The Debate Between Condo or House and Lot

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This article originally appeared in BusinessWeek Mindanao March 2, 2015 issue in the business column Out of the Biz Box. 

When it comes to choosing where to live (buy or rent doesn’t matter) I keep on assisting an apparently eternal debate between Condo and/or House/Lot. In Metro Manila, this debate has already evolved to a clear understanding about the indisputable advantages condos have compared to house and lot.

My neighbours, when I used to live in Manila, were actually from Cagayan de Oro. They were living in a gorgeous 3 bedroom unit at a higher floor and were overall a very nice couple with 3 kids. During one of our food and wine tasting evenings we used to have from time to time they shared with me reasons why they decided to buy in a condo rather than a house/lot. They explained to me that as a family the main reason was safety followed by ease of maintenance of the unit, the modern amenities and a very convenient location near to work. I realised that, compared to other parts of the world, decisions about location and type of accommodation is based on considerations that go beyond practicalities.

Interested in knowing more about people’s motivations, I started asking other Filipinos about their experiences and thoughts and so I discovered that many of those who decide to go for condos do so because they fear burglars frequently present in sub-divisions, the inconvenience of needing a car at all times even for buying a litre of milk, the damages caused by typhoons, flooding or other adverse weather conditions.

Especially those who actually live abroad like foreigners married to Filipinas or OFWs often feel abused by the continuous repairs and maintenance fund requests by their caretakers or relatives. Understandably a house has much more maintenance needs than a condo. I could relate to that since I did own houses in the past and I understand that there are water pumps that break, air-conditioning that don’t work, leakages from the roof, pipes that burst, plants that need to be watered and many more things that need continuous care and maintenance.

There was one time when I had just rented my family house in Dubai to an Arab tenant, when he rang me up complaining about the air-conditioning not working. So I sent in some repair guys and they had to replace two pumps. A week later he called again for the water pump. A week later he called again for a leakage in the bathroom. This went on for 3 or 4 months after which he even refused to pay rent until it was all replaced and fixed. It all sounded crazy to me but as the owner I had the responsibility to repair and replace defective parts. I spent nearly as much money in repairs as this guy was paying in rent. This incident convinced me that, unless I was living in the house, I would never again want to own one to rent it out to someone else. But this is only my personal experience and could have been only bad luck.

In fact there is a bright side to a house/lot though. I do miss those times where I was inviting my friends over for an outdoor BBQ party in my garden or where I enjoyed sitting outside and work looking at the palm trees, my baby banana tree and all the rest of the planted greenery. It felt nice but now, years on, I just enjoy closing the door of my condo unit behind me and relax, being able to live worry free for all the time I want to stay away. If I come back after 6 months or 1 year at least I am sure that all my things are still there and that there is no repairs and maintenance works to do. That’s just peace of mind. Priceless. On top of that most condo developers offer a property management service which could take care about the rental of the unit in my absence shall I wish to make some money while I am abroad. This is probably most convenient for OFWs or pure investors. These units are then rented out fully furnished and are completely looked after by a professional team.

Understandably everyone has different needs and dreams in life so personally I don’t have a prejudice between house/lot, condo or even hotel apartment. I can only talk about my personal experiences. It is clear though that a condo lifestyle has certain advantages and it is spreading more and more into the Filipino countryside, out of the main hubs of Manila, Cebu and Davao. Fortunately there are now additional options developers in secondary offer to its clients including in cities like Cagayan de Oro.

Halloween in Cagayan de Oro: A Look at the Best Costumes

Kagay-anons are not only known as some of the friendliest people you could ever come across (not sure about this? Just ask #BecomingFilipino’s Kulas), they’re definitely the most fun-loving, too.

In a recent post, we shared what Halloween in Cagayan de Oro is like: the Undas traditions mingling perfectly with Halloween fun. Talk about the best of both worlds!

For this article, we’ll round up some of the best Kagay-anon Halloween costumes we came across this year.

1. The CDO Rugby Club dressed up and tackled Halloween

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Who would’ve thought that these tough, national champions would play rugby football as “Prom Queen Latifah” or as “Fairy God Tooth Father”? Headed by the CDO Rafters’ founder and coach Noel Villa who came as a Pharaoh (see photo below), the guys came in to train at Pelaez Sports Center last Halloween all decked up in spook-tacular costumes.

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Coach Noel as The Pharaoh
The CDO RFC Juniors came as assorted zombies!
The CDO RFC Juniors came as assorted zombies!
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Coach Noel as The Pharaoh strikes a pose with Peter Pan

 

Photos courtesy of the Cagayan de Oro Rugby Club official page

2. A Raging Halloween Party at Lifestyle District

Lifestyle District is one of the hippest place to be in Cagayan de Oro, and last October 31, it played host to an awesome Halloween party. Several party-goers partied the night away in their most magnificent costumes.

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Photo from Sean Moreno’s Facebook page

3. Not just one but a series of Halloween make up transformations!

A local blogger, Shaun Pilapil of http://www.msshaunoftheday.com wowed not just her fellow Kagay-anons but netizens all over with her amazing make up skills. For the entire month of October, she completed a series of Halloween make up creations, transforming friends and family into characters like Zombie Michael Jackson, Achmed the Terrorist, Cruella deVille, and even the entire Addams Family line up.

Check out some of her amazing creations (all photos from http://www.msshaunoftheday.com)

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It’s Freddy Krueger ready to haunt your dreams
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The evil Darth Maul
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Tim Burton’s the Corpse Bride
Hide your pets, it's Cruella!
Hide your pets, it’s Cruella!

4. Team Primavera goes vintage!

Last October 31, the entire Primavera Residences team went back in time to the roaring twenties with costumes largely inspired by the movie The Great Gatsby. Who says work and fun couldn’t come together? Let the folks at Primavera show you how to breeze through Halloween in style!

Photo by Diana Zamora
Photo by Diana Zamora

Halloween for Kagay-anons is a way of remembering and honoring friends and family who have passed away. It is also a time to get creative with costumes whether at work or at play.

So, how about you? How did you spend your Halloween? You can leave your message at the comments section below.

 

Primavera Residences is a proud kagay-anon development in uptown Cagayan de Oro, with units available for sale and for rent. Its world-class Italian design and eco-friendly features brought to CDO numerous international awards including the 2014-2015 Best Mixed-Use Development in the Philippines in the Asia Pacific Property Awards.

For more information about Primavera Residences, visit www.primaveraresidences.com or call 088-880-5002.

Primavera Residences Partners with Local Groups for Tourism Week Celebration

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The Gateway to Northern Mindanao.

The City of White Water Rafting and River Trekking.

The City of Golden Friendship.

These are just some tags CdO is known for. From its welcoming view to the whole island of Mindanao, and for having the most adventurous experience you’ll ever have, to finally having the warmest and most hospitable people you’ll ever meet. Cagayan de Oro is certainly the city you’d want to visit.

Cagayan de Oro City, the 2nd Most Competitive City in the Philippines, was a declaration that, indeed, the city has overcome countless economic and environmental challenges the past years. It also did expand its tourism industry that it brought tourists to come and visit the city innumerable times.

This month of September, we annually celebrate the National Tourism Week wherein we remember all successes our tourism industry has impacted on our city.

In line with this celebration, Primavera Residences will be hosting the Tourism Partners Grand Tour which invites travel agencies, car rental agencies and tour operators this coming September 24, 4 P.M. at the 2/F of Primavera Residences’ Multi-purpose Hall to introduce to them the in-house rental program of Primavera Residences and how they can benefit from it in terms of incentives from referrals among other perks.

Primavera Residences is proud to embrace all our tourism agencies who have made known to put an influence in raising awareness to the public how wonderful Cagayan de Oro is.

September 24 is the date to remember. Hope to see you during the event!

 

Primavera Residences is a green mixed-use property located in Uptown Cagayan de Oro comprising of residential, commercial and office units for rent and purchase. All units at Tower 1 are ready for occupancy. The building’s Tower 2 is slated to be completed later this year. Because of its unique design and green features, it recently won an award in the 2014-2015 Asia Pacific Property Awards held in Kuala Lumpur for Best Mixed-Use Development in the Philippines.

For any inquiries on events at Primavera Residences, call (088) 880-5002, 0917-794-2221 or visit www.primaveraresidences.com.

 

Getting to know Miss Primavera 2014 Novanmae Marcojos

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Two weeks after the Miss Cagayan de Oro 2014 coronation night and after all the pageant frenzy has finally started to settle down, the newly hailed Miss Primavera dropped by at the multi-awarded eco-friendly property for a meet-and-greet with her new Italpinas family. Novanmae Marcojos arrived at the Primavera Sales Office, sans make up, but looking as bright and pretty as ever.

Novan is currently a BS Development Communication student with a major in Educational Communication which focuses in equipping students with the expertise in audio-visual communication. As a photography enthusiast, she fits perfectly in her chosen path of education. Her creativity brings out her desire to uncover the beauties around her while her bubbly personality and artistry makes her stand out among the rest.

Being a DevCom student at Xavier University, Novan enjoys helping the less fortunate communities that inspired her to pursue her goal to someday be someone who can be the voice of the voiceless. She wants to be an image of hope, love and inspiration. She loves the idea of adventure that it brings her to live every moment of every day. Resolute and always up for a challenge, she loves the opportunities in every challenge she encounters.

Miss Cagayan de Oro 2014 journey

“I always embrace the existence of challenges; it is where I can truly enjoy life and make the most out of it. Though a first-timer in this path, I know I can get through it,” Marcojos expressed.

She considers her experience in the Miss Cagayan de Oro pageant as one of the most difficult and challenging experiences she ever had in all her 21 years.

“Many people could not help but question my participation in this year’s Miss CDO. Yes, it’s my first time to join any pageant and I felt a bit overwhelmed from the experience. Getting injured during the pageant was the most excruciating challenge I ever had to face,” she added.

Novanmae was injured from a cheer dance rehearsal which resulted to a lengthy hospitalization that involves surgery in her right arm.

“I never allowed that obstacle to become a hindrance in this once in a lifetime experience. Though I wasn’t able to attend to some exposures yet I made it a point that I will be able to regain my strength and still move forward despite the situation. In the end, that’s what every Kagay-anon is known for, to be resilient to every storm that may come our way,” she clarified.

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Novan on a tour of the Primavera Residences units

What’s next for Novan?

She is happy to embrace the changes that happened in her life. Moreover, she learned to set priorities and become a better version of herself.

Novan has a way of inspiring herself to be optimistic with whatever she faces. “Everything has its own timing and purpose. Treasuring every moment and making the most out of these adventures help me boost my confidence,” she said.

After the pageant, she will continue her studies at the university as she continues to pursue her learning and passion to be a role model for development of our community.

“Being Miss Primavera gives me the chance to pursue one of my advocacies—to promote cleanliness and proper segregation of wastes. To help create a clean and green environment,” she expressed.

Novan will be present in Primavera Residences’ major events as well as to help promote the advocacy the green developer is proud of and known for.

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Primavera Residences is a green mixed-use property located in Uptown Cagayan de Oro comprising residential, commercial and office units for rent and purchase.  Because of its unique design and green features, it recently won an award in the 2014-2015 Asia Pacific Property Awards held in Kuala Lumpur for Best Mixed-Use Development in the Philippines.

For inquiries about Primavera Residences, call (088) 880-5002, 0917-794-2221 or visit www.primaveraresidences.com.

Primavera Residences Announces Miss Primavera 2014

 

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Primavera Residences recently awarded this year’s Miss Primavera during the Miss Cagayan de Oro 2014 coronation night held last August 23, 2014 at the Limketkai Atrium.

Since 2012, Primavera Residences has carefully selected from among the roster of Miss CDO candidates to pick one perfect candidate who embodies the company’s values. From August 6 to 20 this year, Primavera Residences enjoined Kagay-anons to participate in the selection process by voting for their favorite candidates through an on-site voting held at the Primavera sales booth in SM City CDO and in the lobby of the Primavera Sales Office at 2/F Primavera Residences Tower 1.

Miss Primavera was then chosen based on the public’s votes and on the values that represent what Primavera Residences is known for: inspiring brilliance, effortless elegance and world-class beauty.  After a thorough checking and deliberation, the votes have spoken.

This year’s Miss Primavera is no other than candidate # 5, Miss Novanmae Marcojos.

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Photo from the Official Miss CDO FB page

Novan is a junior Development Communication student of Xavier University and a former sergeant of the Philippine Air Force Reserve Command. She has high hopes and enthusiasm in helping promote the city. Her goal is to take part in molding the city’s youth through raising awareness on good education and proper lifestyle.

Novan is also awarded as Miss Photogenic and Miss 2GO Travel during the Miss Cagayan de Oro coronation night. The coveted Miss Cagayan de Oro crown was awarded to Candidate #10, Miss Bea Alvarez Pohl,a student of Liceo de Cagayan University, and the pride of Barangay Carmen.

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Miss Primavera is also Miss Photogenic.
Photo from the Official Miss Cagayan de Oro Facebook Page

See more of Miss Primavera 2014, Novanmae Marcojos, in upcoming appearances at Primavera Residences events.

Primavera Residences is a green mixed-use property located in Uptown Cagayan de Oro comprising residential, commercial and office units for rent and purchase.  Because of its unique design and green features, it recently won an award in the 2014-2015 Asia Pacific Property Awards held in Kuala Lumpur for Best Mixed-Use Development in the Philippines.

For inquiries about Primavera Residences, call (088) 310-5002, 0917-794-2221 or visit www.primaveraresidences.com.

Primavera Residences Hosts Special Viewing of the Kagay-an Pyro Festival

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Photo by tsadagyud.com

It was a jam-packed Sunday night, August 24, at the Primavera Residences roof deck as revellers of various ages celebrated Higalaay Kagay-an 2014 by watching the highly anticipated Pyro Festival.

Attended by the company’s valued clients, Primavera Residences prepared an exclusive cocktail event for guests to enjoy the skies while creating camaraderie and “higalaay” — the essence of the kagay-an festival. It was a crowd of unit owners, bank executives, unit owners, renters, travel and tour operators and other invited VIP guests.

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The event was also graced by a special guest, Kyle “Kulas” Jennermann, a Cagayan de Oro-based Canadian who aspires to become Filipino and is made famous by his blog and social media account called BecomingFilipino.com. Kyle considers Cagayan de Oro as his new home.

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The fireworks show began shortly after 9pm, leaving the crowd in awe of the amazing display.

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The Pyro Festival is an annual event of SM City Cagayan de Oro  and is part of the core Cagayan de Oro fiesta events. The outer beacon of the mall, as well as some areas of Pueblo Business Park, are filled with a huge crowd of firework enthusiasts. There were five contenders from different areas in the country. Team Cagayan de Oro won the competition with a spectacular fireworks display matched with hit songs such as Frozen’s Let it Go.

Primavera Residences is a green mixed-use property located in Uptown Cagayan de Oro comprising of residential, commercial and office units for rent and purchase. All units at Tower 1 are ready for occupancy. The building’s Tower 2 is slated to be completed later this year. Because of its unique design and green features, it recently won an award in the 2014-2015 Asia Pacific Property Awards held in Kuala Lumpur for Best Mixed-Use Development in the Philippines.

For any inquiries on upcoming fun activities and contests at Primavera Residences, call (088) 310-5002, 0917-794-2221 or visit www.primaveraresidences.com. You may also visit www.primaveraresidences.com for more info. 

New Ventures and Opportunities at the 2014 PinoyWork.com Career Expo

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New Ventures and Opportunities at the 2014 PinoyWork.com Career Expo

By Samantha Lagar Liboon

You could say that I’m the kind of person who tends to grab almost every opportunity that comes my way. This is why I was thrilled to join the representatives of ITPI Corp. on PinoyWork.com’s Career Expo 2014.

Here are some reasons why:

1. Career development and opportunities

PinoyWork.com’s Career Expo 2014, which was held last February 26-27, 2014 in Centrio Mall was a two-day career development program organized for graduating students and job seekers in Mindanao. For companies, it also offered publicity and an avenue to present their company’s profile and products.

2. Inspiring talks

But the expo wasn’t only about showcasing job opportunities for Kagay-anons, it was also a venue for inspiring, insightful and thought-provoking talks from representatives of participating companies. There were several talks, but one that caught my attention were that by Clifford Roa, director of Philippine Red Cross CDO Chapter. Mr. Roa spoke on “Passion, Innovation and Network”. Another talk that struck me was that on “Entrepreneurship” by Ms. Concordia D. Acosta of the Department of Trade and Industry.

3.  “Passion, Innovation and Network”

As I listened to Mr. Roa sharing insights about how to succeed in our careers and how to be the ultimate salesperson, I was forced to reflect on new chosen career in real estate, and how all these ideals translate to the vision of ITPI Corp. or Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Services. ITPI is the developer of Mindanao’s first eco-friendly condominium, Primavera Residences, which is located (luckily for us Kagay-anons) in uptown Cagayan de Oro. It’s an amazing property — the first mixed-use condominium in the city (and the region) that integrates passive cooling techniques with on-site production of renewable energy. And all of it was spawned from the vision of ITPI’s CEO and Executive Chairman Arch. Romolo Nati and ITPI President Atty. Jojo Leviste.

Noting that property developments have contributed to urban problems and global warming, Arch. Nati has long advocated a unique design philosophy that involves biomimicry — or mimicking the way nature uses resources and adapts to the environment.

Taking inspiration from a termite mound’s natural ventilation scheme, the two towers of Primavera Residences are able to cool the air that gets drawn from outside into the buildings. This air is then vented into the building’s floors, creating a cross-ventilation for the units inside it before it exits through the open space at the top, like a chimney. The constant air circulation, among other energy saving features of the building, results in a 32% decrease in air conditioner costs.

As I continued to reflect, I then realized that it’s high-time for all of us to become aware of and to be sensitive about caring for our ecology. Suddenly, I was proud of ITPI for doing great in driving the awareness of environmental issues and of making Primavera Residences affordable to both the business class and professional of Cagayan de Oro.

4.  Embracing Fearlessness and Risk

As for Ms. Acosta, her talk on Entrepreneurship highlighted the endless possibilities that could arise from taking risks and trying out independent ventures.

As I listened to the inspiring talks and observed the jobseekers and the companies who participated in the Career Expo, I was filled with a sense of hope. Suddenly, I was recharged with new-found energy to pursue new paths and achieve new goals!

Wanna know more about the highly innovative green condominium in Cagayan de Oro? Click here.