Beauty and Bliss in High Living

PHILIPPINES

Published bywww.condo.com.ph

June 2007 P150Grand Soho,

City

Model units ala ModéWild Paris calling

insPired interiors

inside

grand expectationsGrand Soho,

LIVE IT UP!

The Prestigious

Address at the Fort

Introducing a new way of owning your home: Using the BYO system, you can own a luxury

condo in the heart of the Bonifacio Global City starting from P2,200,000 for one-bedroom unit. You can save up to 40 percent off the usual price and

your money is secure as it will be invested with a bank.

Find out what everybody has been raving about today!

CONSTRUCTION IS ONGOING!

Contact us:First Global BYO Corporation (BYO Corp.)Bonifacio Stopover, 32nd St., Bonifacio Global City, TaguigTelephone numbers: (632) 815-8080 / 856-2138-40 Fax number: (632)856-2137Log on to: www.fortpalmspring.com.ph e-mail: fortpalmspring@yahoo.com

Come home to the best address in Metro Manilaand enjoy the best life has to offer!

G&W

G&WG&W

200722nd PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN

EXPOSITION, AUTO SHOW AND HOME SHOW

August 11 (Saturday) – August (Sunday) 12, 2007

Los Angeles Convention Center

Los Angeles, California 90015

An explosion of fun and entertainment!

Be a part of the biggest marketing event of the year in the Filipino-American community!

Booth Reservation Form

Booth size: 10’ x 10’ Fee included: Pipes and drapes, Company I.D. sign – 5” x 44”

Booth price: Corner booth (US$ 1,300.00) Regular booth: (US$ 1,100.00) Remarks: ___________________

Name: _______________________________ Company: ______________________________________ E-mail address: ______________________ Telephone number: _______________________________ Fax number: _______________________________________________________________

Please fill up this form and fax it to (632)8938134 or call Daniel dela Cruz at (632)8123333

For booth reservation, please call Daniel dela Cruz at (632)8123333

The First Asian International Real Estate Expo & Conference (AIREEC) 2007 is a groundbreaking event that will bring to Asia all real estate developers, practitioners, trade organizations, speakers, investors, professionals, government sectors and end-users, gathering nearly 10,000 participants and 200 corporations from 54 different countries.

AIREEC 2007 will be the ultimate venue for exploring, networking, promoting and growing your business not just in Asia but in the global arena. It will provide an exclusive platform for around 1,000 of the world’s top industry players for exploring new business opportunities and forging new partnerships in Asia, covering 50 sectors of activities and bringing together millions of dollars in business transactions.

Meet with the world’s movers and shakers and be equipped with the options for participating in what is set to be the leading and largest market for the growing international retail real estate industry in Asia, specially designed to meet the specific business needs of exhibitors, sponsors and a participants without a stand. This is the future of global real estate.

PHILIPPINE CONDO PAVILLION 2007Organized by Condo Central Magazine and www.condo.com.ph

for the First Asian International Real estate expo and Conference (AIReeC) 2007

DECEMBER 6-10, 2007Philippine International Convention Center

Manila, Philippines

As you mAy notice, Condo Cen-tral has experienced a growth spurt in less than a year. Not only did it get upsized, it also underwent a design overhaul. Meticulously thought out, our plan to change our look coincides with the continually growing real estate boom. As the forerunner publi-cation in this niche, we want to mirror that growth in terms of our editorial content and layout.

In this “revamped” issue of CC, we are happy to highlight Grand Soho Makati, the centralized, luxurious and affordable creation of Century Properties. We admire this developer’s unequivocal pursuit of excellence for giving us mind-blowing projects one after another. During the Asian melt-down, Century Properties soldiered on and came up, with a bang, what is hailed as the country’s best residential building, the Essensa East Forbes. Brace yourself for its future projects that will bravely push the construc-tion and design envelope.

Browsing through our pages, you may see that we are giving more focus on interiors. It’s the first time that we are featuring five simultaneous developments (Mandarin Square, San Benissa Garden Villas, Fort Palm Spring, McKinley Garden Villas and GA Sky Suites) in just one sweep, aside from the dazzling model unit spreads. This is not only to guide you on your selection but also to offer design ideas with which you can apply to your own space.

Yes, we are keenly aware that the condo of an average Joe or a simple Jane may not come to the perfection of a model unit—what with the countless demands of life that continually tug at our schedule. This is the reason why we have come up with the new section called “Breathing Space” which features vibrant, lived-in spaces that reveal the resident’s individuality. In the case of

fashion savant Puey Quinones who’s our first feature, he cleverly pulls a series of tricks such as the bolt of cloth hiding the ceiling ruined by the howler Milenyo.

With the election fever now over, we are putting the spotlight on the re-elected mayor of Taguig City, Sigfrido Tinga. We can’t emphasize enough what he has done for the city and his constituents. What was considered a sleeper of a town is now a robust, pro-gressive city bracing itself for exciting developments.

Now, what is June but the month of weddings and celebrations? Newly-wed Cristina Cruz-Salvosa guides us on how to choose a condo that caters to the specific needs of a couple while our resident interior designer Johanna Acab-Faustino tells how the conflicting design tastes of a husband and wife can be artfully married in just one space. And if you are just currently planning your own walk down the aisle, we have table setting suggestions you may want to consider for your reception.

As a true-blue lifestyle tome, we are highlighting the latest of the good life (such as the heavenly cheesecakes of Miss Desserts) and bringing you to the two places of your wildest fancy: Paris and Las Vegas. Plane ticket’s on you, however.

It’s oft-quoted to the point of being cliché: change is inevitable. But like other clichés, it holds water. Change encourages us to get out of our com-fort zone and become better. Without it, life would be stagnant, perhaps bor-ing. Condo Central has faced change bravely. We hope that you too.

Growing up

editor’s note

carlomar Arcangel Daoanacarlo@condocentral.com.ph

Beauty and Bliss in High Living

Carlomar Arcangel DaoanaEDitor in ChiEf

Chrysler de GuzmanArt DirECtor

Godwin neronaLAyout Artist

sharline BarengsEnior stAff writEr

Benhur ArcayanChiEf photoGrAphEr

Dexter r. dela CruzEDitoriAL AssistAnt

Arnold A. Altamirafelicisimo A. tejuco, Jr.

EDitoriAL ConsuLtAnts

ContriButors

Cita Abad-Dinglasanrenne isidro

CoLumnists

Johanna Acab-faustinoBernadette Bangayan

matt Bienvenidonadia Camit-upton

Curt ianDr. Adelaida V. mayo

Jenny orillosmaripet L. poso

Cristina Cruz-salvosawritErs

pranz Kaeno Billonesrhoy Cobilla photoGrAphErs

Cherie mae AyongaosALEs AnD mArKEtinG DirECtor

Editha B. ignacioEmma mangalindan

Cyd V. ponceACCount ExECutiVEs

Bong CayananCirCuLAtion mAnAGEr

Anna russel AbaneswEB DEsiGnEr

6 eDitor’s noteGrowing up Carlomar Arcangel Daoana

12 DesiGner’s cornerHe said, she said

14 conDo memoHouse hunting

28 PersPectiveto be or not to be an interior designer

58 Decor8Don’t pass up the kitchen please!

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

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

Advertising hotline: (632)812-3333

Distributed by Christian Commercial Corp.Tel. Nos. (632)521-6118, 522-3633Fax No. (632)521-7674

Vol. I No. 9June 2007

is published by

www.condo.com.ph

Daniel R. dela CruzPRESIDENT/CEO

Danilo R. dela Cruz, Jr.ChIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Bing LauExECuTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Reginald TagavillaVICE PRESIDENT - PROJECT SALES

Andy BellajaroVICE PRESIDENT - GLOBAL SALES

Liza RazonOPERATIONS MANAGER

Nel GarbanzosADMINISTRATION

AND COLLECTION OFFICER

Aida Monteverdehenry Mondoñedo

Renne IsidroVirgilio Leyretana, Sr.

BOARD OF ADVISORS

Villanueva Gabionza & De Santos Law Offices

LEGAL COuNSEL

contents

64 surveyPeripheral MissionArnold A. Altamira

86 reflectionsOFW Notes Cita Abad-Dinglasan

88 oPinionCondo Café Renne Isidro

90 conDo GuiDeYour condominium hypermarket

98 lAwRA 6552

99 centrAl mArketClassified ads

110 HAPPeninGsDevelopers break new grounds, Bayanihan alumni build habitat homes

112 ePiloGueit’s a wire world

Preview

66 taking condo developments to new heights 68 interior monologue70 live it up!72 A star is born76 mediterranean manila

10 reveAl

Items for your home

22 entertAininG iDeAs

colors of JuneGo beyond white for your wedding reception

26 DesiGner of tHe Hour

saving the world, one condo unit at a timehow Jasmine Oyek-Sy, through sustainable design, pays respect to the environment

32 mAn on toP

The architect of taguigMayor Sigifrido Tiñga empowers his city and constituents

36 sHowcAse

suite inspirationExquisite model units that will titillate and inspire

C O v e r s T O r y

52 Grand Soho Makati: Fully-fabulous Step inside Century Properties’ centralized, luxurious and affordable project in the Central Business District

44 BreAtHinG sPAce

Post-milenyo makeoverhow Puey Quiñones used his knowledge in fashion to redecorate his penthouse ruined by a storm

50 investment

stock knowledgeReady for the stock market? here’s a guide on how to start

60 feAst for one

smooth operatorsIndulge with the cool concoctions for the summer and beyond

62 GooD life

Homemade heavenGet a bite out of Miss Desserts sumptuous sweethearts

82 soAr

Primal ParisThe City of Lights has a wild side

84 runDown

Quick guide to some predeveloped condos in the metro

F e A T u r e s

10 | Condocentral

tefAl, the reputable French cookware manufacturer that made the first non-stick fry pans in the 1950s, presents The Bienvenue Curry Cook-ware Range, the affordable and durable gift for beginners or kitchen novices usually typified by young and ac-tive moms. Equipped with

four layers of coating, the range—which carries fry pans, saucepans, a chicken fryer, and a dutch oven in a delightful curry hue—is built to last a lifetime.

Exclusively distributed by Rustan Marketing Corporation,

Tefal is available in all lead-ing department stores and supermarkets. Call 890-9703.

For beginning moms and thoughtful gift-givers, why not start with a set of kitchen products from Tefal destined to see years of home-cooked loving?

Pots (and pans) of gold

reveal

The Tempur pillow, particularly, molds to the natural curvature of the head and neck, thus, aligning them perfectly with the spine. The anatomical design, in conjunction with the pressure-relieving effects

of the Tempur material provides maximum comfort to the neck area and allows the neck and shoulder muscles to relax completely, relieving pain and minimizing snoring and sleep disorders.

Tempur showroom is at the 5th level of the Shangri-la Plaza Mall, EDSA corner Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City. Call 631-1391.

Tempur promises to secure your forty winks— without the post-slumber ache

The secret to a happy sleep

sleeP is no DouBt an important restorative tool that helps the body cope with the day’s activities. And it isn’t about how long a person sleeps, but how well.

heralded as the biggest break-through in sleep science in the last 75 years, Tempur features a line of products that include a variety of mattresses, pillows and a range of accessories designed to improve com-fort when sleeping, working, traveling, or relaxing.

Because Tempur is temperature-sensitive and visco-elastic, it responds to the body’s temperature and molds to the curves of the body in order to maintain the spine’s natural align-ment. Open cells in the material shift under pressure and reposition themselves to gently cradle the body to help alleviate pressure and provide a more restful night’s sleep. Stud-ies showed that Tempur’s unique pressure-relieving properties reduce tossing and turning during sleep by up to 80 percent.

12 | Condocentral

tHe wHole DesiGn Process of conceptualizing an interior is a fascinating yet demanding task. From something as general as picking a certain style to something detailed such as choosing between various tile options can leave one baffled in the whole interior design composi-tion. It is expected for couples to have disagreements and misunderstandings during the process. however, one can minimize, and if not, obliterate the chances for couples ending up in heated arguments in matters pertain-ing to the design of their interiors.

It is extremely important to plan. There is hardly any successful design that has not been properly planned, identifying the specific needs of each user of space. Identify preferences of each individual: color, look, amenities, orientations, health factors. These are all necessary so that one does not leave out essential elements in the successful planning of spaces. Doing these will lessen the chances of cou-ples endlessly arguing on who says the last word on design. This is particu-larly the reason why it helps to have an interior designer to solve conflicting ideas that couples have. If successful, individual ideas can be harmoniously balanced with that of another, making an interior space as personal, unique and impressive.

Gender transforms itself in interior spaces. Oftentimes, just by looking at an interior says a lot about the

user of the space, be it the male or the female. And yet, spaces breathe life if there is a harmonious blend of ideas shared by man and woman. Although couples strive to share their thoughts on design together, it usually ends with conflicts and even fights, simply because both parties insist on what they want. As a designer, it is no laughing matter to be situated in between bickering. It is best to take both interests at hand, regardless of who holds the budget. Men in general tend to be straightforward, no frills and simple, meaning they are more concerned with the ease and mainte-nance of a certain feature in a home, while women tend to prefer softened, delicate and light expressions in design. Most women avoid spaces that look hard, massive and rough, and men dread the thought of their walls filled with flowers and dainty colors. And yet, men and women can’t live without the other, and interiors lose their uniqueness without the balance of both genders. The most important step is to listen and compromise. Let your partner know what you want and don’t want for your interior. Discuss the reasons why and compromise to meet the other person’s expectations. If it is space planning, identify your specific activities in each area so that adequate space may be addressed. Secondly, research and identify the style or the look both of you would like to live in. By and large, preferences

toward certain styles are dictated by innate general characteristics that each gender favors. For example, since men are generally more straightfor-ward and simple in choices pertaining to design in the home, linear, massive, solid lines and neutral colors are pre-ferred. They usually leave the softer details in the home such as curtains, furnishings and accessories to the females since women are generally more capable with the ability to look into the details. Know the strengths of each one to be able to balance the feminine and masculine elements in the interior space.

The easiest way to create a harmoni-ous interior space for couples is to start off with a neutral background. White, black, browns, grays are neutral colors that can easily be worked with other complementing colors. Choosing this color scheme for larger surfaces such as walls or flooring will allow the couple to designate more detail, more color and more texture in smaller items in the interior. That way, no element will dominate over the other, and instead, a well-balanced interior is created. Also, choose easy to maintain materials that will appeal to both the male and the female. Should this be a consideration in your interior, you will find that living should always be at ease and should al-ways target specific needs of each user. Then, each personality in the setting is given priority which will eventually be appreciated.

Men and women have different, oftentimes conflicting, tastes in design. They pose no problem that is, until they live together. Johanna Acab-faustino offers marriage-saving suggestions on how couples can properly align their design ideas to create a well-balanced interior that still keeps their respective individuality intact

“He Said…She Said!”Who rules in the house?

designer’s corner

Condocentral | 13

Strive to maintain a balanced look of interior. This may be done by clearly sorting out your needs versus wants versus things not really needed. In doing so, you will also be able to prioritize on what you really need so that you may complement and allocate ample space and design consideration to your partner as well. After all, you will be sharing the space with another so best if it comple-ments you both. You may also choose to consider blending certain styles such as modern and classical, or West-ern and Eastern. Most often, modern style is associated with men prefer-ring a streamlined, clean and hi-tech look in interiors. Classical styles are more detailed, refined and generally curvilinear.

Ideally, the simpler style should be considered for larger proportions of interiors such as flooring, walls and structure. For instance, if a woman would insist a Classical dining set to go with an ultra-modern look of the

dining area, the couple should agree on their decision. In my opinion, it is best to keep the integrity of the style and perhaps ascertain which of the classical styles would match a modern interior. Some interior accessories and accents may be considered, in this case.

Likewise, if it is a case of choosing between a Western or an Eastern style, one may consider an eclectic interior where there is a unified cohesion of styles from both regions. Again, consider using the style with simpler proportions to bigger areas in the interior, and incorporate accents of the more detailed style to the smaller proportions of the rooms. In a nutshell, the more detailed and intricate the style, the lesser it should be used in the interior. The simpler the design, the more it should be used in the interior.

Someone once said “never to move the man’s chair in the house.” It is important to respect the head of

the house and to consider his special needs. For women, if you want your man to spend quality time in the home, consider recognizing his needs and wants and find a space to address these. You may want to pamper him by putting a recliner in front of his TV where he could relax after a long day’s work. have a special space or room for him where he can do the things he likes. In the same manner, women traditionally spend more time in the home than men. It is essential for women to have a space where they can relax, refresh and unwind, to ease the daily stresses they also encounter. If the room is meant for either gender, leave the decisions in design to the user of the space.

As a rule of thumb, structures are toned down from its rigidity by how well designers can use the elements and principles in design to soften an interior space. Though some interiors may generally be stiff and hard, it does not mean that it cannot be softened

to adapt to the well being of the users. Rigidity is best eliminated through successfully grouping decorative furnishings, furniture and accents. Pictures, prints, paintings, pottery, sculpture and interior plant scaping; these are all essential to soften a place. Identify all areas that lack the warmth detailing may bring in a home. After doing this, strategically locate it in ar-eas that tend to be overly masculine.

Couples working in agreement in the design of their house may prob-ably share one of the best experiences of their life together. It can be a satis-fying experience to know more about one another and what may please the other. Design is truly successful only when the needs of each one is ad-dressed through careful and thorough planning and research in the style that will best suit one’s personality.

Johanna Acab-Faustino can be reached at 0917-9971363.

Venus and Mars need not collide if husband and wife learn to communicate their design ideas, assess the differences of opinions and are open for a compromise.

14 | Condocentral

House hunting

condo memo

one of tHe mAin concerns of newlyweds is finding the perfect little place and making it livable. having gone through buying, un-buying, renting and finally settling all in the span of one year didn’t exactly make me an expert but at least it taught me a lot of things.

The basicsFirst off, you have to decide on

what you want and how much you can afford. house and lot packages may be the dream of most young couples but, sorry to crush your hopes, nowadays, these things are either too expensive (unless you are a yuppie earning millions or was born rich, it is nearly impossible to own a house in the country’s busi-ness districts) or too far (you have to commute/drive for more than two hours just to get to and from work). Condominiums are the next best thing – they are very accessible, convenient, and easy to own.

Before looking for possible projects to put your hard-earned money on, you have to decide early on if you want a unit you can move into immediately or if you are willing to wait a couple of years. Look into your finances as well.

If you’re planning on a build your own (BYO) project, you would also have to avail of the in-house financ-ing since most banks and lending institutions accept only finished projects. Ready for occupancy (RFO) units tend to be sold at higher prices

than BYO units. The latter is cheaper since you get to save on certain taxes and, since the developer is using your money to fund the project, on in-house interest rates. Once the project is finished, your investment will most likely have doubled (read: profit for you if you sell it).

But you should understand that these things take years to build. Research first on your developer and find out if they deliver on time. Check if they indicate the project comple-tion date on your contracts. If you want to move in immediately, then BYO is not for you. In our case, we fell for the sales talk that our unit will be finished in a year and started paying for our unit two years ago. up to now, the developer has yet to even lay the foundation. We ended up paying the amortization while renting and eventually gave up our unit since we needed a unit we can live in imme-diately and paying for both proved costly. A good thing that we found another project, which though not yet finished, is slated for turnover on the specific date stated in our contact.

Moving inObviously, space is an issue in

condo living; it is a luxury you can get at an additional cost. having grown up in a five-bedroom house with a front lawn, garden and backyard, I couldn’t help but feel claustrophobic in our condo. You have to learn to maximize every nook and cranny. I was overwhelmed with the thought

After going through “buying, un-buying, renting and finally settling” in her search for a perfect condo, newlywed Maria cristina cruz-salvosa discovers that, at the end of the day, it’s the one you come home to that matters

Condocentral | 15

16 | Condocentral

The author Kris Salvosa with her husband,

Business World sub-editor Felipe Salvosa,

walking together to a life of wedded bliss.

of having only one built-in closet in the master’s bedroom which I have to share with my husband and not hav-ing a garden I can tend to.

The good thing about the condo being small is that you have less space to design and decorate. I got to practice what skill I have in interior designing such as determining which furniture would make it look bigger and cozy while at the same time, reflect both mine and my husband’s style. And, for those who love clean-ing house like I do, it makes for an easier task. General cleaning would only take you half a day, whereas a big house can take you days just to mop and wax the floor.

Another bonus is you don’t have to wait for the garbage truck to come. All I have to do is throw the trash in the garbage chute and I’m done. Nei-ther do I have to worry about the fire safety system, the plumbing, and elec-

trical wiring because all these come in one neat package. When I need something fixed, I can just call up the maintenance crew to do it for me.

Living in a condo is also like getting your own security team. They monitor every single person or vehicle entering the building and even my house help has to have clearance from me before she can leave the building.

however, the condo does have its downside. Aside from the limited space, noise is probably the next issue you have to deal with. You can cross out having parties with its loud music and boisterous laughter. Remember, you live in a place where your neighbors are just a wall away and you can easily wind up on the bulletin of blacklisted neighbors if you consistently wake them up in the middle of the night. I have learned to be more considerate, even in such a simple thing as turning up the volume on our television.

unless you are snapping up a pent-house unit or an entire floor, you also have to accept that privacy will be hard to keep. You share elevators and floors with total strangers and your door most probably faces another door – makes for great “spying” into the other unit. And if you really want to keep your business to yourself, you have to make sure to speak in a soft voice to throw off unexpected and unintentional eavesdropping.

The final sayThere really is no final say on what

is best for you. The condo is mostly advisable for young couples just starting out on their life together – it comes free from all the hassles associated with the house. It’s all up you. After all, what makes the house a home is not its size, or design, or its price tag; it’s who you come home to that matters.

22 | Condocentral

Immaculate and irreproachable, white is the color of choice for couples to be. It connotes purity of affection and tones down space with a hint of spirituality. But it doesn’t have to be the be-all-and-end-all theme of your wedding. White, in excess, is smothering. Spice up the reception by choosing colors that go beyond the grain of merely white. Swan Catering offers themes in Chinese red, elemental green and sophisticated black—with matching floral arrangements that evoke the drama of color. We guarantee: your reception will fly and guests will sit down and take notice.

Photography by Benhur Arcayan

Colors of June

entertaining ideas

Usually chosen by Chinese couples, the red theme connotes luck, security

and passion.

Condocentral | 23

24 | Condocentral

Not for the faint of heart, black is the polar

opposite of white, conveying elegance and

sophistication.

Green is a relaxing substitute for white, symbolizing life, prosperity and tranquility.

A good palette, white makes way for the clarity of glass and the shimmer of metal.

26 | Condocentral

self-sustAininG and environment-friendly condominium design is not only possible. It is also livable.

In her winning entry, “Sustainable haybol” for the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) com-petition last year, interior designer Jasmine Oyek-Sy incorporates tropical and environment considerations to a two-bedroom 47-square meter unit, which is an actual model unit of Federal Land, Inc.’s Marquinton Residences. According to Jasmine, her design concept was focused on sus-tainable design. “It is the way we save the future for our family,” she said.

Working with natureSet in a tropical country, good

ventilation and maximizing the use of natural light were among her immedi-ate considerations. “The condo-minium residents should not be too dependent on air-conditioning. They should be able to live comfortably even without it,” she noted.

Since warm air rises and cool air set-tles down, openings hang above sliding doors to promote air circulation. At the same time, sliding partitions were made of frosted glass, providing natural light and privacy as well. When doors are fully opened, there is also an illusion of openness. As additional treatment, insulation materials and

solar panels were also used.

Thinking outside of the boxEffective design is also about

working with available resources and space management. One of Jasmine’s challenges was making room for odd spaces.

For the bedroom, the floor was elevated to give way to storages for rarely used items. This worked well aesthetically, giving the room a Japa-nese theme. Part of the elevated floor also flips up serving as a seat with back rest.

The guest room is also a functional study room. Working with small spaces, the bed can be flipped up, allowing a study table to be flipped down. In sustainable design, Jasmine said that “no space should be wasted.” Related to that, her design patterns are also based on commercial sizes of construction materials, thus avoiding leftovers.

Jasmine also effectively found a way to incorporate a post to the design by camouflaging it together with the kitchen shelves and wall. Adding green to the space are edible plants which can be used in making tea or as spices.

Aside from being space-saving, Jasmine’s design is also promoting the recycling of items. One of the lamps in the room has its shade made up of

empty mineral water bottles. Dan-gling around the lamp, several bottles were cut spirally from top to bottom. Likewise the sofa is a refurbished car seat ornamented by throw pillows made from strips of cloth.

upon entry in the foyer, Jasmine added a fish aquarium in the design. Although it is a usual element in interior design, viewing the fishes also provide therapeutic and calming ef-fect to its tenants.

All in all, Jasmine said her design is focused on a wholistic approach. “Since you can use this space as both bedroom and office space, you don’t have to travel and waste time travel-ing. You don’t add to the pollution,” she said.

Aside from being hailed outstand-ing design by MADE, Jasmine was also awarded as most promising interior designer by Guhit Awards in 2000. Originally an Advertising Arts gradu-ate of uST, Jasmine was influenced by her architect-brother, John David to be an interior designer. She took her second course in the Philippine School for Interior Design in 1997. That same year, she took the board exams and unsurprisingly placed second.

With her design, Jasmine stresses that being environment-friendly should not deprive the occupants of being healthy and happy.

Saving the world, one condo unit at a timeIn her award-winning entry for the art competition of Metrobank called “Sustainable Haybol,” Jasmine Oyek-Sy explores how the environment can be integrated in the execution of design. Taking the actual form of a model unit, it cleverly blends energy-saving techniques, space-saving methods and recycled materials for low-impact living. felicisimo A. tejuco, Jr. chats with the interior designer who has the heart for nature

designer of the hour

Condocentral | 27

In an actual model unit of Marquinton Residences, interior

designer Jasmine Oyek-Sy incorporates tropical and

environment considerations.

28 | Condocentral

by hand or through computer-aided drafting. however, students of the BSID program are trained to do illustrations manually since the Interior Design Licensure Examination requires it. This also prepares them for the actual field where there are clients who are very poor in visualizing things and would sometimes require the interior designer to come up with on-the-spot drawings to explain to them a design concept. This makes it all the more necessary for an interior design student to master the skill in basic drawing and drafting.

Being an interior design student may be very taxing. Staying up late at night until the wee hours of the fol-lowing morning in order to meet the deadline for the submission of design exercises or projects referred to as “plates” is a common thing among interior design students. however, interior design students do get their rewards for their hard work. The high-light of the four years in BSID is the special projects course where the inte-rior design student is given the oppor-tunity to execute his/her design. This

is when the interior design student experiences the rudiments of project management. Schools offering a BSID vary in their approaches in imple-menting this special projects course. While many schools opt for the usual exhibition of mock-up interior design modules in a mall or any commercial building, the special projects course in the university of the Philippines is one with social advocacy in mind. For the past five years, the BSID graduating batch rehabilitated institutions and transformed them into livable spaces

which the beneficiaries never even dreamed of being blessed with. The experience of being able to success-fully create an impact on others’ lives by improving their living environ-ments never fails to give an interior design student a sense of fulfillment and gratification.

One’s interest to be an Interior Design student should not be hampered by one’s lack of talent in drawing. As long as the passion to learn is there, developing the skill will soon follow.

stuDents HAve approached me every year asking me if being good in drawing is among the requirements to qualify for admission to the Bachelor of Science in Interior Design (BSID) program. They usually follow it up with another question like, “What if they do not have the talent but they have the interest to learn?” Although being good in drawing is definitely an asset to an interior design student, I believe that having a strong interest and passion in learning the craft is more important than simply having the talent. I have encountered quite a few number of students who happen to be gifted with such talent but who unfortunately do not appreciate what they have, putting into waste what others dream of having.

The BSID program prepares students to develop the skills and competencies necessary for the practice of the profession. There are currently 17 schools all over the coun-try offering a degree in interior design, namely: university of the Philippines, university of Santo Tomas, College of the holy Spirit, Polytechic univer-sity of the Philippines, university of the East, Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, St. Scholastica’s College, Assumption

College, Philippine School of Interior Design in consortium with De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, Philip-pine Women’s university, Mapua Institute of Technology, university of San Agustin in Iloilo, university of San Carlos in Cebu, La Consolacion College in Bacolod, university of St. Louis in Tuguegarao, university of As-sumption in San Fernando, Pampanga and Eastern Visayas State university in Tacloban, Leyte. The BSID program is a four- year course following a curriculum designed to address the parameters set by the Commission on higher Education (ChED) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Board of Interior Design for the Interior Design Licensure Examina-tion. These are: Interior Design theory and application, Furniture Design and Construction, history of Interiors, Building Interior Construction, Materials of Décor, Professional Ethics and Color Theory. A graduate of the program who has successfully passed the Board Exam deserves to have a title no less than an interior designer. That is the reason why legitimate interior designers get offended when people address them ignorantly as interior decorators.

Many people have a misconception

of interior design and often inter-change it with interior decoration. Republic Act No. 8534 uses the term interior design, therefore making it the official term in the country for the discipline and the profession which has been defined by the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers as the “shaping and conditioning of interior spaces in order to meet the optimum physical, psychological and physiologi-cal needs of the users of those spaces.”

While both interior design and interior decoration make interior spaces visually pleasing in terms of the proper application of the elements and principles of design, interior design goes beyond interior decora-

tion. One does not have to undergo four years in college to be an interior decorator. Even a high school student can dabble in interior decorating.

On the other hand, an interior decorator would know very little about interior designing. It takes four years of formal training, both in theory and application, to be able to obtain the basic skills and competen-cies necessary for the practice of inte-rior design. It also involves practicum work where the student in his/her senior year is required to work as an apprentice in an interior design/archi-tectural/furniture firm for a specified number of hours. An interior design student is taught how to develop a design concept using an appropriate design methodology when solving interior design problems. Interior design problems which interior design students are exposed to are not about beautifying interior spaces alone but are more about improving the quality of life of the end users, including the protection of their life, health and security. Developing the student’s sense of creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity is every interior design professor’s main goal, if not dream.

Interior design presentations are in the form of illustrations either done

Makeover shows have kickstarted the interest of some to take up interior design. Portrayed in the media as savvy and stylish individuals, interior designers seem to be the modern-day magicians who can transform any space from drab to fab. But practicing interior designers will tell you, it’s not all glamour. Dr. Adelaida mayo, head of the country’s premier interior design department, reveals what it really takes to be included in this select circle of professionals who can influence and alter the way people live

To be or not be an interior designer

perspective

Condocentral | 29

by hand or through computer-aided drafting. however, students of the BSID program are trained to do illustrations manually since the Interior Design Licensure Examination requires it. This also prepares them for the actual field where there are clients who are very poor in visualizing things and would sometimes require the interior designer to come up with on-the-spot drawings to explain to them a design concept. This makes it all the more necessary for an interior design student to master the skill in basic drawing and drafting.

Being an interior design student may be very taxing. Staying up late at night until the wee hours of the fol-lowing morning in order to meet the deadline for the submission of design exercises or projects referred to as “plates” is a common thing among interior design students. however, interior design students do get their rewards for their hard work. The high-light of the four years in BSID is the special projects course where the inte-rior design student is given the oppor-tunity to execute his/her design. This

is when the interior design student experiences the rudiments of project management. Schools offering a BSID vary in their approaches in imple-menting this special projects course. While many schools opt for the usual exhibition of mock-up interior design modules in a mall or any commercial building, the special projects course in the university of the Philippines is one with social advocacy in mind. For the past five years, the BSID graduating batch rehabilitated institutions and transformed them into livable spaces

which the beneficiaries never even dreamed of being blessed with. The experience of being able to success-fully create an impact on others’ lives by improving their living environ-ments never fails to give an interior design student a sense of fulfillment and gratification.

One’s interest to be an Interior Design student should not be hampered by one’s lack of talent in drawing. As long as the passion to learn is there, developing the skill will soon follow.

stuDents HAve approached me every year asking me if being good in drawing is among the requirements to qualify for admission to the Bachelor of Science in Interior Design (BSID) program. They usually follow it up with another question like, “What if they do not have the talent but they have the interest to learn?” Although being good in drawing is definitely an asset to an interior design student, I believe that having a strong interest and passion in learning the craft is more important than simply having the talent. I have encountered quite a few number of students who happen to be gifted with such talent but who unfortunately do not appreciate what they have, putting into waste what others dream of having.

The BSID program prepares students to develop the skills and competencies necessary for the practice of the profession. There are currently 17 schools all over the coun-try offering a degree in interior design, namely: university of the Philippines, university of Santo Tomas, College of the holy Spirit, Polytechic univer-sity of the Philippines, university of the East, Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, St. Scholastica’s College, Assumption

College, Philippine School of Interior Design in consortium with De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, Philip-pine Women’s university, Mapua Institute of Technology, university of San Agustin in Iloilo, university of San Carlos in Cebu, La Consolacion College in Bacolod, university of St. Louis in Tuguegarao, university of As-sumption in San Fernando, Pampanga and Eastern Visayas State university in Tacloban, Leyte. The BSID program is a four- year course following a curriculum designed to address the parameters set by the Commission on higher Education (ChED) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Board of Interior Design for the Interior Design Licensure Examina-tion. These are: Interior Design theory and application, Furniture Design and Construction, history of Interiors, Building Interior Construction, Materials of Décor, Professional Ethics and Color Theory. A graduate of the program who has successfully passed the Board Exam deserves to have a title no less than an interior designer. That is the reason why legitimate interior designers get offended when people address them ignorantly as interior decorators.

Many people have a misconception

of interior design and often inter-change it with interior decoration. Republic Act No. 8534 uses the term interior design, therefore making it the official term in the country for the discipline and the profession which has been defined by the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers as the “shaping and conditioning of interior spaces in order to meet the optimum physical, psychological and physiologi-cal needs of the users of those spaces.”

While both interior design and interior decoration make interior spaces visually pleasing in terms of the proper application of the elements and principles of design, interior design goes beyond interior decora-

tion. One does not have to undergo four years in college to be an interior decorator. Even a high school student can dabble in interior decorating.

On the other hand, an interior decorator would know very little about interior designing. It takes four years of formal training, both in theory and application, to be able to obtain the basic skills and competen-cies necessary for the practice of inte-rior design. It also involves practicum work where the student in his/her senior year is required to work as an apprentice in an interior design/archi-tectural/furniture firm for a specified number of hours. An interior design student is taught how to develop a design concept using an appropriate design methodology when solving interior design problems. Interior design problems which interior design students are exposed to are not about beautifying interior spaces alone but are more about improving the quality of life of the end users, including the protection of their life, health and security. Developing the student’s sense of creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity is every interior design professor’s main goal, if not dream.

Interior design presentations are in the form of illustrations either done

Makeover shows have kickstarted the interest of some to take up interior design. Portrayed in the media as savvy and stylish individuals, interior designers seem to be the modern-day magicians who can transform any space from drab to fab. But practicing interior designers will tell you, it’s not all glamour. Dr. Adelaida mayo, head of the country’s premier interior design department, reveals what it really takes to be included in this select circle of professionals who can influence and alter the way people live

To be or not be an interior designer

perspective

This almost symmetrical bedroom can only be

conceptualized by an interior designer knowledgeable in the management and beautification of space.

32 | Condocentral

With the mind of a CEO and a heart of a true public servant, Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga is credited as one of the main forces to having shaped Taguig to become one of the most progressive cities in the country today. Felicisimo A. Tejuco, Jr. sits down and talks to the “architect of Taguig” about his vision, legacy and the work aheadPhotography by Benhur Arcayan

man on top

Re-elected mayor Sigfrido R. Tiñga proudly wears the

“Forward Taguig” slogan that embodies his administration. (right) Doltz Pilar envisions a minimalist design for one of the units in this two-storey

medium-rise housing for Taguig residents. Fitout by RCW

Construction Corporation

His term will always be associated with the revival of Bonifacio Global City as one of the country’s leading central business districts. With the concept of turning it into a one-stop shop where residents “live, work, and enjoy life,” this image is slowly becom-ing a reality. To date, the vertical devel-opment of high-rise buildings has now shifted to medium-level structures as well as to a new target, which are middle-class families. And as he begins his third term as mayor, hon. Sigfrido R. Tiñga hopes to continue serving his constituents in preparation for the 2020 Vision: Taguig as the Philippines’ Premiere City.

New life to old citySince the financial crisis which struck

Asia in 1997, Tiñga slowly stirred the development of Fort Bonifacio when he began public office in 2001. This devel-opment is not new to him, having been a part of the team that pioneered the planning and development of Global City. he worked with the Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation and handled The Fort Strip, the local entertainment circle. Incidentally, this was the only project that saw completion after the Asian meltdown.

having learned from history and the mistakes of other cities, Tiñga said innovations are on its way not just

inside the walls of Global City, but in Taguig as a whole.

Part of Tiñga’s wholistic develop-ment includes the Lakeshore District Masterplan, which is envisioned to be the premier tourist and recreation in Metro Manila. In collaboration with Archt. Felino Palafox Jr. and the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), the 1,000-hectare development will be designed for mixed land use and activities. It will include sports facili-ties like a 36-hole nature friendly golf course with fairway lots, marina and boardwalk commercial area.

True to his goal of providing housing for all, medium-rise residential projects are already on the works with com-panies like DMCI. housing projects for informal settlers have also begun with 108 units already completed in April 2007. It was followed by the first Taguig housing Fair in cooperation with developers and NGOs, including Gawad Kalinga, habitat for humanity, and Coalition for the homeless. One of the latest models, which was pre-sented during the First Taguig housing Fair in April, is a two-storey, four-unit per floor housing. Covering an area of 25 sq.m, each unit may cost between P100,000 to 150,000, excluding the lot and furnishings. Monthly amor-tization is expected to run between P800-2,500, nearly the same amount

The architect of Taguig: building hope and homes

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34 | Condocentral

Clockwise from far left: Interiors by Tessa Prieto-

Valdes, fitout by Allan Cerafica & Acer Industrial

and Contractors Corp. Interiors by Arturo Go,

fitout by New Golden City Builders. Interiors by Arch.

Joselito Mastrili, fitout by local carpenters, masons and

tradesmen of Taguig

which informal settlers pay for rent, according to Tiñga.

The local government also led the launching of 7,800 Taguig resident cards to indigent families for health insurance coverage.

Privileges also include better employment opportunities and even death benefits. Tiñga revealed that companies and offices based in Taguig are exempted from paying certain fees whenever they hire local residents instead of city outsiders. he explains that whenever companies hire people outside of Taguig, “you’re passing on the social costs without you (the employer) realizing it. Eventually, he and his family will move in Taguig. his children will enroll in our school. In the end, you will be passing more problems to us.” he adds: “Get a Taguig resident. We’re building a robust economy. A city that feeds itself, where the people work and spend their income here.”

his administration has also reached an agreement with heritage Park, wherein simple funeral arrangements will be provided to deceased Taguig residents who own a valid city card.

Tiñga stressed the need to uplift the quality of life especially for the lowly so that they will “find pride in themselves.”

Local and international challenges

When Tiñga first became mayor, he

was faced not only with the problems of reshaping a city but putting Taguig at par with global standards. “The competition is not against the previ-ous administration. You’re competing with other cities and municipalities for investment not just locally but abroad. So unless you think global, you will be left behind,” he said.

Tiñga began cleaning his backyard starting with the renovation of the municipal hall. At the same time, he worked his way in improving the city’s public relations by restructuring the offices and the local government’s website.

Regarding transaction concerns between private offices and the local government, the mayor remedied this through a customer relations office, which replaces the fixers. “When you’re in a restaurant, you deal with the waiter, not the cook. You want service, not the hassle,” he said.

however, Tiñga admits that the biggest challenge remains encourag-ing support from the people. his administration has responded to this need with their slogan, “Lahat panalo kapag sama-sama tayo.” Coupled with his administrative accomplish-ments, he said that all their hardwork is slowly paying off.

A native of Taguig, Tiñga said his city has always been his home. Minus the politics, he said that his work as mayor is actually manageable and

fulfilling. “This is not like passing a bill where you may help a lot of people. But you don’t know them. In Taguig, the people you are helping are people you actually know,” he said.

On leaving and livingTiñga said he does not plan on

staying in politics for long. “Don’t think that you’ll be working forever. At some point, you will have to let go. And it’s better to do that when people still like you,” he said.

When he finishes his term, Tiñga said he may return back to private practice. Outside politics, his list of credentials includes a BS Economics degree from the university of the Philippines and a Master’s in Business Administration from the university of Oregon.

For now, Tiñga lives life by the day. With his busy schedule, Tiñga said he would often bring his wife and kids to work. “It’s good for them to see the other side, to see that life’s not that rosy,” he said.

When asked what was the biggest lesson life has taught him, Tinga reaf-firmed that nothing in life is definite. “Life’s a real journey. You can’t get stuck. how I ended up here, I have to believe there’s a God. Because the more you think about it, the more you realize you can’t determine your direc-tion. Just do good and hopefully things will work out,” he concluded.

36 | Condocentral

A MOdeL uNiT is meant to impress.Eloquently executed by a top interior

designer and furnished with hi-luxe furniture and state-of-the-art appliances, a model unit offers a glimpse of what the prospective client may experience once he decides to move into the condominium. It’s a visual affair of space and details, a harmonizing of different elements meant to evoke an emotional connection, a mood of the mind, a lifestyle.

But more than a possibility, a model unit is an invitation to indulge in the good life. Beholding it, one imagines a sanctuary where one is gifted with silence and a comforting view, a fitting place where one can intimately be oneself or begin a family.

Conveying the notions of home, a model unit delivers a premise of a fulfillment of a dream.

Suite inspiration

One Rockwellrockwell center, makati city

For viewing request, call your professional real estate broker

at (632) 812-3333

showcase

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38 | Condocentral

Chateau elyseé Parañaque city For viewing request, call your professional real estate broker at (632) 812-3333

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The Amvel Mansions

ninoy Aquino Avenue, Parañaque city

For viewing request, call your professional real estate broker

at (632) 812-3333

40 | Condocentral

The MetropolitanThe eDGe showroom, G/f one mckinley Place. 26th street, crescent Park west, Bonifacio Global city, taguig cityFor viewing request, call your professional real estate broker at (632) 812-3333

Condocentral | 41

Blue Sapphire

2/f Bonifacio stopover Plaza, Bonifacio Global city,

taguig cityFor viewing request, call your

professional real estate broker at (632) 812-3333

42 | Condocentral

Fort Palm Springmc Home Depot, cs 282-29032nd street corner Bonifacio Boulevard, Bonifacio Global city, taguig cityFor viewing request, call your professional real estate broker at (632) 812-3333

Condocentral | 43

PortovitaP. tuazon street corner 14th Avenue, cubao, Quezon city For viewing request, call your professional real estate broker at (632) 812-3333

44 | Condocentral

mAny conDo Dwellers harp on having a squeaky-clean, model unit-looking space for their home in the city and keeping it clutter-free as much as possible to reduce the need to do general cleaning every month. But fashion savant Puey Quiñones, who migrated from Samar to Manila at age 19 to follow his dreams of becoming a designer, is perfectly comfortable living in a penthouse unit that functions as his home, showroom, production area, and party place all in one. With a multi-functional space like his, he prefers to keep it rather messy and unique.

Surprisingly, the “Puey” feel—which he also demonstrates in the way he usually dresses: a skirt over plaid trousers, matched with a yellow collared shirt for a boyish touch—of his penthouse would not have hap-pened if it wasn’t for the typhoon Milenyo which wreaked havoc in Manila September of last year. The in-teriors, which used to be all in white and following a minimalist design, now sport a truly Puey look with their velour-draped ceiling, accents, and quirky pieces of furniture.

“It was actually a blessing in disguise, even if the experience was

traumatic,” he recalls. “Because of the damage that Milenyo caused, I was able to design my penthouse the way I want it.”

From the outside, Puey’s pent-house, which he has been living in for two years now, is Modern Mediter-ranean all the way, with chalk white paint and big square windows that offer a view of the Makati skyline. The windows broke at the height of Milenyo’s attack, while the rush of water into the unit destroyed the ceiling of the lower floor of the pent-house. But being the fighter that he is, Puey was quick to move on after the disaster and went on to fix his house a day after the storm.

“I was so shocked, but I had to move on so I started getting into action right away and that was how I was able to design this penthouse the way I want it. I love modern houses, but I want my unit to have my own touch. The big windows were restored, but when the ceiling gave in, I covered it up with velour—it’s a velvety type of cloth—and hung a lamp at the center,” he said.

Even his long gowns are part of the décor. Some of these are hung on the wall near the stairs leading to the

Fashion savant Puey Quiñones recently found his life turned around when typhoon Milenyo made a mess out of his penthouse. With fire in his spirit, the designer folded his sleeves and reworked his space with his decidedly avant-garde touch. The result, a smashing condo that keeps the many lives Puey keeps: thinker, designer, party-thrower. sharline Bareng steps inside what could be the designer’s most daunting projectPhotography by Benhur Arcayan

Post-Milenyo makeover

(above) Liz Donato-Chan in a halter dress with a layered opera

coat by Puey Quiñones. (right) By day, the lower floor of Puey’s

penthouse is a showroom and receiving area for his clients. His

long gowns are part of the décor, either displayed on a rack or

hanging from the ceiling.

breathing space

Condocentral | 45

46 | Condocentral

(right) Puey Quiñones in his signature look: a skirt over

plaid trousers, matched with a yellow collared

shirt for a boyish touch. (inset) Velour drapes hang

from the ceiling of Puey’s showroom, while quirky

pieces of furniture and accents add up to the

spunky feel of this busy corner of his penthouse.

production area at the upper floor or displayed on a rack in his living room, while a long, white wedding gown inspired by a curtain is suspended from the ceiling at the lower floor. This gown, in particular, reflects Puey’s touch on the classic traje de boda with its loose, flowing cut and pleats at the bottom. While most people think curtains are ordinary, for Puey, they can be surprising.

“When you interpret something as ordinary as curtains to glamorous pieces of couture, you’ll see that ‘ugly’ things have the potential to be beauti-ful,” he said.

It was this philosophy that helped catapult Puey into the fashion scene, as he developed show-stopping designs that featured multi-functional pieces that can be worn in different ways for different occasions. In Puey’s hands, shapeless and loose are alluring and glamorous, as opposed to clingy and tight cuts. he himself sports his signature look of topping skirts over anything else, or wrapping a turban around his head whether he is work-ing at home or attending a fashion show.

he also took note of the “beggar look,” for instance, as a brilliant look and which he sported himself when he was only starting to break through in the design scene after he trained under Dennis Lustico and Lulu Tan Gan. “Beggars don’t know combina-tions, they wear everything they can, but when you look at them they actu-ally look good. With that inspiration I was able to interpret the look in a glamorous way.”

Puey’s multi-functional and out-of-the-loop designs extend to his bridal gowns. Taking the inspiration from a Japanese kimono for instance, one of his wedding gowns has a wrap-around top and a skirt that can be replaced with jeans after the wedding.

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48 | Condocentral

(right)Puey Quiñones’ Japanese kimono-inspired bridal gown

bears the multi-functional trademark of a Puey design,

with its wrap-around skirt that can be set aside for a

pair of jeans after the formal ceremonies. Accented with a black obi, the gown goes best

with black footwear.

Accented with a black obi, the gown leaves the bride with options for shoes to match, other than the standard white that goes with a traje de boda.

“My bridal gowns, though ‘classic,’ follow my transforming philosophy in design, meaning they can be worn not just in one way,” he revealed. “This might be a wedding gown, but I don’t want it to be just a wedding gown. It has to have other purposes, too.”

The same can be said for his pent-house, where he works, entertains clients and friends, and retires at the end of the day. While the top floor is entirely devoted to production, Puey’s living room downstairs is maximized as a working space, a showroom for clients, and a party venue at the same time. his balcony, which doubles as a mini garden with its plants and lounge chairs, also hold cocktail tables, lounge chairs and high stools that can accommodate his friends every time he calls them over for an impromptu party.

“My space is very open to my clients and friends. My clients love my place and they say it’s like a little para-dise in the city. It’s just my bedroom that doesn’t have a particular design because I only want it to be comfort-able and private,” he said.

Contented at his living space and the way his career is turning out, Puey is happy staying inside his penthouse, working, resting, or entertaining clients and friends, and only goes out for special occasions. After all he has been through, it is his living space, other than his creations, that truly shows how far he has gone from being a 19-year-old dreamer fresh from the province to the smashing success that he is now.

And after being tested by that un-forgettable typhoon, Puey is satisfied with it more than ever. he declares, “I love my penthouse, it’s beautiful.”

Condocentral | 49

50 | Condocentral

fixed and depends on the price range of the stock. So investors cannot just buy one stock of company A worth P6.50, but at least a thousand units (or more, depending on the com-pany) at P6,500.

Aside from the actual cost of the stocks that you buy or sell, investors will also have to pay brokers fee of 1.5 percent of the transaction plus 12 percent value added tax. There is also a transfer fee charge plus 12 percent value added tax depending on the stockbrokers.

Stockholders earn from their stocks when the prices of the shares

increase. One company’s shares could be bought at P10 today, could be worth P27 the next month. If you decide to sell at that price, then you can get your gains.

Stockholders also earn when com-panies declare dividends. Some com-panies declare cash dividends, where stockholders get money equivalent to the number of shares they have in that company. For example, company Z declares a P1 cash dividend. If you have 10,000 shares in that company, you will get P10,000 as your dividend. Not all companies declare dividends, and the value of the dividend varies,

depending on the revenue perfor-mance of the companies.

Rommel Macapagal, analyst at stock trading firm Westlink Global Equities, Inc., said joining the stock market is a good alternative from investing solely on bank deposits, or real estate.

“The interest that you can earn from you bank deposits are not very high. Meanwhile, buying real estate needs a lot of money, and apprecia-tion of you investment could take a while. unlike the stock market, where if you make the right choices, you can easily get good returns from what you invested,” he concluded.

Ready for the stock market? You can take the plunge into the most exciting trading in town with as little as P25,000. matt Bienvenido guides you how

Stock knowledge

investment

for AverAGe filiPinos, investing would probably mean putting their hard-earned savings in time deposits. Those who have more cash to spare would likely buy real estate— a sure investment that is expected to ap-preciate over time.

But how about joining the stock market? Most likely, Filipinos will assume that trading stocks is only for the big boys, those who would not mind losing millions. But Ron Rodrigo, research head of stock trad-ing firm unicapital Securities, Inc. said anyone can start trading for P25,000 to P50,000.

“Definitely, the stock market is not for the faint-hearted,” Mr. Rodrigo said. “But if you are willing to take good risks in exchange of great gains, than being in the stock market is a good option for you.”

And now, more than ever, is the best time to join the stock market. With the economy improving on the back of strong dollar inflows from Filipino workers abroad, the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE)—the place where stocks are bought and sold—saw itself performing to new multi-year highs.

Still, while market conditions are favorable, it is better to be prepared. If you are considering trying your luck

in trading stocks, it is best to arm yourself with tools to avoid losing your shirt in the end.

Stocks are basically shares of own-ership in a corporation. When you buy shares of a company in the stock market, you become a shareholder of the company. That means you become part owner of the company.

You can begin by first know-ing which companies you want to invest in. There are those companies listed in the stock market that are called “blue chips” companies like San Miguel Corp. or Ayala Land, Inc. These companies have a proven track record of steady growth. however, their share prices are often more expensive than the others.

Before you actually join the stock market, analysts advise first time trad-ers to “get a feel” of how trading goes in simulated on-line trading games available in the Internet. There is one available for free at the PSE website (www.pse.org.ph).

Once you feel confident enough, you must have a licensed stockbroker authorized by the PSE to trade stocks for you. You may chose from the list of stockbrokers and trading participants at the PSE website. The list is also available at the yellow pages under the category of stock and bond brokers.

Not all stockbrokers are the same. Some may charge higher fees than the others. It is best to choose a stockbro-ker whom you can trust. Once you have chosen a stockbroker, you shall be required to open an account and fill-out a reference card. You might be also required to submit identification papers for verification. The stock-

broker will then assign a trader or an agent to assist you in buying or selling any listed stock. While the trader can give you advice on what to do, you will ultimately decide on what stocks to buy or sell. The price of each stock is published on most newspapers after the trading, which happens Mondays to Fridays, except holidays. Stock prices vary from day to day, depend-ing on general investors’ sentiment, which is influenced by a number of factors, including economic and political news.

For each stock, the minimum num-ber of shares than can be traded is

“Definitely, the stock market is not for the faint hearted,” Mr. Rodrigo said. “But

if you are willing to take good risks in exchange of great gains, than being in the

stock market is a good option for you.”

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fixed and depends on the price range of the stock. So investors cannot just buy one stock of company A worth P6.50, but at least a thousand units (or more, depending on the com-pany) at P6,500.

Aside from the actual cost of the stocks that you buy or sell, investors will also have to pay brokers fee of 1.5 percent of the transaction plus 12 percent value added tax. There is also a transfer fee charge plus 12 percent value added tax depending on the stockbrokers.

Stockholders earn from their stocks when the prices of the shares

increase. One company’s shares could be bought at P10 today, could be worth P27 the next month. If you decide to sell at that price, then you can get your gains.

Stockholders also earn when com-panies declare dividends. Some com-panies declare cash dividends, where stockholders get money equivalent to the number of shares they have in that company. For example, company Z declares a P1 cash dividend. If you have 10,000 shares in that company, you will get P10,000 as your dividend. Not all companies declare dividends, and the value of the dividend varies,

depending on the revenue perfor-mance of the companies.

Rommel Macapagal, analyst at stock trading firm Westlink Global Equities, Inc., said joining the stock market is a good alternative from investing solely on bank deposits, or real estate.

“The interest that you can earn from you bank deposits are not very high. Meanwhile, buying real estate needs a lot of money, and apprecia-tion of you investment could take a while. unlike the stock market, where if you make the right choices, you can easily get good returns from what you invested,” he concluded.

Ready for the stock market? You can take the plunge into the most exciting trading in town with as little as P25,000. matt Bienvenido guides you how

Stock knowledge

investment

for AverAGe filiPinos, investing would probably mean putting their hard-earned savings in time deposits. Those who have more cash to spare would likely buy real estate— a sure investment that is expected to ap-preciate over time.

But how about joining the stock market? Most likely, Filipinos will assume that trading stocks is only for the big boys, those who would not mind losing millions. But Ron Rodrigo, research head of stock trad-ing firm unicapital Securities, Inc. said anyone can start trading for P25,000 to P50,000.

“Definitely, the stock market is not for the faint-hearted,” Mr. Rodrigo said. “But if you are willing to take good risks in exchange of great gains, than being in the stock market is a good option for you.”

And now, more than ever, is the best time to join the stock market. With the economy improving on the back of strong dollar inflows from Filipino workers abroad, the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE)—the place where stocks are bought and sold—saw itself performing to new multi-year highs.

Still, while market conditions are favorable, it is better to be prepared. If you are considering trying your luck

in trading stocks, it is best to arm yourself with tools to avoid losing your shirt in the end.

Stocks are basically shares of own-ership in a corporation. When you buy shares of a company in the stock market, you become a shareholder of the company. That means you become part owner of the company.

You can begin by first know-ing which companies you want to invest in. There are those companies listed in the stock market that are called “blue chips” companies like San Miguel Corp. or Ayala Land, Inc. These companies have a proven track record of steady growth. however, their share prices are often more expensive than the others.

Before you actually join the stock market, analysts advise first time trad-ers to “get a feel” of how trading goes in simulated on-line trading games available in the Internet. There is one available for free at the PSE website (www.pse.org.ph).

Once you feel confident enough, you must have a licensed stockbroker authorized by the PSE to trade stocks for you. You may chose from the list of stockbrokers and trading participants at the PSE website. The list is also available at the yellow pages under the category of stock and bond brokers.

Not all stockbrokers are the same. Some may charge higher fees than the others. It is best to choose a stockbro-ker whom you can trust. Once you have chosen a stockbroker, you shall be required to open an account and fill-out a reference card. You might be also required to submit identification papers for verification. The stock-

broker will then assign a trader or an agent to assist you in buying or selling any listed stock. While the trader can give you advice on what to do, you will ultimately decide on what stocks to buy or sell. The price of each stock is published on most newspapers after the trading, which happens Mondays to Fridays, except holidays. Stock prices vary from day to day, depend-ing on general investors’ sentiment, which is influenced by a number of factors, including economic and political news.

For each stock, the minimum num-ber of shares than can be traded is

“Definitely, the stock market is not for the faint hearted,” Mr. Rodrigo said. “But

if you are willing to take good risks in exchange of great gains, than being in the

stock market is a good option for you.”

52 | Condocentral

To live in Makati City is to enjoy its lights, thrills and frills. It is a converging point of dreams, passions and energies. The ultimate urban address. A place to experience life as it is meant to be lived. And as the city grows and evolves to be a true global metropolis, and the land values continue to escalate increasingly, the chances of owning a part of it becomes more and more difficult to achieve … until now. Condo Central steps inside the Grand Soho Makati.

Grand Soho Makati: Fully-fabulous

cover story

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54 | Condocentral

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century ProPerties inc. breaks new ground in its joint venture proj-ect with the united Coconut Planters Bank (uCPB) through the magnificent 40-storey residential condominium – the Grand Soho Makati (GSM). And it is no surprise that GSM comes from the same visionaries behind the Philippines’ Best Residential Building, the Essensa East Forbes (by Asiaweek). Combining the three integral compo-nents of an ultimate high rise haven – location, luxury and affordability, GSM proves to be the only logical choice for the intelligent and discern-ing buyer.

The epitome of SohoSoho, its name derived from its

location “South of houston Street” in New York City, is known throughout the world to be the quintessential downtown neighborhood to live the fashionable and vibrant urban life. Within only a quarter of a square mile, there are an estimated 250 art galleries and five museums in addition to approximately 188 restaurants, 30 antiques shops, 17 furniture empo-riums and 100 retail stores. Today,

shopaholics and partyphiles agree that Soho is still one of the best shop-ping and entertainment destinations in New York.

In the Philippines, only one city ex-udes the same creative and decidedly sophisticated vibe –and that’s per-petually chic Makati City. This hub of the future is the premiere location not just for commercial and retail stores but also local and foreign investors, entrepreneurs and multinational com-panies. Declared by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the “prime urban tourist destination” of the country (“Visit Philippines” tourism campaign, 2002), Makati is home to almost 3,000 dining establishments, 6 five-star hotels, the hottest nightspots and the country’s top shopping malls. Situated within the Makati Golden Triangle, on the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (formerly Buendia) and Dela Costa Avenue, GSM gives residents full access to the exhilarat-ing Makati lifestyle. Schools, churches, banks, embassies and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) station are never more than just a few minutes away.

Comfort + luxuryGrand Soho Makati fuses the

comfort of home with the security, facilities and conveniences of modern living. It has its own 24-hour concierge service ready to assist residents on anything that they need within the city; surround-sound Thx viewing room, spa, function room, fitness cen-ter and multimedia library. The main attractions are, of course, its luxurious units. Choose from studio, one, two and three bedroom configurations or go for the incredibly chic sky lofts perched on a unique level on the ninth floor with sundecks that look out to the breathtaking infinity pool.

In its desire to make purchasing a unit and moving in a hassle-free, time-saving experience, Century Properties has applied the “fully-furnished, fully-fitted” concept that it pioneered in its previous residential developments to GSM.

Furniture pieces and appliances such as a refrigerator, microwave oven, stove top, dining table and chairs, sofa, coffee table, 21” Sony Flatscreen TV and DVD player all come at zero cost at GSM and are

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ready to use. This kind of innova-tive and revolutionary thinking gave recent Century Properties projects such as South of Market at The Fort and Soho Central at the Greenfield District of Mandaluyong their market-ing edge. In addition, GSM offers three

exceptional interior design options - Modern, Sleek and Contemporary – and each with its own dark, light or combination theme.

A dream investment With 20 years of full-service real

estate marketing, management and development expertise, Century Properties Inc. has helped enrich people’s lives and has proven time and again that owning your dream home can be affordable. GSM gives its buyers optimal value for their

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1 live in the heart of makati. Grand Soho Makati (GSM) is Century Properties’ latest Fully-Fitted, Fully-Furnished luxury

boutique development located in the most prestigious and valu-able real estate area in the country: the Makati Golden Triangle (flanked by Ayala, Buendia and Makati Avenues), where every-thing you need is just an elevator ride or a short stroll away.

2fully-fitted, fully-furnished units. The same interior design team behind the ultra-luxurious and award-winning Essensa

East Forbes at The Fort has committed its expertise to GSM to give you stylish units that come in three exceptional interior design options – Modern, Sleek and Contemporary.

324-hour concierge services. GSM goes the extra mile by pio-neering 24-hour concierge services that assist residents with

transportation needs, restaurant and show reservations, laundry services, magazine subscriptions, mailing letters, messaging, bill payments or just about anything that they might need.

4taking loft living to the next level. Loft living has proven to be a popular option for the condo dweller who desires the

feeling of space within condo conditions. For residents who want something even more distinctive, the Skyloft is the ideal upgrade. GSM’s Skylofts are townhouses in the sky that open out into the breathtaking infinity pool.

5top-notch facilities. GSM boasts of best-of-breed ameni-ties: a world-class fitness center, full-service spa, infinity pool,

indoor children’s playground, day care center, business center, an owner’s lounge, as well as pioneering features like an extensive book and magazine library, a DVD library and an exclusive state-of-the-art Thx viewing room.

6extra storage spaces. Space is the ultimate commodity for hi-rise living, and at GSM, special storage areas at the parking

level are available to keep your home clutter free. Travel luggage, bulky boxes, golf clubs, and other items now can be stowed away for later use.

7A selection of the hippest retail, dining and banking establishments. Residents will benefit from the posh mix of

establishments that will open in a special retail level in the build-ing. GSM is also located within Makati’s Salcedo Village—famous for its European-style Saturday Market, quaint restos and one-of-a-kind designer boutiques.

8A wise investment. As all buyers become co-developers of GSM, payments of VAT, documentary stamps and transfer

fees are waived. Buyers get to save 43 percent more and enjoy the ease of paying as low as P12,000 per month.

hard-earned money as it is up to 43 percent more affordable than other similar developments without VAT, documentary stamps and transfer fees. With rates as low as P12,000 per month, no other offer equates affordability with excellence and

satisfaction better than Grand Soho Makati.

For more information, call 818-9025, 893-7050 or log on to www.gsmcondo.com.

8 more reasons to own a condo at GSM

58 | Condocentral

1 clean up. A functional kitchen should be kept clean at all times.

Wash and clear away used plates, glasses and cookware on the kitchen sink and countertop. Change your dishwashing foams or rags often to keep germs away.

2 minimize counter clutter. If you use a piece of equipment

frequently, like a coffee maker or a toaster every morning, have it ready by the counter. Keep other appliances that you use less often (like the food processor, mixer, or blender) stored away in the kitchen cabinets. hide similar utensils on large plastic storage boxes for easy retrieval later.

3 Pick a theme. To jumpstart your decorating, pick a theme and work

around it by using complementary col-

ors for your walls or wallpaper, cabinets and floors. Then choose decorative items that coordinate with the rest of the kitchen such as pot holders, dish towels, aprons, and washable area rugs.

4 Accessorize. use cooking ac-cessories as decorative pieces in

your kitchen. Try the old favorites like hanging plates or filling glass jars with beautiful foodstuffs. Display your frequently used utensils like wire whip, grater, peeler, and spatulas on an attractive ceramic bowl or canister instead of the usual racks or wall orga-nizers. Show off the beauty and design of your colorful bowls and dishes by storing them in cabinets or hung from racks or walls. If you have cabinets that are clear or glass, stack them neatly for a nice ordered look.

5 maximize storage space. Make use of a “movable island,” a mobile

counter top that has drawers and hooks for storage. Create new space in your kitchen cabinets through cabinet additives, extra shelves, spice racks and container organizers. Visit home furnishing stores to get ideas for kitchen organizers.

6 shelve those cookbooks. A small display of your favorite cookbooks

in the kitchen can be an inspiring sight. You are also most likely to make tasty dishes out of the recipes in them when you keep these cookbooks at arm’s reach. Prop them up in sturdy bookends. If you have an often-used heirloom family recipe (like your lola’s paella or to-die-for chocolate cake), frame them or decoupage a whole

wall with your own recipes or those from your family.

7 cuisine art. hang an inexpensive work of art, protected behind a

glass frame, on your kitchen walls or between the bottoms of the cup-boards and the countertops.

8 Plant an indoor garden. Place herbs like rosemary, basil and

thyme in attractive pots or canisters on the windows to make your kitchen more attractive. You can pluck fresh herbs out of these potted wonders for use in your dishes.

Sources: http://home.ivillage.com, www.thebudgetdecorator.com,

www.homesonsale.co.uk

The kitchen is doing some multi-tasking, it seems. Domestic diva Dominique Browning sees this appointed place in our homes as a “place to be together” where to discuss and share the news of the day. It seems sensible down pat to start paying attention to it, as it not only nourishes but also binds family members through food and stories. Food writer Jenny orillos wipes the table clean on how you can make your own kitchen spark

appetite, conversation and inspiration in eight steps

Don’t pass up the kitchen, please!

decor8

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feast for one

Though the coming days already seem to forebode gray threatening clouds if not the gloomy splatter of rain, there is nothing that lifts the spirits up than smoothies and shakes enjoyed in the refuge of your condo. Jenny orillos shows you how to prepare these nutritious and heavenly concoctions at a pulse or two of the blender

Smooth operators: fruit smoothies and shakes

BecAuse fruit sHAkes and smoothies are made from good-for-you milk and fresh fruits, they are healthy treats to make for breakfast, snacks or even dessert.

Armed with a basic recipe, these nutritious drinks are simple to make at home using your trusty old blender. You can even concoct your own recipe and fruit (or veggie) combina-tions as this drink is versatile, limited only by your imagination and taste.

here are some basic recipes to try in your kitchen:

smoothies serves one to two

You can flavor this basic smoothie recipe with two to three hand-

fuls of fruit of your choice. Or you can up the flavor

and nutrient content by combining it

with another fruit or a piece of carrot.

one large piece of banana

two to three large handfuls of chosen

fruit (mango, apple, strawberry, papaya, sweet pineapple, etc.)approximately one cup of ice cubesone-half pint heavy cream or vanilla ice cream

Place the banana and your chosen fruit into a blender and whiz for 30 seconds. Add the ice and the cream. Place the lid back on tightly and pulse the blender a couple of times on and off to break up the larger pieces of ice. The smoothie should have a “semi-slushy milkshake consistency.” *Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s The Na-ked Chef show at the Food Network

fruit shakes serves oneThe frozen banana gives this shake its creamy consistency. If you don’t like the banana, use crushed ice instead.

one frozen banana one cup liquid (milk, water, soy milk, or juice)additional fruit or flavoring optional sweetener - grapes, dates, honey or sugar

Slice frozen banana into pieces and

put in blender. Cover with liquid and add any additional fruits, flavorings or sweeteners. Blend until consistency of milk shake (usually 30 seconds). Serve immediately (banana will start to brown if you don’t). * Adapted from Disney Family.com

mango shakeserves one

Choose mango that is ripe and sweet. In case mangoes are not in season, substitute about one fourth cup mango puree.

half of a mango, pulp scooped outone-half cup low-fat milk one teaspoon sugar or honeyfour to five pieces of ice cubes

Put all the ingredients together in a blender. Pulse for a few seconds until smooth. Serve.

milk shakesserves one to two

If you’re feeling indulgent, make yourself some flavored milk shakes with your favorite ice cream. To produce thicker shakes, add more scoops of ice cream before blending

feast for one

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tHose wHo Are watching their calorie/sugar intake due to a particular diet or an illness can now indulge in the sweet side of life without the worry and the guilt with Zero. This product, approved by the uS Food & Drug Administration, consists of the “miracle” molecule sucralose, which is the only zero calorie sweet-ener made from sugar. This makes Zero such a sweet revelation compared to the artificial sweeteners currently available locally.

Diabetics, aside from dieters, can also find a friend with Zero. Research shows that sucralose has no effect on carbohydrate metabolism, short or long-term blood glucose control, or insulin secretion as it passes through the body virtually unchanged. For that, Zero gets a perfect 10.

the ingredients. The original recipe called for only milk and ice cream, but the addition of the ice cubes gives the shake more body and texture. usu-ally, the ice cream itself provides the requisite sweetness so there’s no need to add sugar.

four pieces ice cubesOne third cup full cream or low-fat milkone cup ice cream of your choice (strawberry, mango, etc.)

Put ice cubes and milk in blender then pulse to break the ice into smaller pieces. Scoop the ice cream and pulse lightly until thick. Decorate with whipped cream and slices of the fruit, if desired.

Variations: to make Vanilla Milk Shake, use vanilla ice cream and add one teaspoon vanilla extract before blending the rest of the ingredients. For Chocolate Milk Shake, use vanilla ice cream and add one teaspoon vanilla extract plus two tablespoons chocolate syrup. For a Double Chocolate Treat, use plain chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla. Top with chocolate chips.

soy milk shakesserves one

For the lactose-intolerant, here’s a recipe using soy milk. use your favor-ite brand, preferably not low fat to produce a better-tasting shake. Some of the stalls that sell soy milk shakes in the malls pour a small amount of light syrup onto the mixture. You can make your own or you can add sugar to sweeten it.

half of a small apple, cored and chopped half of a mango, pulp scooped outone-half cup soy milk (regular or vanilla flavored)one teaspoon sugar, optionalAbout four to five pieces ice cubes

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Serve.

Note: You can peel the apple or leave the skin on for a bit of texture. Try also other fruit (and vegetable) combinations or stick to one whole fruit only.

Sweet number

Six tricks to a yummy shake1. Buy the best ingredients (milk, soymilk, ice cream) for a better tasting drink.

2. The milk must be very cold when making the smoothie or shake to maintain its thick and smooth consistency.

3. Adjust the ratio of the liquid to the fruit if you want a thicker consistency (less milk, more fruit). Ice cubes or crushed ice also give the drink more “body.”

4. You can use milk, water, soy milk, rice milk or juice as liquid in your recipe. Milk gives a creamier shake. If using water, add a little at a time until you get the consis-tency you like. Juice is a good sweetener for the drinks.

5. In case your blender is not strong enough to blend the ice cubes, use crushed ice or enough cold water or fruit juice to maintain the milk shake consistency.

6. Clean out blender immediately after drinking to keep the fruit particles from sticking to the pitcher.

62 | Condocentral

HomemADe Desserts are indul-gences that not many families can afford to savor everyday, especially since they entail a lot of time and effort to make. There are fruits in season with which we can satisfy our sweet tooth, or store-bought goodies which taste like any other pastry, but all that is nothing next to a piping-hot treat from the oven, the taste of which depends on a family’s picky taste buds.

That is, until Miss Desserts came along.

Tucked in a row of restaurants at the Shops in Serendra at the Bonifa-cio Global City, Miss Desserts is also no other than Elizabeth “Bebeth” Lorenzo, whose sought-after home-made cheesecakes had become famous even before her little café opened in December last year. With Miss Desserts offering all kinds of des-serts—pies, cakes, soufflés, ice cream and more—Bebeth is always ready to delight people with her homemade sweets and warm conversation. And it was all because of her fascination with baking at an early age.

“I used to watch my grandmother bake when I was little, and I was so enthralled by the whole process. She would be baking the same things, but it was all so wonderful,” she said. “When I was big enough, my mother finally let me experiment on my own.”

Coming from a brood of 11, Bebeth recalls eating as her family’s special bonding time, with all nine girls and two boys, together with their parents, gathered in the dining table during mealtimes. In high school, when her schoolmates weren’t sure what course to take up in college, Bebeth was

determined to study home Economics at uP Diliman, where she eventually learned everything family-related, from cooking to sewing and even cut-ting hair. It was baking, however, that Bebeth concentrated on, going as far as working at a bakeshop in Switzer-land, a pastry kitchen of a hotel in Belgium, and participating in a Baker’s Exposition at the united States, all the while sharpening her good taste in food. “I gained 20 pounds during my first trip to Europe from tasting good food! Somehow the trips didn’t feel complete if I never get to sample anything sweet,” she reminisced.

The trips to Europe enabled her to develop her own recipes for her cakes and pastries which sold so quickly that restaurants soon started ordering from her. her big break finally came when Ayala offered her a place in Serendra where she can serve her spe-cialties to more people. And indeed, they keep coming back especially for her Earthquake cake, a chocolate cake which amazingly falls apart when left

standing for a few minutes, the choco-late soufflé which she bakes personally at the café, and her seven varieties of cheesecake, hailed as one of Manila’s best in a recent newspaper survey.

“People have travelled far with my cheesecake,” she said. “Other than cheesecakes, Miss Desserts has some-thing for everyone, because I make it a point not to make my desserts too sweet. For kids, we have my ice cream, too.”

Despite the success she has reaped from her homemade pastries, Bebeth remains adamant on not opening more outlets in the future, believing that quantity only sacrifices her prod-ucts’ quality.

“I want my homemade pastries to be a novelty. Now, I make more than what I usually do, but my personal touch is always felt because they’re homemade,” she said.

And homemade they will all stay, especially to all of us longing for good-ies that smell and look like they’ve just come out of our own ovens.

sharline J. Bareng opens the door to Miss Desserts, a suite confection at the Fort that offers homemade, soul-warming dessertsPhotography by Benhur Arcayan

Homemade heaven

good life

(above) Elizabeth “Bebeth” Lorenzo, Serendra’s Miss Desserts.

(right) Designed by Condo Central’s resident interior

designer, Johanna Acab-Faustino, Miss Desserts opens a range of home-baked pastries that can

make anyone’s mouth water. It’s a must to taste her seven kinds

of cheesecake, hailed by a recent newspaper survey as one of the

best in town.

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AppetizerGrowinG uP, my siblings and I would eagerly look forward to weekend lunches at home. For one, they were definitely better tasting than school canteen fare or packed grub hurriedly prepared by harassed parents. Two, home is where one can freely use hands, or maybe one hand and a spoon, or perhaps both hands and a knife, and still be within bounds of acceptable table manners. Three, mealtime at home can be taken at a more leisurely pace, without annoying bells that compel you to wolf down your lunch in 60 seconds (jolens or tex or syato or tormenting girls playing Chinese garter used up the first forty four minutes of the break).

Mostly, though, weekend lunches were a blast because we usually got to take active part in the preparation of the food.

Soup

This family ritual of “ganging up on lunch” begins very early in the day with the Popsy and the Mamu, accompanied by any two of the seven sibs on random rotation, heading for the talipapa to select ingredients for the upcoming feast.

It could be liempo, pinkish, thinly sliced, and with just teasing streaks of fat for sinigang; or deep red and tender sirloin from newly slaughtered cattle for bistek. It could be plump and juicy, never watery, whole chick-ens for inihaw; or clear-eyed, moist, firm, and bright red-gilled lapulapu for pesa. It could be medium-sized suahe that literally jumps out of the market basket into the pot for good old halabos; or extra-large, heavy-to-the-feel, newly-scraped-of-barnacle tahong for suam.

Plus, it was whatever else the mar-keters would fancy from a wide and

colorful variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices that have just been un-loaded from oversized stainless jeeps of biyaheros. Whatever the case may be, everything starts, non-negotiably, with the freshest and choicest ingredients.

Salad

upon the palengke team’s return, the rest of the family members con-gregate for respective assignments. Since we prepared meals the old, meticulous way sans shortcuts, tasks were aplenty for every able-bodied member of the household. Of course, degree of duty difficulty and danger increased with age and kitchen experi-ence. No one below eight was to start a fire, no one below ten was to wield a knife. It was an assembly line straight out of Ford’s textbook.

We used sinangag na bigas and roasted peanuts, manually pulverized by seven-year-old hands on century-old mortar, to thicken the sauce of the kare-kare. We would, with the snooty suspicion of old-school chefs toward purported complete meals in sachets, painstakingly laga, piga, sala tamarind for our sinigang. We eagerly smeared every pore and cavity of the chicken, and each other’s, with a special mix of dry rub Mom would pre-blend. We would produce coconut milk from gangong niyog we ourselves cracked, scraped, and hand-squeezed for ginataang alimasag. We even found a way to make the simple adobo a glorious product of teamwork by let-ting the younger ones pour measured amounts of vinegar and soy sauce into the pan. As coup de grace, the young-est was usually conferred the enviable honor of topping the simmering masterpiece with bay leaf.

With the ambient sound, it was as if we were still in the talipapa. A holler for help in this station, a scream of “I

don’t need your assistance!” in anoth-er. A hearty chuckle of contentment in one corner, an anguished shriek of exasperation in another. The stomp-ing of barefoot iron chefs zooming across kitchen stadium to confer with the true culinary masters, the rustling strides of concerned gurus coming to the aid of stumped subalterns.

It was always that laborious. If a dish turned out to be a tad salty, it was probably due to our sweat and tears, literally.

Main course

As we gather round to partake in the fruits of our critical collaboration, we beam. Terribly content and a little pompous, each one, patronizingly prompted by the parents, lets out a litany, not only of one’s contribution to the creation of the dish, but also of his/her admirable traits:

“had I not been ambidextrous, the peanuts wouldn’t have been evenly ground.”

“Thanks to my patience and being thorough, every square inch of that roast chicken you devour is flavorful.”

“I deserve a medal for not letting gabi peel ruin the sinigang broth’s consistency.”

“No matter how sumptuous our ulam is, this meal would be a disaster had I not expertly extracted the cor-rect amount of am from the sinaing.”

I suspect that if the toddler’s vocab-ulary then was richer than “ma-mam” and “ooo-ooo,” we never would have heard the end of the bay leaf.

Such good-natured and boisterous one-upmanship would continue as lunch dragged, sometimes for hours. Earsplitting tall tales and repartee increased in inverse proportion to the remaining food on the table. Thunder-ous guffaws from tooth-gapped brag-garts blared amid rice coming out of

The perfect meal

survey

Peripheral missionArnold A. Altamira

noses and water spilling left and right. There even was this instance when my younger brother accidentally sniffed a bangus eyeball, lodging it deep into his sinus. No one would have known of the unfortunate accident if not for an-other younger brother who, obviously bothered by the funny face the victim was making, inquired and managed to yelp, “Si Kuya, may mata sa ilong!”

(I do not discount the possibility of neighbors imagining 74 Camino Real as a loony bin. Or that we were being raised by hyenas.)

Often, dessert would be backyard-grown papaya or guava, or whatever fruit was in season. But during special events such as birthdays, first Com-munions, recitals, graduations, a suc-cessful appendectomy, or when VIPs visit, gold label ice cream was it.

dessert

Festivities would wind down only when satiation, aided by the hypnotic breeze emanating from the electric fan, made everyone sleepy. We would, if applicable, go through the motions of deciding who was able to suck one’s respective mango seed the whitest. Then we would one by one trickle away from the ruins, each probably making one tired final stab at self-promotion.

After washing up and reappear-ing as neat as can be desired of cave boys and girls, we would once again gather, forcibly take over the master’s bedroom, then collectively fall into a two-hour coma.

The perfect meal, simply, is that which does not just taste delightfully delicious, but also feels reassuringly right.

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As tHe conDo mArket heats up across Manila, Anchor Land hold-ings, Inc. (ALhI) hones new lifestyle developments customized to specific demographics, continuosly daring themselves to push the envelope.

So why is the condo marketing heated? ALhI vice-chairman Steve Li said there is a major play because of demographic trends. “Empty nest-ers are coming of age and they are looking for that active, low-mainte-nance lifestyle,” Li explained. “These down-sizers are selling their big homes and moving back or closer to the city where they can buy a beautiful brand new high-rise condominium and have all the services and amenities at their fingertips. This mass movement is what is driving the condo market right now. In addition to this trend, mortgage rates which are still extraor-dinarily low have allowed first time buyers to buy at younger ages.”

Li is optimistic that the condo boom trend will continue. With these new lifestyle-engineered buildings, it is becoming a way of living not to just one demographic but to all. People are working more hours and need more services and the condo lifestyle is the answer.

“Condo living is becoming an increasingly popular option for more and more Filipinos and foreigners. In addition to a relatively affordable, carefree and low-maintenance life-style, our condominiums can also of-fer enhanced security over single-fam-ily homes, as well as a wide range of social, entertainment and recreational activities,” Li said.

Recently, Anchor Land oversaw the foundation concrete pouring for Binondo’s latest residential condomin-ium—Mandarin Square on Ongpin Street in Binondo, Manila. ALhI chairman Stephen Lee said, “What we’re seeing here at Mandarin Square is a strong statement of faith in urban living. This is a smart mix of well-de-signed units fringing an old Binondo neighborhood, in walking distance of downtown. It embraces the city, and that’s why it will succeed. Soon we will begin to see the ground level take shape in the coming weeks.”

Lee revealed Mandarin Square, targeted to be completed by the last quarter of 2009, will offer a commer-cial area ideal for shops, stalls, and other professional services. Like all ALhI projects, Mandarin Square will also include an amenities floor for ten-

ants’ use. Business in the commercial area is expected to be open until late in the evening, a convenience for the estimated 300 families who will oc-cupy the Mandarin Square as well as those living in the community as most business establishments in Binondo close by 7 p.m.

A first of its kind, Mandarin Square offers two loft-style units each with five bedrooms which will have their own garden as well as easy access to the pool, gym and other recreational facilities, almost as if they owned the entire floor. Also, the three penthouse units come with their own sky garden, a landscaped roof deck, which means more space for various activities. Man-darin Square will offer two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom units ranging from 89 to 225 square meters.

“The projects that we develop are an indication of our commitment to provide Filipinos with quality homes. We continuously strive to be one of the top Filipino real estate develop-ment companies by becoming an icon in the development of truly modern high-end residential condominiums focusing on the goal of providing ur-ban living at its finest to the surround-ing communities,” Lee concluded.

Fringing an old Binondo neighborhood, soon-to-rise Mandarin Square will be home to a wide range of demographics—from the upwardly mobile yuppies to empty nesters—with lifestyle-oriented, intelligently mixed units

Taking condo development to new heights

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Mandarin Square, a mix of well-designed units,

provides a counterpoint to old Binondo.

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most PeoPle toDAy thrive in a fast-paced lifestyle. Coordinating details in designing a house does not seem to fit in their schedule. To hasten the process, a leading developer of affordable medium rise housing units shares key, yet simple strategies on how to design, lay out and furnish a studio unit and efficiently transform such into a more ideal home.

PhINMA Property holdings Corporation (Phinma Properties) has mastered through experience the essentials of making a bare studio unit into a comfortable, spacious yet compartmentalized home. Their fully fitted and furnished model units are often copied by unit buyers.

Phinma Properties President & CEO Willie J. uy says, “As a result of the strong demand to copy our model unit, we have decided to offer interior design and fitted-out services for our unit buyers through our Post Project Management Group. We custom design and build based on the owner’s requirements and budget.”

“For our future projects, we are also planning to offer pre-designed, themed interior packages from which the buyer can choose from,” uy announced.

To help condo buyers emulate what the company has done, Phinma Properties Asst. Vice President for Marketing & Design Grant Orbeta

imparts the secrets to transforming a bare unit into one ideal sanctuary for the unit owner.

Orbeta says choosing a developer who can confidently and efficiently fulfill your housing needs is vital. Once you have relayed your preferences, it is important that you can believe in their competency and, thus, sit back and relax knowing your wishlist will be taken care of.

“Talk to one person – the developer, who knows the unit well. The developer will complete the project because he has a name to protect and will not run away with your hard-earned money,” Orbeta advises.

“Since your developers are aware of the advantages of your unit, they are capable of maximizing its potential, such as maximizing small-spaced areas. Putting your faith in your developer will create a more effective and free-flowing environment where you can exchange creative thoughts,” he adds.

Consider each area of your unit and learn to work with its strengths and weaknesses. Orbeta cites their column-free buildings as a significant feature buyers can make the most out of in layouting their interior spaces.

“Reflect upon what you need most and follow your list of priorities while spending within your means. You have

a budget for a reason. But still be open to other ideas and recommendations, especially from your developer, which might be useful in creating a comfortable home that exudes who you are,” says Orbeta.

“Decorating your own home must meet time with trust, practicality with personality, and comfort with creativity.” That is how Orbeta summarizes the essentials of transforming a bare unit into a comfortable sanctuary – that is, courtesy of your developer.

Phinma Properties’ newest addition to its condominium township projects in Quezon City is San Benissa Garden Villas in Commonwealth Avenue. It is a Spanish-inspired enclave comprising medium-rise buildings with a total of 783 units amidst a rolling terrain and lush landscape.

uy explained, “The salient feature of the township is the three secluded buildings to be called Garden Villas with each unit to have approximately ten square meters of backyard space; while six buildings will be outside the secluded gardened area.”

Amenities of the condo township consist of a roofdeck in each building, a clubhouse, a badminton court, and a gym. Started construction in mid-January of this year and with prices ranging from P624,000 per unit, San Benissa will be ready for turnover by yearend.

Can’t make heads or tails on how to decorate your bare, white-washed unit? Why not approach the developer who may provide this service handy to clueless Johns and Janes like you. Phinma Properties is one of them, as highlighted in its recent development in Quezon City: the San Benissa Garden Villas

Interior monologue

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A studio unit of San Benissa Garden Villas can be greatly

improved and expanded by the in-house designers

familiar with the building’s structure and specifications.

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witH A little reseArcH and some patience, one can whip up a sumptuous steak and seafood dinner for less than half the price of what fine-dining restaurants offer. With a little power tool dexterity and some perseverance, one can fashion a charming, heirloom-material break-fast table from seemingly throwaway wood scrap. With a little scissor skill and some bravura, one can skip kiddie salon visits and perform enjoyable haircuts on the kids right at home.

Practical people take pride in the fact that if they can help it, they’d rather do things on their own. Indeed, accomplishing or creating something by your self is a source, not only of great fulfillment, but of much-needed savings as well.

But building your home on your own? Why not? This is what project man-

agement firm First Global BYO Corpo-ration (BYO Corp.) is eagerly telling the country’s thriving property market.

An exciting conceptBYO Corp is introducing the

revolutionary Build-Your-Own (BYO) method, an exciting new way of owning property by way of Fort Palm Spring, a 28-storey luxury residential condominium soon to rise at the Bonifacio Global City.

BYO’s bottomline: up to 40 per-cent savings on the usual going rate of other properties in the same vicinity.

The BYO method makes this possi-ble as it circumvents redundant chan-nels in traditional property-acquisition

schemes. under BYO, the buyer essen-tially becomes the owner/developer of the project through the project manager and the development team. The hefty cost generally associated with middlemen is outright eliminat-ed. Thus, Fort Palm Spring sells at an average of P52,000 per square meter as compared to other similar proper-ties in the area that fetch as high as P95,000 per square meter.

And with Pag-IBIG Fund and other financing institutions offer-ing a variety of easy-payment plans, owning a luxurious high-rise unit at a very esteemed address has never been simpler and more affordable.

An architectural and design opus

Of course a natural concern with cut-rate purchases, whether it be a hundred-peso RTW item or a condo-minium unit that runs by the millions, is the all-important issue of quality.

BYO Corp. assures that Fort Palm Spring, despite being the best-priced in its class, does not compromise on value. There is absolutely no scrimp-ing on construction materials and aesthetic appointments.

Inspired by the laid-back, resort-like air of the Palm Springs in California, BYO Corp. endeavors to replicate and transport the same feel right smack in the middle of busy Metro Manila.

For starters, the development is planned such that there is an abun-dance of green and open spaces. The breezy atmosphere this generates is complemented by the deliberate and

strategic presence of water – another el-ement that teems in Fort Palm Spring’s design. Furthermore, every unit, from the basic one-bedroom to the plush three-bedroom with loft, possesses an elegant balcony. Still, some truly blessed and select owners will have breathtak-ing sky gardens or sky balconies.

Also thrown in are fundamental facilities and special services such as a fitness gym, a swimming pool, a pool deck, he/she locker rooms, a putting green, shower rooms, a health spa, com-mercial stores, a function room with garden for outdoor events, and more.

To top it all off, Fort Palm Spring’s location is undoubtedly prime. With offices, schools, hospitals, retail shops and other top-rate commercial es-tablishments sprouting one after the other, Bonifacio Global City is in the midst of fulfilling its vision of being the trendiest and most desirable self-contained community in the metro.

Fort Palm Spring is underlined by the Build-Your-Own

concept which offers the end user 40 percent savings on

the usual going rate of other properties in the vicinity.

Live it upCondos need not come with a hefty price. Arnold A. Altamira discovers Fort Palm Spring, a practical solution to high-rise living that doesn’t scrimp on design and quality

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Fort Palm Spring is soon to be an inte-gral element in that neighborhood.

A trusted traditionWith over 35 years in project

management experience, BYO Corp. has overseen the construction of hundreds of houses and other shelter units, as well as commercial spaces abroad. The Waterside Office Park in Australia and the ultrasharp Resi-dences in China are two fine examples of developments that BYO Corp. has spearheaded. It has likewise managed other admired projects in the united States and hong Kong.

BYO Corp. brings this sterling and untainted record for the first time in the country via Fort Palm Spring.

A formidable team

BYO Corp. has affiliated with eminent and trailblazing players in the real estate/construction industry

to ensure that Fort Palm Spring is superbly built: Robert Carag Ong, architect; C-E Contruction Corp., builder; AMCON & Company Inc., construction project manager; O.E. Orignes & Associates, structural engi-neer; RMI Business Agency, financial adviser; uO2 Architects, interior design architect; and Montilla Law Office, legal consultant.

Rounding up the venerable list is Banco de Oro (BDO), the project’s depository and disbursing unit. Fort Palm Spring buyers are assured that their investments are safeguarded and will only be spent directly on construction.

A sturdy guarantee

Metro Manila luxury condominium developers, bar none, promote their properties as a sanctuary, a getaway from the flurry of cosmopolitan verve. They advertise their projects as the

ultimate balance of extravagance and practicality. They trumpet their devel-opments as the center of the universe.

Only a few deliver even on their basic promise. A fewer still, can claim ability to provide the pledged extrava-gance without the exorbitant price tag.

Simply, Fort Palm Spring, with its pioneering Build-Your-Own method, is a reasonably-priced, well-appointed home at a very prestigious address.

So start building your own home today. While it does not necessarily en-tail suiting up in faded denim overalls or reaching for that trusty hammer and saw, BYO Corp. assures it will be just as gratifying as it is practicable.

Fort Palm Spring model units are available for viewing at MC Home Depot at the Bonifacio Global City. For more information, please call 815-1010 or visit www.fortpalmspring.com.ph.

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Quezon city has always been considered as the “hollywood of the Philippines” for having prominent studios and the big networks. It is now catching up with fellow cities in the metro with developments in on the fast-track: call centers, major inter-national firms constructing towering buildings, high-end malls. No wonder that QC will be the next Central Busi-ness District of Metro Manila.

The city in the north is also where the latest developments are going to be located, making this area truly befitting for a five-star residential condominium, such as the GA Sky Suites which puts premium on VIP treatment and lifestyle.

In line with Globe Asiatique’s vision of providing high-quality develop-ments, GA Sky Suites features a design concept that includes two juxtaposed sculptural forms - one semi-circular containing residential units and the other curvilinear containing office spaces combined to form a single, dramatically noticeable edifice.

The architecture of Globe Asiatique’s Sky Suites curves to capture panoramic views. Gardens soar to stratospheric heights to create points of interest in multi-levels. At night, the building glimmers with its glass fins as the roof angles towards the sky, giving it an iconic appear-ance. The podium parking also serves as a man-made plateau surrounded by lush gardens raising the lowest apartment and office spaces to an ele-vation that captures the long distance

views and separates it from the street activity creating a secluded enclave. Other features will also include al fresco dining, sky gardens, a swimming pool, and a playground.

The “Loft Concept” is shared by both structures adding volume to its spaces. No two units is ever alike from its views to location.

The GA Sky Suites offers premium services like a concierge that allows the residents to reserve for movie tickets, restaurant reservations and food delivery, valet parking, plus the assistance of a doorman to welcome residents and guests by the lobby. These features and the extraordinary architecture of Globe Asiatique will

Located at the corner of EDSA and Quezon Avenue, Globe Asiatique’s Sky Suites, a 38-storey residential tower that puts premium on elegant lifestyle, adds a sparkle of glamour in the city of stars

A star is born

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not just give its residents an excep-tional place to rest, dine, and bathe, it will also be a threshold of unique experiences and will provide a refresh-ing lifestyle day in and day out.

Soon to be the tallest building on Edsa, the GA Sky Suites will stand as a 38-story residential with a total land area of 2,800 sqm. Regular units will start on the second floor to the 35th floor and the Premier units (pent-house units) will be found on the 36th to 38th floors. Commercial area will take up two floors of the building and spacious podium parking will also be available. The entire building will contain 975 units, with 42 of them categorical and Premier.

Globe Asiatique’s Sky Suites will allow the clients to explore their creativity by selecting from a wide array of styles and unit features. The options to choose from vary in size, furnishings, and unit type. The Podium and Garden lofts are one-sided units that offer differ-ent looks. For those who seek more space, there is the Sky loft and the Premier, available in 50, 54, 79, 91, and 117 sq.m.

GA Sky Suites features a loft concept which adds

volume to spaces and makes every unit unique

from view to location.

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notHinG comes close to European city living than McKinley hill Garden Villas. Situated in the exclusive McKinley hill township in Fort Bonifacio, undoubtedly the city’s next neighborhood to watch, the landmark residential complex features a maximum of four units per floor in each of the five-storey buildings. The low-density development in Mediterranean Revival style recalls the architecture of the Spanish low-rises along the coasts of the Levante and Costa del Sol. having an exterior that includes clay-tiled roofs, balconies with belly picket railings, and finishing in Tuscan colors, the look and the impact are unmistakably the South of Spain.

But it is in the interiors where the spirit of the Spanish Mediterranean country living is alive. The primary unit is a swanky two-bedroom resi-dence that sprawls with 100 sq.m. of space and high ceilings, truly a luxury in this megalopolis. Its welcoming foyer leads to a grand central dining

and living area, which form the axis of this princely home.

Owners can serve their sumptuous meals perhaps on a rustic Spanish vineyard table or a more formal din-ing set with high backrest chairs. In the living room, they can gather and chat with dinner guests around a coc are the two cozy bedrooms where owners and their children can escape to a quiet refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. Each are fitted with mounted modular cabinets and wood laminate floorings, making it more convenient for immediate move-ins. Both have adjacent deluxe bathrooms, while the lavish master’s bedroom is provided with its very own spacious walk-in closet.

In addition to these, each unit also has a roomy kitchen already furnished with necessary appliances. Chores are neatly and swiftly maintained in the well-designed utility area. The safety of residents is also taken in consideration with the provision of fire escapes and a sprinkler system in

With Mediterranean-inspired architecture and located in one of the most exclusive addresses in town, McKinley Garden Villas beckons the soul to a life of sunny dispositions

MediterraneanManila

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In Mediterranean Revival style, the McKinley Hill

Garden Villas recalls the architecture of the Spanish lo

w-rises along the coasts of the Levante and Costa del Sol.

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Primary unit begins as a swanky 100 sq.m.

affair which means that a dining room such as

this can be luxuriously accommodated.

each unit. Ample water supply is also guaranteed, while a power generator is permanently kept on standby in case of power outages.

Surrounding the units are lush gardens and tree-lined walkways, which afford the complex a resort-like environment, despite being at a stone’s throw away from the city’s busiest district. Furthermore, easy access to the McKinley hill Cyberpark, Fort Bonifacio, Makati CBD, NAIA and South Superhighway make it a very strategic place. It easily brings the owner wherever work takes him or her: within Metro Manila, to the provinces or abroad. This makes McKinley hill Garden Villas a smart place to settle down one’s roots and build a home.

A balanced and leisurely family life is also easy to achieve with McKinley hill Garden Villas being situated near minutes from the new Chinese and Korean International Schools within McKinley hill and a short drive away from the IS Manila. Meanwhile, a sports complex and a medium-sized commercial center scheduled to rise on the southern part of the McKinley hill community will promise many op-tions for entertainment and shopping as well as health and fitness.

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soar

Paris is for lovers, yes—considering how many times the Eiffel Tower, the Seine river, and even the Louvre have been romanticized by couples, star-crossed or otherwise. And yet, unknown to many, Paris has a deep primal side. In its heart lies the Musée du Quai Branly, a museum that shows the abidingly elemental creations of and civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas

Primal Paris

soar

A new museum is always an event, especially when the museum in ques-tion is the already legendary Musée du Quai Branly, built to showcase the arts and civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas in the heart of Paris. Featuring magnificent collections that have been acclaimed as treasures of the non-European world, the new museum constitutes not one, but several major events, both from a museological and a

historical perspective. Long ignored and unappreciated, or restrictively labelled as “curiosities,” these “far-away” non-Western cultures will be exhibited over a vast area that highlights “the full extent of their depth and subtlety” by fostering a lasting dialogue between individuals and cultures.

Designed by France’s most ubiquitous architect Jean Nouvel, the new museum is also hailed as an architectural masterpiece. Nouvel describes it as “a building nestled in the landscape and awaiting discovery, intended to serve as a home to these different forms of arts rather than as an example of Western architecture.” Consisting of a spectacular group of buildings located in a 40,000-square-metre area, the new venue is indeed “a museum in a forest” of trees and greenery.

Musée du Quai Branly is located along the Seine, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, on the city’s last major undeveloped lot (25,000 square me-ters) in the heart of Paris.

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SeiBu TOWeR

Location: Bonifacio Global Cityunit types: 1, 2, and 3 Size: 40.67 sq.m. to 188.03 sq.m.Storeys: 28Features and amenities:

Four high-speed elevators, three parking levels, 24-hour security, security intercom, automatic fire alarm and sprinkler system, 25-me-ter lap pool, garden with feature fountain, fitness gym, locker rooms and shower rooms with CR, kid’s station, kiddie pool, children’s playground, sunken bench, multi-purpose hall

Price range: P2.07 to P10.26MReservation fee: P50,000

Quick guide to somepredeveloped condosin the metro

Bonifacio Global City condominiums

FAiRWAYS TOWeR

Location: Bonifacio Global Cityunit types: Studio, 1, 2 and 3Size: 40 sq.m. to 80 sq.m.Storeys: 40Features and amenities:

Four high-speed interior-finished passenger elevators, two service elevators, multi-level basement parking, rooftop helipad, 24-hour security, CCTV monitoring system, audio-visual intercom system, cen-tralized mail room, commercial/retail establishments, business center,

automatic fire alarm and sprinkler system for all units, overhead water tank and underground cistern for ample water supply, standby power generator for common areas, main-tenance and housekeeping services, laundromat services, driver’s lounge and toilet for selected parking levels, spa and sauna, adult and kiddie swimming pool, lifestyle and fitness gym, locker rooms, playground area, functions rooms

Price range: P3.65M to P7.52MReservation fee: P25,000

MCKiNLeY PARK ReSideNCeS

Location: Bonifacio Global Cityunit types: 1, 2 and 3Size: 37.98 sq.m. to 109.86 sq.m.Storeys: 43Features and amenities:

Entrance lobby with reception/ security counter, CCTV monitoring of selected common areas, three passenger elevators and one service/ passenger elevator, automatic heat/ smoke detection and fire sprinkler system, elevated water tank and underground cistern, annunciator panel with emergency speaker at all

floors, intercom per unit con-nected to the security/ reception counter, overhead water tank and underground cistern for ample water supply, building administration office, standby power generator for common areas and selected outlet in each unit, individual mail boxes, commercial areas at the ground, 2nd and 3rd floors, landscaped garden, lap pool, swimming pool and chil-dren’s pool, jogging path, children’s playground, function room, game room, fitness center

Price range: P2.56M to 8.03MReservation fee: P50,000

rundown

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THe MeTROPOLiTAN

Location: Across Rockwell, Makati Cityunit types: Studio, 1 and 3; Flat and loftSize: 37 sq.m. to 76 sq.m.Storeys: 47Features and amenities:

5-level podium parking, roofdeck with helipad, grand dining hall, meeting rooms, func-tion rooms, day care center, beauty salon, sports shop, 25-meter lap pool, kiddie pool, covered basketball court, covered tennis courts, covered bad-minton courts, 8-lane bowling alley, billiards hall, gym, classrooms for dojo, spinning and pilates, spa and sauna area, massage area, sports area

Price range: P2.86M to P6.08MReservation fee: P25,000

THe ReSideNCeS AT GReeNBeLT

Location: Legaspi Village, Makati Cityunit types: 1, 2, 3 and 4;Size: 57 sq.m. to 207 sq.m.Storeys: 50Features and amenities:

Commercial area at the ground level, air-conditioned main lobby, appurtenant parking slots for all units, 6-level parking space, four elevators, administrative office, mail room, driver’s lounge, acoustic treatment via double-glazing at the lower floors,

CCTV system for common areas and elevator cars, fully-automated sprinkler and smoke detec-tor system, visual/ audible fire alarm system within and outside residential units, water reservoir and separate fire reserves, 100% back-up power, centralized garbage disposal system, 24-hour security, excellent building maintenance by Ayala Property Management Cor-

poration, audio anunciator, grand social hall, fully-equipped gym and

fitness center, luxury spa, mini-theatre, multi-purpose lawn, adult lap pool, kiddie pool, game room, children’s playground, indoor play area, pond, rock and water feature, Zen-inspired medita-tion garden, 50th sky roof deck, auxiliary gym

Price range: P5.89M to 26.25M

Reservation fee: P50,000

W.H. TAFT

Location: Malate, Manilaunit types: Stu-dio, 1Size: 31 sq.m. to 53 sq.m.Storeys: 30Features and amenities:

24-hour security, WiFi-enabled build-ing, commercial spaces at the ground floor that will house cafés, restaurants, etc., multi-level parking, utility/ laundry, provisions, swimming pool with view of DLSu greeneries and Manila Bay, multi-purpose hall convertible into seminar/ study/ focus group discussion areas

Price range: P1.88M to P3.44MReservation fee: P25,000

AdRiATiCO GRANd ReSideNCeS

Location: Malate, Manilaunit types: 1, 2 and 3; Loft and bi-levelSize: 34.09 sq.m. to 122.26 sq.m. Storeys: 30Features and amenities:

Waste disposal chute, Cable TV ready, standby power generator, three elevators, automatic fire protection and sprinkler system, 24-hour security, auto-

mated fire detection and alarm system, CCTV monitoring system, house entry phone system, individual door bell, automated vehicular traffic system, swimming pool, children’s wading pool, commercial shops at the groundfloor, grand lobby area, cistern and overhead water tanks, jogging path, gym, func-tion rooms, sauna room

Price range: P3.35M to P11.41MReservation fee: P50,000

MAYFAiR TOWeR

Location: Ermita, Manilaunit types: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; Flat and bi-levelSize: 52.91 sq.m. to 280.27 sq.m.Storeys: 33Features and amenities:

An impressive lobby with reception counter and intimate lounge seating. Lobby is finished with natural stone, wood veneer and glass; two high-speed passenger elevators with a capacity of 15 persons each, one service elevator with same capacity as above. Both lifts are finished in veneer and mirror-wall clad-ding with granite flooring; ground floor has one main entrance, setback from the street and accessed through the

driveway that leads to the porte cochere and parking, sky terrace on the roofdeck with indoor function area for 200 per-sons, multi-level outdoor function area on the sky terrace with seating capacity of 150 people, with pocket gardens and bench seating, vista deck with lounge and reading areas, breakfast nook, bar, indoor pocket gardens and viewing deck, gym for aerobics, yoga and taebo at the 7th floor, function room good for 45 persons also at the 7th floor, lap pool , hydromassage pool, kiddie pool, sunken bar, lounge area, saunas and shower rooms, pond and waterfall feature, all at the 7th floor, 7-level parking, 24-hour se-curity, 100% standby generator for com-mon areas and allocated power to each unit in case of brownout, automatic fire

alarm and sprinkler system, centralized garbage disposal system, two combined water tank and two domestic cistern and one fire reserve tank, individual-ized electric and water meters, building safety compliance to local fire code, dual fire-escape locations at every residential floor, CCTV monitoring system, security intercoms at every residential unit, centralized mail room

Price range: P3.54 to 11.22MReservation fee: P100,000

Manila condominiums

THe COLuMNS LeGASPi ViLLAGe

Location: Legaspi Village, Makati Cityunit types: 1, 2 and 3Size: 30 sq.m. to 82 sq.m.Storeys: 40Features and amenities:

Landscaped plaza with restaurants/ cafés at the ground floor, centralized mailroom system, centralized garbage collection/ disposal system, automatic

fire alarm and sprinkler system, three high-speed elevators, 100% back-up power on all common areas, 24-hour security, 3-level basement parking and 5-level above-ground parking, guest parking, 450-sqm gym and fitness center, 25-meter lap pool, sun deck, day care center, kiddie pool, indoor and outdoor play areas, jogging area, function rooms

Price range: P2.49M to P8.76MReservation fee: P50,000

Makati condominiums

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Viva Las Vegas- Filipinos in Sin City

ofw notescita Abad-Dinglasan

reflections

nevADA—The warm spring air of Las Vegas was a welcome treat after San Francisco’s cool, sometimes freezing, weather. And it was great that with the new highways going through Bar-stow, and the increased speed limits of 70 mph—though everybody was doing 90 to 100 mph—direct to Las Vegas. It takes only eight hours via car from San Francisco or three and a half hours from Los Angeles.

Orchid Crisologo-Sideco, the sister of one of our best friends in high school at St. Scholastica’s College Ching, welcomed us as warmly as the weather. Together with her husband, Joey, they had moved to this city from Los Angeles and caught the building boom before it quadrupled. Make that quintupled.

Las Vegas is now home to ap-proximately 100,000 Fil-Am OFWs. I saw the city again with refreshed eyes: it has vastly improved its image from being a mere gambling town with extravagant hotels and shows. Nowadays, in the winter, one can ski in the nearby Mount Charleston. In the summer, there’s boating or water-skiing at Lake Mead. All year round, there’s performances by various art-ists like Celine Dion or our very own Lani Misalucha or Martin Nievera.

Plus art shows, visiting orchestras, horsebackriding, golf, tennis (Andre Agassi spends a lot of time here) and so much more.

Last year, it even snowed! I couldn’t imagine that a city on a desert could ever have snow falling on it, but it happened and thrilled the Las Vegas natives. It is beginning to thrill me too—that for nothing down or very little down payment, one can purchase a beautiful home or condo, some from foreclosure sales, and still get a positive cash flow. Wow—that’s a real estate deal one cannot easily walk away from.

The list of Filipinos who own second or third homes here are endless: the families of Quisumbing, Cojuangco, Reyes, Singson are in the nice sections of town. While we were watching boxer Manny Pacquiao’s bout televised in San Antonio Texas, some Filipinos recalled to me, tales of Chavit Singson and Mike Arroyo visiting Las Vegas during Manny’s previous fights, and impressing many Las Vegans with their princely hotel accommodations usu-ally reserved for extremely high rollers, those betting in the great bucks like $1000 and up category.

Orchid and Joey were active with the Couples for Christ movement, and

had many visitors. I bumped into the Virtude family from Ilocos and you know what they say: give a Filipino five minutes, and upon talking to fel-low Filipinos, they will find a common friend or relative. There are many Filipino nurses staffing the new seven other hospitals from the original small one we saw in the ‘70s. The ubiquitous OFWs have also found employment in the hotels, casinos, restaurants, shows, leisure activites. Filipino waiters served us, Filipino doctors treat the sick, Filipino pit bosses in casinos were aplenty, Filipino accountants count the corporations’ money, Filipino bro-kers move the property. Filipinos were everywhere. Enjoying the nice warm weather (except July when it gets too hot) so like the tropics.

And with their increased spend-able income, many wisely save up and buy several houses to rent out or generously send money or goods back to Manila. Joey’s balikbayan business is thriving well. Orchid’s real estate transactions are enviable.

In the desert, many Filipino lives have blossomed.

Send comments to citadinglasan@yahoo.com

88 | Condocentral

place to stay. It will be no hassle to them if they want to explore malls and other entertainment hubs, alone or with company, since most of the condos are in close proximity to places of interest. Not merely as a transient investment, condominiums will also provide them a home if they choose to retire.

These are some of the reasons why OFWs are investing on condomini-ums: not only do they provide them a secure, permanent home, they also offer a cheaper alternative compared to the properties in the countries where they work or even have settled. As property rights are protected by the Constitution, condominiums seem to be a fail-proof investment: they are made to pay for themselves many times over without fear of loss and still appear to be the safest place to invest huge capital which you do not want to gamble.

tHe key to an intelligent investment decision, as I’ve mentioned previously in my column, is to get a professional broker or brokerage company to assist you in getting a condo unit that suits you budget and needs. The advantage of consulting with a professional bro-ker over an agent from a developer is that the former would give you more options while the latter would expect-edly push only the only development of the company that pays for his bills. What is crucial, given that the condo-miniums’ location and price are the same and competitive, is the integrity of the developer: the quality of the projects it has finished and its stand-ing in the industry. Buying a condo unit is just like buying a premium car: although its features may be the same as the others available in the market, it is the strength of the brand name

that makes it different.

As of lAte, I’ve noticed that most major developments are rising in high-density, business areas. If I were a developer, I would create condo-miniums in the university area, at least medium-rise ones. Most of the dormi-tories in this area are 40 years old with some built right after the war. Invest-ing in a condo at the university area guarantees the unit owner continuous rental as a rentee would average a four-year stay after which, a freshman will take over his place. wHen i HAD my restaurant and bar business in P. Burgos and Makati Ave. 20 years ago, there were only three condominiums in that area. Currently, there are major developments being constructed in full swing. I just won-der how will the area accommodate the volume of people, not to mention vehicular traffic, considering that the roads are the same as 20 years ago. I hope that the developers will address this concern and coordinate with the government agencies concerned.

tHis cominG July 27, Condo.Com.Ph will have the first condo auction in the Philippines. Investors, brokers and foreigners are enjoined to attend the auction as it will feature an extensive lineup of bank-acquired and unsold condos all ready for occupancy. Guests are assured that these properties are properly assessed and the titles are clean. Please feel free to call at 840-1332 if you have any questions.

Condo Café publishes announcements of events of developers and condo-minium associations. Please email info at renne@condo.com.ph.

Condo investment

opinion

The condo caférenne isidro

trADitionAly, whenever overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) go on a vaca-tion, they either stay in their parents’ or relatives’ house or in a hotel during the peak months of November to January when occupancy rate and room charge are relatively high. Most of them, wanting an alternative, choose instead to purchase condo-minium units so that whenever they would come to the Philippines for a visit, they have a safe, comfortable

90 | Condocentral

*guide

for rentwww.condo.com.ph

For inquiries and viewing request:cAll now (632) 812-3333

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

rizal tower Three-bedroom (penthouse) 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 3-bedrm (penthouse) unfurnished 336 sq.m. One parking slot P200,000/month

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

Rockwell, Makati City

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

condo

Condocentral | 91

one legazpi Park Studio Semi-furnished 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 One parking slot P28,000/month

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

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

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

Greenbelt radissons Studio unfurnished 34.3 sq.m. P35,000/month

Greenbelt radissons Studio unfurnished 40.60 sq.m. P25,000/month

Greenbelt radissons Studio Semi-furnished 34.30 sq.m. P25,000/month

Greenbelt radissons Studio Fully furnished 34.30 sq.m. P30,000/month

Greenbelt radissons Studio Fully furnished 34.30 sq.m. One parking slot P35,000/month

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

frabella Two-bedroom

(penthouse)

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

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

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

Legaspi Village, Makati City

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

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

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

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

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

cityland vito cruz tower One-bedroom unfurnished 50 sq.m. P15,000/month

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

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

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

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

Bay Gardens-Anchor One-bedroom unfurnished 54 sq.m. One parking slot P25,000

Manila/ Pasay City

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

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

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

Penhurst Place Three-bedroom Fully furnished One parking slot P70,000/month

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

92 | Condocentral

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ponte salcedo Three-bedroom

(penthouse)

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

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

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

le metropole Five-bedroom (pent-

house, bi-level)

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

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

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

SalcedoVillage, Makati City

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

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

Greenhills Garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.5 sq.m. P18,000/month

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

Quezon City

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

chateu elysee Two-bedroom Fully furnished 53 sq.m. P28,000/month

94 | Condocentral

*guide

for salewww.condo.com.ph

For inquiries and viewing request:cAll now (632) 812-3333

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

condo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

one orchard road Palm spring

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

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

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

Quezon City

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

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

Bonifacio Global City

Legaspi Village, Makati

Condocentral | 95

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

makati Prime city Four-bedroom unfurnished Two parking slots P6,900,000

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

Bel-Air, Makati City

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

cityland vito cruz tower

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

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

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

Balagtas royal mansion One-bedroom unfurnished 28 sq.m. One parking slot P1,500,000

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

malate Adriatico Grand residences

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

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

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

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

Manila/ Pasay City

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

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

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

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

luna Garden Four-bedroom

(penthouse, bi-level)

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

rizal tower Four-bedroom (pent-

house, flat)

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

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

Rockwell, Makati City

96 | Condocentral

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

vierra at Britanny Bay One-bedroom unfurnished 39 sq.m. P2,900,000

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

Alabang/ Sucat, Parañaque

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

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

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

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

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

california Garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57 sq.m. P2,800,000

california Garden square Three-bedroom Fully furnished 80 sq.m. P3,900,000

california Garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.50 sq.m. P2,200,000

california Garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.50 sq.m., 1 parking slot P2,350,000

california Garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.50 sq.m. 1 parking slot P2,400,000

california Garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.5 sq.m. 1 parking slot P2,500,000

california Garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.5 sq.m. 1 parking slot P2,300,000

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

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

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

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

california Garden square Two-bedroom unfurnished 57.5 sq.m. P2,300,000

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

cortijos Greenhills condominium

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

Ortigas Center/ Mandaluyong City/ Greenhills, San Juan

98 | Condocentral

section 1. This Act shall be known as the “Realty Installment Buyer Act.” section 2. It is hereby declared a pub-lic policy to protect buyers of real es-tate on installment payments against onerous and oppressive conditions. section 3. In all transactions or contracts involving the sale or financing of real estate on installment payments, including residential con-dominium apartments but excluding industrial lots, commercial buildings and sales to tenants under Republic Act Numbered Thirty-eight hundred forty-four, as amended by Republic Act Numbered Sixty-three hundred eighty-nine, where the buyer has paid at least two years of installments, the buyer is entitled to the following rights in case he defaults in the pay-ment of succeeding installments:

(a) To pay, without additional interest, the unpaid installments due

within the total grace period earned by him which is hereby fixed at the rate of one month grace period for every one year of installment pay-ments made: Provided, That this right shall be exercised by the buyer only once in every five years of the life of the contract and its extensions, if any.

(b) If the contract is canceled, the seller shall refund to the buyer the cash surrender value of the payments on the property equivalent to fifty per cent of the total payments made, and, after five years of installments, an additional five percent every year but not to exceed ninety percent of the total payments made: Provided, That the actual cancellation of the contract shall take place after thirty days from receipt by the buyer of the notice of cancellation or the demand for rescission of the contract by a notarial act and upon full payment of the cash surrender value to the buyer.

Down payments, deposits or op-

tions on the contract shall be included in the computation of the total num-ber of installment payments made. section 4. In case where less than two years of installments were paid, the seller shall give the buyer a grace period of not less than sixty days from the date the installment became due.

If the buyer fails to pay the install-ments due at the expiration of the grace period, the seller may cancel the contract after thirty days from receipt by the buyer of the notice of cancellation or the demand for rescis-sion of the contract by a notarial act. section 5. under Section 3 and 4, the buyer shall have the right to sell his rights or assign the same to another person or to reinstate the contract by updating the account during the grace period and before actual can-cellation of the contract. The deed of

sale or assignment shall be done by notarial act. section 6. The buyer shall have the right to pay in advance any installment or the full unpaid balance of the pur-chase price any time without interest and to have such full payment of the purchase price annotated in the certifi-cate of title covering the property. section 7. Any stipulation in any con-tract hereafter entered into contrary to the provisions of Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6, shall be null and void. section 8. If any provision of this Act is held invalid or unconstitutional, no other provision shall be affected thereby. section 9. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: August 26, 1972.

law

REPUBLIC ACT N0. 6552AN ACT To PRoVIDE PRoTECTIoN To BUyERS oF REAL ESTATE oN INSTALLMENT PAyMENTS

Condo for rent:Legaspi and Salcedo

AnteL PLAtInUM toWerSalcedo Village, Makati City

1BR FF 40 sq.m. 1 parking slot P30,000/mo.

CLASSICA toWer IISalcedo Village, Makati City

2BR FF 112 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000/mo.

PLAZA roYALeSalcedo Village, Makati City

2BR FF 155 sq.m. 1 parking slot P50,000/mo.

foUr SeASonSSalcedo Village, Makati City

2BR FF 170 sq.m. 1 parking slot P85,000/mo.

CentUrY PLAZALegaspi Village, Makati City

2BR FF 147 sq.m. 1 parking slot P50,000/mo.

Call or text roger B. Parajesat +639212727802

ONE LEGAZPI PARKLegaspi Village, Makati City

2BR 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.0M2BR 97 sq.m. 1 parking slot P10.5M1BR 69.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.5M

2BR FF 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P90,000/mo.

SOuTh OF MARKETBonifacio Global City

1BR FF 38 sq.m. 1 parking slot P4.5M

MANhATTAN SQuARESalcedo Village, Makati City

1BR 79 sq.m. 1 parking slot P40,000/mo.

RIZAL TOWERRockwell Center, Makati City

Penthouse SF 336 sq.m. 3 parking slots P230,000/mo.

Call or text Grace Geverola at +639278369426

top broker’sMakati

pick

centralmarket

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

EASTON PLACESalcedo Village, Makati City

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

3BR 181 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.7M

PONTE SALCEDOSalcedo Village, Makati City

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

Best value

for your money

Call or text Roy Labarda at +639195902688

Condo for rent:Legaspi and Salcedo

AnteL PLAtInUM toWerSalcedo Village, Makati City

1BR FF 40 sq.m. 1 parking slot P30,000/mo.

CLASSICA toWer IISalcedo Village, Makati City

2BR FF 112 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000/mo.

PLAZA roYALeSalcedo Village, Makati City

2BR FF 155 sq.m. 1 parking slot P50,000/mo.

foUr SeASonSSalcedo Village, Makati City

2BR FF 170 sq.m. 1 parking slot P85,000/mo.

CentUrY PLAZALegaspi Village, Makati City

2BR FF 147 sq.m. 1 parking slot P50,000/mo.

Call or text roger B. Parajesat +639212727802

ONE LEGAZPI PARKLegaspi Village, Makati City

2BR 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.0M2BR 97 sq.m. 1 parking slot P10.5M1BR 69.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.5M

2BR FF 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P90,000/mo.

SOuTh OF MARKETBonifacio Global City

1BR FF 38 sq.m. 1 parking slot P4.5M

MANhATTAN SQuARESalcedo Village, Makati City

1BR 79 sq.m. 1 parking slot P40,000/mo.

RIZAL TOWERRockwell Center, Makati City

Penthouse SF 336 sq.m. 3 parking slots P230,000/mo.

Call or text Grace Geverola at +639278369426

top broker’sMakati

pick

centralmarket

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

EASTON PLACESalcedo Village, Makati City

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

3BR 181 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.7M

PONTE SALCEDOSalcedo Village, Makati City

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

Best value

for your money

Call or text Roy Labarda at +639195902688

Vibrant neighborhoods

One LafayetteSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 280 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000/mo.

Easton PlaceSalcedo Village, Makati City

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

LPL CenterSalcedo Village, Makati City

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

Le MetropoleSalcedo Village, Makati City

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

One McKinley Bonifacio Global City

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

Forbeswood Heights Bonifacio Global City

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

Call or text Ariel S. Raymundo at +639216097395

R E N TON TOP OF THE TOWN!

The Eton ResidencesLegaspi Village, Makati1BR 47.78 sq.m. P4.3M

2BR 121.78 sq.m. P11.5M3BR 152.47 sq.m. P13.9M

The Fort ResidencesBonifacio Global City1BR 41 sq.m P3.1M2BR 75 sq.m. P6.8M

St. Francis TowersMandaluyong City

1BR 59.50 sq.m. P6.2M2BR 120 sq.m. P13M

Call or text Mr. Constantino at +639107574474

St. Francis Towers Mandaluyong City

STD, 1BR, 2BR P3M-P13M

Lee Gardens Mandaluyong City

STD, 1BR, 2BR P3.2M-P12M

Hampton Gardens Pasig City

STD, 1BR, 2BR P880,000-P1.8M

The Exchange RegencyPasig City

1BR, 2BR P1.4M-P5M

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

The ulTimaTe in ciTy living!

One Mckinley PlaceBonifacio Global City, Taguig

1BR 76 sq.m. P7.6M2BR 110 sq.m., 119 sq.m. P10.3M - 10.5M3BR 186 sq.m. P19.3M

The Residences at GreenbeltAlong Arnaiz Ave., Makati City

SPL 1BR 70-79 sq.m. P6.8-8.5M 2BR 102 sq.m, 106 sq.m. P10.5M -12.1M SPL 2BR 127 – 145 sq.m. P14.2M - 15.5M 3BR Bi-level 186 sq.m. P21.5M

Three Adriatico PlaceAdriatico St. cor. Pedro Gil St., Malate, Manila

PROMO: NO DOWNPAYMENT!Extended until June 30, 2007 only

Studio 36 - 41.50 sq.m. P2.2M - P3M1BR 48.27 sq.m. P3.4M - P4M2BR 89.27 sq.m. P6.7M - P7.2M3BR 125.27 sq.m. P8.1M - P9.4M

Call or text Anne Capongcolat +639216011959 / +639227529924

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

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

MAKATI EXECUTIVE TOWER 1Dela Rosa St., Makati City1BR 36 sq.m 1 parking slot P2.3M2BR SF 57 sq.m. P3.4M

MAKATI EXECUTIVE TOWER 1Dela Rosa St., Makati City2BR SF 57 sq.m. P25,000/mo2BR 57 sq.m. P18,000/mo.

Your gateway to Makati

Call or text Sheira Jimenez at +639158516165

KINGSWOOD CONDOMINIUMChino Roces Ave., Makati City2BR FF 77 sq.m. 1 parking slot P4.3M

GRAND HAMPTONS TOWER IIBonifacio Global City2BR 78 sq.m. P4.7M

PACIFIC REGENCYVito Cruz, Manila1BR corner unit 48.19 sq.m. P2.3M

Call or text Bing Lau at +639179291313/ +639208017166

THE ISABELLE GARDEN VILLASParañaque City

1BR SF 19.5 sq.m. P855,796

MILLENIA TOWEROrtigas Center, Pasig City1BR SF 24.10 sq.m. P1.9M

TIMES MANSIONQuezon City

1BR SF 38.95 sq.m. P2.3M

GOVERNOR’S PLACEShaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City

1BR 52 sq.m. P2.5M

THE ORIENTAL PLACEMakati City

2BR 48-52 sq.m. P3.8M

Call or text Maritess Oligario at +639219123144

Condo for sale:P855,796

THE ORIENTAL PLACE

Makati City1BR 28.45 sq.m. P2.2M

SUBIC HOLIDAY VILLAS

Subic Freeport Zone1BR 35 sq.m. P2M

MALATE CROWN PLAZA

Malate, ManilaSTD 34 sq.m. P2M

THE ISABELLE GARDEN VILLAS

Parañaque CitySTD 18.5 sq.m. P808,555

LUXURE VILLE

Multinational, Parañaque City

2BR 48.67 sq.m. P2M

bestoffer!

Call or text Marina Sobel at +639192481515

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

Salcedo ParkSalcedo Village, Makati City

4BR 224 sq.m. 1 parking slot P13M

Ponte SalcedoSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 285 sq.m. 2 parking slots P12M

BSA MansionLegaspi Village, Makati

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

Island PlazaLegaspi Village, Makati City

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

Salcedo ParkSalcedo Village, Makati City

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

Call or text Stephanie Geverolaat +639164800699

Central urban loCations

Isabelle Garden VillasParañaque CitySTD, 1BR, 2BR

19.10 sq.m. – 33.42 sq.m.P900,000 – P3.3M

Isabelle Manor Parañaque City2BR, 3BR, 4BR

144 sq.m. – 190 sq.m.P4.6M – P8.9M

Tresora ResidencesLas Piñas

STD, 1BR, 2BR, 3BR36.97 sq.m. – 103.54 sq.m.

P1,671,044 – P4,524,698

Vivant FlatsAlabang

STD, 1BR, 2BR30 sq.m. – 105 sq.m.

P4.8M – P7.5M

Ayala Southvale VillageAlabang

Lot area: 400 sq.m. – 950 sq.m.P10,500/sq.m. – P12,500/sq.m.

Call or text Sherwin O. Sagun at +639185666052

Unique lay-outs!

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

CentropolisParañaque City

1BR, 2BR, 3BRP1.2M – P4.7M

Mayfield Park Residences

Pasig City2BR – 3BR

P2.6M – P4.5M

Rosewood Pointe

Taguig City2BR, 3BR

P1.9M – P4.6M

Eton Residences Legaspi Village,

Makati CityP4M – P17M

Call or text Josephine Palma at +639195552911

Life is a beach!

Setting new standards

Playa del SolBatangas

250 sq.m. P2MLas Casas de Cabuena

CaviteOne-bedroom tower P5M

Playa CalataganBatangas

270 sq.m. – 501 sq.m.P1.5M – P2.8M

Amara en TerrazasBatangas

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

Call or text Renne Isidro at +639153728220

Call or text Faye Asuncion at +639278585825

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

No lumpsum payment every year

Call now!Carlo Gemota +639154553608

TheOriental Place

Newest project of Metrobank in

Makati launched!

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

Modern eleMentsto achieVe tiMeless

designsSoho Central

Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City1BR, 2BR, combined BRs FF

P2M - P5M

Grand Soho MakatiSalcedo Village , Makati City

STD, 1BR, 2BR loft units FFP2M - P6M

Fairways TowerBonifacio Global City

STD,1BR, 2BRP3.6M - P7M

The Metropolitan TowerRockwell, Makati City

STD,1BR,2BRP2M - P6M

Century City (The Gramercy Residences )

Makati CityCondominiums

(standard , loft units and townhouses)P2M - P40M

Call or text Norma Robles at +639178557174

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

For sale: Asian Mansion I condo unit

Dela Rosa St., Legaspi Village, Makati City Unit type: one-bedroom

Size: 58 sq.m.Interior: fully furnished

Floor level: 9th floorDocuments: clean title

Asking price: P5,022,000 (negotiable)

Call now!Reggie Tagavilla +639175014927

Located in Ortigas, Pasig,

across Fort Bonifacio,

Mandaluyong and

Quezon City

AYALA PROPERTIESFOR SALE

Oriental Garden MakatiChino Roces Ave., Makati City

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

The Oriental PlaceMakati City

1BR 28.45 sq.m. P1.7M

Bay Gardens – Mactan TowerRoxas Boulevard, Pasay City

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

3BR 108 sq.m. P8.2M

Marquinton ResidencesMarikina City

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

Call or text Fausto Llanerasat +639196447432

Condos by Federal Land, Inc

THE COLUMNS LEGASPI VILLAGE (TCLV)A few steps from everything

Jr 1BR–1BR 38 sq.m.-50 sq.m P2.9–P5.1M 1BR loft 57 sq.m. -77 sq.m P5.9–P7.5M

2BR flat & 2BR bi-level 67 sq.m.-77 sq.m P6.7–P8.0M

THE RESIDENCES AT GREENBELT (TRAG) 1BR, 1BR loft, 2BR, 2BR special, 3BR, 3BR bi-level

Price: P5.8M-P20M

ANVAYA COVEA seaside leisure community

3BR , 2 structure villas P22M-P24M (17 villas only) Lot area: 400 sq.m.-600 sq.m. Price: P6,600-P13,300/sq.m.

AYALA WESTGROVE HEIGHTS

High-end residential subdivision with rolling terrain Lot area: 350 sq.m-500 sq.m.

Price: P9,050-P9,900/sq.m.

AYALA GREENFIELD ESTATES High-end residential subdivision with golf course

Lot area: 350 sq.m.- 850 sq.m. Price: P8,000-P10,500/ sq.m.

Call or text JP Pello at +639154445655

PONTE SALCEDOSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 280 sq.m. 2 parking slots P100,000/mo.

LE METROPOLESalcedo Village, Makati City

2BR FF 130 sq.m. 1 parking slot P80,000/mo.

ANTEL PLATINUMSalcedo Village, Makati City

1BR FF 55 sq.m. 1 parking slot P45,000/mo.

ONE LAFAYETTESalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR FF 150 sq.m. 1 parking slot P65,000/mo.

LPL MANORSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 150 sq.m. 1 parking slot P60,000/mo.

SALCEDO PARKSalcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 149 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000

Call or text Clarish H. Barundia at +639062099413

SALCEDO CONDOS

Two SerendraBonifacio Global CitySTD 36 sq.m. P5.2M1BR 51 sq.m. P6.2M2BR 70 sq.m. P8.9M3BR 103 sq.m. P13M

The Sapphire Residences Tower 2Bonifacio Global City1BR 48 sq.m. P2.6M2BR 80 sq.m. P4.3M

3BR 128 sq.m. P8.0M

Makati Executive Tower IIDela Rosa St., Makati City

STD 20 sq.m. P1M1BR 31 sq.m. P1.6M

El Jardin del Presidente IISgt. Esguerra, Quezon City

STD 41 sq.m. P2.55M1BR 55.5 sq.m. P3.6M

Call or text George Fordelonat +639183716124

The Fort, Makati and QC condos

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

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

Nobel Plaza

Salcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 155.15 sq.m. 2 parking slots

P8.8M

Alpha Salcedo

Salcedo Vilage, Makati City

3BR penthouse 193 sq.m. 1 parking slot

P15.5M

Elizabeth Place

Salcedo Village, Makati City

3BR 267 sq.m. 1 parking slot

P14M

Call or text Erikka R.S. Toledo at +639175451206

Salcedo’s best

MAkATI CondoSHidalgo Place

Rockwell, Makati City3BR FF 198 sq.m. 2 parking slots P20M

oriental Garden Makati Chino Roces Ave., Makati City

2BR FF 226 sq.m. 1 parking slot P16M

Serendra 2Bonifacio Global City

3BR 114 sq.m. 1 parking slot P14M

Call or text Melissa Cabalic at +639215440332

The Fort, Makati and QC condos

Call or text Renne Isidro at +639153728220

Come home to the best address in Metro Manila

and enjoy the best life has to offer!

LIVE IT UP!

Find out what everybody has been raving about today!

Property information

Name of property Cristar Building

Location 5489 South Superhighway

cor. Hen. Mojica St., Bangkal, Makati City

Lot details

Lot area605 sq.m.

Building details

Building floor area2,345 sq.m.

Building facilitiesOne unit Koppel

passenger elevator (capacity: 10 passengers)

Vehicle/ car parking

Number of slots available14

Selling priceP75,000,000

Lease priceP450,000 VAT inclusive

Contact Henry H. Mondoñedo +639202862981 / +639227160528

henry@condo.com.ph

BuiLDiNg FOR SALE

THEREALDEAL

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

READY FOR OCCuPANCY

Location! Location! Location!

Contact Henry H. Mondoñedo +639202862981 / +639227160528

henry@condo.com.ph

The tower enjoys a commanding 360 degrees obstruction-free view of the key cities of Metro Manila. It is fronting Greenhills Shopping Center and surrounded by O.B. Montessori, Club Filipino, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, La Salle Greenhills, among others.

Own a well-appointed residential unit for as low as P19,500 per month and earn from our hotel pool option. Experience fine living at heart of the posh Annapolis, Greenhills.

Swire Elan SuitesHotel & Residential SuitesSwire Élan SuitesHotel & Residential Suites

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

Your next home address:

#49 Annapolis St., greenhills, San Juan

FOREST CABINPRICE: P8,543,750.00

Terms of Payment: (Post Dated Checks required)

Cash in 30 days with five percent (5%) discount on the TCP

Terms: Thirty percent (30%) downpayment in 30 days

Outright downpayment with 5% discount on the DP

Reservation Fee: P200,000.00

Renaissance 3000 Tower A 2-BR, 3TB, 198.8 sq.m., 1-Powder, Maid’s, utility Rm, 1-PS, Terrace P13,120,800

Renaissance 3000 Tower B 2-BR, 3TB, 182.43 sq.m., 1-Powder, Maid’s, utility Rm, 1-PS P11,766,735

Belvedere Tower (Office) 210 sq.m., 1-Parking Slot P9,450,000

Terms of Payment: Cash less 10% discount on the Total Contract PriceInstallment: 30% DP with 5% discount on the DP (7 days), Balance 3 years at 18% P.A.

Paragon Plaza 2-BR unfurnished, 110.2 sq.m., 1-PS P4,100,000

Paragon Plaza 2-BR unfurnished, 1102.66 sq.m., 1-PS P3,750,000

Paragon Plaza 1-BR unfurnished, 77.58 sq.m., 1-PS P2,950,000

West Tower Makati Studio, unfurnished, 44.98 sq.m. P1,710,000

Renaissance 1000 Penthouse 3-BR, 3TB, 3-level, unfurnished, 2-Powder Rm, Maid’s, 3-PS P100,000/mo.

Renaissance 1000 654.36 sq.m., 3 parking slots P400/sqm/mo.

RESiDENTiAL/OFFiCE CONDOMiNiuM FOR RENT

CONDOMiNiuMS FOR SALE - READY FOR OCCuPANCY

a) Balance in 12 months without interest

b) Balance in 24 months with 14% interest

Fixed Factor: 0.048012883

c) Balance in 36 months with 16% interest

Fixed Factor: 0.035157033

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

SPLENDIDO TOWERSTagaytay’s Best Condo

Overlooking Taal Lake & Volcano12 Storey – 142 Units

Studio, 1-BR, 2-BR

LAUNCHING DATE:June 29, 2007, 6:00 PM

ESPLANADE

SM Mall of Asia, Roxas Blvd.

Contact:Jose “Ping” Galvez Tan

0921-4793147

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

Four-storey with a rooftop commercial and residential building

Location: Diego Silang St., Project 4, Cubao, Quezon CityLot area: 400 sq.m.Amenities: Swimming pool, jacuzzi pool, fitness gym,function room,music and theater roomOthers: New and nice building,with own watertank system, all roomsare airconditioned, parking slots

Three-storey with a rooftop residential building

Location: #31 Coronet St. cor.Datsun St., Fairview, Quezon CityLot area: 416 sq.m.Amenities: Swimming pool, jacuzzi pool, fitness gym, function room, music and theater roomOthers: New and nice building, with ownwater tank system, all rooms are with bath tub and airconditioned, parking slots

Call or text Almira Cariaga at +639175530812

Location: #48 Diego Silang St., Project 4, Cubao, Quezon CityLot area: 197 sq.m.Amenities: Swimming pool, jacuzzi pool, fitness gym, function room, music and theater roomOthers: New and nice building, with own water tank system, all rooms are airconditioned, parking slots

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

HOT! FORSALE

Four-storey with a rooftop commercial and residential building

110 | Condocentral

happenings

in line witH its thrust to aggressively expand its market this year, Avida Land recently broke ground in a new community in San Fernando, Pampanga. The 13-hectare proposed Avida Residences San Fernando is the company’s second foray into Central Luzon following another development in Cabanatuan. until recently, the for-mer Laguna Prop-erties holdings Inc. concentrated its operations in Metro Manila and in Southern Luzon.

Steve Dy, Avida Land’s vice president for planning and development group, disclosed that San Fernando has been cited by the Asian Institute of Management as the most competi-tive city in the country in the medium-size category based on a seven-point criterion. The categories include the cost and ease of doing business in the city.

The American-themed Avida Residences San Fernando intends to offer lots and house and lots.

Avida Land’s entry into San Fernando is timely, said Mayor Rodriguez. In a few years, the city is predicted to become a key business center because of its proximity to the Diosdado Maca-pagal International Airport, an emerging global gateway to the archipelago. The City of San Fer-nando will also benefit from the development of the Subic-Clark Road and the North Rail System.

In anticipation of these projects, interchang-es will be constructed at Clark and Subic while a permanent four-lane flyover at the intersec-tion of McArthur highway and the Olongapo-Gapan Road will be established.

The model units will be available for public viewing in September this year, when Avida Resi-dences San Fernando will have its grand launch.

Superior Land holdings, Inc. is the partner of Avida Land in this development.

For more information about Avida Land, visit its website at www.avidaland.com.

vice PresiDent and Pag-IBIG Fund board chair-man Noli De Castro, together with Pag-IBIG presi-dent and CEO Atty. Romero F.S. Quimbo (extreme right), receives a facsimile check for P2B from Land Bank of the Philippines president and CEO Gilda E. Pico and Development Bank of the Philippines chief operating officer Edgardo Garcia (3rd and 4th from right, respectively) during the ceremonial closing program for the Pag-IBIG Fund housing Bonds, Series of 2007 held recently.

The amount represents the proceeds of sale for the Fund’s Kaunlaran ng Bayan housing Bonds which was successfully auctioned to institutional investors last March 7 and offered to individuals during a limited retail period. The Pag-IBIG housing Bonds has a maturity term of five years and one day, and an interest of five percent per annum. This is the lowest coupon rate for any government-owned and controlled corporation bond issuance in recent history.

Pag-IBIG reaps profits from bonds

Avida Residences goes to Central Luzon

(above) Avida Land officers and San Fernando City officials led the laying of the capsule at the groundbreaking rites for Avida Residences San Fernando. Present are (from left) Avida vice president for construction management department Rodelito Ocampo, Avida vice president for sales Ricky Celis, Avida chief finance officer Rosaleo Montanegro, San Fernando resident Regan Sy and San Fernando city councilors.

molDex reAlty mArketinG, inc. (MRMI) asserts its place in the high-rise industry as it held the groundbreak-ing ceremony of The Grand Towers last May 16, 2007. The Grand Towers is a 42-storey twin tower condominium locat-ed along Pablo Ocampo St. (formerly Vito Cruz St.), Malate, Manila. It is also a few steps away from DLSu, St. Scholastica’s College, and LRT Vito Cruz Station. Photo shows (from left, with shovels) Moldex Group Of Companies (MGOC) chairman, Jacinto T. uy, MGOC board of director, Imelda T.

uy, MGOC Exec. vice president, Jose Angiolo C. Ledesma, Architect Albert S. Yu from ASYA Design Partner, MGOC vice chairman, Michael O. uy, MGOC president, Roy Joseph Z. Vinuya, Moldex Realty, Inc. (MRI) president, Rey Ignacio M. Diaz, (from the back) Engr. Ettore Rossi from Advanced Foundation Construction System, Corp., exec. vice presi-dent, Moldex Land, Inc., Augusto S. Refran, MGOC asst. vice president, Annie B. Roman, and asst. vice president for Accounts Management Group, Fe A. Arellano.

The Grand Towers breaks ground

Condocentral | 111

turninG A weDDinG into a successful dream event takes both time and lots of hard work, and Traders hotel Manila provides couples the ideal place to hold their once-in-a-lifetime occasion with a minimum of fuss.

Situated along picturesque Manila Bay on Roxas Boulevard, and just a stone’s throw away from the historic and world-renowned cathedrals in Manila, the hotel has maintained its position in the industry as the favored venue for wedding receptions.

Traders hotel Manila’s seasoned and dedicated events team can put together anything – from small wedding receptions to grand celebrations and social events. In addition, the hotel also offers the services of its very own wedding planner.

On top of the assurance that the wedding recep-tion is in capable and expert hands, the budget and ambience are also among most couple’s foremost considerations. The Embassy Ballroom and smaller function rooms can cater from small intimate wedding receptions to grand wedding celebrations of 450 guests. The hotel offers budget-friendly

HABitAt for HumAnity, in partnership with the local government of the City of Taguig and the Rotary Club of Manila, proudly celebrated the completion of the first two cluster homes (24 units) of Rotaryville Family Townhomes, at the Food Terminal Incorpo-rated Complex (FTI) in Taguig City. In the ceremonies held recently, national and local government officials, business executives, and friends of habitat joined hands in turning over the initial units to their respec-tive homeowners. The Rotaryville Family Townhomes is part of the city government’s housing program at the FTI compound with habitat as the builder partner.

The Bayanihan Alumni Dance Group played a

noble role in the building. Its members gathered in one of the finished units as habitat for humanity Philippines Board of Trustees member Erlynn Cam-pos opened the build with a prayer and treated the volunteers to a touching AVP about habitat for humanity, followed by concise construction and safety orientation by FTI Site Engineer Edmund Baugbog. The Bayanihan Alumni Association members then donned their safety gear and good-naturedly hauled concrete, sieved sand, fabricated bars and molded concrete interlocking blocks while Bayanihan music continuously played in the back-ground, even swaying to the melody once in awhile.

Traders Hotel makes dream weddings happen

Bayanihan alumni build Habitat homes

packages which are among the most competitive and flexible in the market today with packages for as few as 50 people for those intimate wedding receptions, and for as low as Php68,888 plus service charge and applicable taxes.

The complete banquet package takes everything

into consideration, from the cuisine to the décor, and the limousine to the cake, leaving the happy couple to celebrate and cherish every moment.

For inquiries, call the events management team at telephone (632) 5237011 local 2926, or e-mail events.thm@shangri-la.com.

cHinA BAnk takes a housing loan rate dive to make it really affordable to buy, build, or renovate a home. China Bank’s HomePlus Loan is now only 7.5 percent per annum fixed for the first year. With this new low rate, more Filipinos will be able to afford to have their own home.

“We cut our home loan rate so our clients can have lower monthly payments,” said Reynaldo L. Lao, senior vice president of China Bank’s Consumer Banking Group. “Lower rates mean more savings for our clients.” At the low rate of 7.5 percent p.a. for the first year, the monthly amortization for a P1,000,000.00 China Bank home loan with a term of 15 years is only P9,271.00.

China Bank HomePlus Loan is for the pur-chase of a lot, a house and lot, a townhouse, or a condominium unit. It is also available for house construction, renovation, or to refinance an existing loan with another bank. To apply for a home loan or to get more information on the special rate, call 885-5555, email homeplus@chinabank.ph, or visit www.chinabank.ph.

Above rate is valid for applications re-ceived until June 15 only.

China Bank drops home loan rate to its lowest ever

112 | Condocentral

oPeninG on June 8 at the SM Art Center (SM Megamall, 4/F Bldg. A) is Wire Tuazon’s Reality Sandwiches. Organized by Finale Art File and cu-rated by Roberto Chabet, the exhibit presents a suite of paintings depict-ing familiar, contemporary images disrupted by a line of text that points

towards and away from meaning. “The show delves on the paradox

of control, popular memory, loss and immortality,” says the artist. “I’m particularly interested on the power of images and manufactured reality. I’m fascinated with images that hold sacred truths on the diverse mean-

ings and aspects of life and death.”When taken as ironic commen-

tary on the ever-expanding visual vocabulary that invades the modern man and woman and their systems of interrelations, Reality Sandwiches exposes our clichéd understanding of the world, our avidity to immortalize

even the smallest human pursuits, and our deadly reliance on language as a singular guidepost to significance.

unnerving, self-reflexive, resonant, Reality Sandwiches offers a new take on what we call real, coaxing us to look deeper into the void of things.

It’s a Wire world

artsepilogue

Condocentral | 113

Introducing a new way of owning your home: using the BYO system, you can own a luxury

condo in the heart of the Bonifacio Global City starting from P2,200,000 for one-bedroom unit. You can save up to 40 percent off the usual price and

your money is secure as it will be invested with a bank.

Find out what everybody has been raving about today!

CONSTRUCTION IS ONGOING!

Contact us:First Global BYO Corporation (BYO Corp.), Bonifacio Stopover, 32nd St., Bonifacio Global City, TaguigTelephone numbers: (632) 815-8080 / 8562138-40 Fax number: (632)856-2137Log on to: www.fortpalmspring.com.ph e-mail: fortpalmspring@yahoo.com

Come home to the best address in Metro Manilaand enjoy the best life has to offer!