A Fabulous Women’s Night at Primavera Residences

Posted by Primavera Residences on March 24, 2014

A Fabulous Women’s Night at Primavera Residences

by Kathy Yu

Primavera Residences hosted a cocktail event last Saturday, March 22, 2014 to celebrate Women’s Month. I was there, of course, with my fellow lovely friends in our most glamorous outfits. I never regretted a single minute of being at the party because it was downright fabulous. Not only was it a fantastic night for women, it was so much more than that.

I’ll tell you what made it downright fab (aside from the fact that everyone looked great because that’s already a given).

Great Speeches from Empowered Women Speakers

I think every woman present in that event would agree with me when I say that the speakers delivered short but great speeches about women empowerment. To quote Ms. Adoracion Buat of Soroptimist Iligan from her prepared speech, “Modern women like us are superheroes. We are more independent and responsible of the many functions that we carry.” Oh, and this I like, “If a woman is empowered, her family will be better off. If a woman prospers, her village and community prospers.”

The second speaker, Ms. Rose Ann Saavedra, Club President of Rotary Club Iligan, was even more entertaining. She was filled with anecdotes that made the room erupt in laughter. She stressed how the women of today have become truly empowered in society, thanks to our government for giving women the chance to shine through gender-related programs. There’s one line from her speech I really love, and it goes, “Women are powerful enough that despite multi-tasking, we still find time to be beautiful.” Couldn’t be more true.

Ms. Rose Ann Saavedra of Rotary Club Maria Cristina wows the crowd with her speech

Artworks from Notable Local Artists

For art lovers out there, this is what you missed from the party. The entire hall was set up with well-chosen women-themed art pieces from distinguished local artists of Northern Mindanao such as Rhyan Casino and the Dire Husi Initiative, Mr. Nick Aca Jr. of Oro Art Guild, and Mr. Eli Tabasuares. One simply can’t help but be awed with their masterpieces.

SAMSUNG CSC — Paintings by Mr. Nick Aca Jr.

Event organizer and Primavera Residences’ Community Relations Specialist Janey Montebon Duterte, who is herself a lover of art, designed the event to be a complete tribute to women with great art works that capture and pay homage to the beauty and strength of the modern woman.

Aside from the wonderful art pieces on the exhibit, the audience was also treated to short films featuring women empowerment themes by Mr. Shaun Alejandre Yap Uy and his Film Production Class from Liceo de Cagayan University.

A Tour of Primavera Residences’ Condo Units

So, the lovely guests were grouped for a quick facility tour of Primavera Residences. Led by Ms. Cheryll Barriga as our tour guide who is the VP & General Manager of Italpinas, and definitely an epitome of a modern empowered woman, we were shown to 3 types of condo units of the city’s premiere eco-friendly condo. The units truly have a touch of class, and it amazed us even more to learn how Primavera aimed to commune with nature in its construction. Now, I understand why Primavera gained all those international accolades including the most recent International Property Awards!

Beautiful and Inspiring Party Guests

I was expecting some few good men in the party, but I was overwhelmed by the presence of guests like the women officers of the Philippine Air Force, members of women’s organizations, and several elegant-looking ladies. Then, of course I’ll always highlight the women speakers with their insightful speeches that just blew me away.

Primavera Residences’ very own empowered women with the guests from Soroptimist Iligan and Rotary Club Maria Cristina

The writer, Kathy Yu (third from right) with friends and guests

For more event photos, visit the official Facebook page of Primavera Residences at www.facebook.com/CondoPrimavera

Hats off to Primavera Residences for hosting a wonderful tribute to the modern empowered women!

Do you want to know where some of the best monthly events in CDO is being held? Click here and find it out yourself.

Girl Rising: A Movie Review

Posted by Primavera Residences on March 20, 2014

Girl Rising: A Movie Review

There is always something about documentaries that really touches me every time I watch them. Probably because it talks about real stories and comments from actual events and people involved.

Watching the documentary ‘Girl Rising’ truly moved me. The film has so much power and determination to change the world by educating girls. It is one of the best documentaries I have seen. And it’s perfect for women’s month celebration. The film doesn’t make you cry, it just makes you realize that a girl has immense power to be an advocate of change through education. An educated girl moves economies, as the movie emphasizes.

I like the way the documentary is presented. It highlights the stories of nine girls from nine different countries, each of them pursuing their dream of getting good education. You can see how they longed to be in school regardless of their situation. No money issues, cultural issues or other potential social problems can prevent them from attending school, and watching them is just so inspiring. And so, after watching it, I got to tell myself that I am just so lucky to be raised by parents who sent me to a good school.

I especially like the choice of narrators: Oscar awardees Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep, Disney icon Selena Gomez, and popular actress Anne Hathaway, among others. Their voices kept me engaged throughout the entire documentary.

Of all the nine girls’ stories, Wadley’s story was what amused me the most. Born and raised in Haiti, Wadley, about nine years old, was exposed too early in life to tragic circumstance when a high-magnitude earthquake badly hit Haiti. She had fun in school until an unfortunate event caused her to stop her education. Wadley’s mom can no longer afford to send her to a makeshift learning center but that didn’t stop her from attending the class, despite being shooed away by the teacher for not paying school tuition. The cutest part was being insistent in staying, almost to the point of arguing with her teacher, until she won. Now that’s a brave little girl!

Girl Rising is more like a movement than just simply telling stories of girls and their determination towards good education. It is a campaign to encourage girls all over the world to become empowered through education in order to help make a good change in their societies.

Cocktail parties and gatherings are so much more fun when held at Primavera Residences! Find out more details by clicking here.

Join the #AnticipatingSummer Photo Contest on Facebook

Posted by Jane on March 18, 2014

Excited for summer? I’m sure you are. If you feel like reliving your fun beach photos and jump shots of summers past, feel free to tag the official Primavera Residences page on Facebook and you just might get the chance to win awesome prizes from us.

Here are three simple steps on how you can join:

Like the official Facebook page of Primavera Residences HERE.
Share your summer photos in the page or simply tag Primavera Residences.
Use the hashtag #AnticipatingSummer.

Submit your entries until March 31 and wait for the official announcement on April 2. Winner will get gift checks for his/her summer shopping needs!

Hurry, submit your entries now!

Know more about Primavera Residences, the premiere green building in Cagayan de Oro HERE.

Italian Movie “The Great Beauty” Wins an Oscar!

Posted by Primavera Residences on March 7, 2014

Italian movie “The Great Beauty” wins an Oscar!

The whole world just recently witnessed the awarding of notable films in the highly prestigious Oscar Awards last March 2^nd. Of course, apart from wanting to know the best films, there’s always wanting to find out who were the best dressed, the sloppiest, who performed in the awards night, among other things (trust me, I did my share in looking up photos of the best dressed and I’m sure you did, too). Yet, the very highlight of it all is really honoring the achievements of talented people behind the film industry. They are the ones who put life to the stories weaved in our imaginations or even from real life events.

I am a fan of movies, whether local or international, but I have a particular interest for foreign language flicks (thanks to my Film class instructor!). I learned appreciation for foreign language films from my Film class back in college, and I have grown fondly of the subject because the only things we do are watch foreign language flicks and criticize right after. So, during last Sunday’s Oscars, I salute the winner of the Best Foreign Language Film, Italy’s “The Great Beauty” or “La Grande Belleza” by Paolo Sorrentino for bagging the award. This movie must have something special in it for being honored as such. Let me give you a brief description of the storyline.

The story revolves around the life of high socialite Jep Gambardella and his reflections of how he wasted away the years of his life throwing parties and living a superbly lavish lifestyle with his social and literary circles in Rome, yet not feeling contented at all. Jep was a successful writer, having gained his writing feat for that one novel during his early twenties. But after his 65^th birthday, he came to a personal reflection of what went missing with his life. He just can’t seem to find satisfaction and he’s at a loss for finding meaning to living.

As the movie was set in Rome, scenes depicted several of Rome’s classical architecture and landscape including the high-rise condos of Jep’s socialite friends. The mixture of sights and sounds in the movie is just as fascinating, as the movie portrays the extravagant nightlife of the main character. Ah, Italy!

If you are not so much a fan of foreign language flicks as this, you may get into the trouble of fully understanding the movie plot. The Great Beauty needs a good amount of comprehension, considering that the title doesn’t really illustrate the story line as it is. But it will make you question what the great beauty is, and Jep shows a discovery of himself after a series of interactions with individuals who he met as he goes about a reflective journey of his life. I think the story itself is what made it the deserving winner of the foreign language film category.

You wouldn’t want to miss watching this award-winning Italian film and getting a feel of Italian living, so find yourself a copy and you might just see an image of yourself on Jep Gambardella. Then, don’t forget to do some serious personal reflections, too!

Did you know that we also have an award-winning Italian-inspired condominium here in CDO? Click here to take a peek of the city’s premiere eco-friendly residential abode!

9 Things that Made February in Primavera Residences Super Fabulous!

Posted by Jane on February 28, 2014

How was your February? Ours at Primavera Residences was beyond awesome. We had a singles event and a cool online contest, we helped stage a romantic marriage proposal, and a lot of other exciting events.

Here, let me go through the events with you one by one.

1. Selfies galore! I know that at this point, you are probably cringing at the idea of taking selfies. But wait — how about Valentine-themed selfies that feature the first multi-awarded green condominium in Mindanao in the background? And you can do it too in the spirit of Valentine’s Day which is, of course, characterized by loads of cheesiness, quirky good fun, and an outpouring of love.

And guess what? We’ve already picked a lucky winner! Stay tuned as we announce who wins a free dinner date courtesy of Primavera Residences!

2. National Geographic feature. Did you know that Primavera Residences and its developer Italpinas recently got featured in the February 2014 issue of the prestigious magazine National Geographic? ITPI Corp. (Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation) was noted for leading the country’s push into sustainable architecture and property development. Read more of this HERE.

3. A surprise proposal at the rooftop!

A day before Valentine’s day, our collective hearts got melted when we witnessed a heartfelt and uber romantic surprise proposal that we helped stage at the rooftop. Nikko professed his undying love and devotion and asked Audrey to spend happily ever after with him in a proposal that rivals that of fairy tales. With tears in our eyes, we wiped off our mascaras and sniffed away tears of joy.

Watch the video here:

4. Primavera Residences officially partners with Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club! Have you heard about the fastest-growing sport in Cagayan de Oro? Rugby Football has swept Cagayan de Oro by storm. Last February 22, the CDORFC competed for the first time with the more experienced Davao and Cebu teams during the kick-off games of the VisMin Rugby Football League. See more about this exciting sport in this article by CDORFC coach and founder Noel Villa.

5. Primavera Residences joins the “GREENGINEERING” movement of engineering students through their activity called SIGMA: the youth engineer’s response to the call for a greener nation. Our very own CEO Arch. Romolo Nati who is highly acclaimed for his innovative green designs, spoke at the event about green architecture and sustainable development.

6. Two words: Singles Party! Who says Valentine’s month is only for the happily hitched? Singles can have fun, too! Especially with events like the Primavera Singles Freedom party held a week after Valentine’s day. It was an evening full of laughs, trivia quizzes, games, acoustic music, and loads of fun and prizes. See the details of the event through this blog post from Nino of TsadaGyud.com.

7. It’s our CEO’s birthday! ITPI’s very own architect and CEO Romolo Valentino Nati celebrated his birthday on Valentine’s day!! No wonder his name is Valentino, right? That and four other awesome things about our CEO here.

8. We joined kagay-anons in celebrating Mayor Oca Moreno’s birthday. On February 28, different groups from all over Cagayan de Oro celebrated the city mayor’s 63rd birthday through a whole day event at Gaston Park and CDO City Hall. Activities include medical and dental mission (through the Mis Or Medical Society and Phil. Dental Association), free legal assistance, feeding program for street children, free haircut and massage, blood letting activity, free anti-rabies vaccines, and outdoor camp for the arts. As a show of support, Primavera Residences provided 250 packets of over-the-counter medicines as part of the free medical assistance activity.

9. We participated in the 2014 PinoyWork.com Career Expo. Job hunting and career development can be quite tiresome. But thanks to events like the PinoyWork.com Career Expo, it can be a lot easier and more exciting! Last February 26 – 27, Italpinas joined the career fair at Centrio Activity Center and met jobseekers and mallgoers alike.

March is here and we are brewing a whole lot more fun activities for you. Be sure to visit Primavera Residences and join us in our next events!

Wanna know more about Cagayan de Oro’s first eco-friendly building and its exciting events, go HERE.

Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club (CdO RFC): A Kagay-Anon Journey to The Sport of Rugby

Posted by Jane on February 25, 2014

BY NOEL VILLA (founder and coach of the Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club)

Each one of us has a role to play in this world: a good father, a great leader, and a lot more. As for me, I choose to be a simple teacher who loves to teach and share my passion for Rugby.

I admit, I am no Jonah Lomu (the first global superstar in Rugby Union) and I will never be like him inside the pitch. But that’s not the only way one can spread love for the sport, especially in a place where almost nobody has ever seen a real rugby ball.

Back in the United Kingdom where I stayed for 27 years, I grew up playing rugby for my school. I love how the sport teaches discipline, strategy and team work and of course, the show of strength and agility which every sportsman can relate.

When I came home to the Philippines for a vacation in September 2011, I was lucky to find a rugby team to train with. My first team, The Raging Bisons, won 2nd Place in the Plate Division during the first ever Rugby 7’s in the 2012 Philippine National Games. I later joined the Globe Immortals Team and have contributed to Rugby 101 program to teach the sport at the Ultra grounds, which I find quite fulfilling.

noel vila cdo rugby — *Winning a Silver Medal in the Plate Division during the 2012 Philippine Games*

Love brought me to Cagayan de Oro City in June of 2013 and I have settled in this lovely City ever since. But there was one problem: nobody that I talked to knew anything about Rugby when I first came here. So, I started jogging at Pueblo de Oro carrying my only Rugby Ball, tossing the ball up in the air from 5:30am to 7:00am, with the sole mission of getting a curious jogger to ask what the egg-shaped ball was for. That proved to be a challenge and yes, I got some odd looks from the people who saw me then. For the next few days I did this religiously and though not having much luck, I didn’t think of giving up on the sport that has helped me a lot growing up.
After a few days of no luck, I realized I have to change my strategy. Since there was no Rugby club in the local scene, I decided to create one.

So in August 2013, I formed a Facebook Page which I named Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club (CDO RFC) hoping to catch the attention of those who are curious about the sport and possibly get them to play Rugby. I made sure to advertise the Club in different FB Groups, subtly recruiting boys and girls to try playing the sport and practically promoting its history and growth into the mainstream sports scene.

Three guys showed up during the first training session, then became ten and soon enough, we got girls into the Team. Now there are over thirty members in the Club and counting.

Above all, I am proud that CDO RFC Team has developed a heart for the community through our social advocacy, “Help Change the Life of a Child” providing sports therapy and feeding program to the children of Boys Town in Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City.

help save the life of a child — *“Help Change the Life of a Child” – Sports Therapy and Feeding Program of CDO RFC for the children of Boys Town Lumbia.*

We also advocate the value of charity and goodwill to the community through our “Give Blood, Play Rugby” Program where we donate blood through the Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

Creating and maintaining the CDO RFC was no walk in the park and there is still so much work to be done.

I started the Club with no funds and had to rely on friends to share some of their precious savings so I can run the Club with integrity. There were paper works to accomplish, fees to pay and plenty of unanswered questions such as, “Where shall we train the kids?”, “Where do we get the balls, crash pads and cones for training?”, “How do we produce the kits?”, “How do we recruit players?” or “Where do we get the budget for rugby development?” and so on. Most of the answers to these questions actually cost me my own savings and precious time.

Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle.” True, there were challenging obstacles along the way but I chose to do this because I love what I do and I believe that there are talents waiting to be discovered. Now I can proudly say that after five months of training under the sun or rain, CDO RFC is ready to take on another milestone: compete in a real game against more experienced teams.

——————-

UPDATE: On February 22, 2014, the Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club competed with the Cebu Dragons and Davao Durians at the Pelaez Sports Complex in Cagayan de Oro City. The day began with a free Get Into Rugby (GIR) Clinic which was open for boys and girls aged 11 to 16 from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. followed by the kick-off games of the VisMin Rugby Football League from 12 noon onwards.

See below for photos taken during the event.

Do you know which multi-awarded green condominium building in CDO is proudly supporting the Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club? Click here.

Video: What do we want for Christmas?

Posted by Primavera Residences on December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas to all! As a holiday gift, we have launched the Share a Wish Promo.

Just share your Christmas Wish and you get a chance to win a luxurious 2-night stay with spa experience at Primavera Residences, the most sought-after address in Cagayan de Oro City! Click here to join!

Primavera Residences to show free Italian films at Venerdi al cinema (Friday at the Movies)

Posted by Primavera Residences on November 28, 2013

Don’t you just love Italian films? Do you think you’re positively in love with Bernardo Bertolucci’s work? Or that of Fellini? Have you watched Malena? What about La vita è bella (Life is Beautiful)? The Last Emperor? Do Spaghetti Westerns make you laugh?

Now you have a chance to win a free ticket to watch Italian films at the posh Primavera Residences.

Primavera Residences, the first eco-friendly mixed-use condominium development in Cagayan de Oro City, proudly presents Venerdi al cinema (Friday at the Movies).

Every Friday for the next three weeks, 50 lucky Cagayan de Oro residents will be treated to a free showing of some of the best Italian films of all time.

The film showing will be held on Fridays, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m, at the 2F Multi-Purpose Hall of the Primavera Residences at Trade Street, Pueblo Business Park, Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.

Schedule of screenings:

Nov. 29 — La vita è bella (Life is Beautiful)
Dec. 6 — Loose Cannons
Dec. 13 — Cinema Paradiso

Without doubt, Italian films are truly among the world’s best, having influenced film movements across the globe since the advent of film itself.

If you don’t know that yet, now’s a chance to find that out.

To win a free ticket to Venerdi al cinema (Friday at the Movies), call +63917 792 1080, +63917 794 2221 or click on the Get Free tickets button at this page on the Primavera website.

Category: Entertainment

Merry Christmas to all! As a holiday gift, we have launched the Share a Wish Promo.

Just share your Christmas Wish and you get a chance to win a luxurious 2-night stay with spa experience at Primavera Residences, the most sought-after address in Cagayan de Oro City! Click here to join!