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CondoCentral | 
 editor’s note

Beauty and Bliss in High Living

Carlomar Arcangel Daoana

Making things
work— for us
Editor in chief

Chrysler de Guzman
Art director

Godwin Nerona
Layout artist

Benhur Arcayan Revisiting one of my most favorite
Chief photographer
films, American Beauty, I was struck, this
Ana Kristine B. Valenzuela time with more poignancy, the scene where
CONTRIBUTING wwriter Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening, playing
Dexter R. dela Cruz
the dysfunctional couple Lester and Caroline,
Editorial assistant are about to make love. At the corner of her
eye, Caroline catches Lester about to spill his
Arnold A. Altamira
Felicisimo A. Tejuco, Jr. drink on a $4,000 sofa upholstered in Italian
Editorial CONSULTANTs silk. The foreplay terminates, with Lester, for
obvious reason, visibly miffed. “This is not life,”
he exclaims, gesturing at the things in their
Contributors middle-class, suburban home. “This is just stuff.
Cita Abad-Dinglasan
And it’s become more important to you than
Edwin Calica Cacayorin, Jr. living. Well, honey, that’s just nuts.”
Renne Isidro As a glossy editor, I sometimes find it hard
columnists
to remind myself that things are just things
Johanna Acab-Faustino whenever comfronted by an exquisitely beaded
Bernadette Bangayan haute couture by Pitoy Moreno for example,
Matt Bienvenido
Keith Bryan Cortez the sinuous evocation of an Italian chair, a
Jaime Licauco gorgeously designed condo unit sparkling with
Mariel Lorenzo Swarovski crystals, or the Zen-like simplicity
Roel Hoang Manipon
Dr. Adelaida V. Mayo of an iPod. We relate to things not only on the
Jenny Orillos physical but emotional level as well. This is the
Maripet L. Poso
Johanna Sampan reason why we have so called “sentimental
Writers objects,” ordinary things with which we accord
their own level of value and significance.
Nadia Camit-Upton (London)
Reyann Kong (New York) It’s just nuts when we let things bear the
correspondents brunt of projecting what and who we think we
Pranz Kaeno Billones
are to the world. We want to appear success-
Rhoy Cobilla ful? Then let’s purchase that power suit and
Shaira Luna PDA phone. We want to look cool and hip?
Photographers
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
Cherie Mae Ayongao
Sales and Marketing Director upholstered in Italian silk. Instead of doing the
hardwork of how to possibly make our aspira-
Editha B. Ignacio
tion happen, we instead get into the trance of
Emma Mangalindan “buy mode,” thinking that things will do the
Cyd V. Ponce work for us. Well, I have news for you: it ain’t
Account executives
gonna happen.
Bong Cayanan That’s why I deeply appreciate when things
Circulation manager
serve the human, a concept awakened in me
Alfred Matrimonio by personally listening and interviewing stellar
Web designer 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.
Carlomar Arcangel Daoana
carlo@condocentral.com.ph

10 | CondoCentral
 Vol. I No. 11
August 2007
contents
is published by i n e v e ry i s s u e
www.condo.com.ph
10 Editor’s note 76 Reflections
Making things work - for us OFW Notes
Daniel R. dela Cruz Carlomar Arcangel Daoana Cita Y. Abad-Dinglasan
President/CEO

Danilo R. dela Cruz, Jr. 44 Review Central 78 Condo Memo

chief operating officer
Bing Lau
Executive vice president
Renne Isidro
SENIOR Vice president - ADmINISTRATION
and MaRKETING
The hottest lifestyle picks View from the top
Keith Bryan Cortez
70 survey
Peripheral Mission 82 Condo guide
Arnold A. Altamira Your condominium hypermarket

Patrick R. Blanco 72 Legal 94 central Market

Vice president - SALES Legal Options Classified ads
Justin Park Atty. Edwin Calica Cacayorin, Jr.
MANAGING DIRECTOR - 102 Happenings
InTERNATIONAL SALES DIVISION 74 Opinion The condo gets an upgrade
Jhun-Jhun Arcero Condo Café Condo.Com.Ph, Inc. inks deal with Philbridge
OPERATIONS MANAGER Renne Isidro Crown Regency toasts to its Boracay project
Nel Garbanzos
administration
And COLLECTION OFFICER

Villanueva Gabionza
& De Santos Law Offices
Legal counsel

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C O VER S T O RY

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

F E A T URES

Preview
54 Zensational design
56 A refreshing change of pace
58 RSVP to exclusivity
60 Coming home to chic Manila
62 Investing in paradise
30 Community
Bonifacio Global City:
Living the good life, here
Ladies and gentlemen, the city of the
future is here
38 Man on top
Joel Cruz: At the (s)center of things
The man behind Aficionado welcomes us
into his home

14 RevEAL 64 Soar
Simplicity in complexity Inspirations from
The most innovative and human-sensitive the edge of the world
products from Philips How a gallery cum cafe in Palawan
18 Spotlight braves the odds
Through the lens of the beholder
America’s Next Top Model judge Nigel
Barker believes that beauty
transcends surface

106 epilogue
20 Celebrity
In pursuit of the universal wow
Yeng says yes to fame Mayie Delgado explores the abstract
Pinoy Dream Academy winner Yeng
quality of the natural world
Constantino proves she is more than a
one-hit wonder
Coverage
26 Northern shopping exposure
28 Digging for good finds
Head to TriNoma and Archaeology for a
unique shopping experience
 reveal
Simplicity
in complexity
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
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.
14 | CondoCentral
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 body
This 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.
 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 body
For 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 “Relax Your Mind”
features products that
energizing. The following products
sets the mood for
have been developed for rejuvenation: relaxation through light
Sunshine—a huge, round wall- and music.
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
 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 body

This 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 mind

To 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 experiences
Philips 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.
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.

16 | CondoCentral
 The Storyteller system
enhances a spoken narrative
with sound and light
effects to help the child’s
imagination take flight.

A house lamp, Feel Good

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

CondoCentral | 17
 spotlight
Through
the lens of
the beholder
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
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
18 | CondoCentral
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.
Photography by Benhur Arcayan
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.”
CondoCentral | 19
 celebrity
feast for one
Yeng says
yes to fame
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 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
20 | CondoCentral
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).”
Photography by Pranz Kaeno Billones
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.
CondoCentral | 21
 Students’
home away
from home
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
22 | CondoCentral
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
Advertorial
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.
CondoCentral | 23

Sunny disposition at Chateau Elyseé
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
What has been named after a famous
landmark in France is now a sun-dappled
community providing luxurious lifestyle.
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
24 | CondoCentral
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,
Advertorial
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.
CondoCentral | 25
 coverage
Northern shopping exposure
Directly 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
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
26 | CondoCentral
accessory stores. The Wellness Zone, T-Shirt Project and Viktor Jeans will
as the name implies, is a softly-finished open their first branches in Quezon
spa-inspired area where even the most City. Medical City, Asian Eye Institute
harassed urbanite can relax and, well, and Gymboree are also services that
zone out. Children’s Zone is a burst of may be availed of at TriNoma.
color, with children’s brands that play- Active lifestyle brands Nike and
fully address education and fun. Adidas as well as luggage authority
Here, the stores we know and love Travel Club have opened their show-
plus the stores we’ve been looking for case stores, as will the first Philippine
have all found a home to be daringly in-mall shops for Rolex, Skechers,
different. It is here that Bench, Pen- Birkenstock, Merrell, Marc Ecko and
shoppe, Folded and Hung, Kamiseta, Sperry. So whether its fresh concepts
Bayo, Oxygen, Adidas and Time Zone from old favorites or sought-after for-
have proudly opened their flagship eign brands nesting for the first time
stores. Each one boasts of strong, the Philippines, there’s some-
concept-driven interiors surround- thing
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,
 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.
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.
CondoCentral | 27
 coverage

Digging for good finds

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

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.

28 | CondoCentral
 community

Bonifacio Global City:

Living the good life, here
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

30 | CondoCentral
CondoCentral | 31
 Bonifacio Global City
integrates art in the
form of brass sculptures
providing an interesting
counterpoint to its
towering buildings.
Serandra is one of Imagine this: it’s a Friday morning.
the most exclusive
residential buildings
The alarm clock has just brought you
in GBC. 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
32 | CondoCentral
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 balance
Worldwide 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
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 guidelines
The 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. An aerial shot of
GBC destined to
Mastrili, who is also managing be a world-class
partner of the project management community.
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.
CondoCentral | 33
 Residents of Serendra It should also be noted that with
need only to go to first utility lines running underground and
floor to enjoy gourmet
dining options.
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 city
Aside 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
34 | CondoCentral
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
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 development
City 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 GBC is characterized by
may cost between P100T to P150T. “We wide expanses of greenery
and open spaces.
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.
CondoCentral | 35
36 | CondoCentral
CondoCentral | 37
 man on top
Joel Cruz:
At the (s)center of things
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 success
Photography by Benhur Arcayan
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.
Lady luck is smiling
at Joel Cruz whose Joel Cruz, CEO and president of
fragrance line Central Affirmative Company and
Aficionado is one of the nose behind it all, does not look
the most recognizable
and successful brands like a hardcore businessman at all.
of its kind. 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
38 | CondoCentral
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-
CondoCentral | 39
 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.

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

40 | CondoCentral
CondoCentral | 41
42 | CondoCentral
 The bedroom
swathed in rose
motif—drapes,
rugs, beddings—is
a corner unit that
overlooks the famed
Manila Bay.

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.

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
No way to go but up
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.

CondoCentral | 43
 review
central

top of the list

tv

Bench
tv From a sea of thousands of
anonymous faces, 30 semi-finalists
are well on their way to becoming fa-
The contestants’
abilities are tested
each week as they

warmers
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.
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 In addition, special guest judges and
endorsement deal, a talent manage- surprise celebrity mentors will drop by
ment contract with ABS-CBN and cash the show to give their two cents worth.
prizes. Throughout the series, a panel Viewers may also watch Studio 23’s
of leading fashion industry experts will weekly specials every Monday and
closely evaluate the progress of the Saturday. Post event Specials will air in
models to narrow the field each week. Lifestyle Network and Myx.

beauty

Akin to a natural feeling

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.

44 | CondoCentral
CondoCentral | 45
 arts

Girl uninterrupted
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-
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.

fashion

Coat following
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.

46 | CondoCentral
CONTACT:
Susie Ynarez
Tel (632) 637-7817
Mobile +639178438154
E-mail Susieynares@seibutower.com
Arnold Hernandez
Mobile +639189233156
E-mail agot@seibutower.com
Website www.seibutower.com

CondoCentral | 47
 cover story

Manhattan
at our doorsteps
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

two mass transit lines the LRT2 and

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.
What had become the biggest the enjoyment of our residents.”
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 community rivals MGC as the best
of their landmark joint venture project,
the Manhattan Garden City (MGC).
The country’s first and only transit- Live in a new city
oriented enclave of residential towers
that boasts of direct connection to
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
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
place to live, work, play and move.
The Araneta Center is steadily
transforming right before our eyes.

48 | CondoCentral
 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.

CondoCentral | 49
 After a day of shopping and
dining at the Araneta Center,
your deluxe unit at Manhattan
Garden City awaits you.
Have a power Built as the country’s first leisure and
lunch at the
Mandarin Café.
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
50 | CondoCentral
break their monthly budgets. With at the Araneta Center. Join any of its
Homelite, a home loan partnership be- BPO locators. Or shift your career to
tween Megaworld and Security Bank, marketing or operations at any of the
they can stretch their home loan to Araneta Center’s myriad shopping,
10 and even 25 years to pay, with low dining and service shops.
interest rates from 8.5 to 11 percent With work just a few steps from
annually. At that rate, the 22.5-square home, you and your family will have
meter studio unit comes out at a very more time to enjoy the Araneta Cen-
affordable Php 10,847 monthly. ter’s lifestyle offerings. Isn’t that perfect?
Homelite offers the lowest interest
rates in the market, going as low as Play well
5.50 percent annually for a five-year If there’s one thing that the Filipinos
term. It also has the longest period love doing the most, it must be shop-
of fixed interest rate for 25 years, at ping. Some people say that if shopping
11 percent. “This addresses the need were an Olympic sport, Filipinos would
of the middle-income market and of surely be ranked as one of the top con-
foreign-based Filipinos for affordable tenders. A testament to this is the as-
home loan facilities and this is one tounding number of malls around the
of the many reasons why MGC is the country, and the still growing malling
top-selling condominium project in industry. Filipinos spend many of their
the metro today,” noted Yu. leisure time in the mall, and every year
billions of pesos are channeled into
Work smart businesses that operate inside these
If you are of the people who’s commercial establishments.
motto is to work smart and spend This five-hectare residential project
more quality time with the family, is a veritable haven for shop-a-holics.
then living and working at Manhat- All of its studio, one bedroom and two
tan Garden City, right at the Araneta bedroom units have easy access to re-
Center, is your best option. tail and leisure outlets, spelling comfort
If you’re a budding entrepreneur, and convenience for people on-the-go.
consider opening a restaurant or ser- Apart from its own Manhattan
vice shop at Manhattan Garden City’s retail arcade that will feature numer-
deluxe retail arcade. Araneta Center’s ous options for leisurely shopping and
varied mix of shoppers from the casual dining, MGC is linked to the
A-list to the masses brings millions of stylish Gateway Mall through verdant
customers every day – a perfect target walkways. Fancy a gourmet meal or a
base for any business! hearty buffet? Come on down to Cibo,
Or if you want to build your career, Italiannis or Super Bowl of China.
there are various options for you also Want to buy some new stylish brands?
 Bb. Pilipinas-World 2007
Margaret Wilson and Bb.
Pilipinas-International 2007
Nadia Lee dela Cruz-Shani
enjoying shopping at
Gateway Mall.
 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
From dinner for two to
a gimmick with friends, cuppa java with its Starbucks and Cof-
Manhattan Garden fee Bean & Tea Leaf. Stop craving for
City provides limitless sizzling favorites and hop by Dencio’s.
dining options.
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.”
52 | CondoCentral
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 easily
The 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,
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 physical connection to the LRT/MRT Addressing the specific needs on Bb. Pilipinas-World 2007
premier universities, U.P. and Ateneo; stations. We made sure that residents how we live, work, play and move, Margaret Wilson having a
relaxing time at the studio
a short ride away from the prime busi- of MGC will have unparalleled access Manhattan Garden City is not merely unit’s bedroom.
ness districts of Makati and Ortigas; to these transit lines, enabling them a prestigious address but truly a living
less than half an hour away via LRT 2 to enjoy the fastest and safest public and vibrant community that encour-
from the University Belt and the bar- transport available and get them to ages meaningful lifestyles, motivates
gain-hunters’ mecca of Divisoria; and their destinations anywhere in Metro us to aspire, brings nature closer to
just a stroll away from the multiple Manila in a matter of minutes, which our midst and restores our connec-
attractions of Araneta Center itself. is not possible by any other means.” tion to things that matter.
For Manhattan Garden City, “The A landscaped setting – a Garden
major elements or key factors con- City – will embrace every block of
sidered in planning are connectivity, towers at the fourth level. Trees, To know more about the various
transit access, community integration, fountains, trellises, and shrubbery advantages of living at Manhattan
and urban transformation,” enumer- will hoist one’s sense of well-being. Garden City, visit the grand showroom
ates Yu. “Connectivity means linking Park benches and a tranquility garden at the 3rd level of Gateway Mall. Or call
together the separate parcels of land will easily induce a meditative mood. 810-3333 or email inquire@theman-
that comprise the five-hectare prop- Jogging pathways will wind invitingly hattangardencity.com for a viewing
erty. Transit access means establishing around the buildings. appointment.

CondoCentral | 53
 preview

Zensational
design
In 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.
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

54 | CondoCentral
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.
CondoCentral | 55
 preview
A refreshing
change of pace
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
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
56 | CondoCentral
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 and fully-serviced communities. A highlight of the
of the olden days. Cypress Towers is a fine example of development is the
buildings’ configuration
Triple A builder/developer DMCI a development that responds to the that takes after the
Homes recognizes the importance of need of today’s urban warriors for an pinwheel, letting air flow
a home that not only is superbly built, ideal home. freely and enhancing
natural lighting.
affordable, and one that encourages Strategically sitting on a 10,700-
family togetherness, but likewise one square meter prime lot along C5
that does not inconveniently detach road in the progressive city of Taguig,
you from the city’s pulse. DMCI Cypress Towers is a gated community
Homes has relentlessly pursued this of three uniquely designed high-rise
track by continuously coming up with buildings. It is near the necessary
first-rate projects in centrally-located bustle of the major business and com-
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.
CondoCentral | 57
 preview

RSVP to exclusivity
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 City
Photography by Shaira Luna

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
Benhur Arcayan

character, the triumph of form over

Executive vice president
of W LandHoldings
Francis Wee envisions W
Tower as a community
where the residents
can nurture social
interactions.
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-
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.

58 | CondoCentral
CondoCentral | 59
 preview

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

Celadon Park Brimming with the energy

offers a retreat for and cosmopolitan appeal of the city,
families and young
urban achievers to but balanced by the security and
commune with the reassurance of being home—Celadon
beauty of nature. 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

60 | CondoCentral
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.
CondoCentral | 61
 preview
Investing in paradise
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
Crown Regency Resort and
Convention Center is a prime
project that offers investors
the unmatched luxury of
owning a piece of paradise.
62 | CondoCentral
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 dotel projects. First, the minimum
who frequent Boracay for short stays, period for enrolment is only 3 years,
or foreigners on extended vacations. compared to other developments
Under this scheme, individual owners who tie owners down for 5, 10, some-
may use their units for a generous 45 times 15 years. This gives the buyer
days every year. For the rest of the more flexibility to decide on how
year, the unit will be leased back to to handle his investment. Second,
the developer and will be expertly ownership of a unit means auto-
managed and operated as a hotel matic membership to Club Ultima,
by the prestigious Crown Regency a unique lifestyle membership club
Hotel Group. The income generating that offers the amenities of urban
potential of this arrangement allows living conceptualized by its Chairman
the buyer a full return on investment and CEO, Richard King. This comes
in as short as 5 years. with a 7-day free stay at Club Ultima
Additionally, several other factors or any Crown Regency operated
set CRRCC apart from other con- hotel nationwide, or otherwise in any
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.
CondoCentral | 63
 soar
Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri:
Inspirations from the
edge of the world
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
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.”
64 | CondoCentral
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
CondoCentral | 65

The bamboo- the structure, the gallery is bigger.
lined entrance to And this (the café) is an addition.”
Kamarikutan Kape
at Galeri. 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. at that time Dinggot felt lucky that
“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
66 | CondoCentral
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-
of the city somehow in the sense that cept of an art gallery so people can
everyone was building in concrete and come in their shorts, tsinelas (slippers),
metal kasi bawal na nga ang kahoy and they will still be in a gallery. And
(because the use of wood is illegal).” at the same time, we like to think that
Coconut lumber were used in the we have given a home to local artists,
construction of Kamarikutan, and visiting artists, and to culture as well,
culture and the environment.”
many had not yet discovered coconut Defining one’s own art space and
lumber, a sturdy building material, and acquiring acceptance from the com-
could order as much as they want. munity are one matter, and then there
They are now the beams, posts and is the matter of selling the exhibited
flooring, still original. Some have holes artworks. Artists have to be com-
in them where nails used to be. The pensated for their labor and have to
acidic property of the material cor- market their works, Dinggot believes.
roded the nails. The flaws interestingly Materials can cost a lot, and most of
come across as part of the design. the times they have source them from
They are avoiding nails as much as Manila, she explains.
possible, and instead are using rattan Despite the birth pangs and the
strips in assembling things. Bamboo, veering away from common notions
different kinds, makes up for the rest, (or perhaps precisely because of it),
especially the furniture, its curves and the gallery garnered good reception
waves offsetting the straight lines of from the community, and surprisingly
the coconut components. The roof for a place where art and art making
rustles with dried cogon grass. is arguably still in its infancy, good
“Part of the statement of Kamariku- patronage for the works.
tan is you can still build aesthetically “We’ve sold quite a number in our
using organic, native materials, things 13 years,” Dinggot beamed. “”Di kami
that are here lang,” Dinggot explained. na-zezero (We haven’t experienced
“Through the years we managed to having zero sales).”
fuse our convictions, our visions, into But there is a concession for this:
one like the garden. There is no for- they have to sell at low rates. “We
eign species here. It’s all endemic the don’t like to scare away people,” she
CondoCentral | 67
68 | CondoCentral
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- that she paints because she has some- forgot to ask her about her nickname,
ing home, and as home it fully realizes thing to say. But then her message or where she got it. Maybe it was from
its existence by being a nest, a place statement may not get across to every- ingot, I speculated, a mold in which
for the birth and growth of artists and one, to those who may not understand metal is cast. They coined Dinggot,
the arts in general. her medium. When people buy her someone who wrought something
For several years now, Kamarikutan work and stashed it in their homes, beautiful here in Puerto Princesa.
Kape at Galeri has been known to what happens to her statement?
hold the Pagdiwata Festival, a week of One day she realized that her art Getting There
workshops and performances, a cel- has changed medium. It has resurged Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri is along
ebration of arts and culture in general. in a different canvas, a bigger canvas Rizal Avenue Extension in the baran-
The workshops do not only include that is Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri, gay of Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princ-
the familiar modules of painting, and the advocacy for the arts and esa City. It is near the airport. One can
drawing and music, but also of dance, culture in Palawan. take any multicab (tricycle) plying the
creative writing, and arts and crafts Dinggot finished her cigarette, city to the gallery. Regular fare is Php7.
like batik making, pottery and textile her mocha complexion glistening Rate for hiring the multicab is from
weaving. Every April, senior artists and in the mellow light of the lamps she Php20 to Php50.
artisans and students learn from each fashioned herself and her curls catch-
other. At nights, they watch perfor- ing that light. The rain has completely
mances, which are mounted for free. stopped. It was near midnight, too Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri can be
For the past 13 years, Dinggot late for her to go home. She lives 16 reached through telephone numbers
poured her energy into her gallery kilometers out in the barangay of (048) 433-5182 and 433-9088, and email
and in promulgating arts and culture Irawan. She decided to stay in her kamarikutanart@gmail.com. One can
in general. In those years, she has not halfway house behind the gallery, an contact co-owner Dinggot Conde Prieto
produced much artwork. It got to the open hut with a studio and a sleeping through her mobile phone number
point when she began questioning area on the upper floor. 0918-9095571 or email hijadelaluna8@
why she is creating art. She reasoned I thanked her and said goodbye. I gmail.com.

CondoCentral | 69
 survey
Hard hats
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
Peripheral a testament to literary aptitude as it is a
demonstration of utter chutzpah. In any
Mission
case, it helps put pizza on the table.
Having said that, I still cannot bring
Arnold A. Altamira 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
70 | CondoCentral
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-
ties. 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.
 legal
Legal
options
on property
relations
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-
72 | CondoCentral
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
Legal a second time, entering into a mar-
riage settlement is a bit complicated.
Options
A widow or widower who desires
to remarry must first liquidate the
property from the previous marriage:
Atty. Edwin Calica to liquidate means to settle all the
Cacayorin, Jr. 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.
CondoCentral | 73
 opinion

Do the checklist 2
In 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.
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
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

Condo Café
Let me recapitulate this checklist sure you possess all the legal papers
again before we proceed to another that you will need to purchase the
Renne Isidro set of checklist you have to consider unit, the most common requirements
once you have decided to purchase being two valid IDs with picture. If
your unit. you are a foreigner, your passport and
international driver’s license will be
• Make sure you get a professional required. There will be more require-
broker. ment for those who availing bank and
• Get the best location possible. Pag-IBIG financing.
• Invest in a project from a repu- If you are buying from a secondary
table developer. market, make sure to get a certified
• Make sure you can afford and true copy of the Condominium Cer-
sustain the unit you will get. tificate of Title (CCT) and a Tax Dec-
• Check out the design and layout laration from the local government.
and all the amenities. If you are buying from a pre-selling
• Investigate the security in the project, make sure that they have the
area and the peace and order in the license to sell from the Housing and
district. Land Use Regulatory Board.
• Know who will manage the con- You must also inquire about all the
dominium. taxes you will need to pay. Exempted
• Explore what are the feng-shui from value added tax are the condo
complications. units below P2.5M. Condos ranging
• Follow your gut-feel. If you feel from P2.5M and up are subject to 12%
that it’s a good investment, then go VAT which you need to pay over the
for it. If you have doubts, check other transfer tax, documentary tax and
options. other processing charges.
If you are purchasing a ready for oc-
Now that you have decided to cupancy unit, ask for the condomin-
purchase a unit and will issue a check ium dues payable and what are the
for the reservation, take time to read deposit needed for the electricity and
the reservation agreement (RA). The water. If the property is on pre-selling
standard RA gives you 30 days to stage, ask for an estimate of expected
either pay in cash or terms and it is condominium monthly dues.
nonrefundable. Make sure to make Make sure that you read, un-
the check payable to derstand and review the Deed of
the developer Restrictions and the Condominium
or to 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.
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.

74 | CondoCentral
 reflections
California: The Golden State
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
76 | CondoCentral
OFW Notes
Cita Y. Abad-Dinglasan
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.
 soar
condo memo
View from
the top
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
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
78 | CondoCentral
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?
MOVE IN WITH US!

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CondoCentral | 81
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Ortigas Center/Mandaluyong/Greenhills, San Juan

Palmdale 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

Rockwell, Makati City

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

82 | CondoCentral
 Legaspi Village, Makati City
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 Fully furnished 300 sq.m. One parking slot P140,000/month
(penthouse)
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

Bonifacio Global City

Bonifacio 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

Manila/ Pasay 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

CondoCentral | 83
 Quezon 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

Alabang/ Parañaque
Vivant 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

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

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

SalcedoVillage, Makati City

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 Fully furnished 285 sq.m. One parking slot P100,000/month
(penthouse)
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 Unfurnished 350 sq.m. One parking slot P120,000/month
(penthouse, bi-level)
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

84 | CondoCentral
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condo

www.condo.com.ph

For sale
Disclaimer: All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Prospective purchasers and renters should verify the information to their satisfaction.
For inquiries and viewing requests:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333

Quezon City
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  

Bonifacio Global 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

Legaspi Village, Makati

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

86 | CondoCentral
 Rockwell, Makati 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 Unfurnished 320 sq.m. Two parking slots P45,000,000
(penthouse, bi-level)
Rizal Tower Four-bedroom Unfurnished 270 sq.m. Two parking slots P35,000,000
(penthouse, flat)
Amorsolo East Three-bedroom Unfurnished 170 sq.m. Two parking slots P19,000,000

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

Cityland 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

Bel-Air, Makati City

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

Manila/ Pasay City

Pacific Regency One-bedroom Unfurnished 48.19 sq.m. P2,000,000
Cityland One-bedroom Unfurnished 50 sq.m. One parking slot P2,850,000
Vito Cruz Tower
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 Two-bedroom Unfurnished      54.44 sq.m. One parking slot           P4,500,000     
Grand Residences
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   

CondoCentral | 87
 Alabang/ Sucat, Parañaque
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

Ortigas Center/ Mandaluyong City/ Greenhills, San Juan

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

Condominium   

88 | CondoCentral
Leave it to the experts.

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E-mail: admin@condo.com.ph
 1 2 3 4 6 5

9 10 11 12 13

7
8

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

90 | CondoCentral
 14 16 17 18
15 19 20 21 22

23 24

25 26

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.

CondoCentral | 91
92 | CondoCentral
CondoCentral | 93
 Best value
for your money
EASTON PLACE
Salcedo Village, Makati City
2BR 123 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.9M
2BR 126 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.1M
2BR 125 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.1M
2BR 124 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.0M
3BR 181 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.7M

central
PONTE SALCEDO

market
Salcedo Village, Makati City
3BR 285 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.4M
3BR 285 sq.m. 1 parking slot P12.8M

Call or text Bong Lozada

at +639192126024

Makati
top broker’s

picks
ONE LEGAZPI PARK Life is a
beach!
Legaspi Village, Makati City
2BR 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.0M
2BR 97 sq.m. 1 parking slot P10.5M
1BR 69.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.5M
2BR FF 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P90,000/mo. Playa del Sol
Batangas
SOUTH OF MARKET 250 sq.m. P2M
Bonifacio Global City Las Casas de Cabuena
Cavite
1BR FF 38 sq.m. 1 parking slot P4.5M One-bedroom tower P5M
Playa Calatagan
MANHATTAN SQUARE Batangas
Salcedo Village, Makati City 270 sq.m. – 501 sq.m.
P1.5M – P2.8M
1BR 79 sq.m. 1 parking slot P40,000/mo. Amara en Terrazas
Batangas
RIZAL TOWER 2BR 121 sq.m. P9.5M
Rockwell Center, Makati City 3BR 174 sq.m. P12.8M
Penthouse SF 336 sq.m. 3 parking slots P230,000/mo.
Call or text Renne Isidro
Call or text Grace Geverola at +639278369426 at +639153728220

To
94 | CondoCentral advertise Tel: (632)812-3333
To advertise Mobile:
Tel: (632)812-3333 +639272760360
Mobile: +639272760360E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph
E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph
 Hampton Gardens
(Ready for occupancy)
Live in resort condo in the
Metropolis for only 10%
Maybunga, Pasig City (near Ortigas Center)
downpayment to move in
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-P3.6
Reservation Fee: P10,000

P’oint Isabelle (BTO-1 year)

Tagaytay City
42 sq.m.-102.5 sq.m. P2.3-P3.5M
Reservation fee: P50,000
Located in Ortigas, Pasig,
Office for lease across Fort Bonifacio,
Quezon Avenue, Quezon City Mandaluyong and
400 sq.m. G/F P300/sq.m.
450 sqm 2/F P300/sq.m.
Quezon City
Call or text JP Pello
at +639154445655 or +639225488110 Call or text Faye Asuncion at +639278585825
E-mail: jgpello@gmail.com

The Modern elements to

achieve timeless designs
Oriental
Place
Newest project
of Metrobank in Antel Spa Residences
Makati launched! Makati Avenue, Makati City
STD 25.35 sq.m. P2.2M-P2.3M
Offers no 1BR 29.85 sqm. P2.6M- P2.7M
downpayment 2BR flat 46.18 sq.m.-53.68 sq.m. P4.7M-P4.9M
or P9,000/mo. 2BR bi-level 52.20 sq.m.-59.70 sq.m. P4.8M-P5.5M
zero interest 3BR bi-level 90.16 sq.m.-91.32 sqm. P8.3M-P8.5M

The Metropolitan Tower

No lumpsum Estrella and Amapola Streets across Rockwell Drive, Makati City
payment STD flat 37 sq.m.- 43 sq.m. P2.9M-P3.6M
every year 1BR flat 51 sq.m.- 53 sq.m. P3.9M -P4.4M
2BR flat 76 sq.m.- P5.9M-P6.2M

Call now!
2BR loft 102 sq.m.-134 sq.m. P8.5M-P11.2M
3BR loft 120 sq.m.- 121 sq.m. P8.8M-P9M

Carlo Gemota +639154553608 Call or text Norma Robles at +639178557174

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

 Condos by
Federal Land, Inc. BANK ACQUIRED ASSETS
Affordable payment schemes available
MANILA
Pearl of the Orient (R) 39.38 sq.m P3.24M
Imperial Sky Garden (C) 28.40 sq.m. to 52.97 sq.m. P1.71M-P5.3M
MAKATI
Makati Cinema Square (R) 154 sq.m. P6.2M
LPL Manor (R) 150 sq.m. P5.3M
Alpha Salcedo (R) 127.39 sq.m. P7.71M
Kingswood (R) 154 sq.m. P6.17M
Skyland (R) 187 sq.m. P8.25M
MANDALUYONG
Pioneer Highland (R) 122.48 sq.m. P4.6M
Oriental Garden Makati Summit One (C) 150.02 sq.m. P4.25M
Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
STD 33 sq.m. P2.1M PARAÑAQUE
1BR 45 sq.m. P 2.7M Bayview International Tower (R) 135 sq.m. P3.8M
Chateau de Baie (R) 38 sq.m.-145sqm P1.72M-P5.6M
The Oriental Place
Makati City PASAY
1BR 28.45 sq.m. P1.7M IPI Buendia Tower (R) 44 sq.m.-61 sq.m. P1.75-P2.6M
Bay Gardens – Mactan Tower PASIG
Crisanta Tower (R) 111.50 sq.m. P4.8M
Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City
1BR 42 sq.m. P3.4M Reinaissance 3000 (R) 390 sq.m. P14.82M
2BR 92sq.m. P7.3M
3BR 108 sq.m. P8.2M PENTHOUSE UNITS
Le Triomphe (R) 420.98 sq.m. P12.5M
Marquinton Residences Imperial Sky Garden (C) 244.97 sq.m. P14.7M
Washington Tower (R) 602sqm 29.5M
Marikina City
1BR 33 sq.m. P1.5M *R - residential C - commercial
2BR 53.50 sq.m. P2.7M
Call or text Ariel S. Raymundo at
Call or text Rose Jane C. Dela Rosa +639228632217 or +639216889398
at +639273968660 or e-mail at ariel@condo.com.ph

The ultimate
in city living!
ON TOP OF
THE TOWN!
The Eton Residences
Legazpi St., Legaspi Village, Makati City
Forbeswood Heights 1BR 60 sq.m. P7M-P7.6M
Bonifacio Global City 2BR 90 sq.m.-121 sq.m. P9.3M-P11.9M
3BR 154 sq.m.-174 sq.m. P15M-P18.5M
One-bedroom
36.5 sq.m. The Columns Legazpi Village
Fully furnished Amorsolo corner Pasay Road, Legaspi Village, Makati City
STD regular 30 sq.m.-33 sq.m. P2.49M-P4.26M
One parking slot STD-Jr. 1BR 38 sq.m-39 sq.m. P3.1M-P4.6M
Asking price (sale): P6,000,000 1BR 47 sq.m. P4.3M -P5.23M
Asking price (lease): P35,000 per month 2BR 67 sq.m.-77 sq.m. P6.71M -P9.85M
2BR loft 82 sq.m. P8.71M-P8.76M
Three-bedroom
107 sq.m. Greenbelt Chancellor
Rada St. , Legaspi Village, Makati City
Semifurnished STD 36 sq.m.-46 sq.m. P3.06M-P4.73M
One parking slot 1BR 38 sq.m.-55.7 sq.m. P3.91-P5.72M
Asking price (sale): P12,500,000 2BR 72 sq.m.-83.5 sq.m. P7.42M-P8.68M
Asking price (lease): P80,000 per month 3BR 126.55 sq.m. P13.28M-P13.41M
Call or text Renne Isidro
Call or text Rowena dela Cruz Call or text Joy S. Sta. Teresa
at +639153728220 or 840-1332
at +639173650220 at +639174867883

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

Airport Condos MANDALUYONG
CONDOS
The Amvel Mansions
Parañaque City
1BR 44.8 sq.m. P2.4M
2BR 65.7 sq.m. P3.5M
3BR 92.8 sq.m. P5M
One Sapphire
1BR 42.67 sq.m. P1.6M
2BR 72.32 sq.m. P3.0M
Tribeca 3BR 76.53 sq.m. P3.74M
Parañaque City
STD 25 sq.m. P1.4M Lancaster The Atrium
1BR 37.1 sq.m. P2M 1BR 47.65 sq.m. P4M
2BR 46.8 sq.m. P2.5M 2BR loft 75.67 sq.m. P6.43M
3BR loft 106 sq.m. P9M
Centropolis
Parañaque City Lee Gardens
1BR 25.92 sq.m. P1.2M Studio 35.70 sq.m. P2.6M
2BR 52.11 sq.m. P2.5 1BR 55.50 sq.m. P4M
2BR 101.20 sq.m. P7.33M
3BR 127.70 sq.m. P9.60M
Call or text Marivic Espanola Call or text Nonoy Tumonong
at +639202008259 at +639062607098

Central VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS

urban
locations Salcedo Park

R E N T
Salcedo Village, Makati City
4BR 224 sq.m. 1 parking slot P13M

Ponte Salcedo
Salcedo Village, Makati City
3BR 285 sq.m. 2 parking slots P12M
BSA Mansion
Legaspi Village, Makati
1BR FF 67 sq.m. 1 parking slot P45,000/mo.
Island Plaza
Legaspi 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 Park
Salcedo Village, Makati City
3BR 179 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000/mo.
Call or text
Stephanie Geverola
Call or text Cathy Isidro at +639275720440
at +639164800699
One Lafayette
Salcedo Village, Makati City
3BR 280 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000/mo.
Easton Place
Salcedo Village, Makati City
3BR 201 sq.m. 2 parking slots P65,000/mo
LPL Center
Salcedo Village, Makati City
3BR 280 sq.m. 1 parking slot P80,000/mo.
Le Metropole
Salcedo 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.

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

Your gateway MAKATI
to Makati EXECUTIVE
TOWER III
Sen. Gil PuyatAve., Makati City

40-storey office,
commercial
and residential
condominium
As low as

P9,980
per month

www.condo.com.ph
For inquiries and viewing requests:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333

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

 This is the ONE Come home to
the best address
in Metro Manila
and enjoy the best
life has to offer!

LIVE IT UP!
AS LOW
AS
P2.2M

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 Find out what everybody
has been raving about today!
Call or text Danny dela Cruz at +639279567523 Call or text Renne Isidro at +639153728220

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

CondoCentral | 101
 happenings
The condo gets an upgrade
The signing was done by Swissbel-hotel
International President Mr. Gavin Faull and
EDSA 999 Properties Development Corp.
President Mr. Henry Tan.
102 | CondoCentral
A new cocoon in the heart of dining, an outdoor swimming pool Danny Jota/ Interior Designer of the
Quezon City has once again trans- and spa with a health club to rival hotel and Creative Director of Edsa
formed itself and morphed into any major city spa. There will be 360 999, Ms. Sonia Suganog/ Buss. Dev’t
something new for residents and hotel rooms and 120 choiced exclusive Manager, Ms. Joan Paras Bautista/ As-
visitors of this city. The North Oriental residential units from studio to loft sociate Architect, Ms. Ann Tan King,
Garden Suites and Residences is now units and of course a 360 degree view Mark King, Matthew Faul, Marketing
called Swissbel-hotel North Oriental serenity roofdeck garden. Staff of Linden Suites and other staff
Garden Suites and Residences. Once The signing was done by EDSA of Edsa 999 Properties Development
envisioned as a mid market residential 999 Properties Development Corp. Corporation.
commercial condominium develop- President Mr. Henry Tan and Swissbel-
ment at Edsa North Triangle is now a hotel International President Mr. The property is located at #999
Luxury Residential and Suites Hotel Gavin Faull with Ms. Lolita Ching/ VP EDSA Quezon City infront of SM
with the contract signing held last July Finance of EDSA 999 and Mr. James NORTH and near AYALA TRINOMA.
14, 2007 at Linden Suites in Ortigas Tam/ VP of Swissbel-hotel Interna- For more information pls call 632- 687-
Center. tional. Also present in the signing was 3801/4116737/4116773. the Swissbel-
The pioneering Edsa 999 Properties Mr. Alfred Reyes/ GM of Linden Suites hotel North Oriental Garden Suites and
Development Corporation tied up (Swissbel-hotel), Mr. Richard Lim, EVP Residences is a expected to be a major
with the formidable Hong Kong based Operations of Edsa 999 Properties, attraction in Quezon City.
resort and hotel management group Reverend Juan Lim, Architect Harley
to manage and handle the property. Co/ the architect of the building, Mr.
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
CondoCentral | 103
 happenings
Crown Regency toasts
to its Boracay project
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
104 | CondoCentral
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.
Ace Builders
center opens at
SM North Edsa
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.
Wild West in Boracay
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.

Habitat for Humanity

takes urban housing
to the next level
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
Condo.Com.Ph, Inc. families that have been living within
the FTI vicinity for years and whose
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

partners with foreign investors incomes are derived from driving,

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-
selling/vending, and similar odd
communities, continuing programs
for values formation, livelihood,
jobs. Also benefiting from the proj- education, health, sanitation and
tion data and an inventory of good ect are the low-salaried government environmental safety training and
investments for years. Furthermore, and private employees who are also coaching will be provided by soft
we have guided them how to secure unable to access decent, affordable program partners.
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.

CondoCentral | 105
 epilogue
In pursuit of the universal wow
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
106 | CondoCentral
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.
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Telephone numbers: (632) 815-8080 / 8562138-40 Fax number: (632)856-2137 CondoCentral | 107
Log on to: www.fortpalmspring.com.ph E-mail: fortpalmspring@yahoo.com