauty transcends surface

20 CelebRity

yeng says yes to famePinoy Dream Academy winner Yeng Constantino proves she is more than a one-hit wonderCoveRAge

26 northern shopping exposure28 Digging for good findshead to TriNoma and Archaeology for a unique shopping experience

C O v e r s T O r y

48 Manhattan at our doorsteps Designed to rise and cluster at the Araneta Center, Manhattan Garden City is an ideal place to live, work, play and move

30 Community

bonifacio global City: living the good life, hereLadies and gentlemen, the city of the future is here 38 mAn on toP

Joel Cruz: At the (s)center of thingsThe man behind Aficionado welcomes us into his home

64 soAR

inspirations from the edge of the worldhow a gallery cum cafe in Palawanbraves the odds

F e A T u r e s

106 ePilogue

in pursuit of the universal wowMayie Delgado explores the abstract quality of the natural world

14 | CondoCentral

reveal

wHAt Does it meAn to live a sim-ple life? In my young mind, it is look-ing at life from a positive perspective. It is having realistic dreams and doing my best to achieve these while trying to have fun doing so. It is facing every single day with the right attitude and a happy disposition. It is believing that life can be beautiful despite what the headlines say.

Experiencing a simple, fulfilling and happy life is a decision. At the Philips Simplicity Event in hong Kong in mid-March, I learned that it is the freedom from life’s complexities and knowing what matters and what doesn’t.

Journalists from various countries such as China, Japan, Malaysia, Singa-

pore, India, Spain, Germany, Australia, hong Kong and the Philippines were invited to experience what Philips has to offer to the consumers to make their life easier, simpler and trouble- free.

“Innovation is the only recipe to move up one step ahead; thus, we need to redesign in order to meet the needs of our consumers. It is our nev-er-ending commitment to serve them. And being associated with simplicity would make the difference,” explained Andrea Ragnetti, chief marketing of-ficer of Royal Philips Electronics.

To address the need of the custom-ers, Philips divided its products into five concepts that will benefit its customers according to age groups.

These five categories are: Listen to your body, Care for your body, Move your body, Relax your body and Share your experiences.

Listen to your bodyThis aims to help you identify and

recognize your body’s needs. Physical condition plays a vital role on how you do things and execute your plans. understanding our body and knowing how to properly take care of it can help us perform better to maximize the end results that we want to achieve. ‘Listen to your body’ has three stages that can help us maintain and make sure that our bodies are well taken care of.

Flying to Hong Kong for the Philips Simplicity event, Johanna sampan is introduced to innovative but simple products that guide the body, mind and soul back to balance

Simplicity in complexity

A bedside light called Rise and Shine helps one doze off with its slow decrease

of light and wakes one up in the morning with a

burst of sunshine.

in form—a personal instructor for physical well-being. It is a health system of motivational tools that su-pervises one’s physical condition, gives regular updates and provides advice about appropriate steps on how we can ensure our healthy being. This monitoring machine is perfect for your own room or bathroom, consisting of Scale (a three-in-one measurement tool) and Shape (a body measuring tape) that are both connected to Reflect (a mirror that gives your mea-surements in miniature silhouettes).

body Cycle—this is made for women who wish to monitor and be aware of ovulation, fertility and men-struation cycles without even going to

the doctor. It has Whisper, an in-ear thermometer. It provides personalized health guidance in such matters as preventing pregnancy, keeping track of periods and giving a clear over view of general health.

water font—this provides a sup-ply of fresh and nutritious tap water straight from the source. It filters, sterilizes, mineralizes and chills the water all at the same time, making it clean, healthy to drink.

Care for your bodyFor this concept, the research team

at Philips seeks to offer scientifically proven yet relaxing ways on how to take care of one’s body and skin. It’s

all about rejuvenating, revitalizing and energizing. The following products have been developed for rejuvenation:

sunshine—a huge, round wall-mounted disk that changes light qualities in prevention of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Sunshine compen-sates for the lack of light from outside and helps people relax.

trans light—is a pocket-sized version of Sunshine that you can carry everywhere. It lets you relax, energize and rejuvenate easily and anywhere with its compact-sized feature.

Rise and shine—this bedside light helps one doze off with its slow sunsetlike decrease in light and wakes you up in the morning slowly and

“Relax Your Mind” features products that sets the mood for relaxation through light and music.

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to send and receive notes, drawings or video clips.

storyteller—unique bedtime sto-ries can come to life with sound and light effects. The Storyteller system enhances a spoken narrative with sound and light effects to help the child’s imagination take flight. It rec-ognizes spoken words, which prompt its lantern feature to add sound and light effects.

The genius behind all these is Ste-fano Marzano, CEO and chief creative director of Philips Design. “We have different groups to do research to see the need of various countries. We start with the idea of our design and creation from the necessities and understanding of our customers. I also consider the culture, tradition and economy of various countries when I’m designing any product,” he explained.

Life can still be simple even in a fast-paced world. The key is to always go back to the basics, and then the re-inventing can follow.

pleasantly with its sunriselike beam.look good—a therapeutic system

that cleanses and rejuvenates facial skin. feel good—a house lamp that

produces light therapy that reduces tension in stressed muscles and joints.

soft Therapy—a soft touch wear-able and cordless garment that reduces tension in strained muscles and joints in the shoulders and back by combining infrared heat and vibration massage.

Move your bodyThis concept balances entertain-

ment and exercise. Be startled by these new products:

in shape—a home fitness exercis-ing machine powered by kinetic en-ergy and remotely linked to a display base that gives step-by-step instruc-tion by a virtual instructor.

versa tiles—a floor-based game set that features pressure-sensitive Play Tiles acting as a gigantic interac-tive floor display, a Master Tile that produces power and intelligence to other tiles and a couple of smart ‘pucks’ for specific games.

Drag and Draw—is a virtual paint-ing canvas for creative art activities.

Relax your mindTo support this concept, Philips

came up with these innovations:light spectrum—a home lighting

system that allows people to control light according to their desired mood. It has Light Control, a wireless interface that enables people to choose their pre-ferred light mood and Sunlight, a mul-tiple light source that shows animated decorative patterns on the ceiling and matching light effects on the floor.

Chameleon—a lampshade that cop-ies any color desired. When connected to Light Spectrum, Chameleon copies that color of the sunlight shade.

music spectrum—a music set that permits people to create a musical mood. The set has a single loudspeaker that produces sound to and from any corner of the room.

music Control—a wireless interface that can be used for exploring the mood through the music.

Share experiencesPhilips saw the need for people to

share experiences and create priceless moments with family and friends. The following are brief concepts that were presented:

family Album—a touch screen

photo album that lets you share your experiences to your friends and family. The Photo Frames enable users to edit, display and share their digital pictures.

in touch—a touch screen message board that aids unprompted and transient communications along with family and friends. The interactive, touch-sensitive mirror enables people

Water Font provides a supply of fresh and nutritious tap water straight from the source.

CondoCentral | 1�

A house lamp, Feel Good produces light therapy that reduces tension in stressed muscles and joints.

The Storyteller system enhances a spoken narrative

with sound and light effects to help the child’s

imagination take flight.

18 | CondoCentral

spotlight

mariel lorenzo discovers that for the America’s Next Top Model judge and photographer Nigel Barker, there is more to real beauty that meets the lens

Through the lens of the beholder

as a bad influence to women of any age. “Per-sonally, from my perspective, with age, everybody gets more beautiful,” he says. “You may have a beautiful face, fantastic skin, but if you haven’t lived, haven’t loved, haven’t done any-thing, I can’t take that picture. I can invent it, but you can’t see the depth of that person’s soul.”

Following the start of a local fran-chise of the reality show, Nigel took Ma-nila by storm when he visited last May and spoke to models, aspiring models, photographers, and fans of America’s Next Top Model. hosted by Ayala Malls, Nigel’s Philippine tour included shoots with local models and talks at Green-belt and Alabang Town Center.

One of the interesting things he shares is his accidental break into the industry. Of British, Sri Lankan, and Portuguese descent, Nigel was actually preparing for medicine school in London when his mother, who was Miss Sri Lanka in 1967, got him into a fashion contest in 1988.

Though he didn’t win the competi-tion, Nigel found himself embarking for an exciting career that took him to the fashion capitals of the world and eventually switching to photography in a few years.

As a photographer, Nigel has estab-lished a name in the fashion industry with his own firm, Studio NB, which contributes photos to prominent magazines such as GQ and Lucky. he has also been a judge for America’s Next Top Model with host Tyra Banks ever since its first season.

Asked about his glamorous shoot so far, Nigel shares his most magical experience with Make a Wish Founda-tion, a group that supports the cause for children with life-threatening illnesses. “We saw all these young girls who wish to be models for a day.

These girls had great lives even if they were in extreme pain which they got through. That day we gave them a good day, a happy time, and my most glamorous shoot.”

And while he’s not a huge fan of digital retouching, Nigel sees digital alterations as a blessing in disguise as it has opened doors for real beauty that is now the stuff of beauty campaigns. “For girls like these, I say, I’m not going to do the retouching. That’s a healthy outlook for fashion, not just rail-thin models going down the catwalks, which is unhealthy for young girls,” he says.

So while Nigel still shells out point-ers to remember like angling oneself for a photo or keeping the face straight on, all of it simply boil down to the basics: “Be healthy, take care of yourself. Relax, let the camera do its magic.”

He mAy be one of the intimidat-ing judges of fashion reality show America’s Next Top Model, but when it comes to real beauty, model-turned-fashion photographer Nigel Barker insists on going back to the basics: having enough confidence and belief in oneself.

Indeed, these are two of the most basic things, repeated so many times over in many ways, that one can learn from the fashion industry which Nigel has been in for 18 years and running. And with a long and fruitful career like Nigel’s, these two tips are indeed a real piece of wisdom. “You can sell almost anything if you have confi-dence in your eyes,” he says. “The eyes are the windows to your soul, and anything you feel will show.”

In fact, when asked about his pet peeves with models, this photogra-pher reveals right away that it’s actual-ly models who try to model too much that get into his nerves. “You just have to relax, act natural,” he shares.

Interestingly enough, Nigel also shares his dismay for the trend of getting younger models that go to greater lengths to become thin and remain thin, which strikes him

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feast for onecelebrity

yeng ConstAntino has so many things to be thankful for.

For one, she was the grand winner of the first edition of Pinoy Dream Academy (PDA). her album Salamat under Star Records hit platinum mark merely two weeks after its release, courtesy of its monster hit “Hawak Kamay,” arguably the song of 2006. And as a sweet topping to her success, Yeng received a fully furnished unit from Globe Asiatique, the same devel-oper which constructed the house of the Pinoy Big Brother.

“Sobrang saya po talaga (I was really happy),” remarks Yeng when asked how she felt upon receiving the condo unit. “Kasi ‘pag Pinoy ka, ‘pag maayos ang ba-hay mo, ibig sabihin may kaya ka o kaya maayos ang buhay mo. Matagal ko nang pangarap ang maitira ang pamilya ko sa may pinturang bahay (For a Filipino, if you have a decent house, it means that you are already well-to-do or that you have a good life. It’s been my long dream to make my family move to a painted home).”

This chanteuse known for her pow-erful vocals packed in a petite frame admits that the ride to stardom has been dizzying. She was just doing the rounds of bars with her band, an un-known group hoping to break into the scene. She says, “Ngayon tumugtog na ako sa Araneta, Aliw Theater, kasama ko pa yun mga artista…Pag-uwi mo sa

bahay, iispin mo ang nangyari sa buong araw (Now, I perform in Araneta, Aliw Theater, together with other artists. Once you go home, you reflect on what just happened).”

As someone who came from hum-ble beginnings, Yeng is just happy to reach out to people who share or can relate to the sentiments in her songs. She was surprised with the acceptance of “Hawak Kamay” which she and her band would perform in their gigs pre-PDA. The audience would usually give a lukewarm response but when the song finally hit mainstream attention, people embraced it with open arms.

“Lahat sila naka-relate, na-apply nila sa buhay nila (All of them was able to relate and apply the song to their lives),” she smiles. “Tapos meron pa akong naranasan na nalapitan ng ale. Nabuntis daw sya, bulag ang baby niya, ‘Hawak Kamay’ daw ang kanta niya sa baby niya (I was approached by a lady who told me that she gave birth to a blind baby. She said that “Hawak Kamay” was her song for her baby).”

Currently, she is working on her next CD which will feature more songs than her first. This ASAP regular is one of the few artists who write their own songs, drawing inspiration from their own experiences. She would sometimes stay in her room, hundred of feet above the city, crafting tunes and lyrics. “’Ano kaya naramdaman nya nung sinak-tan sya ng girlfriend nya?’ So, susulat ako ng kanta. Ngayon, nalayo ako sa pamilya ko, na-mi-miss ko sila, isusulat ko din yun (‘how did he feel like when his girlfriend hurt him?’ I’d write a song about it. I’d also write about being be-ing separated from my family).”

If there is anything that Yeng says will always remain constant, it is her affection for her family. She aspired to reach where she is now because of them. “Hindi ‘yan magbabago kahit kailan, kahit anong ilaw pa ang magpaliwanag sa akin (That will never change despite whatever light will shine on me).”

Rooted in humility, Yeng is destined to soar even further.

Pinoy Dream Academy grand winner Yeng Constantino shares with Condo Central her joy

over her condo unit, her dizzying ride to fame and the one thing that will never change

Yeng says yes to fame

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set to emeRge near the best universities in Manila is Crown Tower, a 25-story condominium developed by Polar Mines Devt. Corp. Provid-ing direct and easy access to schools of learning, the property is set to redefine student lifestyle and living with its cutting-edge amenities such as swimming pool, 24-hour security, Wi-Fi library, and provisions for a convenience store, a laundromat, and a coffee shop all on the first floor.

“The concept of this project is to actually cater to the highly specific needs of the market,” begins Beth Kalaw, project development officer of Polar. “We would like to offer the development to parents who would send their children to school and would like them to stay in a place where they can be safe.”

One good thing about Crown Tower is its affordability. For P9,000 a month, parents can look forward to giving their kids an enviroment that inspires learning, interaction and

quiet study. It’s also a good invest-ment: the unit can be turned over to the next child who will go to college or make available for lease. In-house financing or Pag-IBIG loan can be availed for easy payment schemes.

Polar also targets small investors who can plunk their capital into the property and have the units leased to students. “We know that there are a lot of apartments, service apartments, rentals in the area,” says Kalaw. “Based on our market researcher, a room would easily earn at least P15,000 a month. Those with small capital can acquire units and be assured that their investments will return.”

Polar has decided to make the design of the building run along the lines of modern contemporary archi-tecture, featuring an eloquent blend of concrete, glass and steel.

“Normally, most of our subdivisions

feature a European theme,” says Beth. “In Crown Tower, since we’re catering to young people, we want to inject a modern feel not only in terms of the building design but also in terms of technology.”

A prospective buyer can choose between studio and one-bedroom units: low-maintenance and just-right options for young people. What sets them apart from other developers in the area is that Polar has made sure that Crown Tower’s hallways are wide and the ceilings high. “We have more ventilation on our part, the hallway is bigger, and the common areas are not crowded.”

The units, projected to be turned over by 2010, will hopefully be completed by 2009 as the market’s response has been affirmative.

With Crown Tower, home away from home is a possibility come true.

Students’home awayfrom home

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tyPiCAlly, A unit owneR waits for three to four years before his unit is turned over as some condominiums are slow to build. The money paid for rent during the time one is waiting could have been invested on something else, such as education or the purchase of furniture and appliances for his new home. Fast turn-over equals a greater amount of savings for the end-user.

Chateau Elyseé, the mid-rise marvel at the heart of Bicutan evoking the sunny and carefree French Mediter-ranean life, boasts of a fast turnover. They have recently completed the Ritz Tower in less than two years. Not one to waste time, the SM Development Corp. folded its sleeves and recently broke ground for a new cluster that will house 500 units. Turnover date is projected on December of next year.

“We’re selling very fast,” admits Gilbert Ang of SM Devt. Corp. “ The

market likes our product, the pricing and its affordability. It’s really getting your money’s worth compared to other developments.”

Geared toward the renter’s market, Chateau Elyseé allows clients to move in immediately and experience the

upgraded condominium lifestyle for as low as P7,000 a month without depositing a downpayment. Indeed, it’s a dream come true for overseas Filipino workers wanting a condo they can come home to, retirees seeking their sanctuaries without getting truly out of touch, and young professionals or starting families who want to have their first home in the city. SM Devt. Corp. is currently drafting flexible fi-nancing programs in partnership with Banco de Oro and PCI Bank to help them realize their dream faster.

Apart from the fast turnover, SM Devt. Corp. also prides itself with the fact that they are providing the residents with premium amenities and features comparable to those of other develop-ments targeted for a high-end market.

“We didn’t sacrifice the quality,” says Ang. “In fact, 60 percent has been allocated for open spaces. You don’t feel like you are living in a condo that is very cramped. Another advantage is that you live in a community. It’s not like a typical condo that when you go out of your build-ing, it’s the street already. It’s like you’re living inside a subdivision but instead of houses, you have condo buildings.”

The mid-rise condos are provided with two high speed elevators. All units, starting with one-bedroom units at 20 sq.m. to three-bedroom units at 60 sq.m. are fully finished with high ceilings measuring up to three meters,

giving residents the space they deserve.Boasting of a clubhouse and court-

yard with a 25-meter lap pool, kiddie pool, jogging trail, gym and social hall, the Chateau Elyseé life is anything but solitary—all amenities encourage warm interactions among its inhabit-ants while still providing them with their own peaceful sanctuaries.

Showing that SM Devt. Corp. is keeping its standards, the landscape area and the front gate are being reno-vated, in tune with the look of prestige the property evokes.

Though Chateau Elysee looks every bit like a subdivision tucked in a remote corner of the metropolis, its proximity to vital centers of life gives it the added advantage. From here, everything is within reach—the Makati Central Business District and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in 15 minutes, various schools, hospitals, and churches, and an easy access to SM Bicutan via a shuttle service provided to residents.

In two to three years, Ang envi-sions the completion Chateau Elysee. What has been named after a famous landmark in France is now sun-dappled community providing luxurious lifestyle.

Model units can be viewed at the Chateau Elyseé along Doña Soledad Extension, Bicutan, Parañaque City. For inquiries, please call Gigi Alcantara at 831-1000.

Sunny disposition at Chateau Elyseé

What has been named after a famous landmark in France is now a sun-dappled community providing luxurious lifestyle.

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tHe newest gem to dot the chang-ing landscape of the metro, TriNoma (Triangle in Northern Metro Manila), the newest and most exciting project of the Ayala Malls, is both warmly familiar and refreshingly different. The hustle and bustle of Quezon City trickles through several easy access points (with the mall directly linked to the North Avenue Station of the MRT) into an incomparable urban sanctuary for shopping, dining and entertain-ment. Designed by an award-winning team, TriNoma is beautiful, fresh and fun, a home away from home for Northern Metro Manila and beyond.

Discover your very own Zone, areas that are efficiently designed to satisfy the specific needs of every shopper: Level 2 houses the upbeat and ener-getic Teen and Sports Zones, char-acterized by a hip and trend-forward brand mix, graffiti art and pockets of gathering spaces perfect for meeting up and chilling out with your barkada. Gadget buffs and techies have their very own IT Zone, a sleek and mini-malist hub for the latest in software and technology. Also found on Level 2 is a cluster of foreign brands, classics synonymous with quality and timeless style. While each Zone is markedly distinct, they also seamlessly and fluidly lead into one another.

At TriNoma, parents need not shop and unwind far from their fun-seeking kids, as the home, Wellness and Chil-dren’s Zones share Level 3. Designed specifically to address every person’s need to create a “good nest” for the family, the home Zone is itself a space exuding sanctuary chic, with its various interior design, furniture and home

accessory stores. The Wellness Zone, as the name implies, is a softly-finished spa-inspired area where even the most harassed urbanite can relax and, well, zone out. Children’s Zone is a burst of color, with children’s brands that play-fully address education and fun.

here, the stores we know and love plus the stores we’ve been looking for have all found a home to be daringly different. It is here that Bench, Pen-shoppe, Folded and hung, Kamiseta, Bayo, Oxygen, Adidas and Time Zone have proudly opened their flagship stores. Each one boasts of strong, concept-driven interiors surround-ing a full and complete merchandise line. People are People, Shoe Salon, Toys R’us, Powerbooks, handy-man, Avant, Galleria Quattrocentro, Dimensione, hobbes and Landes, healthy Options, and soon-to-open The Spa and the first ever Fitness First Platinum enrich your in-mall experience with their particular brand of quality services and goods. International brands to look forward to are Zara, Mango, Debenhams, Speedo, Quicksilver, Guess, Giorda-no, Levi’s, Nine West, Florsheim, Nat-uralizer, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Lacoste, Esprit, Sisley and Marks & Spencer, along with newcomers Pro-mod (France), Lonsdale (uK), Flojos, Bleach Catastrophe, Res-Toe-Run, Trunk Show, Tough Jeansmith, GII, Dumond and the very cute hallmark Babies are sure to tickle every fickle global fashionista’s fancy. Brands like Kenneth Cole, Tag heuer, Schu, VNC, Iora, Puma, Nike Women, Crocs, All Flip Flops, Aktiv, Crumpler, Aussino, Abubot Asia, The Natural Source,

T-Shirt Project and Viktor Jeans will open their first branches in Quezon City. Medical City, Asian Eye Institute and Gymboree are also services that may be availed of at TriNoma.

Active lifestyle brands Nike and Adidas as well as luggage authority Travel Club have opened their show-case stores, as will the first Philippine in-mall shops for Rolex, Skechers, Birkenstock, Merrell, Marc Ecko and Sperry. So whether its fresh concepts from old favorites or sought-after for-eign brands nesting for the first time

the Philippines, there’s some-thing

coverage

Northern shopping exposureDirectly linked to the MRT and right smack in the middle of frenetic condominium developments, TriNoma beckons people of Quezon City and beyond to shop, dine and have fun in style

CondoCentral | 2�

new for everyone to ooh and ahh over. TriNoma also brings together two

retail giants, providing the best of the best from sister cities Pasig and Makati: value-for-money shopping legends Landmark, opening its second supermarket and department store at TriNoma, and Crossings now offer ev-eryday essentials and affordable luxury to the Northern Metro Manila market.

A vast array of restaurants are scat-tered strategically throughout TriNoma’s six levels, satisfying every palate and bud-get. Families and friends will soon enjoy beloved casual fun and food locales TGIFridays, Italianni’s, Fish & Co., CPK and Bubba Gump, while everyone can expect to indulge their sweet tooth at Krispy Kreme, Cold Rock, haagen Dazs, Max Brenner, Mrs. Field’s Café, Nestle Creamery’s Five Cows and the very quaint Café Mary Grace. A

diverse selection of cuisines also await at TriNoma. Good Earth, haiku, hossein’s, Cyma, La Maison, Casa Armas, Café Breton, Café Cabalen, Mangan, Crusta-sia, Recipes and Zong are just among the dining options to choose from. Restau-rateurs Larry Cruz, Arnold Co and Erik Cua innovate fresh and exciting dining concepts. TriNoma’s Food Choices also offers an array of interesting food fares as well as restaurants like Tokyo Tokyo and Ineng’s that suit every budget. So whether you’re out for fine dining or fun dining, TriNoma’s got something for you.

And the fun doesn’t stop there. One Thx Cinema and six all-digital cinemas make big screen entertain-ment even bigger. Located near the heart of the entertainment industry, TriNoma will bring the stars closer

than they’ve ever been. Kids will find it hard to resist the

biggest Timezone in the Philippines, while live performances at the vibrant Activity Center will excite old and young alike. Red Box, offering the latest in karaoke technology will also be at TriNoma. Olympic World and B-Con-nected are also must-sees at the fourth level.

Crowning TriNoma’s stunning buffet of retail, dining and entertainment choices is its design, fully-integrating the peace and zen of nature with the upbeat pace of the urban dream. At the top-most level is TriNoma Park, an environ-ment custom-built for outdoor events and bonding amidst tasteful landscaping and unique water facilities. The one-hectare area

is divided into two levels, each possess-ing its own unique character: the upper park level is perfect for gimmicks with friends while the lower level, accessible by a clever winding staircase fused with a romantic, tinkling waterfall, is a more intimate area for dates or quiet quality time with loved ones. Be sure to check out the awe-inspiring water installa-tions that rhythmically leap and jump from the ground level all the way to the topmost level, flowing into serene pools surrounding the park.

Indeed, everything you need, want and dreamed about all come together

at TriNoma.

Going against the usual box-type malls,

TriNoma is a breath of fresh air for its ample

spaces, balconies overlooking the

cityscape, integrated greenery and channels

of flowing water.

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coverage

tRAnsCenDing Cookie-CutteR trends and humdrum fads that fade so easily, the Rockwell Center’s Power Plant Mall unveils its newest section, Archaeology.

Featuring an array of unique stores that showcase fabulous clothes and quirky accessories, Archaeology derives its name from the idea that shoppers may discover their own personal individual style from the section’s wide wrange of chic choices.

Whether you’re a high-society diva

or a rock chick, a corporate ingenue or a romantic bohemian, the thrill of discovering fantastic finds awaits you at Archaeology. It’s a treasure trove of fashion gems you won’t find anywhere else.

Sensual, feminine silhouettes take center stage in Archaeology’s Maud, Graxie, Luca, Marni’s Room and Ruth & Esther. Shift seamlessly from day to night with their stunning tops and skirts in splashes of bright colors and alluring prints, perfect for dates and

glam night-outs. Dress for success with classy clothes

from Details & Porcupine, Ilaya Cou-ture and Pilar. Look sleek, smart and stylish with their power suits, tailored jackets and other office staples.

Stand out from the crowd with funky and innovative graphic tees from Team Manila, T-Box, Grey One Social and David&Goliath. Their unique and eye-catching designs are definitely a must-have in every trendsetter’s wardrobe!

Accent your chic wardrobe with playful accessories in all permutations from Evita Peroni, CRu and CamadiV—gorgeous necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and other fancy pieces.

Archaeology presents a wide range of boutique shops owned mostly by young cutting-edge designers. And like an archaeological dig, the Power Plant Mall’s newest section is filled with fabulous finds that make the premiere mall a haven for fashionistas in the metro.

Power Plant Mall in Rockwell opens a new wing called Archaeology devoted to one-of-a-kind, cutting-edge apparel and accessories that will make a fashionista’s heart jump a beat

Photography by Benhur Arcayan

Digging for good finds

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A model for a sensible, well-executed urban planning and home to some of the most exciting high-rise developments, Bonifacio Global City is destined to become the country’s premiere residential and commercial district. felicisimo A. tejuco, Jr. reveals its world-class masterplan and interviews urban planner Archt. Danilo Silvestre, Taguig city planner Archt. Joselito Mastrili and Taguig mayor Sigfrido Tiñga who are revolutionizing how people live

Bonifacio Global City: Living the good life, here

community

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imAgine tHis: it’s a Friday morning. The alarm clock has just brought you back to reality. You realize that you just have half an hour before you’re considered late for work. It takes you 20 minutes to get up, have a shower and get dressed. You grab something for breakfast and run to your office which is just three blocks away.

Eight hours and two coffee breaks later, you step out and meet your friends downstairs for a weekly get-to-gether. Seafood dinner is followed by a three-hour videoke session. The night is incomplete without another round of coffee and talking. Ten minutes later, you’re back, tucked in the com-forts of your blanket and pillow.

urban life without the hassles of traffic and travel? For hon. Sigfrido R. Tiñga, mayor of Taguig City, this

is the ideal life they have envisioned for residents of Bonifacio Global City (BGC). “This is where you ‘live, work, and enjoy life’,” he said.

The development of BGC began in 1996. Based on a masterplan prepared by hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc (hOK) in 1995, it was first managed by Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation (FBDC), which was then controlled by Metro Pacific Corporation.

When the Asian meltdown hit in 1997, the development slowed down until 2003, when Ayala Land, Inc. and Evergreen holdings, Inc. bought the remaining share of Metro Pacific Corp. in FBDC. Slowly, the sleeping giant is reawakening and promises to be one of the leading central business districts in the Philippines.

striking a balanceWorldwide building trends are

towards high-rise and more compact efficient land use. Although this is the way to go, urban planner and architect Danilo Silvestre, stresses that one of the keys to becoming a great city is main-taining a “good balance of mixed-use.”

Archt. Joselito Mastrili, city planner of Taguig agrees, adding that there is greater incorporation of residential, commercial, and recreational spaces in Global City. To date, on-going high-rise residential projects lined up are Fifth Avenue Place, Fort Palm Spring, McKin-ley Park Residences, Seibu, Serendra, and W Tower. On the other hand, of-fice buildings include Fort Legend, Net Quad, and Total Corporate Center.

But Silvestre, who is an alumnus and former urban Design laboratory head

Bonifacio Global City integrates art in the

form of brass sculptures providing an interesting

counterpoint to its towering buildings.

Serandra is one of the most exclusive

residential buildings in GBC.

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of the uP College of Architecture, ob-serves the need for good public schools together with the private schools in the area. “There should be developments with focus on a graduated mix of income levels,” he says. Regarding this concern, Mastrili explains that there are several private schools and colleges currently in Bonifacio Global City, but additional public universities and other educational institutions are envisioned in the Lakeshore District Master-plan. Similar to the uS and European countries, schools will be located in less densely populated areas, which provide a better studying environment.

stricter guidelinesThe Taguig local government

means business when it comes to the balanced development of Global City.

To ensure this, they have been strictly implementing the Design Standards and Guidelines (DSG) of Bonifacio Global City, which is at par with cities like Singapore.

The DSG imposes stricter regula-tions on maximum gross floor area, parking space, building height, and percentage of open spaces. In addi-tion, all condominium units in Bonifa-cio Global City must not be less than 36 square meters in floor area.

Although these regulations do add up to the cost of development, Mas-trili reassures it’s worth every centavo. “Because of these guidelines, develop-ers and architects are forced to think and become more creative with their design and they come up with a bet-ter product. The condominium units here are much better than anywhere

else,” he says. Mastrili, who is also managing

partner of the project management office Amcon & Company, Inc., adds: “Condominium buyers today are smarter and they know quality. Boni-facio Global City is a good place for their investment.”

Related to this, the City of Taguig also enacted an ordinance regulating the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) within Bonifacio Global City last year. As a background, Bonifacio Global City was planned with a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) assigned to each lot. For example, a lot with an area of 1,600 square meters having a Floor Area Ra-tio of nine is allowed only a maximum of 14,400 square meters of floor area. This controls the development density for every district in Fort Bonifacio.

An aerial shot of GBC destined to be a world-class community.

34 | CondoCentral

It should also be noted that with utility lines running underground and building height restrictions strictly im-posed, Global City will be a living proof of an open and airy city. “Maaliwalas is the idiosyncrasy and essence of Filipino architecture. You will not find a devel-opment like this anywhere in Metro Manila except here,” Mastrili says.

new lungs of the cityAside from being the premiere city,

Bonifacio Global City is expected to be “the new lungs of Metro Manila.” With their consideration for open spaces, some 40 percent will be allot-ted for parks and recreation areas.

Mastrili discloses that these landscaped areas not just in Global City but throughout Taguig, which in-cludes the Lakeshore District. he adds that more open spaces also mean more parking spaces for city residents.

This is good news since Silvestre reveals that amount of public open spaces in Metro Manila has dropped to

critically low levels in contrast to other Asian mega-cities. Notwithstanding such developed mega-cities as Tokyo, Seoul, hongkong and Beijing, even de-veloping metropolitan areas as Jakarta, hanoi, Bangkok and many emerging megacities in China have definitive plans for networks of public open space. Seoul, as early as 20 years ago, had estab-lished a greenbelt with widths ranging from 5-10 kms. outside the city center. It forms a ring around the city, outside of which satellite towns were strategically developed. In metropolitan Tokyo, pub-lic parks are not just recreation spaces. They are also designed to provide for disaster mitigation, providing refuge during earthquakes and acting as buffer areas, to prevent fire from spreading between adjacent districts.

In Metro Manila, Silvestre says that public open spaces, are not only limited, they are not properly distributed. he cites Rizal Park and QC Elliptical Circle, which are not easily accessible to mass transit lines. On the other hand, he

commends the efforts in improving the 10-meter easements along Pasig River, which are accessible through ferry boats.

Accessibility A city becomes more effective when

it connects to other communities. One of the notable developments in BGC is reorienting the road network. From North to South, it was changed from East to West, linking Global City from Makati City to C-5. It should be noted that the north route connects BGC to Kalayaan Ave while those from the south will have to choose from Villamor Air Base, Edsa or C-5.

Related to this, pedestrian move-ment will be affected but on a positive note. From the epicenter, the one-ki-lometer walk leads to more recreation spaces and commercial areas like the Bonifacio high Street, Serendra Piazza, and Market! Market!.

In addition, Mastrili says that care-ful studies have been taken which identified bottleneck traffic in certain

Residents of Serendra need only to go to first floor to enjoy gourmet

dining options.

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areas as future problems. Thus, road networks have been reconfigured to a modified grid type for smoother traf-fic especially along major roads.

For commuters, Global City is generally accessible through the Fort shuttle service. however, Mastrili says a fully-planned, integrated and managed Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system will be launched which will be an improve-ment to the current loop system.

Looking at a bigger picture, Silvestre points out that efficient mass transit systems go hand-in-hand with more pedestrian-oriented movement and enhanced urban activity. In a city like Seoul, which is comparable in both size and population to Metro Manila, nine mass transit lines stretch to some 300 kilometers. In contrast, the existing three lines serving Metro Manila, cur-rently service less than 100 kilometers.

wholistic developmentCity development is not just a

physical planning issue, but a socio-

economic concern as well. To make a major impact in the quality of urban life, Silvestre says “there has to be a way by which medium to high-density residential development can be made accessible and affordable to lower in-come groups.” he also reiterates that education and employment remain key issues to proper city growth.

While Fort Bonifacio is a high-end exclusive development, Tiñga agrees that the rest of Taguig should not be neglected. “Vertical development is the way to go. It doesn’t matter to which demographic class you belong but the market is still finicky. We can’t immediately force them a 20-story hongkong type housing,” he said.

The Taguig mayor cites DMCI, one of the condominium developers, who is coming up with P2 to 3M residential packages for middle class families. For lower income groups and informal settlers, they have also started provid-ing two-storey buildings, holding four units on each floor. With an area of 25

square meters, these bare corner units may cost between P100T to P150T. “We have some 30,000 urban poor backlogs. That’s what we’re trying to address. To meet our 2020 Vision, the only way to do it is to address the housing problem of the poor as well,” Tiñga says.

Silvestre adds there should be one body overseeing the development of Metro Manila. Although there is a metropolitan government like the Metro Manila Development Author-ity (MMDA), it has been relegated to traffic control and waste management leaving planning and land use to the local government. “There should be a vision of Metro Manila, not a conglom-eration of 17 municipalities and cities each doing their own thing,” he says.

Nonetheless, Tiñga and Mastrili are optimistic that their efforts will slowly bear fruit. “The changes we have initiated will not immediately be felt by the public in 5-10 years. But in 20 years, the reforms we did now will be realized,” Mastrili concludes.

GBC is characterized by wide expanses of greenery and open spaces.

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38 | CondoCentral

man on top

tHink of 75 signAtuRe sCents and they have it—well, at least their version of it. And for a LOT, lot less!

You’ll find it in almost every mall in the metro. You can’t miss its huge billboard on EDSA. You see it in the credits of prime time TV shows. You read about it in the pages of the new-papers. Aficionado Germany Perfume is undoubtedly making its presence felt, and a fragrant one at that.

From its humble beginnings—one small kiosk in Ever Gotesco-Grand Central in Caloocan City seven years ago—Central Affirmative Company, the manufacturer of Aficionado, has grown into a multi-million corpora-tion with over 160 stores nationwide and four more stores soon to open in China.

Joel Cruz, CEO and president of Central Affirmative Company and the nose behind it all, does not look like a hardcore businessman at all. Soft-spoken, warm, mild-mannered and always with a ready smile, Joel is almost a cross between a hot-shot fashion designer and a wellness guru in his immaculate whites. But the man behind the success of Aficionado is no doubt one of the country’s big names, or perhaps the only one, in the local perfume industry.

Clearly inclined to fashion, Joel started his buy-and-sell business of imported apparels right after graduat-ing from the university of Santo Tomas with a degree in Psychology. In 1987, he put up his own garments manufacturing business, providing jobs for more than 100 employees. When eventually his business had to

close, he pursued another one of his passions, perfumes.

“I’ve always really loved perfumes,” Joel warmly affirms. “I remember when I was in college, I used to collect diferent perfumes. But I also remem-ber how hard it was for a student like me to get the perfumes that I liked. The cost of a signature perfume is like P3,000 or P4,000. So, good thing I had sisters in the States, I would just ask them to send me the fragrances that I wanted.”

Rather than talking about his business plans and export ventures like most businessmen do, Joel is more excited to share stories about Aficionado’s humble beginnings and his passion for scents.

“We were just renting an apart-ment costing P5,000 a month, with only four employees,” Joel begins. “But once I saw the potential of the busi-ness, I could foresee that we would make it big. It took us quite some time to make it happen. It took us years before we penetrated SM [malls].”

Just like any other big businesses that started small, Aficionado’s suc-cess story is one that’s made of hard work, dedication and a vision that involves caring passionately about something other than success (read: being able to provide livelihood for its employees).

“So what we did was we went out of Metro Manila; we went to the Vi-sayas, Mindanao, Iloilo and Cebu. And fortunately, after a year, we were given space in malls like SM and Robinson’s. That’s when it all started to happen.”

his love for scents and his under-

maripet l. Poso gets to meet the man behind the successful fragrance brand Aficionado, Joel Cruz, and learns a thing or two on how to have the nose for successPhotography by Benhur Arcayan

Joel Cruz:

At the (s)center of things

Lady luck is smiling at Joel Cruz whose

fragrance line Aficionado is one of

the most recognizable and successful brands

of its kind.

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40 | CondoCentral

standing for the need to provide the fragrance aficionados out there with available and affordable scents were some of the driving force behind the success of Aficionado.

“Knowing the Filipino market, it’s only the A and B market that can readily afford to buy the signature scents,” Joel says. “So I had to concoct something for the C market. That’s why we came up with Aficionado Perfumes. The scents are almost the same, but the price is very reason-able.”

With prices that range from P29 to P190, Aficionado’s scents became a hit among the students and simple Filipinos. But for Aficionado, afford-ability does not necessarily mean compromise.

“We really have quality products. We have our own chemists and phar-macists, and our raw materials come from France and Germany. In terms of longevity, our eau de toilette lasts for eight hours and our eau de cologne lasts for a maximum of two hours,” explains Joel.

Right now, Aficionado has more than 70 variations of eau de toilette and 16 colognes, which are based on different signature scents.

After more than 160 kiosks and six boutique outlets all over the Philip-pines, Aficionado is not resting on its laurels. Aside from its upcoming intro-duction in the market of his very own signature line, the Joel Cruz Signa-ture—which will consist of all-original scents and other expanded lineup of personal care products like hand and body lotion, whitening soap, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, facial powder and massage oils—Joel is also

A huge aquarium greets the visitor

as soon as he steps inside Joel Cruz’s

well-appointed unit at the exclusive Pearl

of the Pacific.

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bent on increasing the consumers’ awareness about Aficionado through advertising.

“We are aggressive in terms of ad-vertising and promotions. We target tri-media, below the line exposure on TV and billboards. I’m just so happy that a lot of celebrities are helping us,” Joel proudly shares. Aside from Lovi Poe and Cogie Domingo, Chris Cayser, the hunky singer from Zamboanga, and Wowowee’s Luningning are also among Aficionado’s official endorsers.

With a far-ranging vision and nose for success, Joel no doubt faces a rosy future ahead.

The bedroom swathed in rose motif—drapes,

rugs, beddings—is a corner unit that

overlooks the famed Manila Bay.

Even before Joel Cruz hit the gold mine and made it big in the perfumery industry, he was already enthalled with the idea of living near Roxas Boulevard, that fabled road in Manila which offers a breathtaking view of sunset. he would drive by the boulevard just to have a glimpse of the sun slowly dipping into the sea, its many hues of oranges and reds bleeding into the sky—one fiery gesture that concludes each and every day.

Though he very well knew that the condomini-ums by the boulevard cost a fortune by virtue of the view alone, Joel was undeterred. When finally

he had the means to acquire a unit, he chose the highest floor at the Pearl of the Pacific, an exclu-sive address right at the heart of the capital.

“It’s perhaps because I have a superiority complex,” says Joel, when asked why he chose the topmost floor. “I feel I’m on top each time I look at the world below.”

Since moving in three years ago, Joel reveals that living in the condo has been great. “It’s a very efficient space compared to a house which is big on maintenance,” he says. “It’s also close to my of-fice and enables me to immediately attend to my employees and business partners.”

For the design of the space, Joel admits that he didn’t consult an interior designer but instead sought the opinion of his friends. he wanted the look to be eclectic as signified by the sofa in mocha color, the organic-looking coffee table, the quatriptych Chinese artwork in wood, the huge Oriental vases, the classical gilded mirror and dripping chandelier, and the countless knick-knacks Joel culled from his trips abroad. Disparate as they may seem, they all blend together as they are mostly in earth tones, anchored by the grand piano that sits majestically at the center of it all.

The curious detail in this eclectic mix of things is a curve of a pond in the living room, bricked and highlighted by a painting of a sun-dappled villa. A water feature springs at the middle, creat-ing a comforting sound. “It was the idea of a feng

shui expert,” he says. “Since my unit is fronting the sea, he said it would be lucky to extend the water element into my own home, creating infinity.” Carrying the luck even further is an aquarium that stands by the door, teeming with various fishes.

Aside from providing a daily refuge from the demands of being the president and CEO of Central Affirmative Co., maker of the highly suc-cessful fragrance brand Aficionado and the soon-to-be-launched skincare line dubbed Joel Cruz Signatures, the space also gives Joel the venue to entertain his friends. A natural musician, he plays the piano for them as they lounge around, sipping wine.

It seems every bit that his condo represents his achievement but more than that, it’s actu-ally a symbol of his good taste. “I always want the best in everything,” he reveals. “I want to be surrounded by things that look elegant and reflect my personality.” his other properties boast of prime location and to-die-for views, one of which is another condominium unit along Roxas Boulevard.

Where he is now is definitely a far-cry from where he started when he was trying to make ends meet. At the top of his game and in great control of things, Joel seems to exude the same inner joy that animates the face of Mona Lisa, a copy of which greets Joel approvingly each time he steps into his room to repair.

No way to go but up

44 | CondoCentral

tv

beauty

centralreview

top

of t

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tHose wHo PRefeR to elimi-nate unnecessary chemicals from their lives can find a healthier alternative with the [A’kin] skin, hair & body care range which only use botanical, naturally-based ingredients, certified organic where possible, chosen for their skin friendly compatibility. These pure ingredients are then carefully crafted into gentle yet highly ef-

fective formulations to give more beautiful and healthy hair, skin and body, paying particular attention to sensitive skins such as babies, the elderly and the allergic.The re-sult: exquisitely-scented, naturally-based, ingredient-rich products for radiantly healthy looking skin and hair for total peace of mind.

Available at Rustan’s Essenses.

Akin to a natural feeling

fRom A seA of tHousAnDs of anonymous faces, 30 semi-finalists are well on their way to becoming fa-mous via Be Bench/ The Model Search, a reality show hosted by Kris Aquino and Piolo Pascual that airs every Sunday, 10:30 pm at ABS-CBN.

The country’s most promising mod-els and freshest faces are vying for the most coveted title of being the latest Bench image model in the biggest real-ity search to ever hit TV. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Bench is looking for untapped talents to become part of the ultra-exclusive and super famous roster of endorsers of Bench.

Bench warmers

In addition, special guest judges and surprise celebrity mentors will drop by the show to give their two cents worth.

Viewers may also watch Studio 23’s weekly specials every Monday and Saturday. Post event Specials will air in Lifestyle Network and Myx.

The contestants’ abilities are tested each week as they strive to master the fashion photo shoots, perfect publicity skills and learn the business aspects of becoming the next big thing. For the winners, prizes include a Bench endorsement deal, a talent manage-ment contract with ABS-CBN and cash prizes. Throughout the series, a panel of leading fashion industry experts will closely evaluate the progress of the models to narrow the field each week.

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arts

fashion

on view until Aug. 21 at the Finale Art Gallery (4/F SM Megamall A), Gingerbread Girls is an ongoing process in Yasmin Sison’s “continuing concerns with the theme of memory and the possibilities inherent in its malleability.” her suite of works de-

Girl uninterrupted

tHe toD’s PHilosoPHy which embraces timeless quality, joins

forces with the brand’s new creative director, Derek Lam’s

contemporary and fresh sen-sibility and together create a harmonious and inimitable

collection.The spotlight once again

is on the “cult” pieces, simple, quick and with a

great attention to ev-ery detail, each of the ready to wear pieces

is the result of an individual journey, from the study of its colors, to its shape and silhouette and is created for the Tod’s woman, who is simple, feminine, elegant and contemporary.

The trousers, which are available in several materials have been studied to flatter their wearer’s silhouette, and to be worn with the cashmere sweaters and cape designed by Derek Lam. The stars of the collection are undeniably the coats, from the design with military style closures, which last season captured the hearts

of hollywood stars, to the elegant and sophisticated blazer which was inspired by the aforementioned coat. A complete novelty to the collection is the down leather coat, which is supple and with it’s fox fur lined hood is perfect for facing the cold winter with panache and elegance.

Available at Tod’s Greenbelt 4 boutique.

Coat following

picts girls in dresses, softly gazing or turning their heads from the viewer, holding curious objects: a wooden rod, a small house.

Though seated on what looks like a stable metallic chair, the girls seem to inhabit a mercurial world signi-fied by the swirls and undulations of colors present in their background. It’s as if they are, despite their realism, recreated from the aged places of recollection, from “stories told to me when I was young.”

As studies in the transubstantiating power of time and memory, the works deftly betray their true source (child-hood), their inspiration (fairytales) and their attitude (innocence). The artist argues that one can reclaim this territory, if only through art, and that narrative is the enabling force in this process, settling the windy past in place.

Call 634-2411 or visit www.finaleartfile.com.

CondoCentral | 4�

ContACt:Susie YnarezTel (632) 637-7817Mobile +639178438154E-mail Susieynares@seibutower.com

Arnold HernandezMobile +639189233156E-mail agot@seibutower.com

Website www.seibutower.com

48 | CondoCentral

cover story

wHAt HAD beCome tHe biggest news in the real estate finally broke ground.

Property giant Megaworld Corpora-tion and the Araneta Group inaugurat-ed the rise of the three-tower first phase of their landmark joint venture project, the Manhattan Garden City (MGC).

The country’s first and only transit-oriented enclave of residential towers that boasts of direct connection to

two mass transit lines the LRT2 and MRT3. It is located at the Araneta Center, the country’s very first leisure and lifestyle center, which gives the entire family unlimited shopping, din-ing, and entertainment choices.

Due to increasing demand, Mega-world is launching Tower 3 of MGC.

“Because of the huge demand, we are pre-selling Tower 3 ahead of schedule,” revealed Anthony Char-lemagne Yu, president of Megaworld Central Properties Inc. “To date, all of the first three towers are substantially sold. We received pending reserva-tions for corner units, which are avail-able at Tower 3. The first three towers will comprise what we call Manhattan Parkway Residence, which will be ac-centuated by a deluxe retail arcade for the enjoyment of our residents.”

Buyers have made a beeline not only for future homes at MGC but also the unique opportunity of living well at the center of it all. Indeed, no other community rivals MGC as the best place to live, work, play and move.

Live in a new cityThe Araneta Center is steadily

transforming right before our eyes.

Conceptualized by Megaworld and Araneta Group, Manhattan Garden City is a complete and self-sustaining community and yet is linked to the various facets of the metro. Designed to rise and cluster at the Araneta Center in Cubao, it is an ideal place to live, work, play and move as it features innumerable establishments that offer casual dining, shopping, and entertainment options. But a major difference of MGC lies in its goal of community integration via nature-centered amenities that will lift the blanket of urban congestion and facilitate neighborly interaction. Condo Central steps into a “city” where big dreams are made

Bb. Pilipinas Charity Inc. President Stella Marquez-Araneta, Araneta

Group CEO Jorge Araneta, Megaworld Chairman & CEO taipan Andrew Tan, Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte

and MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando lead the groundbreaking rites for

Manhattan Garden City.

Manhattan at our doorsteps

CondoCentral | 49

The Gramercy carries the pioneering concept of Century

Properties: all units are fully-fitted,fully-furnished and fully-serviced.

The two-bedroom corner model unit basks in

contemporary European elegance.

50 | CondoCentral

Built as the country’s first leisure and lifestyle complex in the ‘60s, the Ara-neta Center is undergoing yet another evolution, taking 21st-century urban living to an innovative and higher level of leisure and convenience for the modern city dweller.

It began with the stylish Gateway Mall, whose eye-catching architecture lights up its corner. Soon, Araneta Cen-ter will see exciting developments to-ward innovative business and residential components. Already, low-rise buildings currently in development to house the growing business process outsourcing (BPO) sector are in the works. As for the residential condominium development to complement the business infrastruc-ture, MGC ushers in a new kind of urban lifestyle into the metropolis.

This dream of living in this city does not require first-time homebuyers to

break their monthly budgets. With homelite, a home loan partnership be-tween Megaworld and Security Bank, they can stretch their home loan to 10 and even 25 years to pay, with low interest rates from 8.5 to 11 percent annually. At that rate, the 22.5-square meter studio unit comes out at a very affordable Php 10,847 monthly.

homelite offers the lowest interest rates in the market, going as low as 5.50 percent annually for a five-year term. It also has the longest period of fixed interest rate for 25 years, at 11 percent. “This addresses the need of the middle-income market and of foreign-based Filipinos for affordable home loan facilities and this is one of the many reasons why MGC is the top-selling condominium project in the metro today,” noted Yu.

Work smartIf you are of the people who’s

motto is to work smart and spend more quality time with the family, then living and working at Manhat-tan Garden City, right at the Araneta Center, is your best option.

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, consider opening a restaurant or ser-vice shop at Manhattan Garden City’s deluxe retail arcade. Araneta Center’s varied mix of shoppers from the A-list to the masses brings millions of customers every day – a perfect target base for any business!

Or if you want to build your career, there are various options for you also

at the Araneta Center. Join any of its BPO locators. Or shift your career to marketing or operations at any of the Araneta Center’s myriad shopping, dining and service shops.

With work just a few steps from home, you and your family will have more time to enjoy the Araneta Cen-ter’s lifestyle offerings. Isn’t that perfect?

Play wellIf there’s one thing that the Filipinos

love doing the most, it must be shop-ping. Some people say that if shopping were an Olympic sport, Filipinos would surely be ranked as one of the top con-tenders. A testament to this is the as-tounding number of malls around the country, and the still growing malling industry. Filipinos spend many of their leisure time in the mall, and every year billions of pesos are channeled into businesses that operate inside these commercial establishments.

This five-hectare residential project is a veritable haven for shop-a-holics. All of its studio, one bedroom and two bedroom units have easy access to re-tail and leisure outlets, spelling comfort and convenience for people on-the-go.

Apart from its own Manhattan retail arcade that will feature numer-ous options for leisurely shopping and casual dining, MGC is linked to the stylish Gateway Mall through verdant walkways. Fancy a gourmet meal or a hearty buffet? Come on down to Cibo, Italiannis or Super Bowl of China. Want to buy some new stylish brands?

Have a power lunch at the

Mandarin Café.

After a day of shopping and dining at the Araneta Center, your deluxe unit at Manhattan Garden City awaits you.

Bb. Pilipinas-World 2007 Margaret Wilson and Bb.

Pilipinas-International 2007 Nadia Lee dela Cruz-Shani

enjoying shopping at Gateway Mall.

52 | CondoCentral

From dinner for two to a gimmick with friends,

Manhattan Garden City provides limitless

dining options.

There’s Lacoste, Marlboro Classics or Girbaud. Picking out a present? Check out Rustan’s, Powerbooks or Beauty Bar. Plus, grocery shopping is never a problem too when a Rustan’s Super-market is nearby. That’s just one of the commercial establishments that litter the burgeoning shopping mecca of Araneta Center. The Big Dome’s Coli-seum Circle is a perfect place to grab a cuppa java with its Starbucks and Cof-fee Bean & Tea Leaf. Stop craving for sizzling favorites and hop by Dencio’s. The choices are endless.

If even that doesn’t fulfill the inner shopper in you, check out the bazaars and fab finds at Ali Mall, SM Cubao or Plaza Fair. Whether it’s fresh produce, electronics & appliances, accessories, leather goods or garments, everything that the heart desires is right by your doorstep.

Need to hoard Christmas decors at Divisoria? Just take a leisurely train ride and off you go to good buys and great deals.

Three hectares of MGC’s five-hect-are area are dedicated to a nature re-sort setting that features lush gardens, trellised walkways and quiet gazebos complemented with rich landscaping and state-of-the-art leisure amenities. Its fourth floor podium deck is an entire world in itself because it makes one forget of the hurried ways of city life. This nature-centered amenity recognizes that different people have different moods and different ways to spend their “me time.”

Four classes of amenities—active, semi-active, passive and semi-pas-sive—cover activities from the most strenuous such as biking and jogging, to the more relaxed, such as flower gar-dening or engaging in quiet contempla-tion. There’s a playground for the active kids, an adventure area for those rowdy teens, and a peaceful barbecue or pic-nic area for adults. The park-like setting allows plenty of space for relaxation, leisure and recreation, social interaction and nature contemplation.

For example you can do yoga or tai-chi at any of the Adult Fitness Stations or meditate in any of its Tranquility Gardens. These various quiet areas are ensconced throughout the tree-filled level and guarantee residents gentle

ways to meet their mornings.Those who crave for some move-

ment can put on their track suit and best running shoes and hit the 700-meter long Garden City jogging trail with commanding views of Quezon City. There is also the Parkway Gym-nasium with state-of-the-art fitness machines for those who want to have a full exercise but within the reach of their apartments. This spacious gym is conveniently located beside Parkway’s day-care center so mommies can do their Pilates and aerobics within the sight of their children.

One of the highlights of an active morning is a visit to the Parkview swimming complex, one of the very few to be developed at the very center of Metro Manila. There is a multiple-laned 20-meter lap pool where residents can practice their different strokes. You are sure to come out of the water revved up and feeling refreshed.

But after a hard workout on the trail, in the gym or the pool, you have to de-warm and allow your body to relax and cool back to normal levels. The Manhattan Parkway Residence has a spa where you can do just that. It will have a Finnish sauna and a steam room where the heat can relieve bodily tension. There are also massage areas where you may avail of dry or oil massages.

Move easilyThe country’s first all-in-one

“malling” and commercial area is also the only point where the train systems of the MRT and LRT2 converge. To take advantage of this, Manhattan Garden City’s 729-meter,

CondoCentral | 53

elevated garden walkway will connect all the towers directly to the two train systems and to Gateway Mall, placing its future residents practically at the heart of the metropolis. For urban residents, these bump up as some of the sore spots of living in the 21st cen-tury. But for Metro Manila residents, the solution to a balanced, flexible lifestyle may be more conspicuous than one thinks – because it is right in the center of the metro.

At the country’s first all-in-one “malling” and commercial area, the only point where the train systems of the MRT and LRT2 converge, will rise MGC, an enclave of 20 condominium towers that will all flourish inside the Araneta Center. A 729-meter, elevated garden walkway will connect all the towers directly to the two train systems and to Gateway Mall, placing its future residents practically at the heart of the metropolis.

The Manhattan Garden City is min-utes away from two of the country’s premier universities, u.P. and Ateneo; a short ride away from the prime busi-ness districts of Makati and Ortigas; less than half an hour away via LRT 2 from the university Belt and the bar-gain-hunters’ mecca of Divisoria; and just a stroll away from the multiple attractions of Araneta Center itself.

For Manhattan Garden City, “The major elements or key factors con-sidered in planning are connectivity, transit access, community integration, and urban transformation,” enumer-ates Yu. “Connectivity means linking together the separate parcels of land that comprise the five-hectare prop-erty. Transit access means establishing

physical connection to the LRT/MRT stations. We made sure that residents of MGC will have unparalleled access to these transit lines, enabling them to enjoy the fastest and safest public transport available and get them to their destinations anywhere in Metro Manila in a matter of minutes, which is not possible by any other means.”

A landscaped setting – a Garden City – will embrace every block of towers at the fourth level. Trees, fountains, trellises, and shrubbery will hoist one’s sense of well-being. Park benches and a tranquility garden will easily induce a meditative mood. Jogging pathways will wind invitingly around the buildings.

Addressing the specific needs on how we live, work, play and move, Manhattan Garden City is not merely a prestigious address but truly a living and vibrant community that encour-ages meaningful lifestyles, motivates us to aspire, brings nature closer to our midst and restores our connec-tion to things that matter.

To know more about the various advantages of living at Manhattan Garden City, visit the grand showroom at the 3rd level of Gateway Mall. Or call 810-3333 or email inquire@theman-hattangardencity.com for a viewing appointment.

Bb. Pilipinas-World 2007 Margaret Wilson having a relaxing time at the studio unit’s bedroom.

54 | CondoCentral

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foR woRlD-ClAss interior design executive Grace Milan, designing homes that fit the modern Filipino is all about opening one’s eyes to endless possibilities. The work she did on the model units of Federal Land’s The Oriental Place reflects her unique philosophy and inge-nious design principles.

“Our aim is to create a dream home that matches the owner’s lifestyle and budget,” said Milan, who has worked on a long list of

noteworthy high-end residential and commercial projects both here and abroad. “Since The Oriental Place perfectly fits the young urban professionals and start-up families, the designs we created are func-tional but aesthetically appealing,” explained this designer whose work has been featured in several news-papers and magazines.

With a creative mix of colors and furniture, the look and feel of The Oriental Place units project

a visually-fascinating retreat that welcomes you to a relaxing home after a frantic day at work. Fresh colors provide a light and airy ambi-ance, while minimalist furniture free up more space. Milan also put “see-through” partitions and made use of the harmonic combination of mirrors and glass to “open up the eyes and maximize the illusion of space.”

The good thing about the designs she did for The Oriental Place units

Zensational designIn Federal Land’s The Oriental Place, one can create a tasteful, visually-arresting space that is the clever mix of details and eye-opening colors

The Oriental Place units project a visually-fascinating

retreat that welcomes you to a relaxing home after a

frantic day at work.

CondoCentral | 55

is the use of materials that are easily available in most home-oriented stores in malls. “We’d like to give people something to copy when they get back home; something that they can easily buy for their homes,” she quipped.

“The interesting thing about de-signing interiors in the Philippines is not everything is available here. So the tendency of local designers is to be more creative and resourceful in coming up with concepts and de-

signs based on local and indigenous materials,” she said.

Such creativity and resource-fulness are what can be seen in the beautiful model units of The Oriental Place, the newest sought-after residential address in Makati perfect for young professionals and budding families. Located near offices, malls, schools, and other establishments, The Oriental Place gives you more time for your family and for yourself.

5� | CondoCentral

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A few yeARs bACk, real-time com-munication consisted of the rotary dial or the coin-operated telephones. Today, it is the intricate interlace of some forty million mobile units, in addition to the web of networked personal computers.

Formerly, going to the movies or doing your grocery at 11 p.m. was totally unheard of. Today, people do it routinely.

Before, a second job was a foreign concept. Today, it has become a realistic option.

These examples speak more than just about current technological advance, or the continued efforts of the service sector for betterment, or the availability of alternative income options that have opened up for the Filipino workforce. Beyond expedien-cy and opportunities, these scenarios likewise reflect the challenges and realities we have to contend with in this ever-evolving urban landscape.

Indeed, life in the metro has become a juggling act. Success, to a great extent, is now based on one’s ability to keep pace with society’s rapid changes and harness the potentials that come with them. In a parody of a time-honored adage, the revised version now goes, “The

good things that come to those who wait are which that are left behind by those who hustle.”

But often, in the steep climb atop the corporate ladder or the mad dash for entrepreneurship’s invisible finish line, young, courageous, driven professionals are sidetracked from an equally important facet of holistic progress. So much so that it has become a recurrent theme, not only in fiction, but increasingly in real life: career-oriented young professionals with the knack for amassing wealth but desperately miserable in preserv-ing domestic harmony.

Lack of quality time and bonding opportunities among family members have been invariably labeled as the culprits. Too bad there is just no way to add any more to a day’s 24 hours, or to return to the laid back simplicity of the olden days.

Triple A builder/developer DMCI homes recognizes the importance of a home that not only is superbly built, affordable, and one that encourages family togetherness, but likewise one that does not inconveniently detach you from the city’s pulse. DMCI homes has relentlessly pursued this track by continuously coming up with first-rate projects in centrally-located

and fully-serviced communities.Cypress Towers is a fine example of

a development that responds to the need of today’s urban warriors for an ideal home.

Strategically sitting on a 10,700- square meter prime lot along C5 road in the progressive city of Taguig, Cypress Towers is a gated community of three uniquely designed high-rise buildings. It is near the necessary bustle of the major business and com-

A refreshing change of pace

A highlight of the development is the buildings’ configuration that takes after the pinwheel, letting air flow freely and enhancing natural lighting.

Designed to provide a refuge to the “urban warrior,” Cypress Towers of DMCI Homes is a fitting place to soothe the ache of modern living and restore the concept of domesticity and familial connections

CondoCentral | 5�

mercial hubs of Makati, Ortigas and Bonifacio Global City, but is master-planned to provide for a lifestyle that is isolated and conducive for rearing a family.

A highlight of the development is the buildings’ configuration that takes after the pinwheel. With this pioneering design, air flows freely and natural lighting is enhanced, providing a cleaner and fresher living space. This sets the tone for a wealth of other

features that are caringly appointed to ensure enjoyable everydays at Cypress Towers.

Sixty percent of the total land area is allotted for resort-like recreational facilities, landscaped areas and open spaces. Amenities that individual members and even whole families can readily enjoy include a Wi-Fi ready clubhouse, a swimming pool, a children’s playground, viewing decks, a sky lounge, indoor and al fresco

dining areas, gazebos, a badminton court, a game room, a fitness room and jogging paths.

Additionally, outdoor elements are made available inside the build-ings through single-loaded corridors which allow units to open up to a garden atrium instead of neighboring doors. ultimately, this gives resi-dents the much sought after privacy that other high-rise developments fail to provide.

To complete the lavish Cypress Towers experience, a team of profes-sional property managers is on constant standby to make sure that security and convenience are readily and continually enjoyed by residents and their guests.

With today’s accelerated pace of human transactions, it is reassuring to know that there is still a sanctuary in the city where time stands still and family is priority.

58 | CondoCentral

in new yoRk, the glitziest, most expensive condominiums are also the most exclusive. In order to gain entry in the prestigious address and live there, one needs to have an approval from the rest of the neighbors. If you don’t get their vote, then you need to look for another place where hope-fully, you can finally gain admission.

For W Landholdings, developer of W Tower located at the Bonifacio Global City, exclusivity is not about walling away individuals but keeping the number of units to a minimum so that residents can build a tightly-woven community, call each other by name and develop a collective emotional con-nection with the place they live.

“With only 50 residential units, all bi-level units, there’ll be no more wait-ing for those over crowded elevators, no more noisy neighbors you don’t know, our staff greets all our hom-eowners by their names, and our main office and residence is just an elevator

ride away,” says Francis Wee, executive vice president of W Landholdings. “W Tower is a community where everyone knows everyone. By having less residential units, we can give our homeowners more.”

When most of developers try to cram as many units in one project as possible to recoup investment and maximize profit, W Landholdings takes a different route as it offers the lowest residential floors to residential unit ratio (18 floors : 50 residential units) and one of the highest parking slot to residential unit ratio (79 park-ing slots : 50 residential units). It does this to give its residents the satisfac-tion of coming home to a serene, stylish and spacious place. At the end of the day, the last thing you want to encounter is a building abuzz with people you don’t even know.

Situated at the Bonifacio Triangle of Bonifacio Global City, W Tower is projected as an 18-storey commer-

cial and residential building that will embody Modern Philippine Archi-tecture. Tasked to execute this is the architectural and design firm of Budji Layug and Royal Pineda, homegrown talents known for their modern sensibility underlined with a unique Filipino touch.

“The trend in the coming years points towards the creation of more beautiful structures,” says Francis when asked why they had to tap an-other firm when they can very much execute the design and architecture themselves. “They should exude character, the triumph of form over function. If you look at the West, buildings are known for the architects who designed them which only means that the product’s over-all look, and also how people perceive it, are as important, if not more, as the physical structure itself.”

Though W Tower is exclusive and exquisite, it is located in what Francis calls “the practical side of town.” Boni-facio Triangle is a stone’s throw away, “practically walking distance” from the school district which includes the International School, Manila Japanese School and British School. Residents can re-assuringly send their kids to the best schools without having to drive them while investors can have their units rented out to expatriates who will readily be drawn towards the idea of proximity.

As of late, 50 percent of W Tower has been sold while 20 percent has been reserved, declares Francis. By the end of the year, W Tower’s units are expected to be sold out. With the many value services it provides, that hardly seems surprising.

Though exclusive in appeal and exquisite in architectural design, W Tower is all about creating a community. Step inside the newest marvel of Bonifacio Global CityPhotography by Shaira Luna

RSVP to exclusivity

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Executive vice president of W LandHoldings

Francis Wee envisions W Tower as a community

where the residents can nurture social

interactions.

Benh

ur A

rcay

an

CondoCentral | 59

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bRimming witH tHe eneRgy and cosmopolitan appeal of the city, but balanced by the security and reassurance of being home—Celadon Manila’s residential enclaves by Com-munity Innovations offer easy living designed for leisure.

Surrounded by nearly 35,000 square meters of open spaces - the largest in any residential development in Manila - Celadon Residences (town-homes) and Celadon Park (condomin-iums) offer a retreat for families and young urban achievers to commune with the beauty of nature, which is a rarity in the city today.

This lush sprawl of green combined with Celadon Residences’ Medit-terenean-inspired townhomes in an

intimate gated residential community reflects the leisurely ideals of Celadon Manila. Celadon Residences provides its residents with a wide range of vil-lage park facilities like adult and kiddie pools, open playfield, kids’ playground, basketball court, and clubhouse pavilion that encourage community interaction and fellowship, completing the uptown living experience.

Celadon Park - a vibrant high-rise community for urban achievers -

shares the same leisure lifestyle as that of adjacent Celadon Residences. This is most evident in the condominium’s leisure club facilities that address the relaxation and recreation needs of its residents. Amenities like a meditation garden, swimming pools with wooden lounge deck, secluded massage areas and a gym and fitness center, evoke a sense of well-being.

Conveniently, Celadon Manila will also be the site for the biggest BPO

Envisioned to be a mixed-use development featuring residential and commercial components, Celadon Manila is giving the capital the prestige it deserves

Coming hometo chic Manila

Celadon Park offers a retreat for

families and young urban achievers to

commune with the beauty of nature.

CondoCentral | �1

hub in Manila, and Celadon Park will be able to provide a dynamic residen-tial option for urban achievers who wish to explore the perks of cohesive in-city living.

True to the synergistic nature of the development, living in Celadon Residences and Celadon Park also of-fers its residents the convenience of a distinctive retail experience provided by the Ayala Malls’ Shops at Celadon. Coffee shops, health spas, salons and

cozy dining destinations are no more than a short stroll away.

“We have an opportunity to de-velop a neighborhood that seamlessly blends the retail and business facets of this integrated community,” says Iris Josef, head of Project Development of Community Innovations. “We want to broaden the living options for discern-ing urbanites in Manila by giving them all three elements of retail, com-mercial and residential that resonate

the good life in an integrated in-city community.”

Celadon Manila’s residential district successfully underscores a vibrant and dynamic lifestyle that is central to the developer’s concept of leisure in an integrated community. Together with its lifestyle retail venue (Ayala Malls) and business district (Ayala Land Com-mercial Business Group), it is expected to raise the bar of living and leisure standards in uptown Manila.

�2 | CondoCentral

Known for its talcum-fine sand and cerulean waters, Boracay is capped yet again with another attraction: the Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center—a condotel project that generates income for the owners while they’re away or extends their vacation as they luxuriate in the most photographed beach on earth

Investing in paradise

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Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center is a prime

project that offers investors the unmatched luxury of

owning a piece of paradise.

some sAy it is tHe sPlenDiD stretch of powder-fine white sand. Others claim it is the refreshing crys-tal clear sapphire waters. Not a few swear it is the festive nightlife and the sumptuous array of gustatory delights that abound. Others still, insist it is simply the pampering… the bustle… the accessibility… the escape… the uncertainty… the predictability… the adventure…

Whatever their reasons, devotees keep coming back to Boracay like pilgrims on a sacred ritual. Locals and foreigners alike seem helplessly attached to the enduring allure of this majestic dream destination.

And now, yet another compelling reason to be at Boracay beckons.

Sitting on a 12,000-square meter expanse in the heart of the island, Crown Regency Resort and Conven-tion Center (CRRCC) is a prime proj-ect by J. King and Sons Co., Inc. that offers investors the unmatched luxury of owning a piece of paradise and at the same time the opportunity to be financially rewarded for it.

Company Chair and CEO Richard King says that “Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center investors have the option to reside in their pur-chased units, enjoying the privilege of having first-class accommodation in Boracay year-round. Located in Barangay Balabag in Central Bora-cay, CRRCC consists of 382 rooms that all come with standard hotel

furnishings.” The project is likewise appointed with top-rate amenities as ballrooms, conference rooms, a fitness gym, a Laundromat, food and bever-age outlets, and the largest swimming pool in all of Boracay.

While the development in itself is worth staying for, CRRCC is barely a three-minute leisurely walk from the Station 2 beachfront. And with the Boracay Police and Coast Guard sta-tions just nearby, it becomes an ideal nook for some peace and quiet while being tantalizingly near all the fun and frolic that Boracay has to offer. Besides, “there is no more seasonal fluctuation in tourist arrivals in Bora-cay, and there is usually a lack of hotel rooms”, King adds.

Alternatively, CRRCC buyers will enrol their units in rental pooling under the development’s condotel operations. This is ideal for locals who frequent Boracay for short stays, or foreigners on extended vacations. under this scheme, individual owners may use their units for a generous 45 days every year. For the rest of the year, the unit will be leased back to the developer and will be expertly managed and operated as a hotel by the prestigious Crown Regency hotel Group. The income generating potential of this arrangement allows the buyer a full return on investment in as short as 5 years.

Additionally, several other factors set CRRCC apart from other con-

dotel projects. First, the minimum period for enrolment is only 3 years, compared to other developments who tie owners down for 5, 10, some-times 15 years. This gives the buyer more flexibility to decide on how to handle his investment. Second, ownership of a unit means auto-matic membership to Club ultima, a unique lifestyle membership club that offers the amenities of urban living conceptualized by its Chairman and CEO, Richard King. This comes with a 7-day free stay at Club ultima or any Crown Regency operated hotel nationwide, or otherwise in any

CondoCentral | �3

of the 2,900 Interval International af-filiated hotels and resorts worldwide. Moreover, the 45-day stay benefit can be converted to Free Stay Privi-lege Certificates at any of the Crown Regency hotel chain of properties and other off-site facilities with no expiry period on a one to one room night value.

Slated to open November 2009, CRRCC is the first in a chain of four excellent resort hotel developments in Boracay that will be undertaken by J. King and Sons Co., Inc. The design of the four resorts was inspired by the elements of nature. Crown Re-

gency Resort and Convention Center is “water-inspired” especially because of its massive swimming pool and “mermaid” show. Soon to follow are the equally impressive Crown Regency Prince Resort in Station 1, the Crown Regency in Station 3, and the Crown Regency Bayview Resort in Bolabog Beach.

For more information on the Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center, please contact the Fuente Triangle Realty Development Corporation at (032) 418-7191.

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Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri:

Inspirations from the edge of the world

tHe DesiRe to CReAte an identity and a home in Puerto Princesa de-veloped into an idea of putting up a gallery. “It started out as a quite selfish proposition,” she regarded the birth of Kamarikutan.

One day, Dinggot approached her mother about renting her property. “What will you do?” Nanay Dayang asked. “I want to build a gallery,” she replied. Nanay Dayang was receptive of the idea.

“Of all the people I mentioned that thing, siya lang ‘yung (she was the only who went) ‘Oh, okay,’” Dinggot related and took a puff from her cigarette. “Everybody was like ‘What? A gallery in Puerto Princesa?’ This was in 1993. Can you imagine? Talagang lahat sila ay (Ev-erybody was really like) ‘Are you crazy?’ Si Nanay lang ang ‘Okey, sige. But don’t lease na lang. Let’s be partners.’”

Then Dinggot provided a glimpse of their working relationship: “Sometime between then and now, ‘pag nag-aaway kami (when we are arguing), [she goes], ‘Sige buhatin mo ‘yun build-ing mo.’ (Go and get your building) Ako naman, ‘Sige maghanap ka ng developer.’ (And I would go, ‘Okay, find yourself a developer.’)”

She laughed and continued, “But there is a lot of democratic space between us naman. The garden is hers. The interiors are mine. That is her forte. This is my forte.”

I looked out to garden, now all dark. I could here insects singing and the rustling of the leaves. The rain became a light drizzle, and the air was muggy. Inside, we were bathed in the mellow glow of the lanterns. At the other end, lights were on for the newly mounted paintings.

Despite the indifference of the people around her, the gallery opened in 1994.

“When it first opened, it was a pretty lonely struggle to introduce the concept of a gallery to a place like Palawan, which blossomed very late,” Dinggot said. “It was very hard. To begin with, there were only a few of us practicing artists. There were six or seven of us who were active.”

“You cannot naman…” she con-tinued. “There was six of us. What? Every two months shuffle kami?. Hindi puwede. Isusuka kami ng mga tao rito. Mauubusan kami ng inspirasyon. (That could not be. People here would be sick of us. We will run out of inspira-tion.) Every once in a while, we invite other artists to come by, visual artists in and out of Palawan. In the first year, we only had two exhibits. The follow-ing year we had four or five. And then it came to a point na four years after, ayun, every month na.”

The café part just sprang up. “It was an afterthought,” she said.

People who dropped by the gallery

asked for coffee, so they offered coffee. Then guests would ask for sandwich, so they add sandwiches to their meager menu. Before long, they asked for meals. Whenever they asked for food, Dinggot would make a dash to the mar-ket for ingredients and Nanay Dayang would entertain the guests, chatting them up so they would not notice that the food was taking long to be served.

Dinggot remembered the kitchen as a small shack with no walls and only a gas stove for cooking. They had no freezer, and only a coffeemaker. After a year or two, they came up with an ala carte menu. The menu now lists different coffees, breakfast meals from dried fish to toast, sandwiches, pastas, rice meals, shakes and beer. But then and until now, they would advise visiting groups to let them know in advance the number of people com-ing and their orders. But they now can handle sizeable events.

“The beauty of Kamarikutan is that we are like family,” Dinggot said. They have only a staff of five working on shifts, but when it gets too busy, ev-erybody pitches in. “Like the gardener becomes a dishwasher or one who grates the coconut. Everybody helps. So even though our staff is lean, we can still handle bigger functions,” she explained.

“But this is more of a coffee place,” Dinggot emphasized. “If you look at

In this second and last offering, Roel Hoang manipon continues the journey to Palawan’s soul, the Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri which, evoking the organic lines of the natural world, offers a nurturing refuge to budding artists

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same way all the materials being used are from Palawan, from nature.”

The only foreign things in the place are the colorful fishes, which were given as gifts by Dinggot’s brother-in-law eight years ago, and they were “too beautiful to refuse.” Now, they have grown fat and big, their colors resplendent against the moss-dark stones, and have become one of the attractions of Kamarikutan.

The materials used in the building of the Kamarikutan are not usual for a formal establishment like a gallery but it is Dinggot’s way of making another statement, this one on the concept of the gallery itself. “When you think of an art gallery parang it is so ‘sterile,’ so formal, so elitist,” she elaborated. “So the idea was to bring art closer to the community by way of deconstructing the idea of a gallery. We don’t sub-scribe to the formal white cube theory of galleries kasi nga (because) it is so sterile, so intimidating. So what we did is we just ‘indigenized’ the concept of a gallery. I mean, we’re just a big bahay kubo (hut) basically. The walls are very neutral so people don’t feel like masyadong elitista (it’s very elitist). We indigenized and popularized the con-cept of an art gallery so people can come in their shorts, tsinelas (slippers), and they will still be in a gallery. And at the same time, we like to think that we have given a home to local artists, visiting artists, and to culture as well, culture and the environment.”

Defining one’s own art space and acquiring acceptance from the com-munity are one matter, and then there is the matter of selling the exhibited artworks. Artists have to be com-pensated for their labor and have to market their works, Dinggot believes. Materials can cost a lot, and most of the times they have source them from Manila, she explains.

Despite the birth pangs and the veering away from common notions (or perhaps precisely because of it), the gallery garnered good reception from the community, and surprisingly for a place where art and art making is arguably still in its infancy, good patronage for the works.

“We’ve sold quite a number in our 13 years,” Dinggot beamed. “”Di kami na-zezero (We haven’t experienced having zero sales).”

But there is a concession for this: they have to sell at low rates. “We don’t like to scare away people,” she

the structure, the gallery is bigger. And this (the café) is an addition.”

It is a curious thing how the two structures fuse so well together as to be one. I surveyed the lace again and saw the division: the hut-café and the building-gallery.

“It is a fusion of both my roots,” Dinggot revealed. “I was born and raised in Baguio, so this is patterned after the Ifugao house. And the gallery is patterned after the Palawan kalang-banwa, which means ‘big house.’ It is communal. The beauty of it is that the space is defined no by division or rooms but by levels of flooring.”

That explained the sandy rectangle pit in the middle of the gallery. This area is usually used during perfor-mances. As much as the design the materials used define the place, giving it character, almost dictating the as-pects of the design itself. The practice of its construction was influenced by a movement that was burgeoning in and influencing Puerto Princesa.

“When we were building this, the seeds of environmental awareness were being planted in Puerto Princ-esa,” Dinggot said. “So all of the sud-den, there was a total log ban. And I noticed it was changing the landscape

of the city somehow in the sense that everyone was building in concrete and metal kasi bawal na nga ang kahoy (because the use of wood is illegal).”

Coconut lumber were used in the construction of Kamarikutan, and at that time Dinggot felt lucky that many had not yet discovered coconut lumber, a sturdy building material, and could order as much as they want. They are now the beams, posts and flooring, still original. Some have holes in them where nails used to be. The acidic property of the material cor-roded the nails. The flaws interestingly come across as part of the design. They are avoiding nails as much as possible, and instead are using rattan strips in assembling things. Bamboo, different kinds, makes up for the rest, especially the furniture, its curves and waves offsetting the straight lines of the coconut components. The roof rustles with dried cogon grass.

“Part of the statement of Kamariku-tan is you can still build aesthetically using organic, native materials, things that are here lang,” Dinggot explained. “Through the years we managed to fuse our convictions, our visions, into one like the garden. There is no for-eign species here. It’s all endemic the

The bamboo-lined entrance to

Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri.

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said. “We have to sacrifice [by having] low prices in building up a patron-age.” And besides, “the level of art is not mature [enough] to command [high] prices,” she explained.

She imposes a ceiling on the prices of works. The most costs about Php25,000 to Php30,000, and that is for a major work that can stand up to four feet. To compensate though, the gallery is friendly to artists by getting only a 20 percent cut, as opposed to the 30 to 40 percent going rate in Manila, and by taking care of promo-tions, cocktails and receptions.

however, the patronage here proves to be insular, and this presents a problem in the future. “Although we have many patrons, they are the same people. Eventually, they will run out of wall space. We have to think about that,” Dinggot pondered, but she tried to look at the positive side of it.

“In a way, this limitation is good,” she said, “because it challenges us to experiment with different media. Hindi naman puro (not just all) painting.”

And so Kamarikutan began to be a catalyst for artists aside from provid-ing home, and as home it fully realizes its existence by being a nest, a place for the birth and growth of artists and the arts in general.

For several years now, Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri has been known to hold the Pagdiwata Festival, a week of workshops and performances, a cel-ebration of arts and culture in general. The workshops do not only include the familiar modules of painting, drawing and music, but also of dance, creative writing, and arts and crafts like batik making, pottery and textile weaving. Every April, senior artists and artisans and students learn from each other. At nights, they watch perfor-mances, which are mounted for free.

For the past 13 years, Dinggot poured her energy into her gallery and in promulgating arts and culture in general. In those years, she has not produced much artwork. It got to the point when she began questioning why she is creating art. She reasoned

that she paints because she has some-thing to say. But then her message or statement may not get across to every-one, to those who may not understand her medium. When people buy her work and stashed it in their homes, what happens to her statement?

One day she realized that her art has changed medium. It has resurged in a different canvas, a bigger canvas that is Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri, and the advocacy for the arts and culture in Palawan.

Dinggot finished her cigarette, her mocha complexion glistening in the mellow light of the lamps she fashioned herself and her curls catch-ing that light. The rain has completely stopped. It was near midnight, too late for her to go home. She lives 16 kilometers out in the barangay of Irawan. She decided to stay in her halfway house behind the gallery, an open hut with a studio and a sleeping area on the upper floor.

I thanked her and said goodbye. I

forgot to ask her about her nickname, where she got it. Maybe it was from ingot, I speculated, a mold in which metal is cast. They coined Dinggot, someone who wrought something beautiful here in Puerto Princesa.

Getting ThereKamarikutan Kape at Galeri is along

Rizal Avenue Extension in the baran-gay of Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princ-esa City. It is near the airport. One can take any multicab (tricycle) plying the city to the gallery. Regular fare is Php7. Rate for hiring the multicab is from Php20 to Php50.

Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri can be reached through telephone numbers (048) 433-5182 and 433-9088, and email kamarikutanart@gmail.com. One can contact co-owner Dinggot Conde Prieto through her mobile phone number 0918-9095571 or email hijadelaluna8@gmail.com.

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to invoke wRiteR’s bloCk, one has to first possess the temerity to call him-self a writer. Yes, I do write. Regularly and for different bosses, taking on an aimless array of topics most of which I previously know nothing about. This foray of mine at being published, however, is not much a testament to literary aptitude as it is a demonstration of utter chutzpah. In any case, it helps put pizza on the table.

having said that, I still cannot bring myself to say, by way of introduction, “hello, I’m Arnold. I’m a writer.”

What if some smart aleck confronts me, “A writer, eh? You dare range your-self against The Bard, or hemingway, or Steinbeck, or de Quiros, or Tulfo?”

Or what if a talangka comes up to me, “A writer, eh? have you won a Palanca? have you ever been anointed in one of those workshops in Dumaguete? Do you know what a

gerund is looking like?”These and a dozen other scenarios

crowd my paranoid, slightly oversized head whenever I am tempted to thump my chest and declare myself a writer. Which brings me to the problem of assigning a name for what I am experiencing right now.

I have been trying to write this column for the past three weeks, it is two days past my deadline, and nothing interesting seems to be in the offing. Worse, a group of Japanese chaps at an adjacent table here in the coffee shop seems to be eyeing my beloved hand-me-down, yet-to-be paid laptop with muffled ridicule. While this enormous gadget which will not run unless plugged may be museum material to them, it is for me a solid (in every sense of the word) companion. A mute witness, if you may, to my struggles and insecuri-

survey

Peripheral missionArnold A. Altamira

Hard hatsties. A patient friend willing to indulge me in extended stare-fests while I wait for ideas to percolate. An efficient pur-veyor of the noble pursuits we refer to as Solitaire and 3D Pinball Space Cadet.

Distracted. I think that is what I am. All because I want to wear yet another hat.

having covered the goings-on in the real estate industry for almost a year now and at the same time being a railbird at the Condo.Com.Ph, Inc. office, I have become aware of the magnitude of it all. The much-bal-lyhooed boom is for real. There are tens of thousands of fine products to be sold and tens of thousands of ready buyers all set to dot the i’s. Compound that with the devastating realization that for the past 12 months or so, personal friends and family have gone on a purchasing spree of prop-erty – transactions which I could have easily facilitated and which would have netted me more than enough to buy new batteries for my laptop.

That is why I have decided: I want a piece of the real estate pie to go with my coffee.

I enlisted and underwent orientation to be acquainted with the important acronyms every self-respecting real es-tate professional should know by heart. That very same day, my supposed first deal went sour. A brother of a friend of my wife was already half-committed into buying this lovely unit at a resort-like development somewhere in Pasig. After all the haggling and rather comical attempts to salvage the sale, it all really boiled down to my being three days late.

Nevertheless, this is an endeavor I commit myself to one hundred per-cent of the time when I am not trying to write.

Meanwhile, I observe and I study. I know this can be rewarding but it also entails hard work and persistence and strategy.

Meanwhile, I hope and I pray. They say that the bullish outlook for the industry will carry on for the next few years and I wish my wife will not run out of acquaintances.

Right now, I am neither a writer nor a salesman. And that makes it terribly difficult for me to write this column.

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riage. Non-compliance with any of these three simple require-ments shall cause the settlement to be without force and effect. Note also that any modification or change made on the marriage settlement must observe these requirements.

For those lucky ones who find love a second time, entering into a mar-riage settlement is a bit complicated. A widow or widower who desires to remarry must first liquidate the property from the previous marriage: to liquidate means to settle all the obligations due from the previous marriage, divide the property among the heirs, and deliver to each heir, his or her legitime [“mana” in Filipino]. The failure to undertake the liquida-tion before remarrying would result to a mandatory regime of complete separation of property to govern the second marriage as dictated by law regardless of any marriage settlement. Likewise a person whose marriage had judicially been declared annulled

or void must also liquidate the community or conjugal property – more or less in

the same man-ner as a widow or

widower. however, his or her failure to liquidate the property before remarrying

would VOID—yes, it would nullify—the second marriage! And of course, render whatever settlement entered into as utterly useless.

having given you the foregoing option, your alternative is: in the absence of a marriage settlement or in cases where you unfortunately did not comply with its requirements, the property relation between you and your spouse would be one of absolute community of property, which means that except for any property you re-ceive by gratuitous title (i.e. donation or inheritance) during the marriage as well as your personal effects such as toothbrush, comb or pair of socks – practically everything else you own belongs also to your spouse.

Which is more advantageous is not the relevant question. What you and your future spouse decide on is.

legal

Legal optionson property relations

legal options Atty. edwin Calica Cacayorin, Jr.

PARt i: mARRiAge settlement

A mARRiAge settlement is an agreement between future spouses as to how the property relation between them shall be during the marriage. It may not be a blanket guarantee for a successful marriage, but do please consider this option provided by the law before getting married.

In a marriage settlement, both of you are free to agree on a complete separation of property, or to have a partial separation of property wherein what each of you owned separately before the marriage shall remain separate but whatever property each of you will acquire after the wedding shall be considered conjugal and belong to both spouses. Taking in mind your character and disposition as well as that of your future spouse, you may decide on other kinds of property arrangement provided it is not contrary to public policy, nor inconsistent with the provisions of the Family Code [in other words, consult a lawyer to be certain that it would be legally enforceable].

For a marriage settlement to be valid, it must be (a) written, (b) signed and agreed to by the future spouses (c) before the celebration of the mar-

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opinion

Condo CaféRenne isidro

Do the checklist 2in my lAst Column, I gave a checklist of the 10 things you should consider before you hand over that hard-earned money for your condo in-vestment. Remember that real estate investment transcends your lifetime, extending up to to three generations. Let me recapitulate this checklist again before we proceed to another set of checklist you have to consider once you have decided to purchase your unit.

• Make sure you get a professional broker.

• Get the best location possible.• Invest in a project from a repu-

table developer. • Make sure you can afford and

sustain the unit you will get.• Check out the design and layout

and all the amenities.• Investigate the security in the

area and the peace and order in the district.

• Know who will manage the con-dominium.

• Explore what are the feng-shui complications.

• Follow your gut-feel. If you feel that it’s a good investment, then go for it. If you have doubts, check other options.

Now that you have decided to purchase a unit and will issue a check for the reservation, take time to read the reservation agreement (RA). The standard RA gives you 30 days to either pay in cash or terms and it is nonrefundable. Make sure to make

the check payable to the developer

or to

the authorized bank. I always advise buyers to personally pay at the developer’s office to make sure the availability of the unit. Remember the unit that you have purchased is not the same as the model unit. Once you have paid the reservation, make sure you possess all the legal papers that you will need to purchase the unit, the most common requirements being two valid IDs with picture. If you are a foreigner, your passport and international driver’s license will be required. There will be more require-ment for those who availing bank and Pag-IBIG financing.

If you are buying from a secondary market, make sure to get a certified true copy of the Condominium Cer-tificate of Title (CCT) and a Tax Dec-laration from the local government. If you are buying from a pre-selling project, make sure that they have the license to sell from the housing and Land use Regulatory Board.

You must also inquire about all the taxes you will need to pay. Exempted from value added tax are the condo units below P2.5M. Condos ranging from P2.5M and up are subject to 12% VAT which you need to pay over the transfer tax, documentary tax and other processing charges.

If you are purchasing a ready for oc-cupancy unit, ask for the condomin-ium dues payable and what are the deposit needed for the electricity and water. If the property is on pre-selling stage, ask for an estimate of expected condominium monthly dues.

Make sure that you read, un-derstand and review the Deed of Restrictions and the Condominium Corporation papers which are vital

documents. Once you have fully paid the

down payment, you will re-ceive the Contract to Sell from

the developer. This is your of-ficial document stating that you

are the owner of the unit subject to terms and conditions specified

in the documents. Make sure you have a copy of all the receipts you

have paid. Industry practice dicates that the developer should send the

official receipts quarterly.

Some developers may require you to get insurance equivalent to the unit cost of your investment if you are get-ting a unit on term payments, to guar-antee the unit will still be paid off and be handed to your heirs if something unfortunate happens. If the developer does not require it, make sure to have an insurance policy that can pay off the balance of your payment.

Once you are fully paid, the developer will issue you the Deed of Absolute Sale and start processing the transfer of the CCT to your account. Give a timetable of three months for these transactions. Some developers turnover the units while the title is still being processed

Before you accept your unit, make sure to make a punch list of your investment. If possible, get an expert to help you out. Measurement starts from center wall; check if all the specifications have been followed. If the unit you got is fully furnished, check all the items carefully and ask for warranties. If you are to make some alteration on your unit, make sure to coordinate with the building administrator.

When you are ready to move in, spend some time to check the nearby service provider, try to be part of the community, check out the nearest Rotary Club or religious/civic orga-nization in the area which you can join. Check out the shortcuts going in and out of your area. Know your neighbors. Condo living without any communication with your neighbors is boring. Living in a condo here in Makati, I miss the mornings when street peddlers knock at our gate for the early morning pandesal, taho and kakanin. By mid-mornings you have the buko man and fruit and vegetables and fish vendors. You never run out of these people till midnight when they shout, “balut, penoy!”

I miss the thrill when it rains, and you are not sure whether the road going home can be accessed or not. There will be things thay you wil miss but there will be things that you will love when living in a condo. Five to ten years from now, condo living will be a lifestyle.

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wHen i wAs A little giRl growing up in the Philippines and spending sum-mers at my mother’s ancestral home in Biñan, Laguna, my aunts Becky and Eliza Yaptinchay would take us cousins (Tina and Teddy Evangelista, and my sister, Cynthia) to the local movies which usually portrayed America as the land of opportunity and with roads paved with gold! California was particularly attractive with its terrain and beautiful weather. No extremes like snow or free-zing weather for us! Those were to be enjoyed only on Christmas card pictures and postcards.

how lucky I felt then, when eventu-ally, our young family of five—my late husband Paco, and our three little girls, with faithful housekeeper, Miss Annie Bacaro, moved to San Francisco in the ‘70s from New York and a brief stint in Manila, joining the millions of immi-grants to the Golden State, nicknamed so because of the gold rush centuries ago. hence, the Golden State Warriors, the Golden Gate Bridge, etc.

California proudly possesses the 8th largest economy in the world and wields tremendous power in the country’s decision-making. A few of its gover-nors have run for the presidency of the country, successfully like Reagan, or unsuccessfully, like Jerry Brown, or in im-migrants’ dreams, like Arnold Schwar-zeneger. It is also home to many of the close to four million Filipinos, docu-mented or otherwise, whose per capita income is ahead of the largest minority group in America, the Mexicans.

When I spent winter and spring in California this year, I visited with so many old friends, the original OFWs before being officially named so by the Philippine government. A senior adviser to many Filipino-American affairs is indomitable Alice Bulos, awarded many

times over for her work in politics and community services. A frequent col-league is Marico Enriquez.

Reliable Rodel Rodis is an attorney, a member of the College Community Board, and a strong link to the San Fran-cisco Mayor’s office. In San Bruno, Pong, a former waiter at Tito Rey, started his own restaurant, Kuya’s, with his accountant partner, Babes. I tried their arroz caldo with chicken and it made me promise to return for a full meal. More on them later. A former Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce head, retired Bert Galang, gifted with a Tony Bennett-like voice, enjoys singing occasionally at various karaoke clubs and is also busy with his golf clubs.

I drove to Milpitas, was impressed by their new, modern and architectur-ally-handsome city hall. Joe Esteves, a Fil-Am, is the three-term mayor of this exciting Silicon Valley city. he is both efficient and charming, and it was with a feeling of pride as I watched him preside over his Caucasian council. At nearby Sta. Clara, Philippine Trade Com-missioner Nini Mendoza-Alvero has

successfully referred outsourcing clients to the Philippines.

Fil-Am realtors have surged in the market. Ina and Ron Davis are such a win-ning team in Northern California. Years ago, our children grew up and partied together. Ina’s siblings, Pilar, Macoy and Dolly, frequent visitors to America, are also close friends of ours. Mardolla’s Doji Llamas does both real estate and finan-cing and commutes frequently to Manila.

Gracefully retiring, still beautiful Nena Iboleon-Sarasola lives in Burlin-game surrounded by her children and grandchildren. In the ‘90s, her son Joey, married our niece, Donna hermano, and held their reception in our home. how time has flown. Today, Joey heads the rail system under President GMA.

Amazing and durable Lita Bauson, despite various odds, has accumulated an enviable portfolio of properties allowing her to work part-time and care for ailing husband, Johnny. her children too, were in the same hillsborough schools as my daughters. Co-worker at Remax is Ching Evaristo, attractive, effi-cient and admirable as a working moth-er. her debutante daughter Monique, is a promising singer. Children Joshua and Olivia help her in the business.

I visited with Willie Santamaria, who works in the Oakland school district, and off-duty, is a jazz singer reminis-cent of Ella Fitzgerald. Friends Linda Byer, always chic and a resident of San Mateo, and Yvonne Rivilla-Rufino, a loan consultant, get together frequently. We listened to fantastic music at henry’s, owned by a Filipino couple who also sing at the famous Tonga Room of the Fairmont hotel.

Banking executive Mars Gueco took time out from his busy schedule to lunch with pretty Coco Perez-Relova and me. Manolo Relova, a childhood

friend in Makati, now runs a travel con-solidator agency in the Bay Area.

But in that golden state, not ev-erything glitters. There are the typical problems of migrating Fil-Ams: stress and anxiety at separation from family, or with new jobs, adjusting to a new cul-ture or suffering stress-induced mental disorders. unlike my student days in the ‘60s, the newspapers now report Asians involved in crimes, those previously ignored, denied or not discussed—do-mestic violence, murder, problems with chemical imbalances, substance abuse, alcoholism, etc.

After talking to Fr. Tony Claudio and Deacon Roy Twitty of St. Catherine’s Church in Burlingame, I eventually met psychologist Dr. Dave Ross, Director of the Behavioral healthcare San Mateo office of the Catholic Charities. Amiable, almost fatherly, he has been seeing more and more Asians with psychologi-cal problems in recent years.

With cooperation from dynamic Phil-ippine Consul General to San Francisco Rowena Mendoza, he held a seminar on healthy family relationships (including violence, abuse, bipolar and other men-tal disorders) among Filipino-Americans. They thought that maybe 50 would attend. More than 200 showed up! Dr. Ross hopes that the large attendance will translate into more people aware of, and seeking treatment, for this rather common and treatable disease.

Prosperous though they are, the Fili-pino-Americans share similar problems with their Filipino countrymen working abroad in Rome, Dubai, or hongkong, etc. OFWs are frequently hailed as he-roes. I wonder if many know the hidden pain that goes with every success?

E-mail author at citadinglasan@yahoo.com.

ofw notesCita y. Abad-Dinglasan

reflections

California: The Golden State

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soarcondo memo

i AlwAys imAgine how it would feel to jump out the window and count how many seconds till I reach the cold pavement below. how many seconds of flight will gravity allow me before ending my life. I would like to feel real weightlessness, not the type you would feel after a few rounds of scotch. It would be just like bungee jumping without the cord, and with-out having the chance to do it again. A childhood Peter Pan frustration perhaps?

These are things you think of when you’re life is caught perpetually in a cycle of eat, work, eat, sleep, wake. So I’m living in a fancy building, the ones you see in malls with the small replica with the merchandisers choosing who looks rich. Yes, the phrases there are all too alluring and inviting, and the pictures really do complement the words. But there are a lot of stories those pamphlets don’t tell. Tales that you can never experience. Rumors you just hear from a friend of a friend living way up there.

For example: I don’t know if it was really true, but rumors spread that on July 27, the former planet Pluto wiould be closest to the earth. By some cosmic motion, it would be visible to the naked eye. As large as a full moon, some even said. I suppose it would look magnificent or astounding to

everyone, but not everyone has ac-cess to a 42-story condo in the heart of Makati. I suppose Pluto would look better closer, even if it’s just a few levels above ground. Maybe it would leave me breathless. Then again, maybe not.

There are a lot of things you can imagine when you have a view from the top. Like how many people would get soaked if you threw a bucket of water out the window, how far would a feather travel if I tossed it on the top floor on a windy day, how I think I share a view of the world with God. For a mo-ment, I do think that I’m an omniscient being, pulling the strings on the people more than a hundred feet below.

I’m pretty much sure that I’m the only person on the floor who thinks that, probably the only person in the building. Maybe it’s my life alone in a condo unit, possibly because of my usual cycle of eat, work, eat, sleep, wake. Even in the sanctuary I call night swimming, there is still restlessness that follows me like a shadow. But I don’t think that these ideas would have come had I lived in a regular house, with a garden, with a pet dog or cat, a suburb of two story houses with newly painted gates, that sort. If so, my story would have been different. I would be writing about how I accidentally step on my pet’s

poop every morning as I go out to groggily fetch the morning paper.

But I live on a multi-awarded condo just minutes away from work. I live in a building with a pool, sauna and gym. Never mind that I don’t own my own parking space, I have nothing to park anyway. I live with hundreds of ten-ants, most of them not even Filipinos, but I don’t mind, not at all.

I’m keeping the identity of my building anonymous because more or less, you can get the same amenities with all condominiums whose targets are the well-to-do people in their 30s, foreigners, or those young punks born with silver spoons. Of course the stories would be different, but you would have the idea of jumping out of the window pass you by at least once. I just believe that services can only do so much in improving lifestyle.

I for one don’t use the in-house laundry services. But that wouldn’t be the point. The location, the number of elevators, the rent, the guards that

sleep during graveyard shifts, all these will not change once you occupy a unit. And quite frankly, it’s this search for services that most people perceive in the surface level. Living on a condo might as well be like buying an expen-sive painting which you hardly notice. Of course when it’s brand new, people tend to stare at its magnificence. But once the dust settles in, face value drops quickly.

I’ve heard of ghost stories, about ac-cidents in the building, strange occur-rences, the paranormal type. I would run towards the elevator when a door shuts behind me. It’s just that all those doors from all those hallways and all those floors, all of them seem so cold, so unwelcoming. This estrangement that people don’t get to read on the brochures. Yes, those doors and cor-ridors could be cold and consuming, but there’s always an exception.

Mine.That’s what living indoors is all

about right?

keith bryan Cortez tilts the frame on how a condo dweller views his own abode and in a tone tinged with exquisite boredom reveals the inner workings of a life perched a hundred feet above ground

View fromthe top

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for rentDisclaimer: All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Prospective purchasers and renters should verify the information to their satisfaction.

Rizal tower Three-bedroom unfurnished 283 sq.m. Two parking slots P270,000/month

Rizal tower Three-bedroom Fully furnished 283 sq.m. Two parking slots P170,000/month

Amorsolo west Two-bedroom Fully furnished 125 sq.m. Two parking slots P100,000/month

manansala Studio Fully furnished 48 sq.m. One parking slot P35,000/month

Hidalgo Place Two-bedroom unfurnished 128 sq.m. Two parking slots P85,000/month

manansala One-bedroom Fully furnished 71 sq.m. One parking slot P60,000/month

Rizal tower Three-bedroom unfurnished 336 sq.m. One parking slot P200,000/month

Hidalgo Place Studio Fully furnished 52 sq.m. One parking slot P40,000/month

Rockwell, Makati City

Ortigas Center/Mandaluyong/Greenhills, San JuanPalmdale Heights One-bedroom Fully furnished 40 sq.m. P16,000/month

skyway twin tower Studio Fully furnished 25 sq.m. P15,000/month

emerald mansion Three-bedroom Fully furnished 157 sq.m. One parking slot P60,000/month

swire elan suites Studio unfurnished 35.02 sq.m. P35,000/month

mayfield Park Residences Two-bedroom unfurnished 49 sq.m. P20,000/month

gA tower Two-bedroom unfurnished 39 sq.m. P20,000/month

mayfield Park Residences Two-bedroom Fully furnished 48 sq.m. One parking slot P30,000/month

gA tower Two-bedroom Fully furnished 73 sq.m. Two parking slots P45,000/month

Parc Royale Two-bedroom Semi-furnished 170 sq.m. One parking slot P40,000/month

swire elan suites Studio unfurnished 35 sq.m. P35,000/month

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one legazpi Park Studio Semi-furnished 41 sq.m. One parking slot P40,000/month

one legazpi Park One-bedroom Fully furnished 63 sq.m. One parking slot P60,000/month

one legazpi Park One-bedroom Fully furnished 60.25 sq.m. One parking slot P70,000/month

island tower One-bedroom Fully furnished 120 sq.m. One parking slot P55,000/month

lPl tower Three-bedroom Fully furnished 134 sq.m. One parking slot P45,000/month

Asian mansion ii One-bedroom Fully furnished 40 sq.m One parking slot P28,000/month

biltmore Two-bedroom Fully furnished 131 sq.m. One parking slot P80,000/month

biltmore Three-bedroom Fully furnished 252 sq.m. One parking slot P140,000/month

Colonade Three-bedroom Fully furnished 223 sq.m. One parking slot P85,000/month

greenbelt Radissons Studio unfurnished 34.3 sq.m. P35,000/month

greenbelt Radissons Studio unfurnished 40.60 sq.m. P25,000/month

greenbelt Radissons Studio Semi-furnished 34.30 sq.m. P25,000/month

greenbelt Radissons Studio Fully furnished 34.30 sq.m. P30,000/month

greenbelt Radissons Studio Fully furnished 34.30 sq.m. One parking slot P35,000/month

greenbelt Parkplace Studio unfurnished 36.50 sq.m. P25,000/month

greenbelt Parkplace One-bedroom Fully furnished 48 sq.m. One parking slot P45,000/month

greenbelt Parkplace Studio Fully furnished 36 sq.m. P35,000/month

Perla mansion One-bedroom Fully furnished 51 sq.m. P25,000/month

Perla mansion One-bedroom Fully furnished 43 sq.m. P28,000/month

Century Plaza Two-bedroom Fully furnished 140 sq.m. One parking slot P60,000/month

Century Plaza Two-bedroom Fully furnished 147 sq.m. One parking slot P50,000/month

frabella Two-bedroom Fully furnished 150 sq.m. One parking slot P90,000/month

frabella Two-bedroom

(penthouse)

Fully furnished 300 sq.m. One parking slot P140,000/month

The shang grand tower One-bedroom Fully furnished 80 sq.m. One parking slot P75,000/month

greenbelt Parkplace One-bedroom Fullyfurnished 36.5 sq.m. P55,000/month

Legaspi Village, Makati City

vellagio tower Studio unfurnished 28.50 sq.m. P15,000/month

Providence tower Studio Fully furnished 25 sq.m. P12,500/month

Antel seaview One-bedroom Fully furnished 55 sq.m. One parking slot P25,000/month

burgundy transpacific Place One-bedroom unfurnished 40.08 sq.m. P16,750/month

golden empire 1322 Four-bedroom Fully furnished 250 sq.m. Three parking slots P180,000/month

Cityland vito Cruz tower One-bedroom unfurnished 50 sq.m. P15,000/month

le mirage De malate One-bedroom unfurnished 34 sq.m. P15,000/month

le mirage De malate One-bedroom Semi-furnished 44 sq.m. P16,000/month

le mirage De malate One-bedroom Fully Furnished 44 sq.m. P25,000/month

Harrison mansion One-bedroom Fully furnished 30 sq.m. P13,000/month

bay gardens-Anchor One-bedroom unfurnished 54 sq.m. One parking slot P25,000/month

Manila/ Pasay City

Bonifacio Global Citybonifacio Ridge Three-bedroom Fully furnished 113 sq.m. One parking slot P80,000/month

bonifacio Ridge Two-bedroom Fully furnished 113 sq.m. One parking slot P90,000/month

one mckinley Two-bedroom Fully furnished 196 sq.m. One parking slot P100,000/month

Penhurst Parkplace Three-bedroom Fully furnished 118 sq.m. One parking slot P70,000/month

forbeswood Heights One-bedroom Fully furnished 49 sq.m. P32,000/month

84 | CondoCentral

oriental garden One-bedroom unfurnished 45 sq.m. P20,000/month

oriental garden Studio unfurnished 33 sq.m. P15,000/month

makati executive tower i One-bedroom Semi-furnished 27 sq.m. P12,500/month

makati executive tower i One-bedroom unfurnished 36 sq.m. P12,500/month

west of Ayala Studio Fully furnished 36 sq.m. P20,000/month

The Columns– Ayala One-bedroom Semi-furnished 49 sq.m. One parking slot P45,000/month

The Columns - Ayala Studio unfurnished 32 sq.m. P25,000/month

The Columns - Ayala Studio Fully furnished 30 sq.m. P25,000/month

The Columns - Ayala Two-bedroom unfurnished 67 sq.m. One parking slot P62,000/month

Cityland Pasong tamo Three-bedroom Fully furnished 116.9 sq.m. P40,000/month

salcedo Park Three-bedroom Fully furnished 179 sq.m One parking slot P75,000/month

easton Place Two-bedroom Fully furnished 125 sq.m. One parking slot P70,000/month

easton Place Three-bedroom Fully furnished 189 sq.m. One parking slot P90,000/month

easton Place Three-bedroom Fully furnished 124 sq.m. One parking slot P75,000/month

Parklane Two-bedroom Fully furnished 136.55 sq.m. One parking slot P38,000/month

Paseo Parkview Studio Fully furnished 30 sq.m. P25,000/month

lPl Center Two-bedroom Fully furnished 148 sq.m. One parking slot P45,000/month

salcedo Park Three-bedroom unfurnished 180 sq.m. One parking slot P65,000/month

grand tower Two-bedroom Fully furnished 140 sq.m. One parking slot P55,000/month

grand tower Two-bedroom Fully furnished 155 sq.m. One parking slot P60,000/month

Three salcedo Three-bedroom Semi-furnished 183.99 sq.m. One parking slot P70,000/month

Alpha salcedo Three-bedroom Fully furnished 150 sq.m. One parking slot P75,000/month

Antel Platinum tower One-bedroom Fully furnished 40.52 sq.m. One parking slot P30,000/month

manhattan square Studio Fully furnished 41.66 sq.m. P22,000/month

manhatttan sqaure One-bedroom Fully furnished 76 sq.m. One parking slot P40,000/month

two lafayette Two-bedroom Semi-furnished 102 sq.m. One parking slot P45,000/month

two lafayette Three-bedroom Fully furnished 171 sq.m. One parking slot P85,000/month

Plaza Royale Two-bedroom Fully furnished 155 sq.m. One parking slot P55,000/month

Ponte salcedo Three-bedroom

(penthouse)

Fully furnished 285 sq.m. One parking slot P100,000/month

four seasons Two-bedroom Fully furnished 170 sq.m. One parking slot P140,000/month

tifanny Place Two-bedroom Fully furnished 160 sq.m. One parking slot P85,000/month

le metropole Five-bedroom

(penthouse, bi-level)

unfurnished 350 sq.m. One parking slot P120,000/month

le metropole Three-bedroom Fully furnished 179 sq.m. One parking slot P70,000/month

le Domaine Two-bedroom Semi-furnished 117 sq.m. Two parking slots P50,000/month

SalcedoVillage, Makati City

Chino Roces/ Sen. Gil Puyat/ Dela Rosa, Makati City

olympic Heights Four-bedroom Fully furnished 154 sq.m. Two parking slots P90,000/month

greenhills garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.5 sq.m. P18,000/month

francesca Two-bedroom Fully furnished 43 sq.m. P23,000/month

Quezon City

Alabang/ Parañaquevivant flats Two-bedroom unfurnished 88 sq.m. One parking slot P90,000/month

Chateu elyseé Two-bedroom Fully furnished 53 sq.m. P28,000/month

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condo

Prince Plaza i Studio Fully furnished 26.74 sq.m. P2,300,000

tropical Palm tower Two-bedroom unfurnished 140 sq.m. One parking slot P7,500,000

sunrise Two-bedroom unfurnished 140 sq.m. One parking slot P7,600,000

greenbelt Parkplace One-bedroom Fully furnished 36.5 sq.m. P5,500,000

smile Citihomes Studio unfurnished 30 sq.m. P600,000

north Ridge mansion Studio unfurnished 25 sq.m. P2,000,000

new york mansion Studio unfurnished 44 sq.m. P1,400,000

tropical mandarin tower Studio unfurnished 36.5 sq.m. One parking slot P2,800,000

north Ridge mansion Studio Semi-furnished 25 sq.m. P2,100,000

tropical mandarin tower Studio unfurnished 36.5 sq.m. One parking slot P2,850,000

one orchard Road Studio Semi-furnished 36.5 sq.m. P2,300,000

Regalia Park towers Two-bedroom Semi-furnished 70 sq.m. One parking slot P3,800,000

francesca Two-bedroom Fully Furnished 43 sq.m. One parking slot P2,200,000

Quezon City

Penhurst Parkplace Three-bedroom Fully furnished 110 sq.m. One parking slot P8,500,000

Pacific Plaza towers Three-bedroom unfurnished 298 sq.m. Two parking slots P23,000,000

Bonifacio Global City

Legaspi Village, Makati

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Chino Roces/ Sen. Gil Puyat/ Dela Rosa, Makati CityCityland Pasong tamo One-bedroom unfurnished 36 sq.m. P1,900,000

Cityland Pasong tamo Two-bedroom unfurnished 66.99 sq.m. P3,000,000

Cityland Pasong tamo Two-bedroom unfurnished 66.99 sq.m. P3,000,000

Palm tower Studio unfurnished 25 sq.m. P1,300,000

kingswood Three-bedroom Fully furnished 77 sq.m. One parking slot P4,500,000

Danarra Three-bedroom Semi-furnished 148 sq.m. One pakring slot P3,500,000

Palm tower One-bedroom Fully furnished 36.36 sq.m. P2,500,000

oriental garden Two-bedroom Fully furnished 113 sq.m. One parking slot P12,000,000

makati executive tower i One-bedroom unfurnished 27 sq.m. One parking slot P2,500,000

makati executive tower i One-bedroom unfurnished 28 sq.m. One parking slot P2,500,000

oriental garden makati Three-bedroom Fully furnished 180 sq.m. One parking slot P12,000,000

oriental garden makati Studio unfurnished 37 sq.m. P3,200,000

Palm tower Three-bedroom unfurnished 108 sq.m P4,700,000

makati executive tower i One-bedroom unfurnished 28.7 sq.m. P1,500,000

Cityland 9 Studio unfurnished 22 sq.m. P700,000

oxford suites Studio unfurnished 36 sq.m. P2,500,000

ferros bel- Air tower One-bedroom unfurnished 44.24 sq.m. P1,700,000

makati Prime City Four-bedroom unfurnished 110 sq.m. Two parking slots P6,900,000

makati Palace Studio unfurnished 32.87 sq.m. P1,900,000

Bel-Air, Makati City

Pacific Regency One-bedroom unfurnished 48.19 sq.m. P2,000,000

Cityland vito Cruz tower

One-bedroom unfurnished 50 sq.m. One parking slot P2,850,000

somerset mansion Two-bedroom Semi-furnished 87 sq.m. One parking slot P4,200,000

Alpha grandview One-bedroom Semi-furnished 52.80 sq.m. One parking slot P3,500,000

balagtas Royal mansion One-bedroom unfurnished 28 sq.m. One parking slot P1,500,000

vellagio tower Studio unfurnished 30 sq.m. P2,085,000

malate Adriatico grand Residences

Two-bedroom unfurnished 54.44 sq.m. One parking slot P4,500,000

Park Avenue mansion Studio unfurnished 24 sq.m. P950,000

legaspi tower 300 Two-bedroom Semi-furnished 183 sq.m. P8,500,000

Alpha grandview Studio Semi-furnished 28.4 sq.m. P2,000,000

Manila/ Pasay City

Hidalgo Place Three-bedroom Fully furnished 198 sq.m. Two parking slots P20,000,000

Hidalgo Place Two-bedroom unfurnished 128 sq.m. Two parking slots P12,500,000

manansala Two-bedroom unfurnished 102 sq.m. One parking slot P10,300,000

manansala Two-bedroom unfurnished 116 sq.m. One parking slot P11,700,000

luna garden Four-bedroom

(penthouse, bi-level)

unfurnished 320 sq.m. Two parking slots P45,000,000

Rizal tower Four-bedroom

(penthouse, flat)

unfurnished 270 sq.m. Two parking slots P35,000,000

Amorsolo east Three-bedroom unfurnished 170 sq.m. Two parking slots P19,000,000

Rockwell, Makati City

88 | CondoCentral

mondrian Residences Studio unfurnished 46.78 sq.m. One parking slot P2,700,000

vierra at britanny bay One-bedroom unfurnished 39 sq.m. P2,900,000

Almanza metropolis Two-bedroom Semi-furnished 38.5 sq.m. One parking slot P2,500,000

Alabang/ Sucat, Parañaque

megaplaza Three-bedroom unfurnished 93.84 sq.m. P3,800,000

Cityland Pioneer One-bedroom Fully furnished 34 sq.m P1,500,000

Palmdale Heights Studio unfurnished 40 sq.m. P1,400,000

governor’s Place Two-bedroom unfurnished 88 sq.m. One parking slot P4,500,000

valencia Hills Three-bedroom Fully furnished 122 sq.m. P8,500,000

California garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57 sq.m. P2,800,000

California garden square Three-bedroom Fully furnished 80 sq.m. P3,900,000

California garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.50 sq.m. P2,200,000

California garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.50 sq.m., One parking slot P2,350,000

California garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.50 sq.m. One parking slot P2,400,000

California garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.5 sq.m. One parking slot P2,500,000

California garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.5 sq.m. One parking slot P2,300,000

Casa madrid Three-bedroom unfurnished 120 sq.m. One parking slot P5,200,000

Parc Royale Four-bedroom Semi-furnished 348 sq.m. Two parking slots P16,000,000

Parc Royale Two-bedroom Semi-furnished 170 sq.m. One parking slot P5,500,000

Pioneer Highlands One-bedroom unfurnished 53 sq.m. One parking slot P2,800,000

California garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.5 sq.m. P2,300,000

grand emerald tower Studio unfurnished 37 sq.m. P1,250,000

Cortijos greenhills Condominium

Three-bedroom unfurnished 125 sq.m. One parking slot P4,800,000

Ortigas Center/ Mandaluyong City/ Greenhills, San Juan

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1 Cityplace Residences - Tower A Reina Regente St., Binondo, City of Manila 9.7M 13.8M July 2011

2 Cityplace Residences - Tower B Reina Regente St., Binondo, City of Manila 5.6M 7.2M November 2011

3 Eastwood LeGrand Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City 2.8M 7.6M April 2012

4 Eastwood Park Hotel & Residential Suites Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City 3.3M 12M September 2010

5 El Jardin del Presidente 2 Sgt. Esguerra Ave., Quezon City 2.7M 4.3M December 2009

6 Greenbelt Chancellor Rada St., Legaspi Village, Makati City 3.M 13.4M October 2010

7 McKinley Hill Garden Villas McKinley hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 7.5M 9.9M June 2008

8 McKinley Hill Garden Villas - Phase 2 McKinley hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 5.2M 14.M June 2009

9 Forbeswood Parklane Tower 1 Forbestown Center, Bonifacio Global City 2.8M 6.7M December 2009

10 Forbeswood Parklane Tower 2 Forbestown Center, Bonifacio Global City 2.9M 4.5M August 2010

11 Manhattan Parkway Residences Tower 1 Manhattan Garden City, Araneta Center, Quezon City 1.6M 4.1M August 2011

12 Manhattan Parkway Residences Tower 2 Manhattan Garden City, Araneta Center, Quezon City 1.6M 4.9M December 2011

13 Manhattan Parkway Tower 3 Manhattan Garden City, Araneta Center, Quezon City 1.7M 4.4M December 2011

14 Stamford Executive Residences McKinley hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 1.4M 2.3M November 2010

15 Two Stamford Executive Residences McKinley hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 1.5M 2.4M February 2011

16 Residential Resort at Newport City-Montecito Villamor Airbase, Newport City 3.2M 4.0M March 2010

17 Residential Resort at Newport City-Pinecrest Villamor Airbase, Newport City 2.3M 3.7M July 1, 2011

18 Residential Resort at Newport City-Sarasota Villamor Airbase, Newport City 2.4M 4.4M August 1, 2010

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CondoCentral | 91

19 The Bellagio I Forbestown Center, Bonifacio Global City 3.2M 29.6M October 2008

20 The Bellagio II Forbestown Center, Bonifacio Global City 3.2M 15.9M December 2009

21 The Bellagio III Forbestown Center, Bonifacio Global City 3.7M 37.9M June 2010

22 The Olympian @ Cityplace Reina Regente St., Binondo, City of Manila 1.9M 4.07M December 2011

23 One Central Park Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City 3.3M 13.3M Decmeber 2009

24 Tuscany Private Estate upper McKinely Road, McKinley hill, Taguig City 7.4M 12M December 2011

California Garden Square Libertad St., Mandaluyong City 2.5M 3.5M Clusters Anaheim, Burbank, Carlton, Dayton & El Dorado fully turned over. Fairfax cluster now being turned over, while Glen-haven cluster will be turned over in 2nd half of 2007

Cambridge Village San Andres, Cainta, Rizal 860T 1.4M Clusters 1-4 now fully turned over, Clusters 5-6 for turnover this 1st half of 2007.

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centralmarket

To advertise Tel: (632)812-3333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

ONE LEGAZPI PARKLegaspi Village, Makati City2BR 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.0M2BR 97 sq.m. 1 parking slot P10.5M1BR 69.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.5M2BR FF 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P90,000/mo.

SOuTh OF MARKETBonifacio Global City1BR FF 38 sq.m. 1 parking slot P4.5M

MANhATTAN SQuARESalcedo Village, Makati City1BR 79 sq.m. 1 parking slot P40,000/mo.

RIZAL TOWERRockwell Center, Makati CityPenthouse SF 336 sq.m. 3 parking slots P230,000/mo.

top broker’sMakati

picks

Call or text Grace Geverola at +639278369426

EASTON PLACESalcedo Village, Makati City

2BR 123 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.9M2BR 126 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.1M2BR 125 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.1M2BR 124 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.0M3BR 181 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.7M

PONTE SALCEDOSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 285 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.4M3BR 285 sq.m. 1 parking slot P12.8M

Best value for your money

Call or text Bong Lozada at +639192126024

To advertise Tel: (632)812-3333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

Life is a beach!

Playa del SolBatangas

250 sq.m. P2MLas Casas de Cabuena

CaviteOne-bedroom tower P5M

Playa CalataganBatangas

270 sq.m. – 501 sq.m.P1.5M – P2.8M

Amara en TerrazasBatangas

2BR 121 sq.m. P9.5M3BR 174 sq.m. P12.8M

Call or text Renne Isidro at +639153728220

To advertise Tel: (632)812-3333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

hampton Gardens (Ready for occupancy)

Maybunga, Pasig City (near Ortigas Center) STD-2BR 19.25 sq.m.-39 sq.m. P810,000-P1.9M

Reservation fee: P20,000

One Sapphire (Ready for occupancy)

Mandaluyong City (walking distance from City hall of Mandaluyong)

1BR-3BR 33.5 sq.m.-76 sq.m. P1.19M-P3.6Reservation Fee: P10,000

P’oint Isabelle (BTO-1 year)

Tagaytay City42 sq.m.-102.5 sq.m. P2.3-P3.5M

Reservation fee: P50,000

Office for lease

Quezon Avenue, Quezon City400 sq.m. G/F P300/sq.m.450 sqm 2/F P300/sq.m.

Call or text JP Pello at +639154445655 or +639225488110

E-mail: jgpello@gmail.com Call or text Faye Asuncion at +639278585825

Call now!Carlo Gemota +639154553608

TheOriental Place

Newest project of Metrobank in

Makati launched!

Live in resort condo in the Metropolis for only 10% downpayment to move in

Located in Ortigas, Pasig, across Fort Bonifacio,

Mandaluyong and Quezon City

Modern elements to achieve timeless designs

Offers no downpayment or P9,000/mo. zero interest

No lumpsum payment

every year

Antel Spa Residences Makati Avenue, Makati City

STD 25.35 sq.m. P2.2M-P2.3M1BR 29.85 sqm. P2.6M- P2.7M

2BR flat 46.18 sq.m.-53.68 sq.m. P4.7M-P4.9M2BR bi-level 52.20 sq.m.-59.70 sq.m. P4.8M-P5.5M3BR bi-level 90.16 sq.m.-91.32 sqm. P8.3M-P8.5M

The Metropolitan Tower

Estrella and Amapola Streets across Rockwell Drive, Makati CitySTD flat 37 sq.m.- 43 sq.m. P2.9M-P3.6M1BR flat 51 sq.m.- 53 sq.m. P3.9M -P4.4M

2BR flat 76 sq.m.- P5.9M-P6.2M2BR loft 102 sq.m.-134 sq.m. P8.5M-P11.2M

3BR loft 120 sq.m.- 121 sq.m. P8.8M-P9M

Call or text Norma Robles at +639178557174

To advertise Tel: (632)812-3333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

ON TOP OF THE TOWN!

The Eton ResidencesLegazpi St., Legaspi Village, Makati City

1BR 60 sq.m. P7M-P7.6M2BR 90 sq.m.-121 sq.m. P9.3M-P11.9M3BR 154 sq.m.-174 sq.m. P15M-P18.5M

The Columns Legazpi VillageAmorsolo corner Pasay Road, Legaspi Village, Makati City

STD regular 30 sq.m.-33 sq.m. P2.49M-P4.26MSTD-Jr. 1BR 38 sq.m-39 sq.m. P3.1M-P4.6M

1BR 47 sq.m. P4.3M -P5.23M2BR 67 sq.m.-77 sq.m. P6.71M -P9.85M

2BR loft 82 sq.m. P8.71M-P8.76M

Greenbelt ChancellorRada St. , Legaspi Village, Makati City

STD 36 sq.m.-46 sq.m. P3.06M-P4.73M1BR 38 sq.m.-55.7 sq.m. P3.91-P5.72M

2BR 72 sq.m.-83.5 sq.m. P7.42M-P8.68M3BR 126.55 sq.m. P13.28M-P13.41M

Call or text Joy S. Sta. Teresa at +639174867883

Call or text Renne Isidro at +639153728220 or 840-1332

Oriental Garden MakatiChino Roces Ave., Makati City

STD 33 sq.m. P2.1M1BR 45 sq.m. P 2.7M

The Oriental PlaceMakati City

1BR 28.45 sq.m. P1.7M

Bay Gardens – Mactan TowerRoxas Boulevard, Pasay City

1BR 42 sq.m. P3.4M2BR 92sq.m. P7.3M

3BR 108 sq.m. P8.2M

Marquinton ResidencesMarikina City

1BR 33 sq.m. P1.5M2BR 53.50 sq.m. P2.7M

Call or text Rose Jane C. Dela Rosa at +639273968660

Condos by Federal Land, Inc. BANK ACQUIRED ASSETS

Affordable payment schemes availableMANILA

Pearl of the Orient (R) 39.38 sq.m P3.24MImperial Sky Garden (C) 28.40 sq.m. to 52.97 sq.m. P1.71M-P5.3M

MAKATIMakati Cinema Square (R) 154 sq.m. P6.2M

LPL Manor (R) 150 sq.m. P5.3MAlpha Salcedo (R) 127.39 sq.m. P7.71M

Kingswood (R) 154 sq.m. P6.17MSkyland (R) 187 sq.m. P8.25M

MANDALUYONGPioneer Highland (R) 122.48 sq.m. P4.6M

Summit One (C) 150.02 sq.m. P4.25M

PARAÑAQUEBayview International Tower (R) 135 sq.m. P3.8M

Chateau de Baie (R) 38 sq.m.-145sqm P1.72M-P5.6M

PASAYIPI Buendia Tower (R) 44 sq.m.-61 sq.m. P1.75-P2.6M

PASIGCrisanta Tower (R) 111.50 sq.m. P4.8M

Reinaissance 3000 (R) 390 sq.m. P14.82M

PENTHOUSE UNITS Le Triomphe (R) 420.98 sq.m. P12.5M

Imperial Sky Garden (C) 244.97 sq.m. P14.7MWashington Tower (R) 602sqm 29.5M

*R - residential C - commercial

Call or text Ariel S. Raymundo at +639228632217 or +639216889398

or e-mail at ariel@condo.com.ph

THE ULTIMATE IN CITY LIVING!

FoRBESwooD HEIGHTSBonifacio Global City

One-bedroom36.5 sq.m.

Fully furnishedOne parking slot

Asking price (sale): P6,000,000Asking price (lease): P35,000 per month

Three-bedroom107 sq.m.

SemifurnishedOne parking slot

Asking price (sale): P12,500,000Asking price (lease): P80,000 per month

Call or text Rowena dela Cruz at +639173650220

To advertise Tel: (632)812-3333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

Salcedo ParkSalcedo Village, Makati City

4BR 224 sq.m. 1 parking slot P13M

Ponte SalcedoSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 285 sq.m. 2 parking slots P12M

BSA MansionLegaspi Village, Makati

1BR FF 67 sq.m. 1 parking slot P45,000/mo.

Island PlazaLegaspi Village, Makati City

2BR FF 120 sq.m. 1 parking slot P45,000/mo.1BR FF 80 sq.m. 1 parking slot P35,000/mo.

Salcedo ParkSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 179 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000/mo.

Call or text Stephanie Geverola

at +639164800699

Central urban

loCations

Airport CondosThe Amvel Mansions

Parañaque City1BR 44.8 sq.m. P2.4M2BR 65.7 sq.m. P3.5M3BR 92.8 sq.m. P5M

TribecaParañaque City

STD 25 sq.m. P1.4M1BR 37.1 sq.m. P2M

2BR 46.8 sq.m. P2.5M

CentropolisParañaque City

1BR 25.92 sq.m. P1.2M2BR 52.11 sq.m. P2.5

Call or text Marivic Espanola at +639202008259

VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS

R E N TOne Lafayette

Salcedo Village, Makati City3BR 280 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000/mo.

Easton PlaceSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 201 sq.m. 2 parking slots P65,000/mo

LPL CenterSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 280 sq.m. 1 parking slot P80,000/mo.

Le MetropoleSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 120 sq.m. 1 parking slot P90,000/mo.

One McKinley Bonifacio Global City

2BR 120 sq.m. 1 parking slot P90,000/mo.

Forbeswood Heights Bonifacio Global City

1BR 48 sq.m. P30,000/mo.

Call or text Cathy Isidro at +639275720440

One Sapphire 1BR 42.67 sq.m. P1.6M2BR 72.32 sq.m. P3.0M3BR 76.53 sq.m. P3.74M

LancaSter the atrium1BR 47.65 sq.m. P4M

2BR loft 75.67 sq.m. P6.43M3BR loft 106 sq.m. P9M

Lee GardenSStudio 35.70 sq.m. P2.6M

1BR 55.50 sq.m. P4M2BR 101.20 sq.m. P7.33M3BR 127.70 sq.m. P9.60M

call or text nonoy tumonong at +639062607098

MANDALUYONG CONDOS

One Rockwell

Rockwell Drive corner Estrella Drive, Makati City

STD flat 27 sq.m.- 28 sq.m. P3M

One-bedroom flat 53 sq.m.- 68 sq.m. 1 parking slot P6.1M

Two-bedroom flat 80 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.5M

Three-bedroom flat 120 sq.m. 1 parking slot P13M

One-bedroom loft 65 sq.m.-71 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.2M

Two-bedroom loft 88 sq.m. P11.2M

Two-bedroom Z-loft 95 sq.m.-97 sq.m. P11.2M

Call or text Danny dela Cruz at +639279567523

To advertise Tel: (632)812-3333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

YouR GatewaY to Makati

Makati eXeCutiVetoweR iii

Sen. Gil Puyatave., Makati City

40-storey office,commercial

and residentialcondominium

www.condo.com.phFor inquiries and viewing requests:

CALL NOW (632) 812-3333

As low as

per monthp9,980

To advertise Tel: (632)812-3333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

Come home to the best address in Metro Manila

and enjoy the best life has to offer!

LIVE IT UP!

Call or text Renne Isidro at +639153728220

Find out what everybody has been raving about today!

This is the oNE

One Rockwell

Rockwell Drive corner Estrella Drive, Makati City

STD flat 27 sq.m.- 28 sq.m. P3M

One-bedroom flat 53 sq.m.- 68 sq.m. 1 parking slot P6.1M

Two-bedroom flat 80 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.5M

Three-bedroom flat 120 sq.m. 1 parking slot P13M

One-bedroom loft 65 sq.m.-71 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.2M

Two-bedroom loft 88 sq.m. P11.2M

Two-bedroom Z-loft 95 sq.m.-97 sq.m. P11.2M

Call or text Danny dela Cruz at +639279567523

AS LOWAS

P2.2M

YouR GatewaY to Makati

Makati eXeCutiVetoweR iii

Sen. Gil Puyatave., Makati City

40-storey office,commercial

and residentialcondominium

www.condo.com.phFor inquiries and viewing requests:

CALL NOW (632) 812-3333

As low as

per monthp9,980

CondoCentral | 101

102 | CondoCentral

A new CoCoon in the heart of Quezon City has once again trans-formed itself and morphed into something new for residents and visitors of this city. The North Oriental Garden Suites and Residences is now called Swissbel-hotel North Oriental Garden Suites and Residences. Once envisioned as a mid market residential commercial condominium develop-ment at Edsa North Triangle is now a Luxury Residential and Suites hotel with the contract signing held last July 14, 2007 at Linden Suites in Ortigas Center.

The pioneering Edsa 999 Properties Development Corporation tied up with the formidable hong Kong based resort and hotel management group to manage and handle the property. With 26 hotels in the Asia Pacific Region and a 3o years experience in the hospitality industry, the company is tasked to come up with a five-star accommodations and amenities for Quezon City. It will be the very 1st major hotel development in the city with an international brand.

From the original drawing board of 21 floors the building is now 30 floors and with full hotel amenities such as 500 seating banquet hall and four function rooms of different sizes, one fine dining restaurant and one casual

dining, an outdoor swimming pool and spa with a health club to rival any major city spa. There will be 360 hotel rooms and 120 choiced exclusive residential units from studio to loft units and of course a 360 degree view serenity roofdeck garden.

The signing was done by EDSA 999 Properties Development Corp. President Mr. henry Tan and Swissbel-hotel International President Mr. Gavin Faull with Ms. Lolita Ching/ VP Finance of EDSA 999 and Mr. James Tam/ VP of Swissbel-hotel Interna-tional. Also present in the signing was Mr. Alfred Reyes/ GM of Linden Suites (Swissbel-hotel), Mr. Richard Lim, EVP Operations of Edsa 999 Properties, Reverend Juan Lim, Architect harley Co/ the architect of the building, Mr.

Danny Jota/ Interior Designer of the hotel and Creative Director of Edsa 999, Ms. Sonia Suganog/ Buss. Dev’t Manager, Ms. Joan Paras Bautista/ As-sociate Architect, Ms. Ann Tan King, Mark King, Matthew Faul, Marketing Staff of Linden Suites and other staff of Edsa 999 Properties Development Corporation.

The property is located at #999 EDSA Quezon City infront of SM NORTH and near AYALA TRINOMA. For more information pls call 632- 687-3801/4116737/4116773. the Swissbel-hotel North Oriental Garden Suites and Residences is a expected to be a major attraction in Quezon City.

The condo gets an upgrade

happenings

The signing was done by Swissbel-hotel International President Mr. Gavin Faull and

EDSA 999 Properties Development Corp. President Mr. Henry Tan.

CondoCentral | 103

104 | CondoCentral

happenings

AmiD PomP AnD PAgeAntRy, fine food and fabulous music, J. King and Sons Co. Inc. held the grand launch for Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center-Boracay on July 26 at the Grand Ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Makati City.J. King and Sons Co. Inc Chairman and CEO Rich-ard King welcomed guest of honor, DOT Secretary Ace Durano and hundreds of other friends and

prospective investors to witness the unveiling of the next big thing that is certain to add vibrancy and color to the world-renowned island paradise.CRRCC is the first in a group of four resorts -- each one with its own unique quality that adapts the four elements of nature and each one complement-ing a certain personality or trait -- that J. King and Sons Co. Inc. will develop in Boracay.

builDing mAteRiAls like steel bars and ply-wood panels, floor tiles and roofing materials for the home, lead-free and odorless ACE paint, bathroom supplies, tools for DIY enthusiasts

You’ll literally have an ace up your sleeve when you shop for your next big household project at the new ACE Builders Center at SM City North-EDSA. The 4,000-sq. m. center is a take-off from the ACE hardware stores that have become a popular and trusted name for fast and efficient home improvement.

This one-stop shop for home and building supplies is a haven for both DIY enthusiasts and homebuilders and contractors. It brings ACE the helpful hardware to another level, with the builder’s center now being able to give the same kind of assistance on a contractor level.

The new ACE Builders Center at SM City North-EDSA has basic materials for construc-tion and renovation like plywood panels of different sizes, dimensional wood or dry wall wood, steel bars, cornices, baseboards, cement and PVC doors.

It also has a wide range of tiles, from ceramic to vinyl to interlocking pavers to creative and dual-purpose glass blocks. When building your house, you can choose from outdoor and in-door iron balusters, grills, railings and brackets.

ACE Paints, which have long known to be lead-free and odorless, are also available at the builder’s center. It has 2,000 colors to choose from, and an automated color matching pro-gram wherein you simply have to bring in your swatches which will be scanned by the comput-ers to give you the colors you want.

homebuilders will enjoy choosing from the ACE Builders Center’sn bathroom solutions, all with free installation service.

Not to be missed at the new ACE Builders Center is its Garden Corner, which blooms with live and artificial plants, and offers services like flower arrangements and landscaping recom-mendations to customers. It also has a pet corner for kids and animal lovers.

Like the traditional ACE hardware stores, the builders center is also a haven for DIY enthusiasts with anything and everything for fix ups and cleanups. These include power tools, electrical and lighting fixtures, storage solutions and items for cleaning the car and the house.

Behind this massive project and wide array of products is a strong consumer philosophy. ACE not only takes pride in offering quality hardware and building products, but also in providing well-trained personnel who can sat-isfactorily answer any customer’s question and professionally handle any inquiry.

More than just merchandise, ACE Builders Center gives anybody the varied possibilities to build or rebuild his home, enhance his lifestyle and ultimately enrich his life. The new ACE Builders Center is located at the former Super Sale Club area at SM City North-EDSA.

Ace Builders center opens at SM North Edsa

Crown Regency toasts to its Boracay project

CondoCentral | 105

ConDo.Com.PH, inC. has partnered with Korean and Japanese investors to market Philippine real estate, specifi-cally condo units, to their countries. This was formalized with a contract signing between the top execs of rhe Korean firm, Philbridge and Condo.Com.Ph, Inc.

“The principal properties which Korean investors are much interested in are condominium units allowing foreigners to acquire 100 percent ownership equity,” says Jay Park, president of Philbridge. “Our firm has been engaged in providing the Korean investors with valuable informa-

tion data and an inventory of good investments for years. Furthermore, we have guided them how to secure and make a profit from their proper-ties they acquired so that they may settle down and do business in the Philippines without any worries. As a matter of fact, we, foreigners have a restricted scope to invest as may be prescribed under the regulations of the relevant government agencies and foreign investment act of 1991. “

The Japanese investor Ouchi Ma-saaki, chairman of 2525 Services and Consultancy, Inc. will ink a contract with Condo.Com.Ph, Inc.

tHe beACHes of boRACAy once again became the ultimate party ven-ue for today’s hip crowd as West held recently the West urban Discovery event at Club Paraw in Station 1. It’s a series of events celebrating young adults’ zest for life and their passion to explore new challenges. West urban Discovery visited key locations across the country with activities.

West urban Discovery matched the adrenaline levels of today’s young adults with one scorching night of great music, good food, overflow-ing booze, and of course, hot girls. Boracay sizzled even more with the Uno Girls, composed of some of the country’s gorgeous babes who are all hot names in the entertainment and fashion industries. Giving beach bums

truly one hot summer night were Kat Alano, Bubbles Paraiso, Phoemela Barranda, Valerie delos Santos, Jasmin Gabriel, April Tanhueco, Eli Nacuspag, and Juliana Lima Santos.

Making the night even hotter for spectators was the fashion show, where celebrities and models took over the catwalk in sexy beachwear. The girls elicited a lot of ohhs and ahhs from the audience as they parad-ed in swimsuits provided by Waicoco, SPF, and Nothing but Water.

After the hot fashion show, party was next on the agenda with Nyko Maca Band taking the centerstage with their infectious electro-latin-hip hop ditties.

Wild West in Boracay

HAbitAt foR HumAnity PHiliPPines, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Manila and the Taguig city government, celebrated the completion of the first two clus-ter homes (24 units) of Rotaryville Family Townhomes, at the Food Terminal Incorporated Complex (FTI) in Taguig City.

The project will benefit those families that have been living within the FTI vicinity for years and whose incomes are derived from driving, selling/vending, and similar odd jobs. Also benefiting from the proj-ect are the low-salaried government and private employees who are also unable to access decent, affordable

housing. Through funding from the Pag-IBIG Fund, these employees will finally have the opportunity to have homes of their own at very low monthly amortizations.

The goal is to initially construct twelve three-storey cluster family townhomes in the current 6,000 sq.m. FTI site, for 144 needy families of Taguig, with each unit measuring 26 sq.m. plus 9 sq.m. in common areas. As with most habitat assisted communities, continuing programs for values formation, livelihood, education, health, sanitation and environmental safety training and coaching will be provided by soft program partners.

Habitat for Humanity takes urban housing to the next level

Condo.Com.Ph, Inc. partners with foreign investors

10� | CondoCentral

epilogue

AskeD wHAt is He PuRsuing each time he shoots a picture, Mayie Delgado says that it is to catch the tail of what he calls as “the universal wow.” Indeed, in the 128 photographs comprising his handsome coffee table dubbed Poetic Images, Delgado portrays the natural world up-close, as if his lens wanted to get into every groove of whorl or every undulation of light to capture an essence of God who, after all, hides in the details.

Removed from the context of their locations, these images—bark of tree, droplets of water on glass, spark of jewelry, the disturbance of

receding water—achieve an abstract, indefinable quality. Says the art critic Cid Reyes whose proheme opens the book: “Drawn towards the stillness of natural phenomena, Delgado trains his camera on nature and elicits from it images of form and feeling, disclosing mysterious and ineffable states.”

Just like any artist, Delgado, es-sentially, is a lover of beauty. he claims its abundance anywhere you look: it’s just a case of training the eye to see. “Beauty is all around,” he says. “You can see it in your garden, you can see it in your home. It’s just a matter of

using your creativity to shoot it in a way that you coax the beauty out of the object or the subject.”

Providing a literary texture to each chapter of the book is a work by an established poet—at once a re-flection and a dialogue on and with the photographs. The poets include the book’s editor Alfred Yuson, National Artist Dr. Edith Tiempo, Dr. Cirilo Bautista, Dr. Ophelia Alcanta-ra-Dimalanta, Dr. Gemino Abad, Ri-cardo de ungria, Dr. Marjorie Evasco and Lourd Ernest de Veyra. The col-laboration proves what Delgado calls as the “kinship of photography and

poetry,” both of which draw their sustenance from the images shored by the visible world.

Though Delgado runs a string of businesses and is every bit successful, he shares that photography offers him something different: the fulfillment of desire to express. “An artist has to always express himself,” he says. “When you can not express yourself, it feels like you’re in jail. So you let it out. Some artists use the pen. Some artists use the brush. Mine is the camera.”

And by expressing his soul through the things around us, Delgado reveals our abiding affinities.

In pursuit of the universal wow

Contact us:First Global BYO Corporation (BYO Corp.), Bonifacio Stopover, 32nd St., Bonifacio Global City, TaguigTelephone numbers: (632) 815-8080 / 8562138-40 Fax number: (632)856-2137Log on to: www.fortpalmspring.com.ph E-mail: fortpalmspring@yahoo.com

Come home to Fort Palm Spring, the most prestigious address in Metro Manila and enjoy

the best life has to offer. Live it up on millionaires’ row!

SAVE40%

Build Your Own home at direct cost at Bonifacio Global City

for as low as P6,900 per month.

Ready by February 2009.NOW SELLING!

CondoCentral | 10�

Contact us:First Global BYO Corporation (BYO Corp.), Bonifacio Stopover, 32nd St., Bonifacio Global City, TaguigTelephone numbers: (632) 815-8080 / 8562138-40 Fax number: (632)856-2137Log on to: www.fortpalmspring.com.ph E-mail: fortpalmspring@yahoo.com

Come home to Fort Palm Spring, the most prestigious address in Metro Manila and enjoy

the best life has to offer. Live it up on millionaires’ row!

SAVE40%

Build Your Own home at direct cost at Bonifacio Global City

for as low as P6,900 per month.

Ready by February 2009.NOW SELLING!