What to Look Forward to in Uptown Cagayan de Oro?

Uptown CDODubbed as ‘The Emerging City of Tomorrow’ by the UN Habitat, Cagayan de Oro is consistent in achieving its goals in sustaining the city’s economic growth and upholding sustainable expansions in property developments.

Uptown Cagayan de Oro is a developing residential township and business center. With the surge of upper class communities and commercial hubs, Uptown CdO brings another sense of the city’s residents– a sense of ownership and pride to residents living within its area. You can now hear people saying “I live in Uptown” bringing in the sense of class and wealth.

According to Lorens Ziller, CEO of Multiplata Investments, with Uptown Cagayan de Oro becoming an emergent residential and business center, it has become the Makati of Northern Mindanao. “Though Uptown CdO is still underrated but it is well-recognized by those who count and can afford to live in upper class communities like Xavier Estates and within the Pueblo de Oro Community,” he adds.

What’s next for Uptown CdO?

UN Habitat and its planned city extension (PCE) program ‘Achieving Sustainable Urban Development’ (ASUD) has paved the way to transform uptown CDO’s landscape to a highly urbanized yet sustainable district in Cagayan de Oro.

ASUD pursues its PCE program in Barangay Lumbia. ASUD aims to link the urbanized downtown to its uptown area considering it also connects the gateway to province of Bukidnon, providing an inter-provincial transport hub for the trade and commerce of agricultural goods.

With this in mind, Uptown Cagayan de Oro will soon become another district of entertainment and leisure.

Planned sustainable urbanization for CdO’s uptown

With the surge of plenty well-developed subdivisions and an expanding condo scene, from Xavier Estates to Primavera Residences, the uptown is the place to be for those who are looking for a sound real estate investment.

Uptown Cagayan de Oro has a lot in store for us. Aside from its vibrant yet peaceful scenery, the city government is planning to build a sports complex for varied sports activities of the Department of Education (DepEd) also in Barangay Lumbia.

Among the amenities will be the athlete’s quarters, swimming pool, and track and field oval, to mention some. This aims to prepare athletes to various competitions in athletics.

With these plans for the uptown, the city extension area can absorb up to 25 percent of the city’s growth over the next 30 years.

The booming city of Northern Mindanao is one of three Philippine cities being supported by the USAID under the Cities Development Initiative (CDI), which aims to empower secondary cities as engines of national growth.

Italpinas, a CDO developer

Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-development Corporation (ITPI) is a leading CDO eco-developer in the Philippines that aims to develop sustainable properties in secondary cities in the country. ITPI’s flagship condo development in Cagayan de Oro, Primavera Residences, is the first and only sustainable condominium in Northern Mindanao. Located in Uptown Cagayan de Oro, it has received numerous awards locally and internationally for commitment to build sustainable properties.

According to ITPI’s President, Atty. Jojo Leviste, “While we realize the challenge brought by this new competition, I believe we can effectively meet that challenge by retaining our development’s persona as a Cagayan de Oro original, of a company that recognized CdO before the competition did,” Atty. Jojo Leviste, ITPI President, as he proudly shares this bold move to put up Primavera Residences that made an impact to Uptown Cagayan de Oro’s growth.

To know more about Uptown CdO’s first and only sustainable condominium development, Primavera Residences, please click here.

Primavera Turns Over Educational Books to Cagayan de Oro RFC

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For the past 2 months, CDO Rugby Football Club has been actively seeking for educational book donations that would benefit schools in the remote areas of Papua New Guinea. In support of this eco-friendly project, last February 27, Primavera Residences turned over unused encyclopedias and textbooks donated by its employees to CDO RFC Coach, Noel Villa.

“It is my pleasure to donate these encyclopedias for those kids in need. We are blessed to have one click away in the internet, and that instead of displaying these [encyclopedias] at home, I’m sure these books will benefit the larger community of Papua New Guinea,” Alexa Maandig, PRCC staff, who shared a complete set of encyclopedia and other books.

Books, apart from its physical considerations, are best when it comes to reading comprehension. A study found out that literacy building in children is more effective with printed books. It helps build focus on the lessons, stories, and the opportunities for interaction between the child and the parent reading the book together.

“My deepest gratitude for Primavera for fully supporting us in our endeavor to help the schools in some remote areas in Papua New Guinea. This helps a lot in rebuilding the community to further promote education and livelihood,” Noel Villa, Coach of CDO RFC, said.

Primavera Residences, the first multi-awarded eco-friendly property in Mindanao, has been actively promoting its advocacies that, for sure, will help us lead a sustainable lifestyle. It is located in a master planned community in uptown Cagayan de Oro and was built in 2009 and has been effectively in the forefront of green advocacies in Cagayan de Oro.

Do you want to know more about the building’s advocacy? Click here.

The Making of Primavera’s Cantilever Edges

On my way to the office, I overheard two passengers talking about the “brown lego blocks” of Primavera Residences. Their conversation was in Bisaya so let me translate it in English.

Person 1 (P1): I really find that building unique. But isn’t it really costly to include those brown blocks for the building’s design?

Person 2: I heard it’s a condominium. People call it “The Lego House”. Haha.

P1: But those brown blocks, do you find it really necessary?

P2: For a design? I guess so. It makes it unique, a head turner.

But as much as I’d want to interrupt and answer them, let this blog post explain what those brown blocks are and how these are uniquely designed to promote the building’s eco-friendly features.

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Cantilevered edges

Primavera Residences, a multi-awarded sustainable building in Cagayan de Oro, is designed by its own CEO and executive chairman, Arch. Romolo V. Nati. His designs were incorporated with a passive green energy strategy which led both towers to have this shading system that produces shadows minimizing the entry of direct sunlight moderating the temperature inside the units.

These cantilevered edges and brise soleils are one distinct feature of the building’s façade that create shades to reduce the entry of the sun’s heat, consequently slashing the need for air conditioning.

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Shadow control

The facades are surrounded by brise soileils (shelters) that protect the windows and glass surfaces from direct sunlight, especially during the hottest time of the day. These reduce the overall internal temperature of the units in the building.

It is also designed in a way to use the building components—floors, slabs, projections and balconies—as shading devices for windows and terraces, that in turn are built in appropriate dimensions that reduce overheating and glare effect of up to 80% more than in conventional buildings. Even window sizes are strategically adjusted, south-facing windows are smaller than those on the opposite side of the building, to control the amount of the sunlight heat’s entry into the units.

In fact, when it comes to saving energy, you get to control and even minimize your own energy consumption because the entire building itself is designed to be energy self-sufficient. Because the cantilevers help reduce heat, unit owners can minimize their use of air-conditioners, thus saving energy and electricity costs of up to 20%.

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This is just one of the eco-friendly features why Primavera Residences is internationally-awarded. While most commercial properties are too focused on generating revenue, the green building was built with a far more significant purpose geared towards caring for the environment.

Unit owners don’t just own a condo at this eco-friendly property; they also become promoters of sustainable living and advocates of the environment

Do you want to live in an uniquely-designed and eco-friendly home? Primavera Residences offers condo units for rent and for sale in Cagayan de Oro. You can visit is through clicking here or you can call 0917 794 2221 and (088) 880-5002 for more information.

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.

Italpinas Offers Graduation Promo for March Buyers

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In time for graduation month, Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-development Corporation, developer of Primavera Residences, offers special discounts worth P70,000 to its condominium buyers. In addition, buyers with graduating family members may also avail of an additional P5,000 worth of gift certificates which can be claimed at Bigby’s SM City CdO branch.

“This is the right time to celebrate the academic success our children have achieved. In return for all the hard work and efforts they exerted in school, Italpinas encourages buyers to give graduates the gift of independence they deserve as they move forward to a new chapter in their lives. This March, we offer not only a huge discount but also a graduation blowout at Bigby’s SM CDO branch,” Gladys Echano, Sales Director, said.

Graduation is not only a major milestone for students, but also an indication of how parents were able to succeed in equipping and giving the best they have to offer to their children. This turning point in their lives needs to be celebrated with the entire family and given the appreciation it deserves. For this, Primavera Residences has the perfect gift and celebration promo in store.

“Sooner or later, our graduates will need a breath of fresh air. They will soon ask for their independence. This is the perfect time to invest at the first sustainable condominium development in CdO, Primavera Residences,” Echano expressed.

Primavera Residences is a multi-awarded green property development situated in Uptown Cagayan de Oro. Its passive cooling features include ledges on the exterior walls that provide shade and reduce the amount of direct sunlight hitting the windows, thus minimizing the use of air-conditioners. An inner courtyard at Primavera Residences also provide natural ventilation by expulsing warm air out through the rooftop.

Because of its eco-friendly features, Primavera Residences won its latest award at the 2014 Asia Pacific regional competition of the prestigious International Property Awards in the Mixed-Use Development category.

Potential unit buyers can call or visit Primavera Residences for inquiries and present a proof of graduation upon unit purchase to avail of the additional graduation treat. The graduation blowout may be claimed exclusively at Bigby’s SM CDO branch from March 1 until April 30 only.

Do you want to know more about the multi-awarded green building’s promos and treats? You may contact Primavera at (088) 880-5002, 0917 794 2221, or you can visit their website by clicking here.

Entrepreneur Magazine PH Cites CdO as one of The “Three Surprising Cities that are Best for Business”

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Entrepreneur Magazine Philippines, a prominent business and economy magazine in the Philippines, dubbed Cagayan de Oro as one of the “Three Surprising Cities that are Best for Business” in the mag’s February 2015 issue.

Together with the cities of Iloilo and Naga, Cagayan de Oro has once again raised the bar for being cited as a city of good economy and an emerging business center.

Labelled as “The Speedster”, data show that business registration processing and business permit renewal could be done in less than an hour making Misamis Oriental’s highly urbanized city rake in almost 18,000 business registrations as of 2011. This success has brought in more tourists and investors in the city amounting to the total investment of P1.34 billion in 2014.

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The consistent rise of Northern Mindanao’s economy fueled a remarkable upsurge of 94.4 percent in the region’s employment rate which can also be attributed to the consistent efforts of the city’s Public Employment Services Office (PESO).

In 2014, Cagayan de Oro made it to the top list of the Philippine’s most competitive cities with a score of 49.36 percent after Makati’s 53.24 percent.

“The city government and the private sector have a long standing partnership that has only grown stronger over time and we have worked hand-in-hand, enduring trials and enjoying triumphs together,” Eileen San Juan, the city’s local economic investment promotions officer, said.

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She also said that Cagayan de Oro is primed to be strategic as the city aims to be the business, eco-tourism, agro-processing, and leisure hub in Mindanao.

In the wake of the devastating calamities that hit Cagayan de Oro in recent years, the city has bounced back and continued its positive growth. “Its relative peace and order situation provides a context of stability that will propel the city towards a significant role in the dynamics and challenges of tomorrow,” she concludes.

Primavera Residences, CdO’s first and only sustainable condo development, is internationally recognized and multi-awarded for its eco-friendly features. Located in Uptown Cagayan de Oro, the green building offers residential and office spaces for sale and for rent.

Do you want to know more about the Primavera Residences? Please click here.

E-books vs Printed Books: Which is the Better Choice?

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From cassette tapes to CDs, from Walkman’s to MP3 players, and from VHS to DVDs, we know that the race is getting even tighter now. The next round of format battle begins, who will come out on top: e-books or the traditional printed books?

There are many factors to consider when discussing the matter of e-books vs. printed books, but ultimately, it boils down to the reader’s preference.

Printed words and papers’ crisp

Avid fans of printed books claim that there’s still nothing like the smell of paper and the rustle of the pages as the reader flips gently through the book with their fingers. There’s something deeply intimate about the entire experience, they claim, and it’s one that cannot be derived from the cold, electronic e-book version.

Apart from these physical considerations, however, studies have shown that when it comes to reading comprehension, printed books are still the better choice. The study found out that literacy building in children is more effective with a printed book than with an e-book because of the centralized focus on the story and the opportunities for interaction between the child and the parent reading the book together.

The world has gone digital

On the other hand, those who prefer the e-book often say that the device takes lesser weight on their shoulders– literally. Yes, packing for trips is bad enough as it is, but it becomes doubly so when challenged with the task of choosing which book to bring. With the e-book, however, a reader can take hundreds of books with them on the journey, and only take up a few square inches in their carry-on bag.

For e-books, on the other hand, there are students and medical professionals who prefer using these for efficiency and prevent further hassle. Practicality-wise, using e-books is way “cheaper” than those of bulky and heavy books we see in book stores. Imagine ten 1000-page medical or accounting books in a one half-kilo e-book reader or tablet, how’s that for hassle-free student life, ey?  And what is news if it’s read tomorrow, anyway? With wifi-ready e-book reader, news and magazines are just a click away.

Aside from the debatable existence of both, there’s also this matter of production cost. Obviously, printed books cost more because of the resources needed. E-book reader manufacturers, though, spend the bulk of their production cost on the device itself, and from then on everything is digital and a fraction of the cost per book, compared to printed books.

The greater question: Which is more eco-friendly?

Well, clearly, whether the readers love the feel of a new paperback or hardcover book in our hands, paper smell that is fresh from the press or the crisp feel of the pages, and even the smell of the ink, we cannot object to the person doing the reading in which type they choose.

However, in this kind of world we live, where there is environmental degradation, it is best to be conscious of what needs to be acted upon accordingly. We can change the world we live in, not just by tree planting or clearing the roads from garbage, but also by simply shifting from the printed books to e-books.

The world has gone digital for many reasons. These are for convenience, efficiency, shareability, and conservation (of documents, photos and videos). Since e-books unquestionably save paper and therefore trees, it also conserves energy as it takes a lesser toll in electricity consumption in charging.

For an avid reader who reads more than 10 books per year, consider purchasing a device that will let you do other things, like Web surfing or e-mailing, to bring down your overall carbon footprint.

In conclusion, readers actually help the Earth by using their e-book reader devices rather than buying paper books. So after convenience, efficiency, shareability and conservation, they can surely add eco-friendly to the list of digital advantages. While we will miss the wisp of a turning page, it is safe to say that e-books and e-book readers are the green way after all.

Currently, sustainable developer Primavera Residences supports Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club as they are gathering educational books for a book donation drive that would benefit schools in remote areas of Papua New Guinea. They will accept encyclopedias, text books, and any other educational materials. As a support to this worthwhile and eco-friendly cause, those who wish to donate may drop off your donations at the Primavera Sales Office at 2/F Primavera Residences, Pueblo de Oro Business Park, Cagayan de Oro City from 9am to 6pm Mondays to Saturdays until the end of the month of February.

Do you have any unused books? Let’s make these once again useful by donating these now and spread the joy of learning to the children of Papua New Guinea.

For more information, visit the official page of Primavera Residences or the CDO Rugby Club Official FB page.

3 Eco-friendly Presents to Give this Season of Love

Eco-friendly_Season of LoveOnce again, the month of love has come and it sure paves a venue for lovers to spend time, prepare for surprises, and arrange their favorite kind of ‘date’. Though it’s a highly-commercialized season, it is still the precious time where people can show how much they care for their loved ones. Though February 14 has already passed, I know you are still hoping to pull-off the last minute surprises you want your loved ones to get.

So here are few simple yet eco-friendly Valentine’s Day tips that could put your gift over the top.

From roses to daisies: If you’re planning to give your loved one flowers, first, make sure to know the meaning behind your flower choice. Getting organic flowers is also a smart idea. Or why not give her a living plant of rose bush that will last longer than those which last only for days or a week? You can always be creative by giving her your Valentine’s gift. Just the though and effort you put into your gift will surely be worth it.

Be as sweet as chocolates: We all know chocolate is an aphrodisiac. It contains an endorphin called phenylethylamine, levels of which in the brain have been linked to falling in love. Then a red rose was believed to be the favored flower of Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love, and has come to represent romantic love. That is why flowers and chocolates take up a good pair of a Valentine’s present to your loved one. Chocolates, on the other hand, do have a few allegedly eco-friendly chocolate brands that you can opt for.

The date of your choice: There will always be people who prefer to treat their loved one in the most sumptuous restaurant, however, there are also those who would want to be more romantic by considering to eat in. Cooking dinner at home for your loved one wouldn’t take much of your budget. With a quick trip to the organic section of your local supermarket and some budget-friendly organic recipes, you’re good to go.

No matter where you are or what you plan on doing, remember that it doesn’t take much to make the love season an eco-friendly one!

Do you want to know more about Primavera Residences’ treats this love month? Click here.

 

PH is Asia’s 2nd Fastest Growing Economy in 2014

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The Philippines ended 2014 on a high note as Asia’s second-fastest growing economy drawing a full-year GDP growth rate of 6.1%. Increasing from 6.3% to 6.9% in the fourth quarter of last year, the Philippines’ solid economic performance brought the country’s GDP growth rate higher than its expected growth in the last quarter of 2014 making it Asia’s fastest-growing economy next to China.

No longer the ‘sick man’ of Asia

In a media briefing at the Philippine Statistics Authority central office in Makati City, NEDA Director and Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that the Philippine economy’s performance for 2014 and the preceding years starting in 2010 shows how the Philippines can no longer be called the ‘sick man’ of Asia. “Our economic growth is becoming more competitive with our East and Southeast Asian neighbors”, Balisacan said.

He added, “The growth in the fourth quarter of 2014 appears to be broad-based as all three major productive sectors –the agriculture, industry and services sectors – have shown positive and robust growth during the period”.

This development led J.P. Morgan to revise its 2015 GDP forecast from an earlier projection of 5.4% to 6.4%.

“Upward growth trajectory”

In an emailed statement to GMA News, Finance secretary Cesar Purisima said that the country’s fourth quarter and full year performance “resoundingly affirm its upward growth trajectory buoyed by strong macroeconomic fundamentals”.

“Despite the challenging external environment in the global economy, both the Q4 and full year growth rates exceeded market expectations, lodging the Philippines firmly among the three fastest growing countries in Asia,” he said.

Balisacan also added that the Philippine economy should hit its target of 7% to 8% for 2015, as more public funds are freed up. Falling oil prices and spending for the 2016 elections would also push the economy upward, he said.

“We believe that our economy has moved into a long-term growth path that 7% is quite sustainable and achievable,” he concluded.

 

Uptown Cagayan de Oro: A Lifestyle Haven in Northern Mindanao

This article originally appeared in BusinessWeek Mindanao February 4 issue in the column Out of the Biz Box.

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I was first introduced to CdO in October 2011 when I was invited by a delegation of foreign entrepreneurs and Filipino business owners. I flew to the “Garden of the Philippines” without any expectations and as open minded as possible. Family, friends and neighbours were very dubious about me flying to Mindanao with all the stories we get to hear in national and international media but such things never had too much effect on me. After 5 years spent living in the Middle East I could tell the difference between common belief and reality. The fact that there was a renowned Italian Architect building a classy condominium was reason enough for me to be confident and start my travel with a healthy enthusiasm.

My travel companion was an American seasoned real estate professional with years of rewarding experience in California for one of the biggest international agencies like CBRE. He knew the ins- and outs of land and community development thanks to his 25 years of experience in real estate. Both actually had lots in common and shared our near to similar horror stories with our respective ex-wives so we got on very well and could relate to each other.

After landing at the old Lumbia airport we visited the city in downtown, the port facilities and then got back to Pueblo de Oro Business Park in Uptown, saw the golf course, SM and the then lonesome showroom of Primavera Residences which had just started construction back then. After driving around Uptown all afternoon I noticed a strange sparkle in my American companion’s eyes. He knew that this was the place to be, the place to invest and the place to focus on in town.

After 4 years and extensive travel in the region I realise that my American companion was absolutely right. Uptown is indeed the Makati of Northern Mindanao, still underrated though but well recognized by those who count and can afford to live in upper class communities like Xavier Estates. Be it the Filipino family or the retired foreigner, if lifestyle is to be identified with good air, flood-free, spacious communities, accessible shopping facilities, little or no traffic and lots of nature then Uptown is the place to be. I also realised that CdO enjoys the best weather of the Philippines and is at the same time served by the freshest fruits and vegetables from Bukidnon. Hospitals are equipped and competent so there is nothing missing in town. No wonder there are plenty of elderly foreigners populating the subdivisions there with their families and/or Filipino wives/husbands. Americans, Germans, Swiss, British, Italians, Koreans, Japanese and even Indians are clear proof of where the Western standard has set itself to be.

There are rumours that several lots in Uptown’s Pueblo de Oro are going to be developed with new office and residential buildings which will bring even more life into the already thriving community. Every morning and evening people are flocking to Pueblo near SM to run, cycle, play volleyball and gather among friends as it is literally the only place that offers ample spaces. On weekends there are even families gathering for picnics among other physical exercise and it’s all good signs of a breeding community. Events, shows and exhibitions are also being held at SM.

Beyond barangay rivalries you can now hear young people saying: “I am from Uptown” giving it a new sense of identity for the Uptown citizen. I would not be surprised to see an Uptown basketball or soccer team rising soon. This should bring new wind to the sails of the Uptown stakeholders and all those entrepreneurs thinking of setting up businesses in the area. With BPO’s thriving all over the Philippines and Savills even thinking of opening a CdO office, the time is right to take Uptown to the next level. The successful example of Primavera Residences bringing new condo lifestyle to the city and representing the very first condominium in town will drag more investors to the community. There is nowhere else to be identified as the place where superior lifestyle marries with modern design and accessible shopping facilities. I am aware that there is still some people who prefer the chaotic, polluted and flood prone downtown but for me Uptown is the place to be.