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.

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

Posted by Jane on March 1, 2014

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.

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.

Primavera Residences Developer Sponsors Rotary Club of West Cagayan de Oro’s Golf Tourney

Posted by Jane on February 10, 2014

ITPI sponsors Rotary Club of West CdO’s golf tourney

ITPI Corp. (ItalPinas Euroasian Design and Eco-Development), the company behind Cagayan de Oro’s first eco-friendly mixed-use condo Primavera Residences, is working hard to become a valued member of the Kagay-anon community.

This was why ITPI did its best to support the Rotary Club of West CdO when it held its Oro Golf Tourney from February 7-9 at the Pueblo de Oro Golf & Country Club in Cagayan de Oro City.

The tournament, which brought together entrepreneurs belonging to the Rotary Club of West CdO, was meant both as a bonding and fund-raising activity.

According to the tournament director, Clifford Roa, proceeds of the event are expected to fund several projects of the Rotary Club chapter.

“Apart from funding our (the IBP chapter’s) scheduled projects, a certain amount will also be set aside to be donated to victims of typhoon Yolanda,” Clifford Roa, who is also the president of the Capitol University Alumni Association, said.

Winners of the tourney bounded away with huge prizes, including a Ford Fiesta, a Panasonic refrigerator, Sharp flat screen TVs, an LG washing machine, and even an overnight stay at the Italian elegant Primavera Residences, the first eco-friendly condominium development in the city of Golden Friendship.

Primavera Residences is a mixed-use condominium complex built in uptown CdO’s masterplanned Pueblo de Oro Business & IT Park, where 24/7 security, power and transportation are guaranteed.

It is accessible to virtually everything in CdO — schools, places of worship, airports, seaports, bus terminals — and even SM City CdO (as well as other commercial establishments).

Its 10 storeys twin towers can withstand strong typhoons and earthquakes because they were designed using state-of-the-art computer software to simulate how the structures would react to various strains and ground movement.

It is also the first eco-friendly condo complex in Mindanao, featuring the best principles of passive cooling technology: shadow and sunlight control, wind cooling and shape performance.

These features, combined with renewable energy that will be produced from solar panels found on the roof and walls of the towers, this will help reduce the overall energy consumption of the buildings — bringing long-term savings to its residents and making Primavera Residences even more desirable as an investment.

More event photos below.

This article is also published in tsadagyud.com.

Article written by Danilova Molintas

For more details about the first eco-friendly condo complex in Mindanao, visit this link.

Here’s Why You Should Have Been at the Primavera Residences – PS Bank Testimonial Cocktail Event

Posted by Jane on January 11, 2014

So, you missed the Primavera Residences and PS Bank cocktail event. Boo hoo. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything, just, you know, listing down the reasons why you ought to have been there. And I’m not talking about the food or the cocktails either, because there are MORE reasons than the delish food and drinks.

Here are the reasons why you missing the event at Primavera Residences was a baaad idea.

It’s the second part of the SOAR events in Northern Mindanao.

What is SOAR, you ask? It stands for Sustainable Opportunities and Advocacies in the Regions, a series of events with partner banks, and a brainchild of Italpinas Inc.’s Primavera Residences. Its aim is to promote closer ties with ITPI’s partner banks, and provide a venue for like-minded individuals to come together and discuss investment opportunities and sustainable architecture, among others.

The top honchos from both companies were there.

The event was well-supported by both Italpinas and PS Bank, with its big men (and women) flying over from Manila to attend the event, despite the recent calamity that struck the country. ITPI CEO Arch. Romolo Nati was there to talk about Green Architecture Design and Construction and ITPI President Atty. Jojo Leviste was likewise present to give the welcome statement.

On the PS Bank side, the event was graced by their Vice President Ms. Abigail Melicor who talked about the bank’s Home Loan Program, and the Asst. Vice President Mr. Adler Ferrer who also opened the event with a few remarks.

Aside from the strong support from both companies, the testimonial cocktail was also attended by Mr. Alessandro Abbate, the President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines. Mr. Abbate also spoke about the reasons behind the solid presence of the Italian business community in the Philippines.

Mr. Abbate of the Italian Chamber of Commerce with Arch. Romolo Nati

There were lots of awesome ideas flying all over the place!

..and you could have grabbed a few to take home with you. I myself was greatly enlightened with the discussions about green properties and nature-inspired superstructures. Did you know that the ITPI building designs and construction take its inspiration from nature? This allows their buildings to withstand calamities such as typhoons and earthquakes.

For example, the award-winning Coral City design was inspired by the natural formation of the corals – the way they aggregate themselves in communities and their ability to defend against external attacks and predators. The ITPI project in Sto. Tomas, Batangas was based on the structure of the sea sponge, while Cagayan de Oro’s very own Primavera Residences was inspired by the termite mound where air gets drawn from the outside and circulated throughout the mound, creating a natural ventilation scheme that translates to lower energy consumption.

These inspirations drawn from nature allow the ITPI properties to adapt to the surroundings and work with nature instead of against it resulting to sustainable, forward-thinking, and cost-effective solutions.

The attendees were given a peek into PS Bank’s client-friendly Home Loan products.

Ms. Abigail Melicor, PS Bank VP in a discussion about the Home Loan with Prime Rebate Program

Question: What makes PS Bank one of the strongest banks in the country and one of the top banks that you could trust with your home loans?

a. Its Home Loan Program with Prime Rebate which allows you to earn rebates on advance or excess payment,

b. Its TGIF or “Thank Goodness It’s Five Days!” policy where you can be assured of a five days (or less) approval,

c. Its maximum loanable amount of 80% of the property’s appraised value,

d. Its easy application procedures and simple requirements, or

e. All of the above

Answer: ALL OF THE ABOVE!

The Freebies!

Of course, it wouldn’t be possible to end this post without discussing the freebies. Aside from the usual raffle prizes that include eco bags, umbrellas, and travel bags (which are all awesome, by the way), the major prizes were:

2 nights stay with breakfast and free pool use for two persons in a one-bedroom accommodation at Primavera Residences, and
another 2 nights stay with breakfast and free pool use for four persons in a two-bedroom accommodation at Primavera Residences.

So, are you regretting why you weren’t there? Don’t worry, you can always catch more events at Primavera Residences. See you in future events!

Tag: CDO events