By Katlene O. Cacho
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
INSTEAD of taking the usual courses in college, high school students are encouraged to take the four-year degree course in Real Estate Management to take advantage of opportunities in the country’s booming real estate industry.
Philippine Association of Real Estate Boards, Inc. (Pareb) president Ariel Martinez said there will be a number of schools and universities nationwide that will start offering Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Management in the next school year.
He said this is an opportunity for the industry to get fresh and skilled graduates to join the growing real estate industry.
“Aside from taking the usual courses in college, we are hoping students to consider real estate management as a profession,” Martinez said at the sidelines of the 51st Pareb National Convention held last week at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
Opportunities
He said there are opportunities in the industry with the numerous real estate developments particularly in key cities in the country today. “There are many real estate service practitioners today now making billions in the industry. If you wanted to have a job where you are the boss, then this is one profession good for you,” he said.
Pareb is the oldest and largest real estate service organization in the country founded in 1960. It is the umbrella organization of 58 local member boards nationwide with membership of almost 4,000 licensed real estate professionals.
Martinez said that apart from professionalizing the real estate service management, the course offered will also help the industry get rid of “colorum” or unlicensed real estate practitioners.
Before the Real Estate Service Act (Resa) 2009 was passed into law, real estate practitioners were handled by the Department of Trade and Industry under the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection.
“There was little regulation that time. The proliferation of unlicensed real estate practitioners has hindered the industry from becoming globally competitive. But with Resa coming into the picture, the profession has been uplifted,” he said.
Martinez said people who want to become a real estate service practitioner should pass the examination and get a license from the Professional Regulatory Board on Real Estate Service.
“The law is created not only to uplift the profession but also to protect the buyers and the public in real estate transactions,” he said.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 12, 2011.
Miyerkules, Oktubre 19, 2011
BPO company unveils building
By Katlene O. Cacho
Monday, October 10, 2011
GLOBAL outsourcing firm Aegis PeopleSupport launched yesterday its 12-storey Aegis Tower Cebu at the Asiatown I.T. Park.
Top officials said the company’s expansion in Cebu signifies their commitment to and confidence in the country’s booming business process outsourcing (BPO) industry and Cebu’s workforce.
“We are the only (BPO company) that is putting dollars on the ground, which means we are here for good,” said Aegis Limited managing director and global chief executive officer Aparup Sengupta in a press conference at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.
Sengupta cited proximity, hospitality, excellent English communication skills and strong service culture as among Cebu’s attractive characteristics for BPO investors.
“We aim to become a $1-billion company, crossing the 60,000 mark in headcount by March 2012. The Philippine market plays a big part in helping us achieve our goals,” Sengupta said.
Commitment
Aegis invested P2 billion for the building of Aegis Tower Cebu, whose development comes in two phases.
“It’s a proof of our commitment to the Philippines and to the Filipino talent. Cebu continues to provide an extremely skilled workforce providing great affinity with the right experience for our local and international clients,” said Rajiv Ahuja, Aegis Limited president for Asean and ANZ.
Aegis has about 50, 000 employees in 50 locations in 12 countries.
In the Philippines, the firm has about 12,000 employees with other offices located in Manila and Baguio. Cebu has about 4,000 employees. Ahuja said they hope to increase the Cebu workforce by hiring 2,000 more employees with the completion of the Tower’s Phase 2.
Aegis Tower Cebu sits on a 3,300 square meter property. Apart from the being the first
company-owned BPO building, the facility also boasts of being one of the first BPO green buildings in the country.
According to the firm, the building was designed to maximize energy efficiency, using sustainable materials sourced from suppliers with environment-friendly practices.
The tower’s Phase 1 aims to become the first Gold-Level purpose-built BPO building in the Philippines, certified under the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) version 2.2 standard for new construction and major renovation. The Phase 2 project, which will be completed next year, also aims for the same certification under the LEED.
Liza Lamzon, Aegis PeopleSupport Inc. vice president for strategic programs, said the company will be fully integrated by the end of 2012 with the completion of its Phase 2 building. She said the firm is currently in transition, transferring manpower and resources from previous locations at e-Office and Skyrise 1.
The combined phases of the building will bring a total capacity of 8, 000 employees.
Among the tower’s amenities include a customized applicant experience center; a two-level fitness center with dance studio; a recreation center; a roof-top garden; two basements and three floors of parking spaces.
Growing faster
The global outsourcing and offshoring industry is estimated to reach $270 billion in the next five years. growing at an average of 15 percent a year, according to Aegis chief people officer S.M. Gupta.
He said the Philippines is growing faster than the global growth rate of more than 23 percent in the last 10 years. Gupta said the country has to take advantage of this growth and continue producing a large talent pool for the BPO and IT industry.
However, talent pool requirement is one of the major challenges faced by the BPO sector. Sengupta said this is one major area that needs to be addressed by the government and other private stakeholders considering that Cebu has become a preferred BPO destination.
“What if we will be hiring 1,000 employees in three months, will Cebu have the ability to produce the required number?” Sengupta said. He noted that talent pool in metro cities is slowly drying up.
Search for talent
“We are looking at either going to provinces and searching for this talent or going to these provinces and putting up establishments,” he said.
Aegis serves a spectrum of industries such as banking, financial services, insurance, telecom, healthcare, travel and hospitality, consumer goods, retail and technology.
Known for its aggressive acquisition strategy, Aegis Limited entered into a definitive merger agreement with PeopleSupport in 2008. Aegis is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Essar Group, a $17-billion conglomerate based in Mumbai, India.
Aegis was ranked third among top BPO players in India in a recent survey by Dataquest, a leading knowledge publication. The firm is also recognized among the top four BPO companies in Nasscom’s recent annual BPO ranking this year.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 11, 2011.
Monday, October 10, 2011
GLOBAL outsourcing firm Aegis PeopleSupport launched yesterday its 12-storey Aegis Tower Cebu at the Asiatown I.T. Park.
Top officials said the company’s expansion in Cebu signifies their commitment to and confidence in the country’s booming business process outsourcing (BPO) industry and Cebu’s workforce.
“We are the only (BPO company) that is putting dollars on the ground, which means we are here for good,” said Aegis Limited managing director and global chief executive officer Aparup Sengupta in a press conference at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.
Sengupta cited proximity, hospitality, excellent English communication skills and strong service culture as among Cebu’s attractive characteristics for BPO investors.
“We aim to become a $1-billion company, crossing the 60,000 mark in headcount by March 2012. The Philippine market plays a big part in helping us achieve our goals,” Sengupta said.
Commitment
Aegis invested P2 billion for the building of Aegis Tower Cebu, whose development comes in two phases.
“It’s a proof of our commitment to the Philippines and to the Filipino talent. Cebu continues to provide an extremely skilled workforce providing great affinity with the right experience for our local and international clients,” said Rajiv Ahuja, Aegis Limited president for Asean and ANZ.
Aegis has about 50, 000 employees in 50 locations in 12 countries.
In the Philippines, the firm has about 12,000 employees with other offices located in Manila and Baguio. Cebu has about 4,000 employees. Ahuja said they hope to increase the Cebu workforce by hiring 2,000 more employees with the completion of the Tower’s Phase 2.
Aegis Tower Cebu sits on a 3,300 square meter property. Apart from the being the first
company-owned BPO building, the facility also boasts of being one of the first BPO green buildings in the country.
According to the firm, the building was designed to maximize energy efficiency, using sustainable materials sourced from suppliers with environment-friendly practices.
The tower’s Phase 1 aims to become the first Gold-Level purpose-built BPO building in the Philippines, certified under the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) version 2.2 standard for new construction and major renovation. The Phase 2 project, which will be completed next year, also aims for the same certification under the LEED.
Liza Lamzon, Aegis PeopleSupport Inc. vice president for strategic programs, said the company will be fully integrated by the end of 2012 with the completion of its Phase 2 building. She said the firm is currently in transition, transferring manpower and resources from previous locations at e-Office and Skyrise 1.
The combined phases of the building will bring a total capacity of 8, 000 employees.
Among the tower’s amenities include a customized applicant experience center; a two-level fitness center with dance studio; a recreation center; a roof-top garden; two basements and three floors of parking spaces.
Growing faster
The global outsourcing and offshoring industry is estimated to reach $270 billion in the next five years. growing at an average of 15 percent a year, according to Aegis chief people officer S.M. Gupta.
He said the Philippines is growing faster than the global growth rate of more than 23 percent in the last 10 years. Gupta said the country has to take advantage of this growth and continue producing a large talent pool for the BPO and IT industry.
However, talent pool requirement is one of the major challenges faced by the BPO sector. Sengupta said this is one major area that needs to be addressed by the government and other private stakeholders considering that Cebu has become a preferred BPO destination.
“What if we will be hiring 1,000 employees in three months, will Cebu have the ability to produce the required number?” Sengupta said. He noted that talent pool in metro cities is slowly drying up.
Search for talent
“We are looking at either going to provinces and searching for this talent or going to these provinces and putting up establishments,” he said.
Aegis serves a spectrum of industries such as banking, financial services, insurance, telecom, healthcare, travel and hospitality, consumer goods, retail and technology.
Known for its aggressive acquisition strategy, Aegis Limited entered into a definitive merger agreement with PeopleSupport in 2008. Aegis is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Essar Group, a $17-billion conglomerate based in Mumbai, India.
Aegis was ranked third among top BPO players in India in a recent survey by Dataquest, a leading knowledge publication. The firm is also recognized among the top four BPO companies in Nasscom’s recent annual BPO ranking this year.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 11, 2011.
Firm poised to launch resort-type condo
By Mia A. Aznar
Friday, October 7, 2011
THE property development unit of the Aboitiz group prepares for the launch of its latest mid-rise condominium project this month.
AboitizLand Inc. said the first phase of Hanaya—a 5.2-hectare mid-rise condominium project in Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City—will be completed by the second quarter of 2013.
Derived from the Cebuano word “hayahay” (comfortable) and the Japanese term “hanayo” or world of flowers, Hanaya is designed for start-up families and busy professionals who are tired of the city life as the property will have resort-type design and features.
AboitizLand senior vice president for operations Pia Montecon said the total investment for the first phase reached P750 million, which includes four buildings consisting of 94 condominium units per building and central amenities.
Each building will have six floors, with 16 units in each floor.
To maintain a relaxed feel, the design includes a garden atrium at the center of each building for better ventilation, and a skylight to maximize natural lighting in corridors.
The firm also assured that unit layouts were unique because views of the garden from the balcony are immediately seen upon entry while single loaded corridors assure unit owners of privacy and spacious hallways.
The project’s amenities include two pools, pavilion and gazebos, themed gardens and parks, barbecue stations, exercise stations, jogging trails, basketball court with benches, clubhouse, function rooms, gym, game room, karaoke rooms and playroom.
The development can be accessed from five different areas in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City and Mandaue City. This gives convenience to those whose children study at nearby schools, like Ateneo de Cebu, Cebu International School and Maria Montessori International School.
The developer has completed plans for the second phase of the project, which will be launched depending on market response to the first phase.
Montecon said the developer will launch another project similar to Pristina North before the year ends.
She said the project will be “double the size” of Pristina North and will be launched next month for the high-end market. She assured the prices of lots will be “worth it.”
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 07, 2011.
Friday, October 7, 2011
THE property development unit of the Aboitiz group prepares for the launch of its latest mid-rise condominium project this month.
AboitizLand Inc. said the first phase of Hanaya—a 5.2-hectare mid-rise condominium project in Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City—will be completed by the second quarter of 2013.
Derived from the Cebuano word “hayahay” (comfortable) and the Japanese term “hanayo” or world of flowers, Hanaya is designed for start-up families and busy professionals who are tired of the city life as the property will have resort-type design and features.
AboitizLand senior vice president for operations Pia Montecon said the total investment for the first phase reached P750 million, which includes four buildings consisting of 94 condominium units per building and central amenities.
Each building will have six floors, with 16 units in each floor.
To maintain a relaxed feel, the design includes a garden atrium at the center of each building for better ventilation, and a skylight to maximize natural lighting in corridors.
The firm also assured that unit layouts were unique because views of the garden from the balcony are immediately seen upon entry while single loaded corridors assure unit owners of privacy and spacious hallways.
The project’s amenities include two pools, pavilion and gazebos, themed gardens and parks, barbecue stations, exercise stations, jogging trails, basketball court with benches, clubhouse, function rooms, gym, game room, karaoke rooms and playroom.
The development can be accessed from five different areas in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City and Mandaue City. This gives convenience to those whose children study at nearby schools, like Ateneo de Cebu, Cebu International School and Maria Montessori International School.
The developer has completed plans for the second phase of the project, which will be launched depending on market response to the first phase.
Montecon said the developer will launch another project similar to Pristina North before the year ends.
She said the project will be “double the size” of Pristina North and will be launched next month for the high-end market. She assured the prices of lots will be “worth it.”
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 07, 2011.
AboitizLand set to launch resort-themed condo project
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
ABOITIZLAND has announced the launching this month of its latest residential project, Hanaya, a resort-themed condominium development in Canduman, Mandaue City.
The village, rising on a 5.2-hectare property, offers the highest percentage of open spaces ever integrated into a condominium development in Cebu, the company said in a press statement.
The community has a 70:30 open space-to-building ratio and is designed around lush green spaces and resort-feel amenities.
AboitizLand Sales Manager Grace Lepiten said Hanaya is “a real value-for-money investment, so attractively priced that after you have acquired your unit you will have a lot more left to enjoy the good life.”
Financing
Lepiten said Hanaya is currently being offered for a P25,000 reservation fee. Under the project’s financing scheme, clients have the option of spreading the 20 percent downpayment over an 18-month period. The balance can be covered by bank financing and is payable over a 15-year term.
“AboitizLand has designed Hanaya to be an easy yet secure investment – good location, excellent design, a totally rewarding experience,” Lepiten said.
Hanaya’s location is within minutes of the business and industrial hubs of Cebu and Mandaue Cities, schools, recreational and commercial centers and the international airport in Mactan. It is accessible through Gov. M. Cuenco Ave. in Banilad, Cebu City and through H. Abellana St. from the North National Highway in Mandaue City.
Its residential buildings are designed around a host of amenities – pools, gazebos, gardens, fitness trails and entertainment areas. Every residential building has a garden atrium that encourages ventilation and ample daytime lighting.
The company said Hanaya is the first for a project of its size in Cebu. It is designed with single-loading corridors – each unit opening into the atrium’s overhead space. With this design, corridors are airy and uncluttered, the company said.
Building heights at Hanaya are limited to six storeys. Each building has its own elevator, two open-type stairways, basement parking and street parking areas, roof deck, closed-circuit security television system, standby power, fire house cabinets, heat and smoke detectors, alarms and sprinkler system, fire exits and centralized garbage room.
Hanaya offers standard, deluxe and suite units in two- or three-bedroom designs. All units have either a balcony or a patio.
Lepiten said Hanaya is a viable investment, whether as a first or second home. Clients “can purchase a unit to use as their main home, or as a ‘resthouse’ within the city. It also has great potential in the rental market,” she said. (PR)
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 05, 2011.
ABOITIZLAND has announced the launching this month of its latest residential project, Hanaya, a resort-themed condominium development in Canduman, Mandaue City.
The village, rising on a 5.2-hectare property, offers the highest percentage of open spaces ever integrated into a condominium development in Cebu, the company said in a press statement.
The community has a 70:30 open space-to-building ratio and is designed around lush green spaces and resort-feel amenities.
AboitizLand Sales Manager Grace Lepiten said Hanaya is “a real value-for-money investment, so attractively priced that after you have acquired your unit you will have a lot more left to enjoy the good life.”
Financing
Lepiten said Hanaya is currently being offered for a P25,000 reservation fee. Under the project’s financing scheme, clients have the option of spreading the 20 percent downpayment over an 18-month period. The balance can be covered by bank financing and is payable over a 15-year term.
“AboitizLand has designed Hanaya to be an easy yet secure investment – good location, excellent design, a totally rewarding experience,” Lepiten said.
Hanaya’s location is within minutes of the business and industrial hubs of Cebu and Mandaue Cities, schools, recreational and commercial centers and the international airport in Mactan. It is accessible through Gov. M. Cuenco Ave. in Banilad, Cebu City and through H. Abellana St. from the North National Highway in Mandaue City.
Its residential buildings are designed around a host of amenities – pools, gazebos, gardens, fitness trails and entertainment areas. Every residential building has a garden atrium that encourages ventilation and ample daytime lighting.
The company said Hanaya is the first for a project of its size in Cebu. It is designed with single-loading corridors – each unit opening into the atrium’s overhead space. With this design, corridors are airy and uncluttered, the company said.
Building heights at Hanaya are limited to six storeys. Each building has its own elevator, two open-type stairways, basement parking and street parking areas, roof deck, closed-circuit security television system, standby power, fire house cabinets, heat and smoke detectors, alarms and sprinkler system, fire exits and centralized garbage room.
Hanaya offers standard, deluxe and suite units in two- or three-bedroom designs. All units have either a balcony or a patio.
Lepiten said Hanaya is a viable investment, whether as a first or second home. Clients “can purchase a unit to use as their main home, or as a ‘resthouse’ within the city. It also has great potential in the rental market,” she said. (PR)
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 05, 2011.
The Persimmon delivers units
By Katlene O. Cacho
Sunday, October 2, 2011
ABOITIZLAND’S flagship condominium project, The Persimmon, delivered its second tower to unit owners on Friday.
The company said that despite the entry of new players in the condominium category, it is still optimistic to get a good share of Cebu’s booming real estate market.
Aboitizland marketing manager Lorelie Ylaya said the differentiation and brand quality of its condominium project are among their competitive advantages over other players.
She said The Persimmon has the advantage of a good location, attractive pricing and the convenience of an integrated commercial hub, The Persimmon Plus.
The second tower, called the North Tower, has 157 units. Unlike Persimmon West, the first tower that was completed last year, which was bought for rentals, the North Tower is more for end-users, Ylaya said.
“A lot of people from neighboring regions bought units for their children, who are studying here. The second tower is really more for end-users living in the purchased units,” she said.
The Persimmon North has landscaped open spaces, function and board rooms as well as administration and security offices. The condo project has three unit types: studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.
The prices of studio units range from P1.8 million to P2.1 million; one-bedroom units at P3.1 million to P3.5 million; and two-bedroom units at P5 million and higher. Ylaya said that of the 157 units, only 30 percent are left for sale.
Ylaya said real estate players credited the optimism in the industry to the continued surge of remittances from Filipinos working abroad. Money sent home by Filipinos living and working overseas reached $11.351 billion in the first seven months, up by 6.3 percent from last year, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Apart from relying on overseas remittances, Ylaya said they also strengthened their marketing promotions through social networking sites. She said technology enables them to reach potential buyers even in other regions.
With the completion of its second tower, Ylaya said the firm now is in the planning stages of building the third and fourth towers. The firm is set to break ground next year.
According to the recent real estate forum organized in Cebu by the Salesman’s Centre-the Institute of Sales Training and Entrepreneurial Development, the real estate industry in the country is valued at P300 billion a year.
Condo living, which was originally offered to the high-end market 20 years ago, has now evolved, with the middle-income market being served.
Despite the entry of new players in the industry and amid the fear of oversupply, DMCI Homes sales director Florante Ofrecio said “the market is still there as the middle –income class has grown so much.”
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 03, 2011.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
ABOITIZLAND’S flagship condominium project, The Persimmon, delivered its second tower to unit owners on Friday.
The company said that despite the entry of new players in the condominium category, it is still optimistic to get a good share of Cebu’s booming real estate market.
Aboitizland marketing manager Lorelie Ylaya said the differentiation and brand quality of its condominium project are among their competitive advantages over other players.
She said The Persimmon has the advantage of a good location, attractive pricing and the convenience of an integrated commercial hub, The Persimmon Plus.
The second tower, called the North Tower, has 157 units. Unlike Persimmon West, the first tower that was completed last year, which was bought for rentals, the North Tower is more for end-users, Ylaya said.
“A lot of people from neighboring regions bought units for their children, who are studying here. The second tower is really more for end-users living in the purchased units,” she said.
The Persimmon North has landscaped open spaces, function and board rooms as well as administration and security offices. The condo project has three unit types: studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.
The prices of studio units range from P1.8 million to P2.1 million; one-bedroom units at P3.1 million to P3.5 million; and two-bedroom units at P5 million and higher. Ylaya said that of the 157 units, only 30 percent are left for sale.
Ylaya said real estate players credited the optimism in the industry to the continued surge of remittances from Filipinos working abroad. Money sent home by Filipinos living and working overseas reached $11.351 billion in the first seven months, up by 6.3 percent from last year, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Apart from relying on overseas remittances, Ylaya said they also strengthened their marketing promotions through social networking sites. She said technology enables them to reach potential buyers even in other regions.
With the completion of its second tower, Ylaya said the firm now is in the planning stages of building the third and fourth towers. The firm is set to break ground next year.
According to the recent real estate forum organized in Cebu by the Salesman’s Centre-the Institute of Sales Training and Entrepreneurial Development, the real estate industry in the country is valued at P300 billion a year.
Condo living, which was originally offered to the high-end market 20 years ago, has now evolved, with the middle-income market being served.
Despite the entry of new players in the industry and amid the fear of oversupply, DMCI Homes sales director Florante Ofrecio said “the market is still there as the middle –income class has grown so much.”
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 03, 2011.
Huwebes, Oktubre 13, 2011
BPI unveils program for housing loans
By Mia A. Aznar
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
WITH real estate booming in Cebu for the last two years, a bank has brought a national event to the province in hopes of catering to Cebuanos planning to purchase homes before the year ends.
BPI Family Savings Bank announced a three-day Housing Madness event beginning this Friday, which officials believe will be successful, given the active Cebuano real estate market.
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BPI Family Savings president Jose Teodoro Limcaoco told reporters that regular housing loans in Cebu grew 25 percent in 2010.
The Housing Madness sale being their flagship program for housing, Limcaoco said it was only right for them to bring it to Cebu for the first time.
Banking officials assured buyers will get special deals, both from developers and from the bank, if they avail of the regular housing loan within the three days.
Herbert Tuason, vice president and head of product marketing, announced that those who purchase during the sale will benefit from waived appraisal and registration fees, P10,000 off from their first monthly amortization, a free gold Mastercard and the option to avail of their latest offer, the BPI PayHinga, a one-month pay break offer on the amortization.
Waived fee
Tuason said clients save a lot with the waived registration fee, which is about P14,000 for every P1 million. Appraisal fees also reach P3,500.
Limcaoco explained that the PayHinga is something they are offering to clients after the noticed that there is at least one month in a year that clients have difficulty in making their payments on time, and that is during enrolment.
The PayHinga allows clients to choose one month of the year where they won't have to pay their monthly amortization.
Though they already started advertising the product, Limcaoco said this was their first formal announcement of the product. He added that this is a first in the country.
Senior vice president and head of the retail mortgage division Jocelyn Sta. Ana assured that they carefully picked the developers who would be participating in the sale, saying they wanted to be sure their clients would have the best options laid out for them.
The sale, she said, would work like a mall where buyers can choose which project is best for them all in one area.
"We are committed to helping every Filipino family get their dream homes. Through the Housing Madness, we hope to do just that by bringing together the best developers, special rates and more dynamic financing schemes favorable to our clients, all under one roof," she said.
She said that aside from the deals the bank is offering, developers will also be offering their own deals just for the event.
Developers
The 17 developers who will be joining the sale are Aboitizland, AE International, Ayala Land Premier, Alveo Land, Avida Land, Arcenas Properties, Crown Communities, Cebu Landmasters, CLS Properties, Colourfield Land, Innoland Development, Lopzcom Development, MLD Dream Builders, Nexland Estate, Primary Homes, Robinsonsland and Taft Property.
Tuason added that if a client cannot pass by the Ayala Center Cebu during ther Housing Madness dates, they can still avail of the perks offered during the sale if they apply for a regular housing loan at the BPI Family Savings website.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 13, 2011.
Apple One Tower plans another mixed-use project
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
ENCOURAGED by the fast sales take-up of Apple One Tower at Cebu Business Park, Apple One Properties Inc. plans to build another mixed-used development in Cebu next year.
"The plans are still on the drawing board. But we will be developing a commercial-retail and residential project by next year," said Apple One Properties Inc. vice-president for Operations Yvet Andalis, in an interview yesterday.Andalis said they are confident about the real estate market because of the thriving economy in Cebu. She said that despite the entry of major players in the market, they are still confident to capture a good market share, particularly in the office property, which she believes is still under-served.
She said the mixed-used project would be bigger than that of Apple One Tower. Its target launching will be next March.
"Although it is a bit scary considering that Cebu has faster pace than Manila in terms of development and we don't know which area will first experience a real estate bubble, we still brace ourselves and take the opportunity while it's still there," Andalis said.
Delivery
Apple One Properties Inc. is a new player in the real estate industry. Its flagship project is the 17-storey Apple One Tower, which will house office and residential units. The company purchased a 1,876-square-meter property at the Cebu Business Park and invested some P500 million for the development of the project.
According to Andalis, the project's delivery is within schedule. "The tower will be topping off next month. Our commitment is to deliver the units by December 2012, but we expect a partial turnover of units to owners by June or July," she said.
Apple One Tower will house 20 residential units and over 50 offices, mostly insurance and law offices. The tower's anchor tenant is the Equicom Group, a diversified conglomerate composed primarily of companies in information technology, healthcare and financial services.
Andalis noted that the fast sales-take up of their units was also buoyed by the prime address of the project. She said investors choose strategic locations like Cebu Business Park, which is Cebu's financial district.
Apple One Properties Inc. is affiliated with five other companies: Ven Ray Construction; Brickwall Construction and Development Corp.; Golden Bee International; Mandy Hotmix; Sunsky Development Corp.
Among its sister-companies are the Diamond Suites, Apple Tree Suites Cebu, Apple Tree Resort and Hotel in Cagayan de Oro and Boardwalk Residences.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 13, 2011.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
ENCOURAGED by the fast sales take-up of Apple One Tower at Cebu Business Park, Apple One Properties Inc. plans to build another mixed-used development in Cebu next year.
"The plans are still on the drawing board. But we will be developing a commercial-retail and residential project by next year," said Apple One Properties Inc. vice-president for Operations Yvet Andalis, in an interview yesterday.
Andalis said they are confident about the real estate market because of the thriving economy in Cebu. She said that despite the entry of major players in the market, they are still confident to capture a good market share, particularly in the office property, which she believes is still under-served.
She said the mixed-used project would be bigger than that of Apple One Tower. Its target launching will be next March.
"Although it is a bit scary considering that Cebu has faster pace than Manila in terms of development and we don't know which area will first experience a real estate bubble, we still brace ourselves and take the opportunity while it's still there," Andalis said.
Delivery
Apple One Properties Inc. is a new player in the real estate industry. Its flagship project is the 17-storey Apple One Tower, which will house office and residential units. The company purchased a 1,876-square-meter property at the Cebu Business Park and invested some P500 million for the development of the project.
According to Andalis, the project's delivery is within schedule. "The tower will be topping off next month. Our commitment is to deliver the units by December 2012, but we expect a partial turnover of units to owners by June or July," she said.
Apple One Tower will house 20 residential units and over 50 offices, mostly insurance and law offices. The tower's anchor tenant is the Equicom Group, a diversified conglomerate composed primarily of companies in information technology, healthcare and financial services.
Andalis noted that the fast sales-take up of their units was also buoyed by the prime address of the project. She said investors choose strategic locations like Cebu Business Park, which is Cebu's financial district.
Apple One Properties Inc. is affiliated with five other companies: Ven Ray Construction; Brickwall Construction and Development Corp.; Golden Bee International; Mandy Hotmix; Sunsky Development Corp.
Among its sister-companies are the Diamond Suites, Apple Tree Suites Cebu, Apple Tree Resort and Hotel in Cagayan de Oro and Boardwalk Residences.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 13, 2011.
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