PHILIPPINES

Beauty and Bliss in High Living

PRELUDE
TO SUMMER:
INTERIORS,
GETAWAYS,
The sunny side of build-your-own EVENTS
MARCH 2007 P150

Published by
Hear it from the experts: SAFETY FIRST IN YOUR CONDO www.condo.com.ph
Come home to the best address in Metro Manila
and enjoy the best life has to offer!

Introducing a new way of owning your home:

Using the BYO system, you can own a luxury condo
in the heart of the Bonifacio Global City starting from P1,900,000.00 for one-bedroom unit.
You can save up to 40 percent off the usual price and your money is secure as it will be invested with a bank.

Find out what everybody has been raving about today!

CONSTRUCTION IS ONGOING!

www.condo.com.ph
For inquiries and viewing request:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
LIVE IT UP!

The
Prestigious
Address
at the Fort
Home Suite Home...
 TECHNO-SPACE
The ultimate in affordable city living!

It’s your very own space under the sun…

A masterplanned community
Seven to eight storey condominium buildings
One-bedroom and two-bedroom units
24-hour security provision
Elevators
Residential and commercial units
Parking spaces

…or under the city lights.

With facilities to make your stay convenient…
Water station
Laundry station
Travel agency
Unisex salon
Medical clinic
Japanese restaurant
Coffee shop

….and close to where the action is.

20 minutes drive to Makati
10 minutes to NAIA
Duty Free
Casino Filipino
Five minutes to SM Bicutan

More spectacular features to come…

Skypark
Swimming pool
Sports and leisure facilities

UNITS FOR
RENT ALSO
AVAILABLE

www.condo.com.ph
For inquiries and viewing request:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
Due to our continuing efforts to enhance project features, the developer reserves the right to change product features, prices and terms without prior notice and approval.
 editor’s note
Beauty and Bliss in High Living

The heat is on
Carlomar Arcangel Daoana
Editor in chief

Chrysler de Guzman
Art director

B
Godwin Nerona
Layout artist y now, you must be dreaming of escaping to the
beach, getting a tan and dipping into the cool embrace
Sharline Bareng
Senior staff writer of the sea—that is, if you haven’t done it yet.
Summer, announced by a bit of chill in early February,
Benhur Arcayan
Chief photographer
comes raging to the fore, dispelling gloomy moods and
dispositions (hopefully).
Dexter R. dela Cruz But before you pack your luggage and hie off or jet-set to
Editorial assistant
your summer destination, be sure that you have ticked all the
Arnold A. Altamira items in your safety checklist and know by heart the things to
Editorial CONSULTANT
do once emergency strikes.
In this issue, we are offering to you helpful suggestions
from authorities and fellow condo dwellers on how to deal
Contributors
with disasters, small or otherwise. We are also blowing the
whistle on enterprising individuals who claim to be interior
Atty. John Philip Siao designers without the license and the degree. There’s also a handy article that deals on
Cita Abad-Dinglasan
Renne Isidro how to make your condo safe for the little ones. Dawn Zulueta-Lagdameo, mom to cute
columnists Jacobo, has a couple of tips for you.
As always, Condo Central teems with the latest and the hotest, and for this issue,
Johanna Acab-Faustino
Geraldine Cuason we are cranking the heat-o-meter even higher. Feast your eyes on one-of-a-kind accesso-
Roel Hoang Manipon ries by Arnel Papa, dazzling sheets from Debenhams, exquisite glassware from Muebles
Dr. Adelaida V. Mayo
Jenny Orillos Italiano and an award-winning sofa from FURNItalia.
Glaiza Seguia For our cover story, we herald the sunny development that is currently being built at
Arch. Felicisimo Tejuco the Fort Global City: the Fort Palm Spring. With an underlying build-your-own concept, it
Writers
is inspired by the Palm Springs in California, nothing but the postcard-perfect image of
Lucky Besa summer.
Pranz Kaeno Billones Make the most out of this season. And though the beach remains a top-of-mind
Photographers
choice as a summer get-away, perhaps this is also the best time too to get to know the
cultural and artistic life of the metro. Ayala Museum and the Met easily come to mind.
Cherie Mae Ayongao So sizzle and savor!
Sales and Marketing Director

Editha B. Ignacio
Cyd V. Ponce
Rain Santos
Account executives

Bong Cayanan Carlomar Arcangel Daoana

Circulation manager

Anna Russel Abanes carlo@condocentral.com.ph

Web designer

Cover photo by Benhur Arcayan,

inbox
shot on location at the Fort Palm
Spring model unit at MC Home High editorial criteria
Depot, Bonifacio Global City. We have been reading with keen in-
terest the many articles appearing in your
magazine. All of the articles are informa-
tive, entertaining and helpful to your read-
ers. We are certain that the editorial criteria
you have set up for the article choices will
continue to keep your readers anticipating
the next issue of Condo Central.
Very truly yours,
Carolyn Tan-Santos
President, Ahyi & Co.
Dear Ms. Tan-Santos,
Thank you for the warm response.
Letters like yours encourage us to do
better and exceed expectations. Rest as-
sured that we are always on our toes in
keeping our editorial line-up refreshing,
captivating and informative.
Sincerely,
Condo Central chief

10 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 72

74
Vol. I No. 6 Beauty and Bliss in High Living
March 2007

is published by
www.condo.com.ph
The Condominium Specialist
36
Daniel R. dela Cruz
President/CEO

Danilo R. dela Cruz, Jr.

chief operating officer

Bing Lau
Executive vice president

50
Reginald Tagavilla
Vice president - PROJECT SALES

Andy Bellajaro
Vice president - Global sales
contents

Liza Razon
OPERATIONS MANAGER I n E ve r y I ss u e

Nel Garbanzos 10 EDITOR’S NOTE

administration
The heat is on Carlomar Arcangel Daoana
And COLLECTION OFFICER

Aida Monteverde 10 INBOX

Henry Mondoñedo
Renne Isidro 18 DESIGNER’S CORNER
Virgilio Leyretana, Sr. The trick of visual illusion
BOARD OF ADVISORS
69 REVIEW CENTRAL
Villanueva Gabionza The hottest and the latest in gadgets, music,
& De Santos Law Offices beauty and books
Legal counsel

98 SURVEY
is published monthly Peripheral mission Arnold A. Altamira
by Condo.Com.Ph, Inc.; 2nd Floor P&L
Building, 116 Legazpi St., Legaspi 82 CONDO GUIDE
Village, Makati City, Philippines; Tel.
Nos. (632)812-3333 Fax No. (632)893-
Your condominium hypermarket
8134; E-mail admin@condocentral.
com.ph; Website www.condocentral. 90 CENTRAL MARKET
com.ph.- All rights reserved. Opinions Classified ads
expressed in Condo Central are solely
those of writers and are not necessarily
endorsed by Condo.Com.Ph, Inc. We
100 REFLECTIONS
welcome unsolicited manuscripts and OFW Notes Cita Abad-Dinglasan
photographs. Kindly accompany a self-
addressed stamped envelope if they are 95 OPINION
to be returned. While every reasonable Condo Café Renne Isidro
care will be taken by the editor, no
responsibility is assumed for the said
materials. 103 PEOPLE AND EVENTS
Fort Palm Spring inaugurates model unit; Sunsilk,
Advertising hotline: (632)812-3333 and Gain Plus make noise
Distributed by 104 EYE CANDY
Christian Commercial Corp.
Tel. Nos. (632)521-6118, 522-3633 Life on a high note
Fax No. (632)521-7674
 54 38

62

C O V E R S T O RY
64 16
54 Fort Palm Spring: The sunny side of the Fort
First Global BYO Corp.’s initial project brings the luxury of condo living without the hefty price tag
F E A T UR E S
26 REVEAL 44 REPORT 42 TIPS 74 SOAR
Romantic reasons not to leave the How safe is your home?: Assessment of Childproofing your condo: Make your Sky High: In the hot-air balloon activity held
bed: Cuddle someone under the sheets from condominium homes in the metropolis unit suitable for the little ones at Subic, sky’s the limit
Debenhams Mundane pleasure at the foot of the
48 TIPS 28 HIGHLIGHT mystic mountain: Relax in a bed and
16 FURNITURE FEATURE Make electricity your friend:Electrical Design coup in the works: How breakfast under the shadow of Banahaw
Sofa, so good: What design magazine safety tips from the bureau of fire protection designers are putting some oomph into
Wallpaper considers as the best sofa in the Manila FAME 96 CONDO MEMO
world 40 PERSPECTIVE When motherhood becomes me: How
Beware of illegal interior designers: 38 MAN ON TOP a woman’s life was transformed when a new
64 COVERAGE How, by hiring them, Fil-Am guy is real estate’s rising roommate moved in: her daughter
China calling: Exhibits that you are cutting corners on safety star: Meet Ronald Vergara who is soon to
point toward China as heritage make groundbreaking changes in the real 50 Spotlight
and inspiration estate industry Driving home a point: Romero Quimbo,
Pag-IBIG Fund president and CEO, the man
62 COOKING FOR ONE 36 DEVELOPMENT who makes your dream house
A (local) Asian food trip: Feast your Art Deco as inspiration: Eastwood
senses on the region’s sumptuous offerings LeGrand nods at the architectural idea which
New York embodies
60 INVESTMENT
The sun rises for Suzu-Kin: Putting 72 COMMUNITY

28
some twist in Japanese Wow Cubao!: How this corner in Quezon
City is getting a makeover
14 ENTERTAINING
Stunning clarity:Get to know Cive: the
gold standard in glassware
 entertaining

Stunning clarity
Get to know Cive—the poetic glassware from Italy which employs age-old
crafting techniques, infused with the gesture and energy of human hands

A
t this day and age where modern methods and
techniques of mass production dictate the laws of
the market, there are still a discriminating few who
choose tradition over technology and timelessness
over trends. Such a company steeped in the ways of the Old
World is called Cive, a glassware crafting company who
employs prestigious collaborators in international design
such as Philippe Starck, Marturano and Renzo Piano.
The Italian brand, founded in the 1950s, was initiated
as a cooperative of glass masters from Empoli, a Tuscan
city in one of the top historic districts known for the art
and culture of glass. Handcrafting and artisan techniques
express the poetics of Cive, light years away from the logic
of mass serial production. Cive believes in the “living”
aspect of human action, that it is the hands and the spirit
of the glassmaker which brings authentic quality to the
pieces. Cive stresses that it is the poetry of the amazing
uniqueness born of an individual talent, an idea and a
specific sensibility which makes all these awe-inspiring
glass creations possible.
“Dining becomes a completely different experience
with Cive glassware because each piece is expertly made
by master glassmakers who have been trained in the firm
traditions and fine craftsmanship of their glassmaking
ancestors,” Muebles Italiano President Noel Gonzales, the
distributor of Cive in the Philippines, comments.
Cive’s varied design landscape expresses styles that
move from the essential to the subtly classic to hints of the
rustic, often drawing inspiration from the local color and
rural ways of the Tuscan countryside. Through intricate
processes such as gilding or the process of decorating
glass by firing on gold, silver or copper leaf, Cive produces
charming glassware that is inspired, delightful and unique.
Finding its perfect place in the home, Cive graces rooms
with original contrasts and balanced harmony.

Cive is available in the Philippines through its distributor

The Olimpo transparent
glass vases can make
diverse styles of furnishings
distinct and fit beautifully in
any setting.
Muebles Italiano, with its flagship store at Alabang Corporate
Center G/F Km 25 West Service Road, SLEX Alabang, Muntinlupa
City (8427036) or its branches at Glorietta 4 (8178948),
Alabang Town Center (8505146), MC Home The Fort (8193201),
SM Megamall (6314453), SM North Edsa (4530347) and its
two house showrooms in Ayala Heights in Quezon City and
Ayala Alabang.

14 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Maree is an innovative line of
transparent glass forms decorated with
incisions that show the purity of the raw
material.

A graceful collec-
tion of matching wine
glasses and decanter
with soft, sinuous
lines, Ginevra is crafted
by master glassmakers
in transparent mouth-
blown glass.

An elegant series of
objects in clear glass,
Camargue is painstak-
ingly lightened with a
hand-applied platinum
or gold decoration.

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

15
 furniture feature
Sofa, so good
Get to know the sofa adjudged as the best by the most influential design magazine in the world
I
nternational design magazine Wallpaper*,
the most authoritative and influential
design magazine in the world, has given
the Best Sofa Award to Poltrona Frau’s
Kennedee model in the recent Wallpaper*
Design Awards 2007. Kennedee, designed by
Jean Marie-Massaud, is now available at the
country’s exclusive distributor of upscale
Italian furniture brands, FURNitalia. The chic
three-storey lifestyle store at The Fort, also
adjudged the Temple of Italian Style in the
Philippines, has been bringing the world’s best
furniture to Filipinos of a particular taste.
“We Filipinos recognize what constitutes
good design and good quality because we are
very finicky. At FURNitalia, all the brands on
offer have the same respect for craftsmanship
as we do, that is why people who want only
the best come to us for their furniture needs,”
16 MARCH 2007
FURNitalia managing director Florence Ko comments.
According to design magazine Wallpaper*, the Kennedee sofa “secured
its position as best sofa with a clean majority.” “Upholstered in the
finest leather, and balanced on steel feet with a gun metal finish, it’s the
perfect blend of glamour, comfort, practicality and beauty.”
Kennedee is further described by Poltrona Frau as a sofa with
a personality that stands out from the crowd. It possesses an
international elegance, with dynamic and wide-ranging lines
that can be configured in an infinite number of combinations. Its
different elements allow the free creation of curving lines and open
perspectives. The light and modern quilting of the back cushions, and
the hand-sewn “X” motif also reveals Poltrona Frau’s age old artisan
skills. It recalls the old-fashioned capitonne technique with its small,
equidistant x-stitches on both the backrest and seat cushions. The
workmanship of this sofa remains artisanal, while the design and
materials are contemporary.
FURNitalia is located at 30th St. Corner Rizal Drive, Crescent Park, West
Bonifacio Global City. Call 819-1887.
CondoCentral
 Where to Shop for things
Filipino

SM Mall of Asia, 2nd Level, Main Mall ● SM Makati Annex ● SM North Edsa,
The Block, 2nd Level ● SM Mega A and selected SM Department Stores
 designer’s corner

Image courtesy of G&W Architects

Slim and multi-functional pieces
of furniture are one of the keys to
expanding one’s living space.

The tricks of visual illusion

Though a condominium unit may not usually be expansive, that doesn’t mean that you would just settle in a space
that would send a claustrophobic into a panic. Interior designer Johanna Acab-Faustino tells you how to pull
visual tricks to make your unit appear larger, without knocking down walls and breaking the piggy bank

W
ith today’s urban population growth and economic central
districts pervading our society, condominium living space
provides a good alternative to the luxury of living in one’s
space that is likewise in proximity to places of work, leisure
and activity. More and more condominiums are being erected, which
only signal the rising demand of new living to fit the requirements of
the contemporary Filipino.
One thing that condominiums rarely provide is the adequacy of space.
Nowadays, space has become a precious upshot as more people prefer living
in condos, for safety, security and practical reasons. Because of the reality of a
compact and compartmentalized space that condos provide, it is only necessary
to consider ways to maximize all the areas of a unit to complement it with one’s
needs without sacrificing the potential of high rise dwellings to foster a mood
of airiness, simplicity and comfort. Indeed, every space, no matter how small
it is, has a great power to convey expanse, light and space. How? Let me share
18 MARCH 2007
with you a few tricks designers employ to make spaces seem larger.
1. The astonishing illusionary effect of a mirror. Mirrors,
because of their reflective quality, add depth to a room. Placing a
mirrored wall adjacent to the entry wall immediately doubles a narrow
space. When a mirror is placed on a wall, it appears to push walls
further out, most especially if you put focal decorative pieces such
as interesting accent pieces, wall lights or even unique ceiling lights
in front of the mirror which tend to create double images. This will
not only add depth to a room, but will emphasize the creative details
placed in the interior.
Should you decide to put a mirror, consider using a black mirror.
It enlarges the space without the glare and creates a mood that is
romantic, subtle and light, paired off with furniture pieces that likewise
expand the space. If you opt on putting partitions, try frosted glass or
any other translucent material which tend to give a feeling that there is
more depth beyond what the eye can immediately see.
CondoCentral
 In this project, a
unique and customized
type of ceiling lamp
extends all the way to
the mirror to suggest
depth was used.

2. The comfort, look and feel of your furniture. For small spaces,
consider using dual purpose furniture and those that appear to take up
less space and make your eyes move around the interior. The use of glass
and mirror mixed with metals such as steel and chrome for furniture
pieces such as coffee tables, console tables and side tables, to name a
few will definitely be a good trick to expand a small space. Bulky and
heavy furniture should be avoided because it will tend to stunt your
eyes to further appreciate all elements in a room. Furniture, though
small should be comfortable to use. Consider light colored pieces over
dark ones to give the space an illusion of more light and space.

Dual purpose shoe

rack and console table are
positioned by the entry to
maximize use of furniture
pieces. The sofa also has a
pull out bed.

The use of light walls, light

flooring mixed with lightly
proportioned and simple pieces
maximize the small space.

Concealed lighting is
employed in this hallway to
add width to the otherwise
narrow passage way.
20 MARCH 2007
3. Spark it with color. This is
perhaps the most important element
to consider in small spaces. Color has
the intrinsic gift of creating certain
moods and illusions to any given
space. The best way to achieve a
feeling of expansiveness is through
the use of monochromatic color
scheme. A single color in varying
gradations from dark to light
used in an interior space creates a
harmonious interior look in a small
space. If pale and neutral colors are
used for walls, it will appear that
walls are further pushed out. One
can add to this illusion by using
light colored flooring materials
and accentuating it with certain
pieces and accessories within the
interior to widen the floor space.
4. Remember your ceiling.
Gone are the days of neglecting the
dimension that is above you. Visual
interest is optimized when there
is decorative balance perceived as
the eyes travel from the floor, to
the walls and the ceiling. Dropped
ceiling with controlled illumination
for concealed lighting is also a good
trick to expand space. Use it on
hallways, or corners of a space that
tends to be neglected.
The shade of blue is
used in this studio in
various degrees. It is
complemented by neutral
shades of beige and
brown to add definition.
Multi functional pieces
are used such as the sofa
beds and divider for the
sleeping area beyond.
5. Let there be light. Situate your ceiling lights on areas where
activities are centered. Whoever said that pin lights have to be
located only at the four corners of the room? A good way to stimulate
interaction and activity will be to locate your ceiling lights where
you want interaction to take place. Table lamps and stand lamps
are also significant elements in a space. Consider lamp bases that
are made out of glass or any reflective materials. Avoid common
looking lamps and consider investing in good conversational
pieces. After all, the smaller the space is, the more you should be
discriminating on what goes in it.
6. Highlight with window treatments and soft furnishings.
Complete the expansive look with choosing window treatments that
enlarge window space. If you have the budget, opt for louver-effect
roll up shades, vertical blinds or curtains that have a clean, tailored
look using sheer and solid colored fabrics. Avoid too much pattern as
this will contradict the feeling of expanse that you want to achieve.
These are only some of the many ways to make a space seem
larger. With proper space planning and interior decorative
treatments, one can experience exhilarating joy in designing
compact spaces. Like a canvas that awaits the stroke of the brush
of the painter, so it is with an empty space awaiting to be filled up
Johanna Acab-Faustino is a member of the
Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID) and
Council of Interior Design Educators (CIDE). She
is currently a faculty member of the Department
of Clothing, Textiles and Interior Design of the
College of Home Economics, University of the
Philippines, Diliman Quezon City, from where she
graduated Cum Laude. Aside from teaching, she is
also actively involved in designing residential and
commercial interiors.
CondoCentral
Images by Pranz Kaeno Billones

Value for space at

One Sapphire

W
ith the limits of space and density, One Sapphire is only 10 minutes away
condominium living has almost become from the Makati and Ortigas Central
synonymous to living inside a box. With such Business Districts, and is within reach
a space, arranging one’s belongings is of major establishments, malls, schools
like piecing a jigsaw puzzle and learning to live and hospitals.
with that drawback. Veering away from the boxed
For the urban dweller who wants his money’s worth, concept of the modern condominium
R.J. Lhinet Development Corp. has just the answer: that most of us have come to know too
spacious bi-level units of the One Sapphire Condominium well, One Sapphire provides a breath of
in the heart of Mandaluyong City, planned and designed to fresh air in this part
address the need for affordable residential homes. of the metropolis.
Rising at six floors, One Sapphire is one of the tallest Come home to One
structures in Mandaluyong, with its 94 bi-level or walk- Sapphire and feel
up units going as high as 2.3 meters with wall, floor and that for yourself.
ceiling finishes, providing residents with the comforts
and privacy of a modern house. One bedroom units at Model units are
33.59 sq.m are available for as low as P1.2 million, while available for viewing
the three bedroom type takes up 75.8 sq.m for only P3.6 at the One Sapphire
million. Its structural steel frame systems and strong Condominium’s site
interior and exterior reinforcing insure a strong, durable, in Mandaluyong City.
and acoustically sound interior wall system and leak For inquiries, please
resistant exterior wall. call 723-1616.
Designed to be a low density community, One Sapphire
is a refuge for those who need privacy without going far.
This Mediterranean-inspired community also provides a
good venue for relaxation and leisure with its recreational
area and mini gym at the ground floor.
Conveniently located near the Mandaluyong City Hall,

22 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Mandaluyong City

Why settle for a loft unit when you can afford two floors?

AMENITIES

Swimming pool

Whirlpool

Children’s playground

Mini gym

Snack bar

CONDO FEATURES

Grand lobby and receiving area

24-hour security

Automatic fire alarm and sprinkler system

Back-up power for common areas

HULRB LTS#14606

Ample capacity overhead & underground water tanks

1 passenger elevator

Another quality project of: For more details, call:

R.J. LHINET DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION +(632)7264347 or +(632)7228094
www.rjlhinet.com
 mezza residences:
Life at the center
T
here is nothing more tempting now
than a cosmopolitan life—living next
door to where one studies, works, plays,
and having more options that comes
with the cool convenience of being at the cen-
ter of the cityscape.
Such a lifestyle is easy to achieve with SM
Development Corporation’s Mezza Residences,
a four-tower community in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
Set to change the landscape in this part of
the metro, the Mezza Residences is a modern
Italian-inspired community that will provide
quality units and high-end amenities at an
affordable price with easy terms.
Buyers are assured of the SM trademark
of quality with Mezza Residences, as units
with space ranging from 21 sq.m for the one-
bedroom type to 86 sq.m for the three-bedroom
type can be availed for as low as P1M to P4M,
at P9,800 a month. All four towers open up to
magnificent views of the sunrise over Antipolo,
the Manila sunset, and the Makati skyline.
Starting families, parents from the
provinces seeking to provide homes for their
children in the city, doctors from nearby
24 MARCH 2007
hospitals and young professionals can now
experience the high life here. Mezza’s location
along Aurora Boulevard where the LRT 2
operates will bring residents closer to where
they want and need to go. From Mezza,
everything is within reach: Quezon City, the
Ortigas and Makati central business districts
(CBD), the university belt and surrounding
schools, hospitals, and malls.
Residents will also delight in the easy
lifestyle at Mezza, as 5,000 sq.m will be devoted
to amenities which include a 1,000 sq.m lawn,
a 25 meter lap pool with a submerged lounge
deck, and outdoor and indoor function rooms.
Those seeking peace and quiet need not go
far, as there will also be a Zen garden for
meditation.
Barely a year has passed from its launch
and 50 percent of the units have already been
taken, with the Towers 1 and 2 already sold
out, proof that Mezza is registering high on
the hot scale. With Mezza, the cosmopolitan
life is open to all, without strings attached.
Model units are available for viewing at the
SM City, Sta. Mesa, Manila. SM Development
Corporation is the real estate development
arm of the SM Group of Companies, designing
and creating homes and leisure and tourism
projects for the active premium middle market
segment. For more information, please call
(02)8315151 or 0918-888SMDC(7632), email us
at info@smdevelopment.com or visit www.
smdevelopment.com.
CondoCentral
 reveal
Romantic reasons
not to leave the bed
Tumble into the sheets of love with the latest beddings, pillowcases and towels from Debenhams
A
romantic interlude need not be in
some far-off imagined place accessible
only in the minds of dreamers. After
all, love is not so much an occasion
but a state of being, one that we take with
us everywhere we go. A house becomes a
home when lovers dwell therein: spend lazy
afternoons together wrapped in Debenhams’
delicately embroidered Jasmine beddings,
made of equal parts cotton and polyester and
luxuriously filled with duck feathers and down.
Charlotte pillowcases, duck feather and down-
filled quilt seem lifted right out of a calm
morning sea. Perhaps, the only trouble here is
26 MARCH 2007
Beddings
with embroidered
prints:50 percent
cotton and 50
percent polyester.
that no one will ever want to get out of bed.
Romance resides even in the most unexpected
of details, in everyday items done in petal-soft
fabrics—such as Debenhams’ luxury, reversible
natural-colored bath mats, or theme statement
towels made from 100 percent cotton. Wrap
yourself in soft, luxurious 100 percent Egyptian
cotton towels which also provide maximum
absorbency. Gestures of affection, after all, are
best when unexpected.
Debenhams is located at Rustan’s Makati and
Shangri-La Mall.
Jasmine’ printed duvet cover (P4150), ‘Jasmine’
printed pillow cases (P795 for a set of 2), duck feather
and down king size quilt (P6750).
Towels with prints are Theme Statement towels
from Debenhams: made from 100 percent cotton. The
plain ones that are folded are Egyptian cotton towels
known for their superior softness, providing maximum
absorbency.
CondoCentral
 highlight

Design coup in the works

Manila FAME taps award-winning designers to give this year’s furniture showdown a decidedly innovative streak

28 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

M
anila F.A.M.E. International, the second longest running
tradeshow for home furnishings, houseware, holiday décor,
and fashion accessories in the Asia-Pacific region, stages
a design coup in 2007 as it taps several of the country’s top
designers for its Merchandise Development Consultancy Program (MDCP):
Tony Gonzales, Tes Pasola, Reimon Gutierrez, Darwin Avilles, Chito Prieto,
and Joyce Oreña, with overall creative direction by Milo Naval who is one
of the founding members of Movement 8, a consortium of top Filipino
furniture designers.
MDCP was introduced in 1997, paving the way for local and foreign
designers to work closely with the country’s local small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) to develop globally competitive products. This unique
collaboration has helped Manila F.A.M.E. International establish a brand
that is synonymous with outstanding design, quality, and innovation.
Launched in 1983, Manila F.A.M.E. International is the only trade fair in
the Philippines recognized by the Union Des Foires Internationales (UFI),
the union of the world’s leading tradeshow organizers, fairground owners,
and major international associations from the exhibitions industry.
Organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and
Missions (CITEM), the export promotions agency of the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI), the fair is held twice a year (April and October),
and each edition brings new surprises with its Spring and Fall collections.
For many years, Manila F.A.M.E. International has always provided a
winning edge – exceptional creativity, fine craftsmanship, well-selected
merchandise not found anywhere, and personalized customer service
– making it on top of the must-see shows in the region’s trade fair circuit.
George Beylerian, president and founder of Materials ConnexXion in
New York says that “coming to the Philippines is like an instant
magnetic affair! The country has an enormous talent bank, an
incredible wealth of materials, and good commercial common
sense.”
Today, Philippine products can be found in well-appointed
showrooms and upscale shops worldwide, as buyers from top
companies such as William Sonoma, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein,
Armani Casa, Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Pottery Barn, Harrods,
Target, Marks and Spencer, and Banana Republic, among many
others, troop to Manila every April and October.
The next Manila F.A.M.E. International will be held on 18 to 21 April in
five different venues: the World Trade Center, East Pavilion, Philippine
Trade Training Center, and the Forum and Reception Hall of the Philip-
pine International Convention Center (PICC). It is open to the public on
the last day only, with P150 entrance fee. More information on the fair
may be accessed through www.manilafame.com. Email hardgoods@
citem.com.ph or softgoods@citem.com.ph.
CondoCentral
Katha Awards
For 23 years, the Manila F.A.M.E. International, a trade fair focusing
on Philippine-made home furnishings, gifts, houseware, holiday
décor, and fashion accessories, has recognized the Filipino’s
design genius with the Katha Awards. The past month’s edition
of the Katha Awards recognized product designs that are mostly
made for the home, combining both the ideals of dulce et utile,
beauty and function.
Among those who made it to the product design A-list are Team
International Concepts Inc.’s whimsical curtain holder, which takes
the shape of the words “I love you love me love you” written in
cursive, and A. Garcia’s orange wire chair for the home furnishings
category. DA International Import and Export’s resin ball collection,
meanwhile, took the prize for the home accessories categor y.
Delicate lamp designs bring light in focus, such as that
exhibited by Evolve Design’s hanging lamp, made of weaved
wicker, and First Binhi Craf ts Corp.’s black twig hanging lamp,
which won the prize for the lumina category. Touch of Craf ts,
meanwhile, came up with a doll collection which also makes
for brilliant, colorful, holiday decorations.
Top designers Ed Calma, Joey Yupangco, Susan Joven,
Jojie Lloren, Vice President for Hardgoods of the Foreign
Buyers Association of the Philippines (FOBAP) and Luis
Manalang of the Product Development and Design Cen-
ter of the Philippines served as judges for this edition
of the Katha Awards.
The Manila F.A.M.E. also became host to the back-
to-back presentations of Material ConneXion, the
world’s most extensive resource for design materials,
and Vincent Gregoire, artistic director of the Nelly
Rodi Trendlab on the lifestyle trends for 2007 to 2008.
George Beylerian, president and founder of Material
ConneXion, stressed on the Philippines’ rich sources
of native materials and their
advantage to the
country’s design
industry.
The Manila
F.A.M.E. is set to
take center stage
again come April
2007.
MARCH 2007
29
Zunic
takes slimming and body-sculpting
into the 21st century
D
o you know how difficult it is for an overweight
individual to exercise? Or for a hearty eater to diet?
When an overweight person exercises, his heart rate
accelerates very rapidly because of all the extra weight he
carries. Unless he’s been exercising regularly, he actually puts
himself at risk from heart failure.
And every one knows how agonizing it is to deprive
yourself of food, if you love to eat! So that if you put on weight
and decided to lose it, your only other options (until very
recently) were to take diet pills or to undergo painful surgery.
Fortunately, advances in medical technology now make it
possible to lose weight and actually shape your figure without
exercise, dieting, pills, injections or painful surgery.
“What we’ve done is to bring in the latest technology from
overseas, and apply it to the problems associated with obesity
and overeating”, says Roxanne Sarthou, managing director
of the state-of-the-art slimming center known as Zunic. “We
help people lose weight so that they can begin exercising if
they want to, and whether they wish to modify their eating
habits or not.”
At Zunic, weight loss is conducted without the sweating,
anxiety, and pain associated with
traditional methods. A Zunic client
stretches out comfortably on a
plush treatment couch, and fat is
literally melted away using a variety
of sophisticated equipment that
employ heat, laser light, radio waves,
and mechanical articulation to non-
invasively reach under the skin and
dissolve stubborn fat deposits.
Up to 48 hours after treatment,
fat is excreted through normal body
functions, with no side effects except
for a profound thirst.
“We start by restoring a client’s
ideal metabolic rate with our
Metabolique treatment”, Roxanne
Sarthou continues. “This machine
Images by Pranz Kaeno Billones
uses infrared technology to stimulate circulation and achieve the
body’s optimal metabolic state. Your body burns calories faster as
your metabolic rate increases, yet the only thing you feel is pleasant
warmth all over your body.” Zunic therapists mention that some
clients actually doze off during their Metabolique sessions.
From there, Zunic clients can move on to CelluFree, CelluAvant,
AccuTone or Contourage treatments.
“But because no two people are alike, no two Zunic programs
are the same,” concludes Ms. Sarthou. “Every one has problem ar-
eas they would like to target, and we make sure our programs are
individually-tailored to meet a client’s personal objectives.”
Opened in September 2006 at the Olympia Towers in Makati
Avenue, Zunic has a full complement of trained personnel to address
the needs of its exclusive clientele. Pre-treatment medical checks are
performed by licensed physicians, and all treatments are conducted
by qualified nursing staff.
The slimming programs are determined from results taken
during pre-treatment consultations, where clients undergo a
thorough interview with the in-house doctor. Areas that require
treatment are identified, and high-tech weighing scales measure
not only the client’s body fat, but also water composition, muscle
percentage and bone mass.
Because of its effortless, relaxed approach
to eliminating unwanted pounds and excess
fat, Zunic is a favorite among busy people
who want to shape their bodies with as
little fuss as possible. Slimming at Zunic
is something to look forward to, not
only for its immediate results, but for its
proven effectiveness.
You can visit Zunic at the Upper Ground
Floor, Olympia Towers, 7912 Makati Avenue,
Makati City 1200 or you can call 752-0600 or
752-0601 and discover what Zunic can do
for you. Please look for Ms. Nora Icaro or
Ms. Roxanne Sarthou. You can also e-mail
zunicphils@gmail.com.
 www.condo.com.ph
For inquiries and viewing request:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
 Welcome to the
center of things
C
onvenience is the key to living in the modern
world, where one has to keep up with fast-paced,
rapidly changing lifestyles. One needs to be at
the center in order to remain on top of things.
TKRL Realty and Development Corp. sees that need and
strives to make it possible for the modern homeowner on
the go with the Centropolis Communities, a one hectare,
self-contained community in Sucat, Muntinlupa City.
CondoCentral
Centropolis combines the elements of
an ideal residential setting, complete with
commercial facilities and amenities in its
four low rise cluster buildings. Designed
to provide residents’ needs all in one place,
Centropolis maintains a tranquil setting
with its contemporary Asian architecture
and lush landscape. This is evident in its
MARCH 2007
33
 competitively priced one to two bedroom units, some of which come
with individual pocket gardens that provide a peaceful hideaway in
the city.
To complement an easy, laid-back lifestyle, Centropolis also
offers the Lifestyle Square at the very center of the property, which
includes rows of restaurants and shops in an al-fresco setting, and
amenities the Urban Club, which houses five interconnected resort
pools, a gym and fitness center, business center, a grand ballroom,
indoor game room, kiddie play area and a badminton court.
From Centropolis, it is also easy to venture out as its ideal
location allows easy access to the Asian Hospital, schools, and malls.
It is also a good 10 minutes away from the Madrigal Business Park and
34 MARCH 2007
the Filinvest Corporate City, 20 minutes away
from the Makati Central Business District, and
30 minutes away from the Ortigas Central
Business District.
In Centropolis, convenience is more than
a commodity—it is a lifestyle. Come home to
Centropolis and be comfortable with the fact
that everything is just within your reach.
Model units are available for viewing at the Centro-
polis Communities site in Sucat, Muntinlupa City.
For inquiries, please call 885-7530.
CondoCentral
CondoCentral MARCH 2007
35
 development

Art Deco
as inspiration

Design details such

as stainless steel grills,
geometric stonework and
grayish-brown grillwork mark
a dramatic comeback for Art
Deco in the country.

36 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 A
rt Deco, the basis for architecture of New York City’s iconic Chrysler
Building and Empire State Building, may just make a comeback here in the
country with the launch of Eastwood LeGrand.
“Eastwood City’s architecture is inspired by the best the world Eastwood
LeGrand, with
has to offer. The launch of Eastwood City’s new Palm District will boost the its decorative
international appeal that Eastwood has come to be known for,” noted Eastwood molding, is a true
Property Holdings Inc. VP for Marketing John Natividad. work of art.

The beginnings of Art Deco

Art Deco’s initial movement stems from
the 1925 International Exposition of Modern
Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris.
French architects like Hector Guimard sought
to demonstrate the French artists’ leading
position and evolution internationally. As an
art form, Art Deco is an amalgamation of many
different styles and movements in the early
20th century, including Constructionism,
Cubinism and Modernism. It frequently used
materials such as aluminum and stainless
steel. Sweeping curves and stepped forms
(more commonly called ziggurats) characterized skyscrapers.
When the movement crossed over to the other side of the Atlantic,
American architects embraced it lovingly. Its popularity reached its
peak during the Great Depression, since its opulent, functional and
ultra modern style maintained a certain sense of practicality and
simplicity, which still reflected the “American Dream.” One such
structure is the Chrysler Building, which was built from 1928 to
1930.
The Philippines’ status as an American colony meant that Art
Deco eventually found its way here. Many of Manila’s buildings
followed the American Art Deco theme. However, all of
these buildings were leveled down during World War II.

A grand comeback
Art Deco makes the grandest comeback here in Manila
with the launch of the 38-storey Eastwood LeGrand. Its
grills feature stainless steel prominently. Cheerful yellow
hues give it a vibrant façade. All windows are tinted to
give the entire building a modern edge. The windows are bounded Eastwood
by plain white trims reminiscent of the signature architecture that LeGrand’s
impressive lobby
makes the Empire State Building famous worldwide. features modern
Just as the Chrysler Building is renowned for its Art Deco spire, French designs,
Eastwood LeGrand’s decorative molding on its very top is an lending a luxurious
welcome to
elegant art form in itself. Large, geometric stonework adorns its residents everyday.
columns, while grayish-brown grillwork beautifies the lower
floors up to the podium. Of course, the best French designs are The Empire
featured in the grand lobby, lending a luxurious welcome to State Building is
a towering icon
residents everyday. of the Art Deco
“The design of Eastwood LeGrand is really modern and movement.
cutting-edge. Investors and homebuyers have just but one
chance to live in a building that is a genuine work of art,” The stepped
Natividad declared. spire of the Chrysler
Building is famous
the world over.
Visit the Eastwood City Information Center along Eastwood
City’s Orchard Road to check out its new model units.

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

37
 man on top

Fil-Am guy is real estate’s

Condo Central gets to meet Ronald Vergara, the Chicago-based Fil-Am real
estate broker, who is returning to the country to deliver an invigorating jolt to the
local construction and property industry
38 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral
R
onald Vergara strikes one as indomitable. With a built of a football
player and a hulking countenance, tempered with the charm and
wit of a TV show host, he seems to effortlessly wield great strength
and power. But Vergara channels the energy not on any sports field
but on the corporate arena, closing deals (usually in millions of dollars) in
a matter of seconds.
His resume, needless to say, is daunting. Armed with 20 years experi-
ence in real estate and brokerage commerce, he has helped build the Mort-
gage Exchange, an Illinois mortgage brokerage, from a small company into
the largest volume mortgage company in the state of Illinois. His team
financed nearly $1.5 billion in loans annually. In less than six months, the
loan generation business, which spawned into a real-estate marketing
business, helped developers sell nearly $100 million in property—a stag-
gering amount, especially if you convert that to pesos.
A masterful financial strategist, he has helped hundreds of clients
increase their real estate portfolios. By creating additional cash flow with
the profits generated from those assets, Vergara has helped clients realize
their financial goals. He has personally participated in the negotiation,
finance and sales of real estate in excess of $500 million dollars.
Confident with numbers and suave in his communication skills, Vergara
is at the top of his game in what appears to be the world’s most competitive
real estate industry. What would drive him then to leave his comfort zone in
Chicago, come back to the country after leaving it almost 30 years ago when
he was still a kid, counterflowing against the millions of Filipinos leaving the
Philippines in search for the much-dreamed-of greener pastures?
His reason is simple: Vergara wants to make a difference. If he has done
it in the States, he reasons, he can replicate his success here. Fueled by great
ambition, he doesn’t want to leave a small dent but an impact so great that
it will change the course of the local estate industry. He envisions millions
of dollars in investment infused to the country by Fil-Ams. Over the top?
His track record is nothing but his hunger realized.
Kicking things to a start is the establishment of Guiding Star Corp. (GSC)
where Vergara serves as CEO and president. His vision, shared by like-
minded people in his team, is to develop world-class destinations in the
Philippines, “second to none,” specifically five-star quality condominium
hotels and luxury residences.
What makes his corporation different from other real-estate companies
is that GSC is designed with a different approach and orientation. “When
we see our competitors trying to convince people to retire in the Philip-
pines,” he enthuses, “we cannot help but think that they are only after the
‘retirement’ dollars/foreign currency and nothing more.”
Vergara wants to see retirees, on top of those who want to re-establish
their links to the country, to be productive which is the key “to unlocking
this beautiful country’s potential.” GSC, Vergara believes, can unlock
the inherent value of “returning Filipinos” whose “collective education,
experience and desire to help will bring back is immeasurable.” Retirement,
he firmly believes, is not an option for them.
His formula: make their real estate purchases generate income as
they continue to live in the US. When they are lured by homegrown
developers to acquire properties that will only be utilized sparingly and
sit unproductively in their absence, Vergara proposes properties that are
“hotel condominiums,” in the league of Four Seasons, which will generate
profit for the Fil-Am investors even if they are still based in the US and
made available each time they come home a visit.
Right now, he is in the process of canvassing lands, negotiating con-
tracts and acquiring the pertinent permits for his developments. He has a
stringent timetable in order for the products to be swiftly delivered. In less
than three years from the start of the construction, investors can already
enjoy the fruits of their hardwork, he avows.
CondoCentral
Knowing the Fil-Am market by heart (after all, he is one of them),
Vergara has left no stone unturned, studying carefully and addressing
their needs and specifications, comfortable as they are with US standards.
He looks into the four areas that will greatly influence the investor’s choice:
service, safety/security, sanitation and surroundings.
“Our strategy is to instill a customer-centered approach to all our
projects/properties,” Vergara describes of service. “Simply put, whatever
the customer wants, the customer will get.”
Safety/security, on the other hand, is the diminishment of uncertainties
in all their properties, giving the unit owners peace of mind.
“A clean living environment needs very little explanation,” Vergara
explains. “Once you see it, you know we have achieved it.”
Surroundings, lastly, pertain to the creation of world-class architecture
and landscaping that do wonders for the mind and soul. “The best part is
that no single entity, organization, person nor country holds a patent or
franchise on creativity,” he says. “We believe GSC can compete and deliver
a world-class property. GSC believes that if we can provide all of this in one
package, we can firmly convince our fellow Filipinos to return once more
to their land of birth.”
At the end of the day, after all the trading and the negotiation, after
the huffing and the puffing, what Vergara wants to achieve is a better
life to those who didn’t share the same blessings that he has. Children,
particularly, have a special place in his heart. Last year, he organized toy
drives at Lakeshore Properties in Pampanga and at the Philippine Children’s
Medical Hospital, enlivening the spirit and giving smile to the sick and to
the impoverished.
He realized right then that, “we need to do much much more than just
bring toys and snacks.” He urges his team to do their very best because
there are so many people they must help, affirming that their purpose for
doing business here is to make make a difference.
“We have been blessed with health and great abilities,” Vergara told his
team. “Together we can do something really special. Remember everyone
God’s gift to us is the gift of life. Our gift to God is what we do with our
lives. We have been given the tools let use them.”
Though gifted with a bird’s eye-view of success, Vergara doesn’t lose sight of
his commitment to his homeland. He wants to give back to local communities,
build hospitals and schools, make life better for some. To be of service, as
Vergara proves, is the meaningful fulfillment of his strength.
MARCH 2007
39
 perspective
Beware of illegal interior designers
With the interior design profession in the upswing, there are quite a few people who capitalize on and practice it,
without the requisite license and degree. Though one may easily surmise that interior design is mainly involved in
beautifying spaces, Dr. Adelaida V. Mayo writes that it also plays a major role in the comfort, safety, well-being and
protection of the inhabitants—that’s why it makes sense to consult only those who know interior design inside out
I
s there such a thing as an illegal interior designer?” one might ask. Oh yes,
there is. People may not be aware that the practice of Interior Design in the
Philippines is regulated by the Board of Interior Design under the Philippine
Regulation Commission (PRC). This means that a legal Interior Designer in
the Philippines is one who has a valid license to practice the profession of Interior
Design in the country. To obtain a valid professional Interior Design license, one has
to pass the Interior Design licensure examination given by the PRC Board of Interior
Design. To qualify for taking the Interior Design licensure examination, one should
have earned a degree in the Bachelor of Science in Interior Design program in any
college or university in the country accredited by PRC. Therefore, an illegal “interior
designer” in the Philippines does not have a legal license to practice Interior Design
and has not passed the Interior Design licensure examination. In other words, an
illegal “interior designer” is just like any other illegal practitioner of a profession
such as fake doctors, dermatologists and nutritionists. These are imposters who
may not only be fooling you with their exorbitant service fees but may also be
putting your health, safety, security and possibly your life itself at stake.
Perhaps, there are people who do not really care whether the person they hire to
do their interiors has an Interior Design license or not. As long as they can afford the
fees charged by this person who claims to be an “interior designer” or an “interior
design consultant”, they think that it would be an advantage to them. However, it
is high time that people should be warned about these illegal “interior designers”
while the policing of these “criminals” has not yet been fully implemented by the
government.
It has been observed that these illegal practitioners of Interior Design confi-
dently continue to commit their crime because no one has ever thought of policing
them since they have already established their names in the country after getting
many rich patrons who do not know any better. As long as they can get away
with it, they continue to fool their ignorant clients who think that they have been
getting the best out of their money’s worth. There are some illegal practitioners of
Interior Design who happen to be in show business and they use their popularity as
celebrities to advertise themselves as “interior designers” or “interior design con-
sultants.” There are also others who passed the licensure examination of a related
profession like Architecture, and think that that has already earned them the legal
right to practice the profession of Interior Design.
Illustration by Godwin Nerona
40 MARCH 2007
Republic Act No. 8534 (Act regulating the practice of Interior Design in the
Philippines) defines the practice of Interior Design as “the act of planning, specifying,
supervising and giving general administration and responsible direction to the functional,
orderly and aesthetic development of interiors of buildings and residences that shall con-
tribute to the enhancement and safeguard of life, health and property and the promotion
and enrichment of the quality of life.” The main reason behind the institution of that
Law regulating the practice of Interior Design is precisely to ensure that the design
and construction of interior spaces are made in accordance with the standards
and requirements set by the PRC Board of Interior Design. By definition alone, one
should realize that the practice of Interior Design goes beyond the beautification of
interior spaces and has a major role to play in providing comfort, safety, well-being
and protection to the end users of the interior spaces involved. Persons who have
not passed the Interior Design licensure examination and who do not have a valid
Interior Design license may not be conscious about this concern when designing
interior spaces. This poses great danger for them to omit the requirements or
standards set by PRC.
While there is still no aggressive move from the government to police these
illegal practitioners of Interior Design, people should now be warned about their
existence and be advised not to risk their health, lives and property by taking a big
gamble in hiring them. No matter how popular they may have been in high society
for years, their being illegal practitioners of Interior Design still makes them guilty
of committing a crime punishable by law. Patronizing them may also put one as an
accessory to their crime.
Hiring a licensed Interior Designer to do your interiors is like seeking the
expertise of a licensed medical doctor when you have health disorders or consulting
a licensed dermatologist when you have skin problems. On the other hand, hiring
a person without a valid Interior Design license to do your interiors is like risking
your money and your life in a gamble. One should not let one’s property be subjected
to the hands of an illegal Interior Designer just like how one should not risk his/her
body to be treated by a person who has not passed the Medical Board Exam.
If it is the professional service fee of a licensed Interior Designer that one is
worried about, it is about time that one should be enlightened about that. Thinking
that the fee of a person without a valid Interior Design license is much cheaper
than that of a licensed Interior Designer is totally a misconception. There are
illegal practitioners of Interior Design who charge high service fees since they have
established a name through their connections. On the contrary, there are admirable
licensed Interior Designers who charge reasonable service fees because their main
interest is to improve the quality of the living and working environments of their
clients. What is most important is getting a professional Interior Designer with a
valid license whom one can truly trust because his/her practice is legal.
It is the hope of all licensed Interior Designers to see the day when illegal
practitioners of Interior Design will no longer be allowed to compete with
them, putting an end to a crime which ridicules the Interior Design Licensure
Examination. The public should likewise beware of falling into the trap of illegal
Interior Designers who could put their health, life and/or property in danger.
Dr. Adelaida V. Mayo is the current Department Chair of
the Department of Clothing, Textiles & Interior Design
at the UP College of Home Economics in Diliman, Quezon
City. She is also the current President of the Council of
Interior Design Educators (CIDE). As CIDE President, she
regularly meets with the Board of Interior Design and
the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers in order
to discuss major concerns regarding Interior Design
education as well as profession in the country.
CondoCentral
Your gateway
to Makati MAKATI
EXECUTIVE
TOWER III
Sen. Gil PuyatAve., Makati City

40-storey office,
commercial
and residential
condominium

www.condo.com.ph
For inquiries and viewing request:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
 tips
Childproofing
your condo
If you have kids in your condo, read! Glaiza Seguia offers you a
handy checklist on how to make your flat safe for the young ones
P
icking out the right furniture, color
scheme, and art pieces are all part and
parcel in creating the perfect home for
you and your family. But above any-
thing else, safety must come first, especially if
you have kids running or even crawling around
the place. Designing your condominiums is one
thing, but childproofing it presents a whole new
challenge for parents.
The scary myth is true: most injuries and
accidents which lead to death of children ages
14 and below occur within the confines of their
own homes and these could have been prevented
with some very basic safety measures. To make
that sure that your flat is a safe haven for kids,
you need to double-check the safety checklist.
See from their perspective. From a kid’s
point of view, your home is their world and
they’re naturally curious about it. Unless you’ve
dropped on your hands and knees recently,
you’ll realize how big and possibly dangerous
everything is. Try to be more observant and use
common sense in order to identify the problem
42 MARCH 2007
areas, then you can start doing action.
Remember the basics. It’s home safety pro-
tocol to install smoke detectors and have work-
ing fire extinguishers in your house. Be familiar
with the nearest emergency exits in the building
and make evacuation plans. Keep a handy first-
How mommy Dawn keeps Jacobo safe
aid kit and post emergency phone numbers near
the telephone.
Make room for the kids. Prepare a
cushioned room or a playpen for them and place
a monitoring device in it so you can keep track of
what they’re doing even if you’re elsewhere in the
house. As kids love to explore, install safety gates
on doorways and stairs. Throw in window locks
and door stoppers as well. Clear off any stumbling
block in the hallways.
Use kid-friendly furniture. Buy safe and
comfortable cribs, beds, and chairs for your
babies or tots. Just be sure to position them away
from windows, stairways, or electrical outlets.
Secure shelves, dressers, and appliances as
they may easily tip over. Sharp furniture edges
and corners in your home should be padded or
covered.
Get rid of home hazards. Cover your electri-
cal outlets and hide cables or wires from view.
Keep matches/lighters, plastic bags, or any sharp
object away from children’s reach and do store
poisonous chemicals and medicines in locked
cabinets. Also, be careful in selecting toys for
your kids because there are some small parts
that can easily be swallowed.
No substitute for supervision. As parents
and grown-ups, you have the full responsibility of
taking care of your children and protecting them
from any possible harm. So never leave your kids
unattended whether they are playing, going to the
bathroom, eating, or even sleeping. It’s also best if
you learn how to perform first-aid and CPR in case
of emergencies. Be prepared for anything and just
let your parental instincts kick in. Remember, it’s
up to you to provide them a clean, cozy, and safe
environment to live in.
Sources: www.babyhomesafety.com and www.
homesafetycouncil.org
“I teach my son Jacobo how to be
aware of accident-prone things at
home. For example, I don’t put away
breakables because I want him to
know what things he can and cannot
touch. I also remind him to watch
where he goes, take care as he
walks. The entire floor of his room
is covered with the rubber puzzle
mats so even when he stumbles, the
fall wouldn’t be too hard. We also
put door stoppers para hindi siya
maipit sa pinto. Then we make sure
the drawers are locked, the electric
plugs are covered. And of course, I
have a baby monitor, which really
helps a lot.”
CondoCentral
 It’s all about the high life in the city of
Baguio. Luxuriate in the comforts of an
idyllic getaway. Burnham Suites Baguio
is a 7-storey residential condominium that
embodies the elegance and convenience
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For inquiries and viewing request:
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 report

How safe
is your home?
Assessment of condominium
homes in the metropolis
Though condominiums are deemed more disaster-proof than
houses, it’s still good to familiarize oneself with areas of safety
and how to respond once a calamity strikes. Arch. Felicisimo
A. Tejuco, Jr. talks to an architect, a fire marshall and an
engineer regarding requisite safety features of buildings and
to unit owners on how they have equipped themselves in case
they come face-to-face with an emergency

F
act: Survival is a universal concern.
Fact: Man’s basic necessities have always been food, clothing and
shelter, all of which are anchored on the preservation of human life.
Fact: Over the past decade, condominium living has greatly
improved with the continuous development of building technology, sup-
port features and facilities, and people services.
Question: But despite all these innovations, how prepared and safe are
you and your family against calamities?
Safety starts at home. Compared to previous years, Chief Inspector
Jose S. Embang, Jr., Fire Marshall of Makati City, noted there “is a more
intense drive” in the community on fire prevention and earthquake
preparedness.
The latest condominium haven now stands in Global City, Taguig.
Designed and built by G&W Architects & Associates, Kensington Place is
an architectural haven that does not only comply with the mandatory fire
safety requirements, it also gives the residents their money’s worth.
Fire and earthquakes are two main considerations regarding
calamities. Kensington Place has been designed to address these threats.
Complimented by state-of-the-art technology like centralized fire alarm
and sprinkler systems, it is linked to a computer which allows building
authorities to alert residents about possible emergencies and also pinpoint
the source of the fire or smoke. The building’s biggest water reservoir is
the swimming pool at the ground floor. According to Arch. Daniel Terrence

44 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Yu, Chief Executive Architect of G&W Architects
& Associates, “the building uses a dual system
like airplanes. If the main system breaks, we
have a back-up system.”
Fire escapes have a fire-rating of six hours,
ensuring that all occupants have enough time
to evacuate the multi-storey building. Common
spaces like corridors and fire escapes have been
Architect Yu Engineer Cruz
pressurized to contain smoke and prevent it from
spreading further. Arch. Yu noted that smoke
inhalation is the leading cause of death in most
fire cases. Such technology is widely used in Asia
like China and Taiwan. Appropriate illuminated
signage is also placed near fire escapes.
In case of earthquakes, Kensington’s light
but strong 3D paneled walls “just don’t add on to
the weight of the building, they dance with the
building during earthquakes,” Arch. Yu said.
Aside from technological innovations, G&W’s
projects have trained personnel on first aid and
disaster management. They also conduct annual
fire drills in coordination with the unit residents
and local government of Taguig.
Other condominium buildings like Palm
Tower in Makati City have also taken the initia-
tive to improve their fire prevention systems.
This March, the automation of fire alarm and
sprinklers systems will have already been com-
pleted. It will be followed by a series of lectures
on fire prevention and evacuation in coordina-
tion with the specification of the local govern-
ment units. Fire escape doors, emergency lights
and signage are ensured to be in good working
conditions.
According to Engr. Jonas Cruz, building
engineer of Palm Tower, these improvements
are based on latest trends and his training from
Ohio Behavioral Science and Technology. Engr.
Cruz used to be a ship manager for Goodyear
Philippines and project coordinator for Grand
46 MARCH 2007
Fire Prevention Chief Enoc
Asian Builders.
Outside Makati, other cities which strictly implements fire safety
regulations are Quezon City, Mandaluyong, and Pasig.
For almost two years now, Arch. Dianne Marcelle K. Abistado, wife and
mother of two, have owned and been living in a three-bedroom unit in PYP
Mansion II, Cubao, QC. Archt. Abistado is a senior architect of St. Luke’s
Medical Center. With her architectural background, her immediate safety
considerations are immediate access to fire escape, adequate fire alarms
and fire sprinklers. Although they are on the 12th floor, she made sure that
the balcony would be safe a place for her two kids. The balcony railings
are adult chest-high. Adequate emergency lights and illuminated signage
are also installed. In preparation for possible calamities, she has already
instructed her kids’ nanny to take her children and go to the nearest fire
exit.
On the other hand, newly-wed couples Felipe II and Kris Salvosa have
been tenants of a condominium unit in California Garden Square in Manda-
luyong for five months. According to Kris, adequate fire protection systems
are also their main safety consideration. The couple has already stashed
all their important documents together with a medicine bag in case of an
emergency. They are a unit away from the nearest fire escape and only
three levels above the ground floor. Felipe is a sub-editor for the Business
World while Kris is a market analyst for Procter & Gamble.
In Pasig City, Anna Barbara Lorenzo, with her mom and uncle, has been
living in their condominium unit in Palmdale Heights for the last two
years. Their three-bedroom unit is equipped with smoke alarms. Since their
unit has undergone renovation, some of the new rooms have no sprinkler
systems. Annual fire drills are held every March. Barbara is also a reporter
for Business World.
Building safety
Arch. Yu stressed that building safety need not be expensive. “If every-
thing was planned properly, condo living is actually safer than houses,”
CondoCentral
he said. He noted that most old houses are made
of wood, making them prone to fire. Engr. Cruz
agreed, adding that condominium buildings are
generally safer than houses, especially during
earthquakes.
Instead, he warns future condominium own-
ers to be wary against unscrupulous developers,
who pad their fees and cheat their clients using
Engineer Maniego
substandard materials. Engr Annabele Maniego,
OIC of the Enforcement Division of the Office of
the Building Official of Makati City, agreed that
they still receive isolated reports.
In response, the Office of the Building Official
of Makati City came up with the Annual Inspec-
tion Group, which conducts yearly inspection
of public and assembly buildings. Each team is
composed of a civil engineer, mechanical engi-
neer, electrical engineer, and a master plumber.
“This team checks all aspects from faulty electri-
Hotlines you should know
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as 911 in
the Philippines just yet. For now, it’s a must to
know these numbers for various emergencies
that can pop up wherever you are.
117 – Philippine National Police or Patrol 117
168 – Makati Command, Control and
Communication Center (C3)
163 – Bantay Bata
16-211 – Meralco
136 – Metro Manila Development Authority
(MMDA)
524-1078 – National Poison Control
1626 – Maynilad Water Services, Inc.
1627 – Manila Water Company, Inc.
160-16 – Association of Volunteer Fire
Chiefs & Firefighters of the Philippines, Inc.
522-2222 – Association of Philippine
Volunteer Fire Brigades, Inc.
911-5601 – Civil Defense Operation Center
CondoCentral
cal wiring to air-conditioning system to distribution of clean and waste
water,” she said.
Based on their data, obstruction of fire escapes is the leading violation
among condominium buildings. According to Engr. Maniego, some of the
escape routes have been converted to storages or are locked. Other usual
violation is the wrong door swing for fire escapes. Effective fire access
doors should swing outward.
Appropriate sanctions and penalties are being served to violators.
Diane and kid Chief Inspector Embang
Aside from possible legal cases, violators may be revoked of their business
permit. Engr. Maniego said the number of violations is only a handful.
“Meron talagang mga pasaway,” she said.
To date, there are eight on-going constructions of condominium build-
ings in Makati City. Each year, newly constructed buildings are added to
the list of buildings for annual inspection.
Information drive
Information is the key to safety. Fire Prevention Month comes as an
annual wake up call to all communities on disaster awareness and preven-
tion. In Makati City, the Central Fire Station is working double time with
the information drive. A series of lectures and seminars on evacuation and
first aid training are lined up for the year.
Regarding calamity response Chief Inspector Embang stressed that
there are two main considerations: skills and equipment. Although the
local fire department still lags behind when it comes to equipment, the
fire marshal reassured that “we have enough skilled people to deal with
calamities like fires and earthquakea.”
However, he reminds them to do their share. “Don’t just comply with
the Fire Code of the Philippines. Upgrade yourselves. Educate yourselves.”
Sr. Inspector Reynaldo D. Enoc, Chief of Fire Prevention and Inspection
Unit of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) added: “Attend lectures and
seminars conducted by the BFP. Brief all members of the family. Inform
them of the nearest fire exits in case of emergencies. Read safety tips.
Know the number of your nearest fire station.”
To future condominium unit owners, Engr. Maniego advises them to
check the condominium if it has secured the building permit and occu-
pancy permit. “That means they (developers) have complied with local
ordinances,” she said.
More important, for Arch. Yu, they should also do their research. “Ask
the right questions: What are the safety features of the building? How can
I evacuate the building during calamities?”
MARCH 2007
47
 tips

anything that will burn.

• Allow plenty of air space around television
sets, computers and stereos to prevent
overheating.
• Keep electrical cords away from heat-
producing appliances, such as toasters and
coffee makers.
• Be sure that detachable appliance cords, such
as those used with coffee makers, are rated
for the electrical load requirements of the
appliance.

Electrical cords
• Keep electrical cords out of traffic paths and
away from areas where children play.
• Maintain all electrical cords. Replace any cord
that is cracked, frayed or otherwise damaged.
• Never pinch an electrical cord against wall or
furniture.
• Do not run extension cords under carpets or
across doorways.

Make electricity
Outdoor power
• Never run outdoor extension cords across
lawns for seasonal lighting displays or run
any extension cord across driveways or traffic
areas.
• Never use electrical appliances outdoors in

your friend
wet weather or when the ground or grass
is wet, unless the appliance is specially
designed and labeled by an independent
testing the lab for such use.

Lighting
• Place lamps on level, uncluttered surfaces and
be sure that lampshades are secure enough to
protect the bulb from breaking if the lamp is
knocked over.
• Light bulb should not exceed the wattage

I
recommended for a lamp or fixture.
t’s been said that condominiums offer more protection against fire than
houses, but still, it’s important to be aware of the fire’s usual causes, Be alert of the following danger
the precautionary measures to prevent fire from happening and how signals
• Recurring problems with blowing fuses and
to deal with conflagrations when they happen. tripping circuit breakers.
Most fires are linked to faulty electrical wiring, electrical short circuits • Feeling a tingle when you touch an electrical
or malfunctioning appliances. The Bureau of Fire Protection—which has seasonal outlet.
• A burning smell or unusual odor coming from
the mandate to prevent and suppress destructive fires, investigate their an appliance or wiring.
causes and provide emergency medical and rescue services—offers us • Sizzling sound at wall switches or outlets.
electrical safety tips that will guide us on how to keep our electrical cir- • Flickering lights. If you cannot locate a
cuits and appliances running safe and sound. Read, study and take them to problem inside your home, call your power
company or an electrician immediately to
heart. The life that you save, as they say, may be yours. inspect the electrical connection to your home
from your electric meter.
Fuses and circuit breakers/electrical outlets
• If a fuse blows off or a circuit breaker trips, don’t just replace it or reset it.
Find out what caused the breaker to trip and correct the problem. When you spot a warning sign, take action
• Never replace a fuse or a circuit breaker with one that exceeds the at once. Unplug a malfunctioning appliance if
amperage rating for a given circuit. you can do safely. If necessary, cut off power to
• Avoid using several high-amperage appliances, e.g., heat-producing
appliances, on the same circuit.
the problem circuit by disconnecting the fuse or
• Never replace a fuse with metal strip or any material that conducts tripping the circuit breaker manually. Call a pro-
electricity. fessional electrician to correct the problem.
• Have a professional electrician replace old or damaged outlets with
modern, three-wired polarized receptacles. Proper grounding is essential
to minimize fire and shock hazards.
• Never cut off or bend the ground pin of a pronged plug. This ground
connects protect you from severe shock caused by a faulty cord or
malfunctioning appliance.
• Never alter the wide prong of a polarized plug to make it fit into an
outdated outlet. Have the outlet replaced and properly grounded.
• Protect children from electrical shock by installing plastic safety inserts
in unused outlets.

Appliances
• All household appliances should bear the label of an independent testing
laboratory, indicating that they meet basic safety standards.
• Keep heat-producing appliances, such as electric ranges and irons at
least three feet (one meter) away from furniture, curtains, beddings or

48 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 spotlight

Driving home a
Atty. Romero F.S. Quimbo, president and CEO of Home Development
Mutual Fund, or Pag-IBIG Fund as it is more popularly known, sits down
with Arnold A. Altamira, not only to discuss how brick by brick they’ve
been able to rejuvenate the sputtering agency, but likewise to offer his
take on what is needed for the more important task that is nation-building

L
awyer Romero Federico S. Quimbo was 32 and concurrently president
of a pioneering dotcom corporation and an associate at one of the
country’s leading law firms when then Housing chairman Michael
T. Defensor popped an interesting proposition: How would you like
to work for the government?
Others would readily scoff even at the idea
of trading a profitable and promising private
career for one in the crazy bureaucracy. But
for Quimbo, it was an eventuality just waiting
for its opportune unfurling. The erstwhile
student leader and activist has always viewed
government work, even if for the briefest stint,
as something every able-bodied and nationalistic
citizen should do. And contrary to the perennial
pronouncements of professional doomsayers
that involvement in the public sector irreversibly
taints, he believes that government service is, or
can be, honorable and decent. Proof of this, he
maintains, is his own family. Both his parents were
government employees and yet they managed to
raise 10 upstanding and respectable children.
While there were other government agencies making a bid for Quimbo’s the agency was underachieving. “A road map
services at that time, it was this particular offer for a stint at Pag-IBIG Fund that was essentially non-existent. There were no
eventually made him decide to turn his back, albeit temporarily, at a thriving clear goals nor clear directions. Records were
career in the private sector. “I’ve always believed in Secretary Defensor’s vision not integrated. Also there was not a coherent
and sincerity. Plus, I knew that under him, I will be given the needed leeway to and scientific basis for targets and expectations
implement policies and do things I feel should be done,” Quimbo explains. in relation to the fund’s true capacity and poten-
Five years on, the unbridled support from higher-ups and the guaranteed tial. And there was no accurate performance
free management reign still intact, Quimbo has successfully transformed the appraisal system,” he says.
once non-descript agency into one of the country’s top corporations, making it Luckily, he had one thing going for him – the
a benchmark for excellence in government service and professionalism. employees. “To be honest, I was surprised at
the care and commitment with which Pag-IBIG
Challenge employees treated the agency – this despite the
Taking stock of his arsenal was Quimbo’s initial order of business upon fact that they are among the lowest-paid in the
assuming the top post at Pag-IBIG in 2002. The agency then was perform- government,” he exclaims. “Never mind that
ing satisfactorily, quietly delivering on its mandate but he knew there was systems and structure were all over the place.
plenty of room for improvement. It did not take long before he saw why That can be fixed. The more important thing

50 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

a point
was that I had this group of dedicated and hon-
est employees who are going to work with me.”
The employees were only too happy to play
to the sway of Quimbo’s baton. His commitment
to excellence and his aversion to mediocrity and
failure rubbed off immediately.
He instantly rewarded the culture of honesty
in the agency by holding over staff members from
the previous administration. He wanted to show
everyone that he had nothing to hide and he had no
intention of making Pag-IBIG his fiefdom. He likewise
took the daring step of empowering the managers,
entrusting them with greater responsibilities under
a decentralized system. This was counterbalanced by
the introduction of a performance appraisal system to
chart employee accountability.
CondoCentral
In no time, Pag-IBIG was running like a well-oiled machine. There was renewed
pride and vigor in the workplace. And it manifested clearly in the numbers.
Results
As per 2005 figures, Pag-IBIG Fund was the eighth largest among all
tax-paying corporations in the country in terms of net income. Before
Quimbo’s time, the Fund was not even listed among the country’s top 500
corporations. Its total assets last year of P191.5 billion and net income of
P7.4 billion are the highest in the Fund’s entire history. The net income
figure represents a 300 percent improvement in just four years’ time.
Pag-IBIG has likewise become the biggest and most dominant real estate
player in the country today. In 2004 alone, 36 percent of all mortgages in
the entire country were financed by Pag-IBIG. The rest were backed by 18
universal banks, about 200 thrift banks, and the other government financ-
ing institutions. In 2005, the Fund lent out P17 billion to its members, as
compared to just P5 billion in 2001.
MARCH 2007
51
Recognition
Even if it was not required,
Pag-IBIG submitted itself to the
corporate credit rating process of
the Philippine Ratings Services
Corporation (PhilRatings). Usually
given exclusively to private con-
glomerates, the credit-worthiness
rating was undertaken, as Quimbo
explains “for greater transparency,
disclosure and to promote good
governance.” Pag-IBIG received
an ‘AAA minus’ rating, only the
third corporation in the past three
years to have done so, validating
the Fund’s “very strong capacity
to meet its financial commitment
relative to that of other Philippine
corporations.”
Last October 2006, the United
Nations recognized the Fund as one
of the seven outstanding human
settlement organizations in the
world when it conferred the agency
the prestigious UN Scroll of Honor
during the World Habitat Day.
While Quimbo has successfully
towed Pag-IBIG to unprecedented
heights, his excellent work has not
come unnoticed. In recognition
of his leadership skills, Quimbo
was voted President of the Philip-
pine Social Security Assosiation
(PHILSSA), the partnership of
government agencies providing
social security composed of GSIS,
SSS, PhilHealth, AFPRSBS, ECC,
PCSO, and Pag-IBIG. And just late
last year, he was named a TOYM
awardee for the usually stringent
category of Government Service.
Apart from the agency’s
exceedingly honest and dedicated
52 MARCH 2007
workforce, Quimbo credits the
former and current HUDCC leader-
ships for the agency’s unmatched
success. “I only had smooth sailing
during Chairman Defensor’s time.
I’m glad that the present Housing
chief, no less than Vice President
Noli De Castro, has been similarly
encouraging and helpful. None of
this would have been possible if
not for their unstinting support,”
he declares.
Recommitment
Instead of resting on all these
accomplishments and recognitions,
Quimbo sees more work ahead.
He explains, “There is a very
basic acknowledgement that the
government by itself cannot solve
the housing problem. The private
sector has to be involved. And the
only way to do this is to create an
environment friendly to all stake-
holders in housing.”
Pag-IBIG does so by simply
showing that there is money to be
made in housing. “We have made
it a conscious effort to implement
policies that are geared, not only
for the benefit of our members, but
likewise to encourage participation
of the private sector in housing
programs,” he says.
For example, the Fund has low-
ered its interest rates drastically,
with members of lower-income
brackets benefiting most via pre-
ferred rates. Higher loan amounts
now gravitate towards banks and
other financing institutions. As a
result, developer confidence has
increased on recognition that more
and more financial institutions are
now willing to lend to property
buyers. “This is the sort of synergy
between the government and the
private sector that we’ve always
wanted to see,” he beams.
Fulfillment
If Quimbo seems too much in a
hurry, it is perhaps because he does
not see himself staying in govern-
ment for very long.
“As I’ve said, I’ve but postponed
my career in the private sector,” he
says. He believes other young bril-
liant minds should fall in line and
offer their services.
“Apart from seeing it as a duty,
one of the reasons I entered govern-
ment service this early is I simply
got tired of people, especially my
friends, whining about the sad state
of the government. I wanted to show
them that the best solution is to be
the solution. The day I walk out of
this office, I am going straight to my
friends and haul them all to the near-
est government agency so they can
stop complaining and start serving.
I just don’t have the time and the
energy right now,” he chuckles.
That day comes, the private
sector will have surely gained a
valuable soldier, and most certainly
will do everything to keep him in
its fold for as long as possible.
Well, perhaps only until
Quimbo’s constant pangs for public
service again begins begging for
attention.
CondoCentral
 cover story

The sunny side of

the

Bonifacio Global City will soon awaken to a new, sunny development that will
reshape this community and re-address current real estate parameters. Condo
Central takes a peek at Fort Palm Spring Images by Benhur Arcayan

A
s one enters the model unit of Fort Palm Spring located at MC
Home Depot at the Bonifacio Global City, one is immediately
greeted with a feel-good ambience. The tones are in warm olive
and bronze, tempered with intermittent expanses of white. The
chairs, woven and adorned with cute little throw pillows, invite the view-
er to sit down and relax his eyes upon a suite of abstract works mirroring
the colors of the interior.
Now, imagine that semblance of home perched in any of the 28 floors
of Fort Palm Spring, opening to a luxurious view of the Global City, the
Manila Golf Club, or the ragged silhouette of the Makati skyline against an
intensely blue sky.
The visual treat, however, begins with the building itself. The lobby
sprawls into a dream of marble and dripping chandelier. Evoking the
tropical ambience of Palm Springs in California that has inspired it, the
development dazzles with a breathtaking landscape bristling with palm
trees and sky gardens that disrupt the smooth, sleek lines of the building’s
decidedly modern design.
Safety, needless to say, comes first. All units, which start from spacious
open layouts of 32 sq.m. for studio up to 155 sq.m. for three-bedrooms in
standard finish or model unit finish, are fitted with automatic sprinkler
systems and smoke alarms, intercom system, built-in exhaust, piped-in gas
direct to kitchen provision for cable television, two-line phone and high-
speed internet connections, provisions for hot and cold water supply, and
individual electric meters and mail boxes. Residents are assured of tight,
24-hour security, ample basement parking, and access to three high-speed
elevators, first class saunas, spa, fitness gyms, and indoor and outdoor
swimming pools. Typical Floor plan

54 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

Executive Studio

one-bedroom Deluxe

56 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Fort Palm Spring’s location is reason enough to move in. Situated at
the corners of First Avenue and 30th Street in the Fort Bonifacio Global
City, the building is a stone-throw away from vital business, educational,
medical, recreational and commercial sites. It is neighbors with Net One
and Bonifacio Technology Center, International School Manila, St. Luke’s
Medical Center, Manila Golf Club in Forbes Park, the Fort Square, and the
Fort Strip and Market! Market!

Without the hefty price tag

Though one can easily surmise that developments like this come with
hefty price-tag, what with the location and the building amenities and
features, Fort Palm Spring pulls a pleasant surprise. First Global BYO Corp.,
which constructs the development, has devised a way to cut the cost of the
units to as much as 40 percent. A square meter in the area that normally
costs P95,000 pales in comparison with the P52,000 per square meter
offered by Fort Palm Spring.
The concept, simply called Build-Your-Own (BYO), brings the buyer
closer to the project managers and builders, eliminating the cost associ-
ated with the middleman. “The buyer,” First Global BYO assistant general
manager Myrna Besabe explains, “becomes the owner/developer through
the project manager and the development team.” Ground floor plan
Expenditures associated with the middleman include but are not limited
to advertising cost, various overheads, taxes, debt services and undeclared
loans. These expenses, which have nothing to do with the construction of
the building, eat about 40 percent of the unit buyers’ money. By cutting the
middleman, First Global BYO can drop, conversely, the price of their units
to as much as 40 percent.
The BYO scheme assures buyers of debt-free, zero mortgage deals as
they become independent from target profit quotas which fund project
developments and are guaranteed that their money is used solely for con-
struction. A built-in security feature of the BYO system is a depository and
disbursement bank (Banco de Oro) that will make sure that all the funds
will go to the building’s construction which, as clients wait for their units
to be completed, incur interest. Pag-IBIG and in-house financing are also
available for those in the look-out for a comfortable payment scheme.

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

57
 Formidable team
Office Floor
Plan First Global BYO, though offering a cheaper alternative to condo-
minium living, did not cut corners in terms of the formidability of the
team—composed of architects, builders, construction project managers
and engineers—that will realize its projects. Some of the key players
include SM Mall of Asia’s architect Robert Carag Ong, the country’s number
one structural engineers Aromin & Sy, top construction manager Dennis
Abcede, and top builder CE Constructions, all boasting of over 35 years of
experience in the construction industry.
The company is confident and banks on its 35 years of solid experience
in project management of multimillion-dollar commercial and residential
developments in countries such as the US, Australia and China, envisioning
to replicate with what they have accomplished in these countries here and
make groundbreaking change to the Philippine high-rise scene. As early as
now, the Philippine Federation of Home and Land Developer’s Association
awarded First Global BYO the “Chairman’s Award for Excellence” during its
recent annual general meeting.

58 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Three-Bderoom
with Loft

Besabe assures that Fort Palm Spring will be finished in two years, Premire
three years ahead of the usual. “This will enable our clients to move into two-bedroom
their homes sooner or rent them out sooner so that they can either save up
to five years’ worth of rent or earn up to five years’ worth of rental income,”
she explains.
The response to Fort Palm Spring has been positive. Over 35 percent the
units have been sold and in a half a year’s time, Besabe says that they are
optimistic that all the units would already be sold out. This has invigorated
First Global BYO to begin drafting their next three projects, still at the
Bonifacio Global City.
With all of these terrific developments happening, more people can
now look forward to indulge in the luxury condominium living with utter
peace of mind.

Fort Palm Spring model unit is located at MC Home Depot, 32nd Street cor.
Bonifacio Blvd., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For inquiries, call 815-8080 or
727-4221.

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

59
 investment

The sun rises for Suzu-Kin

As one of Manila’s pioneers in Japanese cuisine turns silver, new opportunities are opening up – not
only for its hardworking founder, but for the enterprising public as well. Arnold A. Altamira rolls out
the sushi mat on this delectably new prospect

F
or 25 unbroken years, Virgie Ablen Suzuki has been making
daily trips to the wet market to personally handpick the freshest
ingredients for what she calls her “little Japanese kitchenette.” She
then goes straight to oversee kitchen operations where brother
Danny is head chef. Once in a while, she leaks out of her little cocoon to
make certain that her service crew is doing a fine job at making every
customer in the 50-seater joint pleased. At day’s end, she is the last to
leave, the one to literally switch the lights out.
Housed at the ground floor of a two-story apartment at the corner
of Sampaloc and Kamagong streets in Makati City, Suzu-Kin (literally
Golden Bell) is Virgie’s modest monument to her love and fascination
for everything Japanese. It all started almost three decades ago when
she met her would-be husband, Akio Suzuki. A chef for the Kaneko
Japanese Restaurant, one of the handful of Japanese dining places then
*Concept design only in existence, Akio introduced and tutored Virgie on the finer points
of his native cuisine. The eager student and the fast learner that she
is, she absorbed his teachings immediately. Of course, developing a

60 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral


genuine liking for the food helped greatly. In
no time, Virgie decided that her skills were
respectable enough to stand scrutiny from a
paying public.
It goes without saying that any business
that manages to stay afloat after 25 straight
years has achieved a great measure of success.
Suzu-Kin’s story is doubly admirable because
of the conditions in which it thrived. The
unpretentious establishment has been in exis-
tence long before the Filipinos have acquired
the taste for Japanese dishes; long before such
has permitted for the influx of trendy land-
of-the-rising-sun-themed restaurants. The
interior is not at all glitzy, which Akio explains
is the authentic look of traditional restaurants
in his hometown. Moreover, it has bravely
defied the “Location! Location! Location!”
mantra of entrepreneurship gurus. Nowhere
near burgeoning commercial hubs, Suzu-Kin
has attracted and maintained a fiercely loyal
clientele.
CondoCentral
Apart from the Suzu-Kin’s scrumptious specialties, it is Virgie’s UNCONVENTIONAL
YET SUCCESSFUL.
exacting and non-negotiable standards that roused the interest of Suzu-Kin defies the rules
habitués John and Ethel Lim, two of the founding partners of Franchising of location and interiors
Xynergy Providers, Inc (FXP). The more they patronized the place, the and yet remains attractive
to its loyal patrons.
more they were convinced that the delicious experience should be
shared by a broader customer base.
Small wonder, the Lims encountered no trouble persuading their
partners Gilbert Santos, Romar Padilla and Anchit Idian that Suzu-Kin
be FXP’s pilot project. It was a matter of convincing Virgie to share the
restaurants secrets in exchange for the boundless opportunities that
come with opening up the business to franchising.
The talks were swift and decisive. As far as Virgie was concerned,
there were no secrets. There was only strict adherence to ingredient
freshness, consistently good cooking and very reasonable prices. As
for FXP, the challenge shifted, from the technical niceties of systems
replication, to simply keeping Suzu-Kin’s cherished reputation
unscathed.
Come April, two new Suzu-Kin restaurants will open in Makati.
Regular customers might be surprised at what may be perceived as a
radical makeover. FXP explains, however, that the new interior and
logo designs are meant to signal the ushering in of more exciting times
for the Suzu-Kin faithful. An expanded menu will complement the
cheery, contemporary updated look of the restaurant. But as far as
the bottomline goes – Suzu-Kin will still, and always be about good,
authentic Japanese food at really reasonable prices. This is Virgie and
FXP’s resolute pledge.
For inquiries, visit Franchising Xynergy Providers, Inc. at UnitA-107 State
Condo V, 452 EDSA, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City. Or call 890-4393 or email
fxpfranchisng@yahoo.com.
MARCH 2007
61
 cooking for one
A (local) Asian food trip
Jenny B. Orillos asks you to temporarily abandon your kitchen and head to
three fantastic restos serving the most sumptuous of Asia
C
ool off your “kitchen for one” this month
and challenge your taste buds with a hint
of Asian flavor. The cuisines of our Asian
neighbors always provide an interesting
dining experience with its fresh ingredients, ar-
omatic herbs and spices, and new (yet somewhat
familiar) flavors.
Just like any unfamiliar foods, the keys to
enjoying Asian cuisine are to keep an open mind,
an adventurous stomach, a working knowledge
of what to order, and a small group of dining
companions willing to embark on a little Asian
food trip.
Here’s a quick guide to some of my off-the-
beaten-track favorites around the Metro:
62 MARCH 2007
Hanmadang Korean
Barbecue and Restaurant
636 San Andres Street, Malate Manila.
303-7388 or 303-7387.
Tourist buses parked along the busy San Andres street near the wet
market cause a bit of a traffic jam come dinner time. Korean tourists make
a detour at this restaurant for a sumptuous feast of Korean staples like
chapchae, bulgogi, bibimbap and an array of kimchi. Come here during a
weekday (or weekend) lunch for a more manageable lunch time crowd.
The setting: Has an area with low tables at the ground floor, for a
Korean-style dining experience. Regular tables and chairs are available in
the dining area on the second floor.
Plate favorites: The Dolsot Bibimbap is stove pot rice with mixed veg-
etables topped with fried egg and sesame seeds. It comes with a small
bowl of hot chili and bean curd paste that you mix into everything for a
deliciously moist mess with a subtly sweet and spicy flavor. The Haemul
Pajun (Seafood Pancake) is a large fluffy omelet with a surprisingly moist
center and filled with shrimp, mussel, leeks, bell pepper, and onions. The
Chapchae (glass noodles like our pansit bijon) brims with ingredients like
earthy mushrooms, sweet onions, bell peppers, carrots and leeks. It has
a slippery texture from the noodles and a subtly sweet, savory sauce, a
complete heartwarming meal by itself.
Isshin Japanese Restaurant
1024 A. Arnaiz Ave. (formerly Pasay Road), Makati City.
817-2548 or 844-1512.
The setting: A favorite haunt of diners who love good quality Japanese
food. The atmosphere is casual and busy. A tatami dining area, adorned
with a soothing wallpaper of green bamboo, is at the back. Open until late
in the evening.
CondoCentral
 and caramel in color. Try the filling and tasty
Gado-gado, the essential Indonesian salad
made of crisp vegetables and served with a
peanut dressing. Jakarta has a savory selec-
tion of sate (barbecues) like the Sate Daging
Sapi (beef barbecue), Sate Ayam (diced chicken
barbecue) and the Sate Campur (a combina-
tion of beef, chicken and prawn). If you like
other Bicolano-type dishes rich in gata, try the
Tumis Udang Dengan Kelapa Muda (prawns
in thick gata) or the Ayam Panggang Bumbu
Rujak (savory roasted chicken with coconut
milk and herbs).

Plate favorites: Selections include giant maki rolls, sushi and sashimi
plus a long list of different kinds of ramen like Seafood Ramen and
Yakisoba, teppanyaki, tempura and other Japanese staples. Must try is the
refreshing cold noodles, hiyashichuka, tossed in a special soy-based sauce
and topped with slices of omelet, red bell peppers and tomatoes. They also
have the crescent-shaped gyoza (dumplings), which are steamed first and
then lightly browned in a little oil. Served on a sizzling plate is the Tofu
Special, made with thick rounds of tofu that are breaded, fried and topped
with a savory sauce.
But what draws Isshin patrons are the reasonably priced lunch sets.
The Executive Lunch Set consists of one special Teishoku Box meal for the
day (like Yakiniku Beef on Mondays or Mix Tempura on Tuesdays). For P140,
one can partake of a complete meal served with miso soup, plain rice, osh-
ingko, and three side dishes for the day. The Teppanyaki Lunch Set consists
of the special Teppan for the day (gyoza, chicken, squid, beef or shrimp) Safe and clean: go ahead and look
served with mixed rice and a yakisoba teppan. This Teppanyaki Lunch Set
starts at around P125. In its thrust to promote the brand’s promise of food safety and qual-
ity, McDonald’s boldly goes no local fast-food chain has – to open its
kitchens to the public with its Open Doors Program.
Jakarta Inn-Piano Bar and Restaurant First introduced in McDonald’s China and Australia, the Open Doors
2082 F. Benitez St., Malate, Manila. 521-4116. Program shows the brand’s focus on food quality, safety, and cleanli-
The setting: Tucked in a sleepy neighborhood near the corner of San ness. For McDonald’s, it is a way of communicating to all – especially
moms – that each McDonald’s meal is thoughtfully made, under the best
Andres St. and Quirino Ave. in Malate. The pace picks up in the evening and most caring conditions. This means they are bringing their family to
with music from the piano bar. This is the place to go for an intimate lunch a safe haven that takes their well-being to heart.
or dinner over food reminiscent of spicy Bicolano dishes, the closest we Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value or QSC&V are the four key
words that have guided the way McDonald’s prepares its food. QSC&V
have to the Indonesian food served here.
brings consistency in all its products. This consistency has made McDon-
Plate favorites: Jakarta offers a large selection of authentic Indonesian ald’s one of the most loved and trusted brands in the world.
dishes ranging from camilan (appetizers), soup (like Soto Ayam or chicken Last Feb. 25, 14 participating literally opened their doors to the public
soup with tangy lemon grass broth), salad, main courses of chicken, sea- and conducted a tour of McDonald’s world-class kitchens: a demonstra-
tion of how each McDonald’s branch took food preparation, and thus the
food, beef and vegetables, and nasi (rice). A meal in itself is the Nasi Goreng well-being of their families, to heart.
(fried rice with egg, diced shrimp, chicken and beef) which is delicious “Opening our kitchens reinforces our openness and transparency.”
strewn with crunchy emping, Indonesian crackers. says Margot Torres, McDonald’s VP for Marketing. “At McDonald’s, moms
can feel at ease knowing that they are giving their children and the rest
The Rendang Daging Sapi (beef rendang) is like the Filipino adobo of the family only the freshest and best quality meals.”
and is slowly cooked in coconut milk, herbs and spices until tender

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

63
 coverage

China calling
China has influenced almost all aspects of our lives—from the way we dine
to how we trade to how we live—but as the exhibits currently on view at
The Podium and Ayala Museum attest, one of the world’s oldest and greatest
civilizations has also inspired and energized how we create and view art.
Carlomar Arcangel Daoana writes

T
hough the West has constantly portrayed China’s exoticism and string of exhibits currently on view in the metro
mystique, translating them into heart-stopping images of kung presents wave upon wave of artworks and influ-
Claude Tayag’s,
“Veggie Vendor”
fu masters, women with bound feet and emperors with hundred ences that have landed on our shores from China
Pen and ink, wives, sometimes set in hazy background of mountains or the Great throughout the centuries and examines how it
watercolor on paper Wall, what we know about China is more definite, intimate. Trading continues to inspire contemporary artists and
with one of the oldest and greatest civilizations in the world energize their vision to create profoundly new
Beaded slippers
Asian Civilizations as far back as the pre-Spaniards times has opened us to and invigorating interpretations of the world.
Museum China’s social, cultural, linguistic, and even artistic
influences, contributing a great deal to how we The magic of Macau
define our country and ourselves. On view until March 7 at the second floor
In the light of China becoming an lounge of The Podium in Ortigas is Macau Magic,
unstoppable economic powerhouse a group show featuring the works of four art-
(possibly half of the things you use or ists—National Artist BenCab, Soler Santos,
own could have been manufactured Claude Tayag and Phyllis Zaballero—who were
in this country) in the 21st century, a inspired by the visual treasures of this adminis-

64 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Damian Domingo’s “Catedra de San Pedro de
Roma” Oil on thin copper sheet

Phillis Zaballero’s “Rua Da Felicidade 1”

Acrylic and pencil on paper

Soler Santos’s “Chapel of Our Lady of Guia”

Watercolor on paper

trative region of China. Invited by the Macau Government Tourist Office,

in cooperation with Finale Art File, the artists portray in their works the
attitude of someone just coasting along and also, the supreme focus of find-
ing a hue of meaningfulness in a new place, making it lasting through art.
A quick walk through the works easily reveals their different subject
matters, their varying degrees of concentration and the wildly, and
delightfully, conflicting stance with which they have immortalized Macau.
But there seems to be an underlying sameness of pursuit: to capture a
nuance, an essence, that makes Macau unique from all other cities in the
world, and to touch, no matter how deftly, the intersection where tradition
meets modernity and where, term not used loosely here, the East meets
the West.
For Zaballero, Macau is an invitation, as it had been more than 500
hundred years ago to the Portuguese settlers who established the city. Her
red doors and yellow windows are flung wide open, giving us a glimpse
of their interiors: a wrought-iron chair, lanterns, deliciously painted walls.
Even the curtains, parted a bit or fluttering in the wind, reveal. Though
there are no people in her works, we are intrigued by, and drawn towards,
the tone of domesticity, as evoked by articles of clothing hanging on ban-
isters and clothesline
to dry. We begin to ask
who own those socks,
undergarments, shirts,
camisolles—unapol-
logetic, surprising,
humorous.
Santos, on the one
hand, wants to know
Macau’s nitty-gritty.
Instead of sprawls
and parks, people and
activity, his subjects
are precise, specific
directions. He is an
artist in the look-out
for symbols, signages,
affirmations. For him,
Macau is the muscular
rubber tree beside a
road sign, the insignia
tatooed on the wall of
the Chapel of our Lady
of Guia, the manhole
cover on a brick road, the two roasted chicken lying in wait. His is Macau in
words, some of them with their corresponding Chinese script: “Correios,”
“Rua Correa de Silva,” “Macao Water.”
The artist is fierce in his rendition of Macau that is old: his colors bleed,
drip, make splotches to signify wear-and-tear, ruin. Even his landscape
contrapuntal to a glassy river sliced by a lone boat seems to be dated, over-
hung with a massive, inchoate shadow. In brief, effortless strokes, Santos
has evoked the many centuries which Macau wears like layers of dress.
At the pulse of Macau’s city life are the works of Tayag that avidly por-
tray, in many frames, its people and their activities. At the heart of his ouvre,
however, is food: how it is sold, prepared, cooked, presented and of course,
eaten! His markets teem with produce and different kinds of meat. The people
who prepare the peanut cake, tea and wintermelon soup do so with loving
attention. From the concentrated shuckling of oyster to the light enjoyment of

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

65

tea to the happy dining with friends, the artist
BenCab’s “Vendor at
Ruin’s at St. Paul” renders them with light-hearted curiosity and
Acrylic and charcoal on the fascination of one who delights, unforgiv-
paper ably, in the good life.
Master in portraying both elation and
Platter (18th to 19th anguish, BenCab offers us the most enduring
century ceramic) representative vision of Macau: its people.
Roberto Villanueva
collection Trafficking between the “old” world when life
was slow and mail was delivered by hand and the
new one marked with fast-paced communication and
globalization is an old man, holding and staring at a cell-
phone, as if figuring what to do with it. He seems to be lost in complete
thought, as well as the other figures who, engrossed with their routines,
don’t look straight at the viewer.
Macau may be known to rest of the world primarily through its
polished, glittering casinos but the four artists took a swerve, bringing
66 MARCH 2007
to us not only the historical sites and cultural
activities this city can offer but also its mood,
weather, gestures and conditions. The cogs
and wheels of commerce are turning swiftly
all right, but, as the works show, there is still
something in Macau that is volatile, delicate,
pure—untouched by progress.
A product of many cultures, Macau has
settled comfortably in these assortment of
details and influences. When many cities are in a
mad rush of demolishing old structures in order
to hoist swanky offices and condominiums, the
island has preserved many of its landmarks and
buildings so much so that its Historic Center is
in the World Heritage List. There are so many
things going on in the place, and yet so many
that have remained the same that we, if really
consider ourselves as citizens of the world, can
partake and enjoy for years to come.
Art from the Mainland
Chinese trade traced as far as the ninth cen-
tury has inevitably influenced and contributed
to the shaping of our country. Its impact is so
enormous that we don’t know where to begin
unravelling those influences and contributions.
That’s why Chinese Diaspora: Art Streams from
the Mainland, a series of six exhibitions at the
Ayala Museum on view until May 27, is a timely,
much-needed crash course on how this great
country helped form our nation and its people.
Fernando Zobel de Ayala, co-vice chairman
of Ayala Foundation elucidates: “Through a
series of six exhibitions and their accompany-
ing public programs, the Ayala Museum seeks
to highlight the historical and
cultural ties that bind us to
Mainland China. From the
ninth century on to
the 21st, history has
proven that these
cultural, social, and
economic ties to be
strong and endur-
ing ”
Kicking off Chi-
nese Diaspora is “The
Peranakan Legacy,”
a loan exhibition from
the Asian Civilization
Museum in Singapore which
focuses on the distinctive art forms
of the Peranakan. Peranakan means “child of” or
“born of” and is commonly applied to the mixed
Chinese-indigenous communities that developed
in the trading ports of Melaka, Singapore and Pen-
ang. Distinctive material culture of the Peranakan
CondoCentral
Chinese community including jewelry, beaded slippers, gold and silver orna-
Valeria Cavestany’s
ments, ceramics, garments, textiles and furniture are featured. David Henkel “Mr. Ong”
curates the show. Acylic on canvas
“Tsinoy: Mestizo Art of Colonial Times,”on the other hand, is
Nino Dormido
the counterpart exhibition to the talk delivered by respected Solid ivory
historian Ambeth Ocampo. The show features works that Paulino and Hetty Que
are little-known or traditionally regarded as 19th century collection
Philippine colonial art which include ivory and hardwood Claudine Sia’s
santos, jewelry and furniture, other artworks represen- “Evidence Bags” (detail)
tative of the Chinese-Mestizo. Installation (photographs,
Highlighting the brilliance of Damian Domingo, who postcards, claim stubs
and other ephemera,
had Chinese heritage, is “Damian Domingo: The First glassine, steel pins)
Great Filipino Painter.” The show brings a representa-
tive collection of the entire spectrum of Domingo’s
oeuvre: previously unseen religious images from the
Ongpin collection, portrait miniatures and his albums
of Philippine costumes. Domingo was credited to hav-
ing advanced the development of art education in the
Philippines from self-study and apprenticeship to formal
education. He encouraged native painters to move towards
a firmer grasp of painting principles and was recognized
then, as he is today, as the great Filipino master portraitist.
Religious paintings on copper that Damian painted for his
family shrine are shown to the public for the first time.
The show is curated by Lisa Ongpin-Periquet, Luciano
Santiago and Deanna Ongpin-Recto.
“Chinese Tradeware from the Roberto T. Villanueva
Collection” is a special selection that features a compre-
hensive range of Chinese tradewares, spanning a mille-
nium of ingenious pottery from Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian
and Guangdong. The Villanueva collection is one of the
finest of its kind in the country, composed of 3,800 ceramic
pieces. Works on display originated from the kilns in southern
and northern China, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma and Japan.
Rita Tan curates the show.
Providing the discourse on how China is seen through West-
ern eyes is “China Gaze: Valeria Cavestany.” The show, curated
by Dita Samson, features light boxes and acrylic portraits by
Valeria Cavestany and is one of the two exhibitions that provide
contemporary angle on the country’s Chinese heritage.
Born in Barcelona to a Catalan father and a Filipino mother, Valeria
Cavestany, came to Manila in the late ‘70s in search of her Philippine roots
and chose to make Manila her home.
“My fascination with Chinese culture has been with me since I can
remember,” she explains. “China epitomized to me the other, the extreme
orient, a far-away magical land with ancient traditions. A land inhabited
by beautiful women with tiny feet and strange customs so different from
my Mediterranean roots. I studied Chinese history, Chinese painting, and
the Mandarin language to get some understanding of this civilization.”
Last is “Evidence Bags,” an installation exhibition by twenty-something
Claudine Sia, the other contemporary discourse on the intersections of his- memory and history. What I’m presenting is
torical and the familial. Viewers encounter upon entering a massive exhi- proof of history. The photos are fixed and belong
bition panel, 9x 32 feet, positioned at a slant across the floor. Photographs, to a murky past while images in the mirror are
postcards, receipts and other ephemera in glassine bags are secured by fleeting and change whenever someone passes by
long steel pins and guided by a red thread throughout the panel, relieved for a look. What they do have in common is their
here and there by small mirrors. value as evidence—mirrors and photographs
Sia explains: “More than anything else, this work is about photography, don’t lie.”

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

67
 review
central
A twist, literally
S howtime has never been so
flexible with Hewlett-Packard’s
new HP Pavilion tx1000 Entertainment
PC. HP takes on a unique twist and
touch to the notebook by enabling its
12.1 inch screen to turn 180 degrees
and employing easy touch screen
control, making it the perfect gadget
for viewing movies and presentations,
or simply scribbling as it can also be
converted into a flat slate. Built for
easy entertainment, the HP Pavilion
tx1000 Entertainment Notebook PC
features the new and improved HP
QuickPlay 3.0, an innovation that
CondoCentral
top of the list
gadgets
allows users to launch music, photo and video files
at the push of a button without booting up their
notebooks. Multitasking is also easy, thanks to AMD
Turion™ 64 x 2 mobile technology which powers
the HP Pavilion tx1000 Entertainment Notebook PC
to run programs simultaneously without slowing
the PC. Weighing in at less than four pounds, this
hot gadget makes it possible to carry entertainment
around wherever you go.
music
Lea sings on
an inspired note
R ight before
she leaves
for her much-
a w a i t e d
Broadway
comeback in
Les Miserables,
the country’s
one and only
international
pride, Lea
Salonga pays
her local fans and
followers with a fitting tribute of timeless songs
in an album called Inspired under Sony BMG
Music Entertainment.
The album, a product of her close
collaboration with arranger-producer-
brother young maestro Gerard
Salonga, is Lea’s first studio album in
seven years. Inspired is a collection
of Lea’s personal favorites, a few
originals exclusively written for her by
Jim Brickman (“To Hear You Say”) and
Lani Macaraeg (“Do You Hear It”) plus her
official wedding song “Two Words” penned
by Louie Ocampo.
Asked why Inspired for a title, Lea smiles,
“I guess it’s a word that describes our
collective state of being. We were inspired
by various things: my new baby, different
artists’ albums and/or vocal stylings,
experiences, people, just going about our
individual days. There wasn’t any one thing
I can pin down or point out, but whatever
these things were, it brought out our best.”
First single off the album is “Promise
Me” by Beverly Craven currently heard on
the airwaves. Other much-awaited tracks
in the album are “Who Are You?” “When
October Goes,” “Brian’s Song,” “Sing,”
“Two Words,” “When The Winter’s Gone,”
“Land Of The Loving,” “Waiting For Love,”
“To Hear You Say,” “My Foolish Heart” and
“Do You Hear It?”
MARCH 2007
69

What makes Katrina Halili
a perfect (Hang) Ten
T
he sultry Katrina Halili finds perfect companion
in Hang Ten’s no-fuss, laid-back, ready-for-
anything attitude.
Trendy, yet laidback; fashionable, yet comfort-
able—that is what casual chic is all about and that is
what apparel brand Hang Ten embodies.
From its wide collection of colorful tees and styl-
ish tops to its form-flattering jeans and hip denim
skirts, the apparel brand has the terms “casual” and
“chic” down pat.
And Hang Ten couldn’t have picked a more appro-
priate youth idol to be the face behind its ladies’ line
than Katrina Halili, the young actress who, despite her
sultry onscreen persona, loves fuss-free fashion.
Comfortable, yet feminine
“I always seem to be on the go these days so
I prefer my clothes to be comfortable but still very
feminine,” she says.
The 21-year-old, after all, has projects left and
right these days. “Right now, I’m busy taping for
‘Atlantika’ which winds down soon but then I’ll be
starting work on Lupin, another adventure series on
GMA,” she reveals.
Scent as succulent
as apples
Sink your teeth into the most luscious scent
of the season.
The apple – that succulent shiny red fruit
evoking enchantment and mystique in fairy
tales and folklore – captures hearts anew
this season in a scent called Nina. Personi-
fying the legendary fruit, Nina, a fragrance
by Nina Ricci, is enchantingly sweet
and addicting with top notes of Ca-
librian lemon and Caipirinah lime;
heart notes toffee apple, peony and
moonflower; and base notes of
apple wood and white cedar.
A picture of innocent beauty and
70 MARCH 2007
fashion
Katrina is particularly fond of Hang Ten’s ladies’
pants that she says seem to have been designed to
show off her legs.
“Like most people, I go around in jeans and
sometimes, it can be a hassle finding good jeans
that still make you feel like a girl. Finding a brand
like Hang Ten that understands my body was a relief.
You can wear them with high heels and you’re ready
for anything,” she enthuses.
Form-flattering
Petite, yet curvaceous, Katrina says it used to be
hard for her to find the perfect tee and top to com-
plement her body.
“So I loved it when I discovered Hang Ten back in
high school,” she says. “I really like how its clothes
fit my body.”
Hang Ten has long been known its basic tees that
come in an array of colors. It also has an extensive
selection of buttoned and collared shirts for both
men and women.
Its kid’s line, meanwhile, is just as varied with
its collection of tees, skirts, and jeans in youthful
designs.
beauty
captivating charm, the fragrance is presented in
an apple-shaped flacon adorned with dainty sil-
ver leaves. It is sweet, fruity, vibrant, crisp, and
rich - as tempting as the fruit that bewitched
maidens and princesses. Its juice is a lus-
cious red, the color of passion.
Nina is a unique fragrance because of
its toffee apple notes. Imagine the
surprisingly pleasant aromas and
tastes of sweet apples dipped in
toffee-flavored syrup. The scent is
delicious, like an irresistibly sinful
dessert tempting lovers of all per-
suasions.
books
When waiting
entails more
than patience
Waiting
Ha Jin
F
ew people have the patience to wait an
entire lifetime for something they’ve
been wanting their whole lives. And
when it comes, is it worth the wait?
Ha Jin’s Waiting addresses the question
with uncertainty up to the very end of the story
of Lin Kong, a doctor who has been attempting
to divorce his wife for 18 years. Set in China
during the war years, Ha Jin’s National Book
Award-winning novel chooses Maoist China as
its backdrop, highlighted by its protagonist’s
conflict of pursuing his desire against keeping
up the filial duty of keeping one’s family and
dignity intact.
From the very beginning, Lin’s marriage
to his wife Shuyu has been loveless, owing to
the fact that she looks too old and is actually
old fashioned as she embarrasses Lin with her
bound feet, which was already outdated in the
‘60s. They grow more estranged as Lin works
for the most part of the year in the city, going
home only during the summer. Even the birth
of their daughter Hua does not change this
arrangement, though Shuyu remains loyal
and dutiful to Lin to the point of taking over the
care of his parents until their deaths.
Shuyu’s old fashioned ways supposedly
set her apart from Manna, a nurse who works
in the Chinese Army with Lin. Pretty, feisty and
gutsy, Manna succeeds in forging a romantic
relationship with the conscientious doctor, but
fails in securing his divorce every summer. Fate
tests their patience as their relationship goes
through disturbances and fits of frustration,
motivated only by the rule that an officer can
divorce his wife freely after 18 years. After Lin
succeeds in divorcing Shuyu and marrying
Manna, he embraces the idea of living a new
life, but without counting the consequences it
would bring.
Ha Jin’s straightforward narrative makes
Waiting an easy read, although not quite an
exhilarating experience as it lacks the richness
of a more adorned language and tone. Though
injected with humor every now and then,
its wryness does not make up for its lack of
poesy.
Its unraveling, however, is effective in
the sense that in the end, even the reader is
affected with the tension and complication
that Lin goes through after all those years of
waiting. In the end, the question of where the
grass is greener reverberates, reminding us
that insatiable longing is always unfortunately
paired with frustration.
CondoCentral
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 community

Wow
Cubao!
Before the frenentic and swanky leisure hubs in Ayala and Alabang, there has been Araneta Center in Cubao which, in almost five decades,
has been serving as pivotal center in the metro where people shop, dine and have fun. With the recent commercial and condominium
developments happening this side of Quezon City, Cubao is experiencing a resurgence of sort—thanks to a thoughtfiul urban planning
that is making people say, wow!

S
ince time immemorial, man has always obsessed about living in
the center of the universe. There is an abject fascination about
being in the center of things, as it seems to give power to the man
in the middle. Despite centuries of enlightenment, however, where
man faced the reality that his existence may not be at the center of things
after all, the fascination remains.
In choosing matters of residence, the need for a centrist point of view is
remarkably preserved. Given the choice, people want to live, and prefer to
have their children grow up in a familiar place that’s near everything.
Here in Metro Manila, Araneta Center
remains such a center of the local universe. Built
in the 1960s by the family that lent its name to
the country’s first leisure and lifestyle complex,
the Araneta Center remains one of the country’s
vital urban spots, where close to a million people
set foot every day. Araneta Center is often the
first destination of tourists, and it remains the
last place to go to before leaving back home.

72 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral


Araneta Center serves well as a hub, as it has
something for everyone. It offers a wealth of
shopping, dining and entertainment choices
that come across all budget ranges.
Years of transformation have not diminished
the geographical value of Araneta Center. Careful
cultivation and strategic planning have steadily
changed the Araneta landscape to reflect more
modern times. Aside from its steady stream of
CondoCentral
transportation services bound for various points in and out of the metro,
Araneta Center is also the only point in the metropolis where two major
mass transit systems collect and disembark passengers daily. Its unique
location lets anyone get to Divisoria in 29 minutes for bargain hunting, to
Katipunan in eight for schooling, to Marikina in 15 for shoe shopping, and
to Makati in 17 minutes for business appointments.
Realizing its strategic position as a metropolitan area, Araneta Center
has stepped up into its next phase of development: the opportunity of
establishing living quarters within its enclaves. Living within Araneta
Center offers the chance to be at the center of everything again.
Manhattan Garden City is the center within the center within the cen-
ter. Located in the bustling northeast residential side of the Araneta Center,
Manhattan Garden City is a sprawling residential enclave scattered across
a prime five-hectare spot. It is the country’s first-ever garden-inspired,
transit-oriented community connected to two mass transit systems: the
LRT2 and MRT3. Top choices in shopping, dining and entertainment are
just downstairs, where the Araneta Coliseum, Gateway Shopping Mall, Ali
Mall, and other famous landmarks perch mightily.
Should the travel bug hit you, other hotels, shopping centers, hospitals,
schools, and leisure centers are minutes away without the usual traffic
gridlock. Even better, all towers are interconnected at the fourth level of
Manhattan Garden City, where residents are treated to a 729-meter garden
walkway that provides a well-deserved breath of fresh air.
Living at Manhattan Garden City is the height of luxury itself. Apart
from location, residents are treated to active, semi-active, passive-and
semi-passive zones, each featuring recreational, fitness, and sporting
pursuits that fit the category. At the end of the day, relax and unwind in
the comforts of your well-appointed home, built with comfort in mind, and
modernity as a guideline.
It certainly pays to be in the middle of things, and Manhattan Garden
City offers you the rare opportunity to be at the center of it all.
MARCH 2007
73
 soar

Images by Benhur Arcayan

Sky high
Images by
Benhur Arcayan

F
rom Feb. 8 to 11, people
trooped to the Clark
Field in Pampanga and
experienced a romantic
and thrilling adventure by
riding on a hot air balloon
in the 11th Philippine
International Hot Air Balloon
Festival. Not only that but
local folks and out-of-town
visitors were entertained with
a variety of activities such as
paragliding, helicopter and
kite flying shows, aerobatic
shows, skydiving, hand-
gliding, and gyro plane flying
demonstration. Of course, the hot air balloons were the biggest crowd
drawer of them all.
Additionally, United Parcel Service (UPS), the world’s largest package
delivery company, offered a pre-Valentine’s Day treat by inviting some key
media personalities and their partner to a romantic rendezvouz in the sky.
Armed with a spirit of adventure, curiosity and camera, they rode on the
hot air balloons a whimsical way of spending Valentine’s Day.
A sponsor of the fiesta for five straight years, UPS has partnered
with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) to co-host the festival.
As a major business operator in Clark, with the Intra-Asia hub located
in the province of Pampanga, UPS supports the CDC’s efforts in promot-
ing tourism and boosting economic development.

74 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 UNIV ER SIT Y TOWER

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829/ 831 Moret St., oon, all the stress of city living will be a thing
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www.condo.com.ph hospitals, restaurants, shopping centers, markets,
For inquiries and viewing request: churches, and the post office.
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
 soar

Mundane pleasures at the foot of

the mystic mountain

Roel Hoang Manipon takes a trek to Kinabuhayan Café Bed and Breakfast, a suite confection that sits
languidly at the foot of Mt. Banahaw, the awe-inspiring peak many people consider sacred
Images by Lucky Besa

W
hile a pilgrimage and tour to Mount Banahaw, considered a nice three-level tree dwelling at the tamarind
mystical and sacred by many, may not be possible right tree. The tree was in full bloom, thus anyone
now because the Department of Environment and Natural sleeping here would be sprinkled with tamarind
Resources (DENR) has closed it off to visitors in order for the blossoms upon waking up. The huts had bamboo
mountain and its ecology to recover, one can at least explore the springs slats flooring and an open-air bathroom at the side
and enjoy a stay in a quaint café in Dolores, a town in the province of with its own garden. Each hut can accommodate
Quezon at the foot of the mountain. It is a popular jump-off point of two to eight persons. A bathroom and toilet with
pilgrims and climbers. hot water are very welcome amenities in this
We went there after a stay at the acclaimed The Farm at San Benito, part. Now, mountaineers, trekkers and pilgrims
where we detoxified and ate raw vegetarian food. We plunged into the to Mount Banahaw can journey with relative ease.
bustle of Lipa proper and headed east to Dolores for Kinabuhayan Café Bed But Kinabuhayan café itself is fast becoming a
and Breakfast. It was an uneventful hour or so drive through the towns destination.
of Padre Garcia and San Antonio and entering Quezon province through
Tiaong. Dolores was a quaint town with narrow, sloping roads.
On Dejarme Street in the quiet neighborhood of Barangay Bayanihan
stood Kinabuhayan Café, equally quaint as the town, near a chapel and an
elementary school. A big tamarind tree marked its location.
Opened in the Holy Week of 2003, Kinabuhayan Café is owned by buddies
Jay Herrera, production designer, and Winston Baltasar, motoring journalist
and former managing editor of Top Gear magazine. It stood on Herrera’s family
property, which was before an empty lot with a garage. The two established
this only bed-and-breakfast place in the area with Herrera designing and
acting as chef. Herrera lives here while Baltasar goes home to Makati. The
café is named after the barangay at the foot of Banahaw where some natural
sacred shrines are located. The name means “place of resurrection.”
The café in white paint was charmingly accented with details like
numerous different windows, which Herrera collected along the way. In
the yard, there were two open-air, two-story huts as accommodation plus

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

77
 In the café, you dine with their black, fat, laidback dogs lounging around.
They were so people-oriented, that is, ultra friendly even to strangers
and unmindful of the passing and going of people. The fattest was called
Chongki. Herrera, who wore his salt-and-pepper hair long, liked telling us
how, when calling the dog, some people would look up. A pregnant black
cat also stalked the whole area. She was friendly, too.
The food prepared here they call “Pinoy gourmet,” Filipino dishes with
European touches. For lunch, we were served a large plate of treats: risotto
with black mushroom, slices of singkamas and chayote, mung bean sprouts,
fresh pako or young fern, and best of all, baked chili chicken. Dessert was
sweet potato cooked in pandan and vanilla-flavored syrup, served on crisp
open fried spring roll wrapper and topped with cream. This was concluded
area, is closed for five years, starting 1994 to be able to recuperate. We
could go as far as the Kinabuhayan complex where the Kinabuhayan
spring was with a large submerged stone bearing an imprint of a foot. The
site is called Yapak ni Kristo (Christ’s footprint). We lighted some candles.
Nearby was a cave with a stone and an image of Mary at the entrance.
As we go inside the dark cave, our lit candles revealed many religious
images, mostly those of Virgin Mary and Santo Ninos. Aling Minda was
chanting as we went along. After visiting these sites, we waded into
the gelid water. Winston filled his plastic containers with spring water.
Around us, there are several religious images tucked in crevices. Also
there were empty sachets of shampoo, wrappers and other garbage items.
Serious mountaineers and religious members are okay, said Winston. It’s
the jologs crowd that throngs the
mountain and leaves heaps of trash
including pornographic materials
and bottles of liquor.
Body wearied but soul
replenished, we sank into the
comforts of our car seats as we
headed home.

Prior booking in Kinabuhayan Café is

required. Contact Winston Balatasar
through mobile phone numbers 0917-
3271106 and 0917-5241106, or e-mail
kina_cafe@yahoo.com. Visit its web-
site at www.klar.us/kinabuhayan_café
for more information, tour packages,
pictures, detailed directions for going
there and prices.

with cups of Quezon barako coffee flavored with pandan.

Winston told us that Jay grows a chesa tree in the backyard. I don’t
know of anyone who likes chesa, that deep-yellow, heart-shaped fruit.
Perhaps, Jay might be one. He makes samosas out of them stuffed with
ground pork, chili and oyster sauce. He calls it “chesmosa.”
Along the way, I saw several angel’s trumpets, small trees with large,
pendent, peach-colored flowers, which seem to have a fondness for grow-
ing in mountainous areas. Sandy told me that the local name is talampunay
and is said to be hallucinogenic. The leaves can be dried and made into
cigarettes while the flowers can be boiled and drank as tea.
Jay and Winston like to tell a story about how musician Joey Ayala got
stoned drinking a concoction made from angel’s trumpet flowers that he
ended up putting his shoes inside the refrigerator.
But a more acceptable way to get high is with lambanog, which flows
ceaselessly in this café during full moon nights. With the smoking and
talks and intoxication, I wondered about the wellness aspect of this place.
Most probably, it is the energy from Mount Banahaw, which Winston
believes in and gushes about. He also said that the water that springs from
A meaningful retreat.
the mountain is therapeutic. The Kinabuhayan Cafe at the foot
Off we went to the mountain, about a 15-minute drive from the café. of Mt. Banahaw is fast becoming
We fetched our guide Minda Godoy, a sixty-ish Rizalist, in barangay Santa a destination for travelers who
seek the awe-inspiring peak even
Lucia. We passed by the large compound of the Rosa Mistica religious when it is closed to the public.
group. Banahaw harbors multitudinous religious groups and cults.
Kinabuhayan proper is a thriving community with a basketball court.
Rows of stores selling fruits, vegetables, souvenirs and herbal cures lined
the narrows steps towards the church of Tatlong Persona Solo Dios. A left
turn would bring you to the foot of the mountain itself. Because of human
traffic had taken its toll on the mountain, Banahaw, a declared protected

78 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Kirk Arambulo, managing
director Help-Usell Philippines;
Larry Polhill, director/ principal
Help-U-sell USA; Daniel R. dela
Cruz, owner of Help-U-Sell Makati
Realty, Inc.; and Masaki Kusumori,
Help-U-sell - international division.

Help-U-Sell
How would you like to have access to two million plus Filipinos in America with a
combined buying power of US$25 billion? Be a part of America’s fastest growing real
estate franchise company as it opens its doors in the Philippines

A
t Help-U-Sell, we provide you with more opportunities to in-
crease your income by doing what you do best – SELL!
Have access to our 1,000 offices and 5,000 agents plus over
two million hits on our Help-U-Sell website to help you market
your listings abroad.
Help-U-Sell® Real Estate ranked 15 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Top
100 Fastest Growing Companies for 2005, making it the fastest growing
real estate franchise company in America.
Help-U-Sell Continues Global Expansion with Office in the
Philippines
Irvine, Calif. (22 January 2007)– Realty Information Systems,
Help-U-Sell Real Estate, today announced the second phase of its global
expansion, with the planned opening of an
office in Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philip-
pines. The office, which will be named Help-
U-Sell Makati Realty, Inc. is owned by Daniel
R. Dela Cruz, and will be located in the second
floor P&L Building, Greenbelt One, 116 Legaspi
St., Legaspi Village, Makati..
Help-U-Sell Real Estate is the world’s pre-
mier provider of professional licensed real
estate services, empowering consumers with
access to information and choice, while offer-
ing a set-fee alternative to paying the ancient

80 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

commission-based fee model. The Help-U-Sell
Real Estate model was the pioneer and the
leader for providing an alternative to the
heavy, unfair burden of the traditional com-
mission structure, which has virtually gone
uncontested for years in a non-transparent
industry.
The set-fee model allows customers to
choose the level of service they wish in their
home buying or selling experience as well as
save considerable amounts of money compared
to traditional real estate models. In fact, Help-
U-Sell Real Estate estimates that it saved sellers
over $400 million in the past year compared to
what they would have spent on 6 percent com-
missions to traditional brokers, thus allowing
consumers to retain a significant portion of
their equity.
The lower cost fee-for-service model has
become increasingly appealing, as sellers are
more concerned about protecting their equity
and Help-U-Sell Real Estate’s menu-driven
system gives the consumer choices in the level
of service and a clear set fee. Clients of Help-
U-Sell Real Estate have the added benefit of
utilizing their savings.
Today, 77 percent of real estate buyers are
using the internet to search for a home. This
high percentage means that technology has
changed the role of the traditional broker end 2008. Due to its impressive growth rate, services, ideas and techniques. By setting up
forever, making the services they provide Help-U-Sell Real Estate was recently named this comprehensive, system, Help-U-Sell is
more consultative and specialized. Help-U-Sell by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the Top taking the “entrepreneurial guess work” out
Real Estate makes use of a targeted and proven 100 Fastest Growing Franchises across all of doing business. The system includes
marketing strategy, supported by a website industries for the fourth consecutive year and
with over three million listings and provides ranked among the top 100 franchises in Entre- • Help-U-Operate
details on homes available through Help-U-Sell preneur’s Annual Top 500 Franchise report for
Real Estate. Buyers can obtain information the fifth straight year. • Help-U-Develop
without obligation and sellers are assured that
they will receive a customized service and a The Help-U-Sell Real Estate System • Help-U-Automate
fair return on their property without respect At the core of every successful business is
to the price of their home. a plan. A clear and precise plan designed with • Help-U-Market
Help-U-Sell Real Estate, the first, largest, distinct objectives and flexible strategies.
and fastest growing fee-for-service real estate The business of marketing and selling real • Help-U-Advertise
company in the United States, has launched estate is no different. It is dependent upon a
in the Philippines and is now looking for real series of closely integrated disciplines, that • Help-U-Publicize
estate professionals who recognize the fast when combined properly into a system, are
growing shift in the real estate industry to a capable of transforming plans into realities • Help-U-Network
consumer centric sale. and realities into successes.
Help-U-Sell Real Estate, founded in 1976, Help-U-Sell Real estate understands this Help-U-Sell is committed to the continued
was ahead of the curve in its fee-for-service and has responded in an effort to help you success of each of its franchises. The continued
approach to real estate sales. With corporate become more efficient and effective, and seize enhancement of each of these system compo-
headquarters in Castle Rock, CO, Help-U-Sell a growing opportunity in your marketplace. nents will be led by the corporate resource
Real Estate operates in 30 regions nationwide That’s why we’ve formed a unique, compre- team to ensure that in the coming weeks,
and in Canada. The company has had over a hensive and integrated business system for our months, and years, the company will be there
30 percent annual growth since 1998 and by francisees. for you with the most innovative tools and
continuing this annual compounded growth We’ve created The Help-U-Sell Real Estate systems to help achieve only one thing – your
rate, expects to reach 1800 franchises by year- System by leveraging leading edge products, success.

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

81
 condo
*guide

For rent www.condo.com.ph

For inquiries and viewing request:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
Disclaimer: All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Prospective purchasers and renters should verify the information to their satisfaction.

Bonifacio Global City

Bonifacio Ridge Bonifacio Ridge One McKinley Penhurst Place Forbeswood Heights   
Three-bedroom Two-bedroom Two-bedroom Three-bedroom One-bedroom
Fully furnished Fully furnished Fully furnished Fully furnished Fully furnished
113 sq.m. 113 sq.m. 196 sq.m. One parking slot 49 sq.m.          
One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot P70,000/month P32,000/month
P80,000/month P90,000/month P100,000/month

Ortigas Center/Mandaluyong/Greenhills, San Juan

Palmdale Heights Emerald Mansion Mayfield Park Mayfield Park Parc Royale     
One-bedroom Three-bedroom Residences Residences         Two-bedroom
Fully furnished Fully furnished Two-bedroom Two-bedroom Semi-furnished 
40 sq.m. 157 sq.m. Unfurnished Fully furnished  170 sq.m.
P16,000/month One parking slot 49 sq.m. 48 sq.m. One parking slot          
P60,000/month P20,000/month One parking slot           P40,000/month
P30,000/month

Skyway Twin Tower Swire Elan Suites GA Tower GA Tower        Swire Elan Suites         
Studio Studio Two-bedroom Two-bedroom Studio
Fully furnished Unfurnished Unfurnished Fully furnished  Unfurnished     
25 sq.m. 35.02 sq.m. 39 sq.m. 73 sq.m. 35 sq.m.          
P15,000/month P35,000/month P20,000/month Two parking slots         P35,000/month
P45,000/month

Alabang/ Parañaque Quezon City

Vivant Flats      Chateu Elysee   Olympic Heights           Greenhills Garden Francesca        
Two-bedroom Two-bedroom Four-bedroom Square         Two-bedroom
Unfurnished      Fully furnished  Fully furnished  Two-bedroom Fully furnished 
88 sq.m. 53 sq.m. 154 sq.m. Unfurnished      43 sq.m.
One parking slot           P28,000/month Two parking slots         57.5 sq.m. P23,000/month
P90,000/month P90,000/month P18,000/month

82 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Legaspi Village, Makati City Rockwell, Makati City
One Legazpi Park Greenbelt Century Plaza Rizal Tower Hidalgo Place
Studio Radissons Two-bedroom Three-bedroom Two-bedroom
Semi-furnished Studio Fully furnished (penthouse) Unfurnished
One parking slot Unfurnished 147 sq.m. 283 sq.m. 128 sq.m.
P40,000/month 40.60 sq.m. One parking slot Two parking slots Two parking slots
P25,000/month P50,000/month P270,000/month P85,000/month

One Legazpi Park Greenbelt Frabella Rizal Tower Manansala

One-bedroom Radissons Two-bedroom Three-bedroom One-bedroom
Fully furnished Studio Fully furnished Fully furnished Fully furnished
63 sq.m. Semi-furnished 150 sq.m. 283 sq.m. 71 sq.m.
One parking slot 34.30 sq.m. One parking slot Two parking slots One parking slot
P60,000/month P25,000/month P90,000/month P170,000/month P60,000/month

One Legazpi Park Greenbelt Frabella Amorsolo West Rizal Tower

One-bedroom Radissons Three-bedroom (penthouse) Two-bedroom 3-bedrm (penthouse)
Fully furnished Studio Fully furnished Fully furnished Unfurnished
60.25 sq.m. Fully furnished 300 sq.m. 125 sq.m. 336 sq.m.
One parking slot 34.30 sq.m. One parking slot Two parking slots One parking slot
P70,000/month P30,000/month P140,000/month P100,000/month P200,000/month

Island Tower Greenbelt Radissons The Shang Manansala Hidalgo Place  

One-bedroom Studio Grand Tower Studio Studio
Fully furnished Fully furnished One-bedroom Fully furnished Fully furnished 
120 sq.m. 34.30 sq.m. Fully furnished 48 sq.m. 52 sq.m.
One parking slot One parking slot 80 sq.m. One parking slot One parking slot          
P55,000/month P35,000/month One parking slot P35,000/month P40,000/month
P75,000/month

LPL Tower Greenbelt Parkplace

Three-bedroom Studio Greenbelt Parkplace    
Fully furnished Unfurnished One-bedroom 
134 sq.m. 36.50 sq.m. P55,000/month
One parking slot P25,000/month Fullyfurnished  
P45,000/month 36.5 sq.m.

Asian Mansion II Greenbelt Parkplace

One-bedroom One-bedroom
Fully furnished Fully furnished
One parking slot 48 sq.m.
P28,000/month One parking slot
P45,000/month Manila/ Pasay City
Biltmore Greenbelt
Two-bedroom Parkplace Vellagio Tower Golden Empire 1322   
Fully furnished Studio Studio Four-bedroom 
131 sq.m. Fully furnished Unfurnished Fully furnished
One parking slot 36 sq.m. 28.50 sq.m. 250 sq.m.
P80,000/month P35,000/month P15,000/month Three parking slots      
P180,000/month          

Biltmore Perla Mansion

Three-bedroom One-bedroom Providence Tower Cityland Vito Cruz Le Mirage De Malate
Fully furnished Fully furnished Studio Tower         One-bedroom
252 sq.m. 51 sq.m. Fully furnished One-bedroom Fully Furnished
One parking slot P25,000/month 25 sq.m. Unfurnished      44 sq.m.
P140,000/month P12,500/month 50 sq.m.           P25,000
P15,000/month

Colonade Perla Mansion

Three-bedroom One-bedroom Antel Seaview Le Mirage De Malate Harrison Mansion
Fully furnished Fully furnished One-bedroom One-bedroom One-bedroom
223 sq.m. 43 sq.m. Fully furnished Unfurnished Fully furnished
One parking slot P28,000/month 55 sq.m. 34 sq.m. 30 sq.m.
P85,000/month One parking slot P15,000 P13,000
P25,000/month

Greenbelt Century Plaza Burgundy Le Mirage De Malate Bay Gardens-Anchor

Radissons Two-bedroom Transpacific Place One-bedroom One-bedroom
Studio Fully furnished One-bedroom Semi-furnished Unfurnished
Unfurnished 140 sq.m. Unfurnished 44 sq.m. 54 sq.m.
34.3 sq.m. One parking slot 40.08 sq.m. P16,000 One parking slot
P35,000/month P60,000/month P16,750/month P25,000

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

83
 Chino Roces/ Sen. Gil Puyat/ Dela Rosa, Makati City
Oriental Garden Makati Executive West of Ayala The Columns - Ayala    The Columns - Ayala   
One-bedroom Tower I Studio Studio Two-bedroom
Unfurnished One-bedroom Fully furnished Unfurnished      Unfurnished     
45 sq.m. Semi-furnished 36 sq.m. 32 sq.m. 67 sq.m.
P20,000/month 27 sq.m. P20,000/month P25,000/month One parking slot          
P12,500/month P62,000/month

Oriental Garden Makati Executive The Columns– Ayala The Columns - Ayala    Cityland Pasong Tamo 
Studio Tower I One-bedroom Studio Three-bedroom
Unfurnished One-bedroom Semi-furnished Fully furnished  Fully furnished 
33 sq.m. Unfurnished 49 sq.m. 30 sq.m. 116.9 sq.m.
P15,000/month 36 sq.m. One parking slot P25,000/month P40,000/month
P12,500/month P45,000/month

Bel-Air, Makati City

Makati Palace Citadel Inn
Two-bedroom Three-bedroom
Fully furnished Fully furnished
P40,000/month 102 sq.m.
P45,000/month

SalcedoVillage, Makati City

Salcedo Park Paseo Parkview Three Salcedo Two Lafayette Tifanny Place
Three-bedroom Studio Three-bedroom Two-bedroom Two-bedroom
Fully furnished Fully furnished Semi-furnished Semi-furnished Fully furnished
179 sq.m 30 sq.m. 183.99 sq.m. 102 sq.m. 160 sq.m.
One parking slot P25,000/month One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot
P75,000/month P70,000/month P45,000/month P85,000/month

Easton Place LPL Center Alpha Salcedo Two Lafayette Le Metropole

Two-bedroom Two-bedroom Three-bedroom Three-bedroom Five-bedroom
Fully furnished Fully furnished Fully furnished Fully furnished (penthouse, bi-level)
125 sq.m. 148 sq.m. 150 sq.m. 171 sq.m. Unfurnished
One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot 350 sq.m.
P70,000/month P45,000/month P75,000/month P85,000/month One parking slot
P120,000/month

Easton Place Salcedo Park Antel Plaza Royale Le Metropole

Three-bedroom Three-bedroom Platinum Tower Two-bedroom Three-bedroom
Fully furnished Unfurnished One-bedroom Fully furnished Fully furnished
189 sq.m. 180 sq.m. Fully furnished 155 sq.m. 179 sq.m.
One parking slot One parking slot 40.52 sq.m. One parking slot One parking slot
P90,000/month P65,000/month One parking slot P55,000/month P70,000/month
P30,000/month

Easton Place Grand Tower Manhattan Square Ponte Salcedo Le Domaine     

Three-bedroom Two-bedroom Studio Three-bedroom Two-bedroom
Fully furnished Fully furnished Fully furnished (penthouse) Semi-furnished 
124 sq.m. 140 sq.m. 41.66 sq.m. Fully furnished 117 sq.m.
One parking slot One parking slot P22,000/month 285 sq.m. Two parking slots        
P75,000/month P55,000/month One parking slot P50,000/month
P100,000/month

Parklane Grand Tower Manhatttan Sqaure Four Seasons

Two-bedroom Two-bedroom One-bedroom Two-bedroom
Fully furnished Fully furnished Fully furnished Fully furnished
136.55 sq.m. 155 sq.m. 76 sq.m. 170 sq.m.
One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot
P38,000/month P60,000/month P40,000/month P140,000/month

84 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

RF PULA & Co., Inc.
RP Realty & Invest. Int’l

We sell condominiums, town homes, house and lots,

and commercial properties in the Philippines

Rafael F. Pula
Chairman of the Board

Daniel R. dela Cruz

President

Maritess M. Oligario
Division Manager

4515 Eagle Rock Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90010 P.O. Box 4833
U S A d d r e ss :
Mail: Palos Verdes, CA 90274 • E - ma i l : rfpula_rprealty@yahoo.com
Tel. Nos.: (323) 344-3500, 344-8626, 344-3547, 321-2490 • M O B ILE N o . : +639198018339
P H ILI P P I N E A DDRE S S : 2/F P & L Bldg., Legazpi St., Legaspi Village, Makati City
E - ma i l : admin@condo.com.ph • Tel . No.: (632)812-3333 • F a x : (632)893-8134 • M o b i l e N o . : +639198504468
 condo
*guide

For sale
www.condo.com.ph
For inquiries and viewing request:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
Disclaimer: All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Prospective purchasers and renters should verify the information to their satisfaction.

SalcedoVillage, Makati City

Alpha Salcedo Easton Place Ponte Salcedo Le Metropole Salcedo Park

One-bedroom Two-bedroom Three-bedroom (penthouse) Three-bedroom Three-bedroom
Unfurnished Unfurnished Unfurnished Unfurnished Fully furnished
62.27 sq.m. 125 sq.m. 285 sq.m. 179 sq.m. 179 sq.m.
One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot Two parking slots One parking slot
P3,767,550 P6,000,000 P14,500,000 P12,800,000 P11,000,000

Alpha Salcedo Three Salcedo Ponte Salcedo Elizabeth Place Salcedo Park
Three-bedroom Three-bedroom Two-bedroom Studio Three-bedroom
161.14 sq.m. Semi-furnished Fully furnished Unfurnished unfurnished
One parking slot 183.9 sq.m. 140 sq.m. 42.59 sq.m. 224 sq.m.
P11,178, 805 Two parking slots One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot
P13,000,000 P7,200,000 P3,300,000 P14,000,000

Alpha Salcedo Parklane Parc Regent Elizabeth Place Nobel Plaza     
Three-bedroom Three-bedroom Three-bedroom Studio de luxe Three-bedroom
Unfurnished Unfurnished Semi-furnished Unfurnished Unfurnished     
193.1 sq.m. 149.05 sq.m. 165 sq.m. 62.04 sq.m. 155.15 sq.m.
One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot Two parking slots        
P12,880,075 P7,000,0000 P7,800,000 P5,000,000 P8,800,000     

Easton Place One Lafayette Alpha Salcedo Elizabeth Place Antel Platinum Tower  
Three-bedroom One-bedroom Studio One-bedroom de luxe Two-bedroom
Unfurnished Fully furnished Fully furnished Unfurnished Unfurnished     
189 sq.m. 65 sq.m. 31 sq.m. 96.37 sq.m. 101 sq.m.
One parking slot P3,800,000 P2,750,000 One parking slot One parking slot          
P12,000,000 P6,300,000 P8,000,000

Easton Place Ponte Salcedo Alpha Salcedo Elizabeth Place One Lafayette  
Three-bedroom Three-bedroom Penthouse Two-bedroom One-bedroom
Unfurnished Unfurnished Fully furnished Unfurnished Unfurnished     
201 sq.m. 285 sq.m. 161.15 sq.m. 96.93 sq.m. 60 sq.m.
One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot One parking slot          
P12,500,000 P11,400,000 P11,178,805 P7,400,000 P4,800,000

86 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Quezon City Legaspi Village, Makati

Smile Tropical One Orchard Road Prince Plaza I Sunrise

Citihomes Mandarin Tower Palm Spring           Studio Two-bedroom
Studio Studio Studio Fully furnished Unfurnished
Unfurnished Unfurnished Semi-furnished  26.74 sq.m. 140 sq.m.
30 sq.m. 36.5 sq.m. 36.5 sq.m. P2,300,000 One parking slot
P600,000 One parking slot P2,300,000 P7,600,000
P2,800,000
 
North Ridge Regalia Park Towers    Tropical Palm Tower Greenbelt Parkplace    
Mansion North Ridge Two-bedroom Two-bedroom One-bedroom
Studio Mansion Semi-furnished  Unfurnished Fully furnished 
Unfurnished Studio 70 sq.m. 140 sq.m. 36.5 sq.m.
25 sq.m. Semi-furnished One parking slot           One parking slot P5,500,000
P2,000,000 25 sq.m. P3,800,000      P7,500,000
P2,100,000

 
New York Tropical Francesca        
Mansion Mandarin Tower Two-bedroom
Studio Studio Fully Furnished
Unfurnished Unfurnished 43 sq.m.
44 sq.m. 36.5 sq.m. One parking slot          
P1,400,000 One parking slot P2,200,000  
P2,850,000

Rockwell, Makati City

Hidalgo Place Manansala Luna Garden
Three-bedroom Two-bedroom Four-bedroom
Fully furnished Unfurnished (penthouse, bi-level)
198 sq.m. 102 sq.m. Unfurnished
Two parking slots One parking slot 320 sq.m.
P20,000,000 P10,300,000 Two parking slots
P45,000,000

Hidalgo Place Manansala Rizal Tower Amorsolo East

Two-bedroom Two-bedroom Four-bedroom Three-bedroom
Unfurnished Unfurnished (penthouse, flat) Unfurnished
128 sq.m. 116 sq.m. Unfurnished 170 sq.m.
Two parking slots One parking slot 270 sq.m. Two parking slots
P12,500,000 P11,700,000 Two parking slots P19,000,000
P35,000,000

Manila/ Pasay City

Pacific Somerset Mansion Balagtas Royal Malate Adriatico Legaspi Tower 300     
Regency Two-bedroom Mansion Grand Residences Two-bedroom
One-bedroom Semi-furnished One-bedroom Two-bedroom Semi-furnished
Unfurnished 87 sq.m. Unfurnished Unfurnished      183 sq.m.
48.19 sq.m. One parking slot 28 sq.m. 54.44 sq.m. P8,500,000
P2,000,000 P4,200,000 One parking slot One parking slot          
P1,500,000 P4,500,000     

Cityland Alpha Vellagio Tower Park Avenue Mansion  Alpha Grandview         
Vito Cruz Tower Grandview Studio Studio Studio
One-bedroom One-bedroom Unfurnished Unfurnished Semi-furnished 
Unfurnished Semi-furnished 30 sq.m. 24 sq.m. 28.4 sq.m.
50 sq.m. 52.80 sq.m. P2,085,000 P950,000 P2,000,000   
One parking slot One parking slot
P2,850,000 P3,500,000

Alabang/ Sucat, Parañaque Bonifacio Global City

Mondrian Vierra at Almanza Penhurst Pacific Plaza
Residences Britanny Bay Metropolis Three-bedroom Towers
Studio One-bedroom Two-bedroom Fully furnished Three-bedroom
Unfurnished Unfurnished Semi-furnished 110 sq.m. Unfurnished
46.78 sq.m. 39 sq.m. 38.5 sq.m. One parking slot 298 sq.m.
One parking slot P2,900,000 One parking slot P8,500,000 Two parking slots
P2,700,000 P2,500,000 P23,000,000

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

87
 Chino Roces/ Sen. Gil Puyat/ Dela Rosa, Makati City
Cityland Palm Tower Palm Tower Makati Executive Palm Tower     
Pasong Tamo Studio One-bedroom Tower I Three-bedroom
One-bedroom Unfurnished Fully furnished One-bedroom Unfurnished     
Unfurnished 25 sq.m. 36.36 sq.m. 28 sq.m. 108 sq.m         
36 sq.m. P1,300,000 P2,500,000 Unfurnished P4,700,000
P1,900,000 One parking slot
P2,500,000

Cityland Kingswood Oriental Garden Oriental Garden Makati Executive

Pasong Tamo Three-bedroom Two-bedroom Makati            Tower I
Two-bedroom Fully furnished Fully furnished Three-bedroom One-bedroom 
Unfurnished 77 sq.m. 113 sq.m. Fully furnished  Unfurnished     
66.99 sq.m. One parking slot One parking slot 180 sq.m. 28.7 sq.m.
P3,000,000 P4,500,000 P12,000,000 One parking slot           P1,500,000
P12,000,000   

Cityland Danarra Makati Executive Oriental Garden Cityland 9        

Pasong Tamo Three-bedroom Tower I Makati            Studio
Two-bedroom Semi-furnished One-bedroom Studio Unfurnished     
Unfurnished 148 sq.m. Unfurnished Unfurnished      22 sq.m.
66.99 sq.m. One pakring slot 27 sq.m. 37 sq.m. P700,000
P3,000,000 P3,500,000 One parking slot P3,200,000
P2,500,000

Ortigas Center/ Mandaluyong City/ Greenhills, San Juan

Megaplaza Valencia Hills California Casa Madrid California Garden
Three-bedroom Three-bedroom Garden Square Three-bedroom Square         
Unfurnished Fully furnished Two-bedroom Unfurnished Two-bedroom
93.84 sq.m. 122 sq.m. Unfurnished 120 sq.m. Unfurnished
P3,800,000 P8,500,000 57.50 sq.m., 1 parking slot One parking slot 57.5 sq.m.
P2,350,000 P5,200,000 P2,300,000

 
Cityland Pioneer California California Parc Royale      Grand Emerald Tower 
One-bedroom Garden Square Garden Square Four-bedroom Studio
Fully furnished Two-bedroom Two-bedroom Semi-furnished  Unfurnished     
34 sq.m. Unfurnished Unfurnished 348 sq.m. 37 sq.m.
P1,500,000 57 sq.m. 57.50 sq.m. 1 parking slot Two parking slots         P1,250,000
P2,800,000 P2,400,000 P16,000,000   
 
Cortijos Greenhills
Palmdale Heights California California Parc Royale      Condominium         
Studio Garden Square Garden Square Two-bedroom Three-bedroom
Unfurnished Three-bedroom Two-bedroom Semi-furnished  Unfurnished     
40 sq.m. Fully furnished Unfurnished 170 sq.m. 125 sq.m.
P1,400,000 80 sq.m. 57.5 sq.m. 1 parking slot One parking slot           One parking slot          
P3,900,000 P2,500,000 P5,500,000      P4,800,000

Governor’s Place California California Pioneer Highlands

Two-bedroom Garden Square Garden Square One-bedroom
Unfurnished Two-bedroom Two-bedroom Unfurnished     
88 sq.m. Unfurnished Unfurnished 53 sq.m.
One parking slot 57.50 sq.m. 57.5 sq.m. 1 parking slot One parking slot          
P4,500,000 P2,200,000 P2,300,000 P2,800,000

Bel-Air, Makati City

Oxford Suites Makati Prime City
Studio Four-bedroom
Unfurnished Unfurnished
36 sq.m. Two parking slots
P2,500,000 P6,900,000

Ferros Bel- Air Tower Makati Palace

One-bedroom Studio
Unfurnished      Unfurnished
44.24 sq.m. 32.87 sq.m.
P1,700,000 P1,900,000

88 MARCH 2007 CondoCentral

 Real estate brokers
are not created equal...

Condo.Com.Ph, Inc. associates

have the better view of local
property market and client needs.

www.condo.com.ph
The Condominium Specialist
BUY SELL RENT

We are the condo.

Condo.Com.Ph, Inc. global headquarters
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 valu e ey
est m on
Byour
for EASTON PLACE
Salcedo Village, Makati City
2BR 123 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.9M
2BR 126 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.1M
2BR 125 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.1M
2BR 124 sq.m. 1 parking slot P8.0M
3BR 181 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.7M

PONTE SALCEDO

central
market
Salcedo Village, Makati City
3BR 285 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.4M
3BR 285 sq.m. 1 parking slot P12.8M

Call or text Roy Labarda

at +639195902668

Makati
top broker’s
pick
Condo for rent:
Legaspi and Salcedo
ONE LEGAZPI PARK
Legaspi Village, Makati City
ANTEL PLATINUM TOWER
Salcedo Village, Makati City
2BR 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P11.0M
1BR FF 40 sq.m. 1 parking slot P30,000/mo.
2BR 97 sq.m. 1 parking slot P10.5M
1BR 69.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P7.5M
CLASSICA TOWER II
Salcedo Village, Makati City
ONE LEGAZPI PARK
2BR FF 112 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000/mo.
Legaspi Village, Makati City
2BR FF 97.7 sq.m. 1 parking slot P90,000/mo.
STD FF 40 sq.m. 1 parking slot P30,000/mo.
PLAZA ROYALE
Salcedo Village, Makati City
2BR FF 155 sq.m. 1 parking slot P50,000/mo.
MANHATTAN SQUARE
Salcedo Village, Makati City
1BR 79 sq.m. 1 parking slot P40,000/mo.
FOUR SEASONS
Salcedo Village, Makati City
2BR FF 170 sq.m. 1 parking slot P85,000/mo.
RIZAL TOWER
Rockwell Center, Makati City
Penthouse SF 336 sq.m. 3 parking slots P230,000/mo.
CENTURY PLAZA
Legaspi Village, Makati City
2BR FF 147 sq.m. 1 parking slot P50,000/mo.
Call or text Grace Geverola
at +639278369426
Call or tex t Norma Robles at +639178557174

To advertise Tel: (632)8123333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

Your gateway
to Makati
MAKATI MAKATI
EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE
TOWER 1 TOWER 1
Dela Rosa St., Makati City Dela Rosa St., Makati City
1BR 36 sq.m 1 parking slot 2BR SF 57 sq.m. P25,000/mo KINGSWOOD CONDOMINIUM
P2.3M 2BR 57 sq.m. P18,000/mo. Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
2BR FF 77 sq.m. 1 parking slot P4.3M
2BR SF 57 sq.m. P3.4M
GRAND HAMPTONS TOWER II
Bonifacio Global City
2BR 78 sq.m. P4.7M
Call or text PACIFIC REGENCY
Jhunjhun Arcero at Vito Cruz, Manila
1BR corner unit 48.19 sq.m. P2.3M
+639175511880
Call or text Bing Lau
at +639179291313/ +639208017166

Condo for sale:

P855,796 best
THE ISABELLE GARDEN VILLAS
Parañaque City
1BR SF 19.5 sq.m. P855,796
offer!
THE ORIENTAL THE ISABELLE
PLACE GARDEN
MILLENIA TOWER Makati City VILLAS
Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1BR 28.45 sq.m. P2.2M Parañaque City
1BR SF 24.10 sq.m. P1.9M STD 18.5 sq.m. P808,555
SUBIC HOLIDAY
TIMES MANSION VILLAS LUXURE
Quezon City Subic Freeport Zone VILLE
1BR SF 38.95 sq.m. P2.3M 1BR 35 sq.m. P2M Multinational,
Parañaque City
GOVERNOR’S PLACE MALATE 2BR 48.67 sq.m. P2M
Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City CROWN PLAZA
1BR 52 sq.m. P2.5M Malate, Manila
STD 34 sq.m. P2M
THE ORIENTAL PLACE
Makati City
2BR 48-52 sq.m. P3.8M
Call or text Marina Sobel at
Call or text Andy Bella Jaro at +639062099413 +639192481515

To advertise Tel: (632)8123333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

The Fort, Makati
and QC condos AYALA PROPERTIES
Two Serendra
FOR SALE
THE COLUMNS Legaspi Village (TCLV)
Bonifacio Global City A few steps from everything
STD 36 sq.m. P5.2M Jr 1BR – 1BR 38 sq.m.-50 sq.m P2.9– P5.1M
1BR 51 sq.m. P6.2M 1BR loft 57 sq.m. -77 sq.m P5.9 – P7.5M
2BR 70 sq.m. P8.9M 2BR flat & 2BR bi-level 67 sq.m.-77 sq.m P6.7 – P8.0M
3BR 103 sq.m. P13M
THE RESIDENCES AT GREENBELT (TRAG)
The Sapphire Residences Tower 2 1BR, 1BR loft, 2BR, 2BR special, 3BR, 3BR bi level
Bonifacio Global City Price: P5.8M-P20M
1BR 48 sq.m. P2.6M ANVAYA COVE…
2BR 80 sq.m. P4.3M A seaside leisure community
3BR 128 sq.m. P8.0M 3BR , 2 structure villas P22M-P24M (17villas only)
Lot area: 400 sq.m.-600 sq.m.
Makati Executive Tower II Price: P6,600-P13,300/sq.m.
Dela Rosa St., Makati City
STD 20 sq.m. P1M AYALA WESTGROVE HEIGHTS
1BR 31 sq.m. P1.6M High-end residential subdivision with rolling terrain
Lot area: 350 sq.m-500 sq.m.
El Jardin del Presidente II Price: P9,050-P9,900/sq.m.
Sgt. Esguerra, Quezon City AYALA GREENFIELD ESTATES
STD 41 sq.m. P2.55M High-end residential subdivision with golf course
1BR 55.5 sq.m. P3.6M Lot area: 350 sq.m.- 850 sq.m.
Price: P8,000-P10,500/ sq.m.
Call or text Renne Isidro Call or text JP Pello at +639154445655
at +639153728220 E-mail: jp@condo.com.ph

Condos by
Federal Land, Inc
Salcedo Condos
PONTE SALCEDO
Salcedo Village, Makati City
3BR 280 sq.m. 2 parking slots P100,000/mo.

LE METROPOLE
Salcedo Village, Makati City
2BR FF 130 sq.m. 1 parking slot P80,000/mo.

ANTEL PLATINUM Oriental Garden Makati

Salcedo Village, Makati City Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
1BR FF 55 sq.m. 1 parking slot P45,000/mo. STD 33 sq.m. P2.1M
1BR 45 sq.m. P 2.7M
ONE LAFAYETTE The Oriental Place
Salcedo Village, Makati City
3BR FF 150 sq.m. 1 parking slot P65,000/mo. Makati City
1BR 28.45 sq.m. P1.7M
LPL MANOR Bay Gardens – Mactan Tower
Salcedo Village, Makati City Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City
3BR 150 sq.m. 1 parking slot P60,000/mo. 1BR 42 sq.m. P3.4M
2BR 92sq.m. P7.3M
SALCEDO PARK 3BR 108 sq.m. P8.2M
Salcedo Village, Makati City Marquinton Residences
3BR 149 sq.m. 1 parking slot P70,000 Marikina City
1BR 33 sq.m. P1.5M
Call or text Bong Lozada at +639196296931 2BR 53.50 sq.m. P2.7M
Call or text Fausto Llaneras at +639196447432

To advertise Tel: (632)8123333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

Commercial property Come home to the best
for lease or sale address in Metro Manila
Madrigal Business Park - Alabang
and enjoy the best
life has to offer!
Office space for sale
16,950 sq.m.
131 sq.m.
96 sq.m.
55 sq.m.
P50,735/sq.m.

LIVE IT UP!
Along Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City
Lot for sale
2,775 sq.m.

Along Palanca St., Legaspi Village, City

Office space for lease
Three floors

Along Ayala Avenue, Makati City

Office space for lease

Along South Superhighway

Land for sale
Five hectars

Call or text Henry H. Mondonedo at

+639202862981 or +639227160528

The ultimate
in city living!
St. Francis Towers
Mandaluyong City
STD, 1BR, 2BR
P3M-P13M

Lee Gardens
Mandaluyong City
STD, 1BR, 2BR
P3.2M-P12M

Hampton Gardens
Pasig City
STD, 1BR, 2BR
P880,000-P1.8M

The Exchange Regency

Pasig City
1BR, 2BRP1.4M-P5M Find out what everybody
Call or text John Paul Sy at +639226928353 or has been raving about today!
+639065725595 Call or text Reggie Tagavilla at +639175014927

To advertise Tel: (632)8123333 Mobile: +639272760360 E-mail: advertising@condocentral.com.ph

 Embrace a
lifestyle of serenity
Natural elements of landscape and architecture
seamlessly blend to bring a comforting feeling of serenity,
exclusivity and privacy. At Ayala Southvale, you can take
in the cool breeze and the beauty of rolling terrains and
allow them to soothe and revive you. Indeed, this is a
place to come home to.

Discover a place to
relax, to refresh, and to bond
The cool, crisp air invites you to step outside and enjoy
the outdoors. Feel the excitement at the basketball and
tennis courts, take a dip and refresh yourself at the
swimming pool, and work on your short game at the
putting green. First-class amenities at the clubhouse and
the beautifully landscaped pocket parks and gazebos Underground utilities
have been designed for every member of the family to
have a place to relax and to bond.
24-hour roving security within the village
Take comfort in knowing that
Strategically located deepwell pumps
everything you need is taken care of with standby generator
Ayala Southvale takes property management to new
heights. Run by the Ayala Property Management
Corporation (APMC), it offers unique and personaliized Initial water reservoir with a capacity of
services for a lifestyle of security and covenience. 750,000 gallons
Here, all facilities run smoothly day in and day out
- without you even noticing. It’s a way to reassure
you that you can continue to live in perfect serenity
landscaped major roadways with
knowing that everything essential is taken care of. street lights

For presentation and special discounts, call or text Patrick R. Blanco at +639179809477
 opinion
CAMANAVA
gets a facelift
C
ondominiums are rising all over Metro Manila. Up north in
Valenzuela City, a new high-rise condominium to cater to the
needs of the new industrial city is being built. Soon Malabon
City will have its own condominium subdivisions with the vast
vacant lots in Potrero and Acacia Road as potential locations for affordable
condominiums. Not to be left behind is the fishing town of Navotas
which is taking the steps to becoming a city. From Navotas, Manila is
just 15 minutes away and around 30 minutes to Makati via Roxas Blvd.
Caloocan City, which is part of the CAMANAVA area, has condominium
developments rising in the C-3 Road and new major developments may rise
in the Monumento Circle Area.
The old folks of these residential towns would not exchange the lifestyle
being offered by the developments down in the south and the business
districts to the customs and traditions of their hometown. Even today, you
could still see the ancestral houses of the old rich still standing even if
the town is under water during the rainy months. The best way to sell
condominium units to these old rich is to bring the lifestyle of condo living
nearer to them. That is what has been happening in the heart of Manila.
Affordable condominium units are selling like hotcakes in the old districts
of Manila which has not experienced major developments for the past
four decades. Most of the infrastructures in Manila were built after the
Second World War. Quezon City is catching up with the Ortigas Business
Center, Makati Business Center and Fort Bonifacio in the premium condo
developments with the Cubao Business District and North Edsa as the new
locations to look forward to.
Are these signs that we have now a real estate boom and are there
indications that there may be another collapse in the real estate sector?
If you will check the statistics of the housing needs of the middle class
and the upper class of the Metropolis, the number of condominium units
being built today does not even represent five per cent of the housing
requirement of the working middle class. The good news is that most
developments today cater to the needs of the end user, with units available
according to one’s needs and financial capabilities. Now is the best time
to buy: units below P2.5M are tax exempt, terms are better with a 20
percent down payment, and you can have the balance payable in three
to five years without interest. Some premium developments offer 30 to 40
percent much lower prices for their units through innovative systems. All
you need to do is to look for a professional broker who will help you out
defines your needs that will suit your budget. There is no real boom yet but
with all these developments and good governance, we are on the way to a
true real estate boom.
Is there a possibility of a real estate collapse again? If you would go
around the metropolis, you could still see some projects which were
affected by the Asian crises a decade ago still not moving and some projects
CondoCentral
The
Condo
Café
Renne Isidro
taken over by other developers are now being repackaged. The difference
between the developments today and a decade ago is that developments
today cater to the needs of the end user and not on mere speculations
just like before the Asian crisis. I would like to advise new investors to
be careful of the big bad wolves in the industry: do not be carried over by
the lavish parties and cocktails they give and let you sign a reservation
agreement right away. Check out the site first. Some claim that the project
is almost sold out but if you visit to the site, the only development that
will greet you is the fence. The best person to help you in choosing the
property that suits your needs and financial capability is a professional
broker. Write to renne@condo.com.ph or just check out www.condo.com.ph
for the inventory of best buys in condominiums.
Congratulations to all March graduates! Good news: according to an
article, the call center industry needs 400,000 new call center agents and
the number of graduating students from college this year is only 350,000.
We may now become a Call Center Republic. When I was invited to a Career
Development Seminar in one of the public high schools in Quezon City, the
most popular course that students want to take up in college is Nursing
and Engineering and not a single student wants to become a call center
agent. After four years of college, majority of them might wind up in a call
center. I would like to challenge all call center agents to seek a new career
on real estate. In the call center, if you are good and excel among your
batch, you can easily be promoted. If you are in a fast food industry, if you
are good, you become the store manager and work 16 hours a day. If you
decide to be an entrepreneur, let us say selling peanuts in the mall, you
may become the peanut king of the malls. But if you enter real estate and
become successful, you can earn your first million in a few months time
and be on your way to become a tycoon.
Watch out for the opening of the NUDE Room this summer which will
feature the artworks of different Filipino artists such as E.R. Tagle and
his group. The NUDE Room is located at the second floor of P&L Bldg. on
Legazpi St. just across Greenbelt One. I told Ernie to start a new series
last week for our inventory is not enough to cater the needs of the condo-
minium units.
For condominium associations, condo developers, property managers and other
real estate projects, the Condo Café welcomes news, events, announcements and
other activities you want to be included in Condo Central by writing to renne@
condo.com.ph or call us at tel. no. 840-1332.
MARCH 2007
95
 condo memo
When
motherhood
becomes me
Living at the prime of her life and climbing the corporate ladder,
Geraldine Cuason wanted to be at the center of it all, so she searched
for a condo unit at the heart of Makati. Little did she know that her life
would turn 180 degrees with the arrival of a new roommate: her daughter
F
ive years ago, I was ecstatic when I was finally able to move out of
my parents’ house and afford (well, half-subsidized by my parents)
a condominium unit. It thrilled me to no end that I was finally able
to get my own one-bedroom unit in the heart of Makati with my
meager savings.
I am a private person with a thirst for the outdoors. You could say I am
a loner who enjoys the company of a few chosen close friends. After a day’s
hectic job of working for a corporate firm, I would always look forward to
spending some quiet time - the ME time - in my hard-earned condo unit,
just relaxing with a good book or a nice movie on my DVD.
Friends and relatives sometimes drop by my pad and spend the night
just to chill out, drink a few bottles of beer, and chat about life, work and
everything else.
Then just a year ago, I finally found my permanent roommate—not
that I was looking for one. But I accidentally did, in my daughter.
96 MARCH 2007
At first, I was not emotionally and financially
ready to have a daughter. I was almost on the
verge of giving up my unit to go back and live
with my parents. But I thought, I was just a few
years away to finally owning that single-bed-
room, seventh floor unit, and I was not about to
give up without a good fight.
I work as a part-time writer and my daughter
is financially-sustained by her father. It has been
quite an experience raising a child all by myself.
It has taught me to be strong and to be unselfish
and not to think of material things when you
have another person to take care of.
At first, I thought I would never handle tak-
ing care of a child all by myself, not to mention
the maintenance and cleaning of the house. I
am a slob as it is, how about living with a baby?
But I realized it is not so bad after all, for there
are house-keeping services I could depend on.
Eventually, I also learned how to keep my unit
spic and span so I need not spend extra cash for
house-keeping.
I am grateful for the security guards that
make me feel more safe living alone with my
daughter in a condo. I am thankful for the main-
tenance whenever I needed a pipe to be fixed or a
bulb to be replaced. I am lucky to own a unit that
is a stone’s throw away from the mall or nearest
convenience store.
Thank goodness for the gym amenities, I
thought I’d never break into sweat anymore.
Especially the pool, which is so accommodating,
especially on a hot and humid day.
And I am even more in debt to the wonderful
child-care facilities offered in our condo; I never
thought I would have even at least an hour of
alone-time if not for that day care center.
And I would never forget Maria, my widowed
next-door neighbor. If it hadn’t been for her 10-
years-of-raising-kids expertise, I would never bet
that I could raise my child single-handedly. I am
so lucky to have Maria not only as a neighbor,
but also as a confidant, companion, friend, and
even a great cook at that!
I always thought I would raise my kid in a
quiet house with a garden (and if I am lucky,
with a pool), where I can just let my daughter
run free and experience the beauty of nature.
But on the practical side, I can already have the
beauty of nature that my condominium provides
with their garden (with matching pond with
kois). So I thought, why spend more on a house
when you can be safe and get the same perks in
a condominium?
I am looking forward to finding work again
soon, but for now, I am totally satisfied by just
being a single mom living in a condo.
CondoCentral
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SERVICES OFFERED
Swedish/Shiatsu/
Combination/Reflex P250.00
Aroma Facial Clay Mask P300.00
Xiamen Style Body Massage P350.00
Cellulite Massage P500.00
Manicure and Pedicure P250.00
Hair Spa with Back Massage P350.00
Foot Spa with Reflex P300.00
Milk Bath P600.00
Aroma Green Tea Body Scrub P600.00
Aroma Whitening Body Scrub P650.00
Aroma Whitening Body Mask P650.00
Body Polish P600.00
Peppermint foot treatment
This aromatic therapy combines a refreshing 15-
minute foot bath, scrub, and foot reflex massage
peppermint lotion or oil to help relax the feet.
Aroma scalp treatment massage
Using a special conditioner, this treatment relieves
upper body stress and at the same time moisturizes
and gives hair a healthier sheen.
Traditional Thai massage
A combination of gentle rocking, range of motion,
acupressure, reflexology, energy work and stretch-
ing, a form of passive yoga, this treatment relaxes
the joints, tones muscles, and increases vitality.
Sports massage
Recommended for athletes, this treatment focuses
on the muscles to help repair and lessen chances of
injury, reduce recovery time, and increase stamina.
Deep tissue of therapeutic massage
This therapeutic massage targets specific body
areas and uses essential oils to ease back pain, ar-
thritis, and muscle strain.
Shiatsu
This Japanese technique uses thumb and finger
pressure in targeting nerves.
Egyptian massage
Using a variety of gliding and Swedish thump
percussive strokes and a unique selection of oils
and lotions, this massage improves and promotes
relaxation and tranquility.
Egyptian foot therapy
This traditional foot massage uses a unique combi-
nation of pandan and rose for its foot bath to relax
the lower limbs.
Aroma therapy
Uses a special blend of essential oils derived from a
variety of herb and flower extract known for their
powerful, remedial effects.
Hot Thai Body Stems Treatment
A combination of scrubbing with herbs wrapped in
unbleached cotton and the movements from the
traditional Thai Massage, this treatment softens
and nourishes the skin, soothes bruises, and re-
lieves inflammations.
Xiamen
This massage features a precise, powerful kneading
of knuckles to break nodules and soften pressure
points.
 survey
Peripheral
Mission
Arnold A. Altamira
F
irst, you have to undergo an extensive
pre-licensing program. There will be long
lectures, physical torture, a crash course
on self-defense and hand-to-hand combat,
and a seminar on firearm handling. Thereafter,
a dramatic shift in gears ensues. You will be
marinated with homilies on how to be pleasant
and polite to all sorts of people in all sorts of
moods. Then, to prove that you paid attention
during the 17-day workshop, you must hurdle
the excruciating General Knowledge Exam (GKE)
to be administered by heavily armed men.
Having secured your license, you will next
be subjected to the rigorous standards of yet
another entity called “the agency.” The agency
will harass you, shake you down and compel
you to produce possibly damning documents
coming from the NBI, the PNP, the courts, and
the influential barangay council. You are also
to establish that you have clear eyesight via
a medical clearance, clearer urine via a drug
clearance, and the clearest disposition via a
psychological clearance.
Next stop, another round of aptitude exams
to see if indeed, your GKE results were not a
fluke or tampered with. Still after that, and as a
final test, you will be thoroughly scrutinized and
ranged against societal standards of external
appearance and internal decency.
And so begins your journey – not as a fascist
underling or a reality show contestant or a
senator of the land – but as a security guard.
Or a Manong, as they are more popularly
known.
Security guards have become an
inescapable fixture of the cityscape. A
good number of them are amiable and
upstanding, yet, they’ve been getting
a bad rap for the longest time. It
must be the awkward quasi-authority,
quasi-bodyguard nature of their being. In
98 MARCH 2007
Sekyu very much
the movies, they are portrayed as blundering,
sleep-deprived, crime-abetting elements. In real
life, they are either routinely ignored or unfairly
expected to do jobs that are beyond their calling.
Yes, there are a number of dreadful stories
involving these men in white and blue, but most
of them are overblown and the treatment they
generally get is just grossly disproportionate.
Take for instance the case of the foolish father
and his bratty boy. To shut the whining kid up,
the dad would point to the nearest security
guard and admonish junior, “Pag hindi ka tumigil,
kakainin ka ng pulis! (If you don’t stop, the police
will eat you!). Security guards aren’t the police.
They are not predisposed to mulct. Neither are
they cannibals. Psycho clearance, remember?
The presence of security guards is also widely
seen by some folks as a license to act irresponsible
and careless. People should never expect their
belongings to be immune from daylight heists.
Even in tightly-secured ritzy places. Remember,
majority of robbers in the country belong to the
upper class. Your cellphone for example, even if it
does not state in its voluminous manual, should
not be left unattended in public for more than
three heartbeats. In case of disappearance, don’t
expect the security guard to cough out the sorry
GPS-enabled unit. Does Manong look like a
pineapple to you? Like you and me, he has but two
eyes.
In the same manner but on a grander scale, you
don’t leave your door ajar then go on a weekend trip
to the appropriate local festival. Someone’s bound
to notice the phenomenon after some time and if it
isn’t the security force, that someone might take it
as a friendly invitation to ransack.
Security guards are likewise not your typical
doormen in the mold of those in high-end New
York apartments. If he does not fling the door
open after you’ve been standing on the threshold
for five minutes, kindly help yourself in. Most of
them will gladly do it for you, but if they fail,
they probably just didn’t notice you, or you are
trying to enter an establishment with hardly
any activity. So why are you there?
The list goes on. I guess what I’m saying is, a
lot of the unwelcome experiences we’ve had with
security guards are borne out of mismanaged
expectations. We want them to babysit us yet we
refuse to cooperate, or do so grudgingly, when it
is required of us. We have to keep in mind that
when we are asked to sign logbooks, pop our
trunks open, park facing the wall, present proper
identification, rip open our bags for inspection, the
guards are just fulfilling their mandate.
While they are willing to risk life and limb in
carrying out their functions, they exist mainly to
deter crimes and misdemeanor, not enforce the
law. While they try their darnedest best to
protect your property, they are primarily a
service provider, not an insurance company.
While they would want to keep the world in
order despite politicians, they are but ordinary
humans with some training and a low-caliber
firearm, not Mister Dubya.
In the great scheme of things, security is still
a byproduct of our personal practices and our
collective decisions – like that which we shall
make two months from now. But, if you can’t
vote wisely, at least be nice to Manong.
The world is a much safer place if we are
kind to one another.
P.S. Thank you to Robert G. Tolentino, CSP, for
explaining, among other security concepts, that
PADPAO does not come in asado and bolabola
varieties.
E-mail: aaaltamira@condocentral.com.ph
CondoCentral
 www.condo.com.ph
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CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
 reflections
La dolce vita:
Filipinos in Italia
A
bout this time several years ago, I flew to Rome to
attend the ‘funerali di Papa Giovanni Paolo Secondo,’
moved as I was by this wonderful man who had
touched so many people’s lives. My family and I had
seen him in San Francisco in the ‘80s, and through the years I
had admired his work, his compassion and his energy. I didn’t
like everything he said, but what was it about this man that I
loved him even as I disagreed with him?
A friend, Alma Frondoso, joined me in the quickly-prepared
pilgrimage to the Vatican. With my cousin Consul to Mongo-
lia, Tony Rufino’s help, she got her visa in a flash, and off we
were, within hours of hearing that the Pontiff had died. We
spent a pretty penny BUT what a memorable visit it was!
OFW Notes The Piazza di San Pietro was filled with millions of people,
and all the streets, from the Via del Conciliazione leading to
Cita Abad-Dinglasan the Vatican were filled with wall-to-wall people of all nation-
alities, professions and stations in life. Many were European,
specially the Polish, bringing food, rosaries to be blest, or their
suitcases or sleeping bags with them as they filed boisterously
in line to pay a last visit to their prince. There were many
Americans too, as usual looking very healthy (compared to
their skinnier European counterparts) and wealthy and very
well-prepared for the cold of winter, with the latest in hi-tech
digital cameras, mobile phones, portable chairs, comfortable
shoes, and fur- or down-lined jackets. We met Filipinos from
California and New York too, who like us, had dropped every-
thing to say “Arrivederci!” to our beloved Pope.
The Vatican government had considerately left out moun-
tains of blankets every several yards for anyone to take and
use against the freezing winds blowing and buffeting the
throngs of people who were waiting many hours in line. There
were also cases of bottled water stacked high and given free
to anyone thirsty. And of course, portable toilets were nearby.
A Manila visitor commented wrily that had those blankets
and water been left out on the streets of Manila, they would
have vanished in a flash.
100 MARCH 2007
We all laughed, though a bit sadly, because I
remembered that THAT’s what foreigners think
of the Philippines sometimes—a country of
‘ladrones,’ where people steal money from the
government, from the poor, where politicians
steal elections, where the judicial system is a
joke. I silently prayed for our country. What
irony—a descendant of Rizal (who hated the
unfair Spanish friars,) praying in the Mother
Church whom he hated, for our country, whom
he loved desperately, like I still do.
From the Piazza di San Pietro to the Fontana
di Trevi to Via Veneto, Rome was filled with
hardworking, laughing, joking, sometimes cry-
ing, but always rowdy and ‘masaya’ Filipinos!
The Filipino OFWs in Italy must be the largest
Asian group in Europe. I understand many are
concentrated in Milan and Venice as well. A good
friend of mine Marco Roberto Ascione, a reverse
OFW from the Murano Glass Group, tells me that
he loves visiting Manila because the Filipinos are
like the Italians in temperament, passion, family
and style. Grazie!
In the 1980s, on a family vacation from
Hillsborough, California to the Eternal City, I
noticed a large number of Filipinas by the Piazza
d’Spagna. I was thrilled that there were so many
Filipino tourists and excitedly noted to my chil-
dren that the Philippine economy must be really
doing wonderfully for them to be travelling in
droves! I asked the Filipinos where else they
were touring, and they replied that they were
‘permanent’ residents.
Many turned out to be TNTs (one did not
need a visa then,) and teachers were working as
‘ragatsas’ or maids. I was horrified. My mother
CondoCentral
had been a teacher in the 1930s, and she managed to earn a decent living gotten pregnant or become hooked on drugs. Puccini had
working her way up to become Department of Education Superintendent. written the operas, Filipinos were living them.
What had become of our country? Near the Termini, I met Evelyn Baluyot Campoli, who
The teachers told us that they could no longer support their grow- married the Hotel Stromboli’s owner, but still works as
ing families in the Philippines on their meager salaries, so they, mostly the managing cook in their newly opened trattoria, serv-
women, had flown to different areas in Europe to be housemaids or ‘yayas’ ing pizzas and pastas to many tourists. Nearby, the other
for wealthy European families who wanted their domestic help speaking hotels were, still are, serviced by many Filipinos, some
English to the young ones. Later, we learned that our own housekeeper in working as janitors or hotel maids or porters. They often
America, Miss Annie Bacaro, also had relatives who migrated to Rome in congregated after office hours or week-ends at the central
the 90s. They had wisely saved their earnings from Nursing or other jobs Termini, where their stories, trains and buses converge,
and finally bought their own flat, a rarity in expensive Rome. the equivalent of New York’s Grand Central Station, com-
As the years pro- plete with warning signs to watch out for pickpockets.
gressed, Filipinos They regaled me with stories of the more “prominent”
with more financial Filipino maids, those who served the rich and famous—
resources had the Bulgari, Gucci and even the Prime Minister’s families
migrated to Italy and were all loyally served by Filipino maids and manser-
La Dolce Vita. It seems vants, prized for their cleanliness and English-speaking
that those with fami- ability. Only their drivers were Italian, because their traf-
lies intact fare much fic there is crazier than what we have here. The Filipino
better than those with OFWs are the main visitors of affable and French-looking
spouses or children Ambassador Philippe Lhuillier. Yes, Philippe’s grandfather Mary,
separated from them. was originally from France, and he is the uncle of famous seated with her
I met many couples coutourier, Monique, of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, daughter, Grace.
who would have their
babies in Italy for the
Italian documents,
then bring their month-old babies to the Philippines to be cared for by
their grandparents because the OFWs had to work many hours in Italy
to support family members in the Philippines! I always discouraged them
from that plan, and stressed the need for families to be together.
At my visit to Rome in 2005, I met a wonderful Filipino family who was
a success story. Mary Edig Serafini from Davao was introduced to me by
banker Duji Jorda. Mary had been a successful businesswoman in Davao
and decided to try life in Rome, where she married an Italian and started
buying condos, houses and buildings, renting them out to many Filipino
students or professionals. Her daughter, gracious and charming Grace, is a
talented voice student who was planning to study in Massachusetts.
Mary, unfortunately, is the exception rather than the rule, even nowa-
days, among the Filipino-Italians I met. Most of the OFWs frequently rented
cramped quarters with two bedrooms and one bathroom for example,
often filled with six, eight or even a dozen workers and their children.
Every inch of space was utilized—the Living Room/Dining Rooms could
sleep four, the two bedrooms could have, maybe, a set of parents and two
small children apiece. No wonder that many landlords shy away from rent- California. I had coffee with him and saw the many Cita, at
ing out to Filipinos! improvements he had started at the embassy which had the Vatican.
But work hard they did and still do. If you saw the movie “Anak” rows and rows of domestic helpers renewing passports
with Claudine Barretto and Piolo Pascual, you will understand what I am or getting visas.
describing. The OFWs are happy, but one can see that mingled with sad- Across the street from the Embassy are banks which
ness. It is just better over there than the crowded slums here in Manila remit the hard-earned salaries of the OFWs to their fami-
because abroad, they at least get about a thousand Euros per month, which lies left behind in the Philippines, some of whom they
is approximately $1300 or about P65,000 Philippine pesos. And the weather have not seen for years. Can someone please stop crowing
is mostly nice and cool, the economy is pretty steady, jobs are easy to come about the growth in the Philippine economy these OFWs
by, and one can live La Dolce Vita on very little. But it sometimes. perhaps contribute to AND do a comprehensive study on the dras-
I should say, oftentimes, can come with a steep price for those left at home tic and deadly effects the separation and alienation from
in the Philippines. their families are costing the Filipino OFWs?
A relative of Nokia worker Lito Galicia told me that their Italian bus
driver often said that the Filipinos on board his bus were like the tragic
heroines of the operas. Some would laugh nervously upon reading a letter, Contact author at citadinglasan@yahoo.com
some would suddenly wail at discovering her husband in Batangas had
left their children and her, for another woman, some would be depressed
or frustrated at finding out their children in the provinces of Laguna had

CondoCentral MARCH 2007

101
 www.condo.com.ph
For inquiries and viewing request:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
 people and events

Fort Palm Spring unveils model units

Fort Palm Spring, a 28-story luxury condominium soon to rise at the Bonifacio Global City,
unveiled its model units at the MC Home Depot in Taguig last February 17.
The whole day affair was attended by over a thousand friends and prospective buyers who were
given a glimpse of what is touted as the hottest property at the best business and residential address
in the entire metro.
First Global BYO Corporation (BYO Corp), project manager of Fort Palm Spring, introduces for this
venture the revolutionary Build Your Own (BYO) method, an exciting new way of owning property.
Through BYO, buyers save up to 40 percent of the usual cost of condominium units. BYO Corp has
likewise assembled a team of architects, designers, and constructors – all at the forefront of their
respective fields of expertise – to ensure that the project will not only be reasonably valued, but be
superbly built as well.

For more information, log on to www.fortpalmspring.com.ph or call 8158080.

Dawn’s Jacobo goes for Gain Plus
With one-year-old Jacobo lording over her utmost attention, life
has truly changed for celebrity mom Dawn Zulueta-Lagdameo. Though
riding high with a successful career comeback, Dawn is hands-on in
caring for Jacobo, who was born to the Lagdameo couple two months
earlier than expected.
For Jacobo’s developmental progress, Dawn took on advertising
Gain Plus Advance, which was also the milk formula prescribed by
Jacobo’s pediatrician. The commercial was launched last Feb. 27 at the
Makati Shangri-La Hotel.
“Gain Plus Advance is perfect in the sense that it encompasses all my
expectations in a milk formula to help develop Jacobo’s early learning
skills,” Dawn said.
CondoCentral
Color me Sunsilk
Sunsilk brought on a breakthrough in hair care
technology with the Colour Shine System, which was
unveiled with the Museum of Colour and Style exhibit
last Feb. 5 at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.
Eleven young movers and shakers of their
respective fields displayed the new Sunsilk look.
Lensman Victor Consunji photographed supermodel-
turned-photographer Jo Ann Bitagcol, physician and
dermatology resident Anna Palabyab, professional
model and yoga instructor Raya Mananquil, musician
and writer Alessandra Tinio, Vice President for
International Sales of Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings
Corp. Divine Lee, radio jock and newscaster Andi
Manzano, singer Savannah Lumen, futsal instructor and
theatre actress China Cojuangco, model and designer
Mika Lagdameo, fashion designer Debbie Co, and TV
lifestyle reporter Marie Lozano.
The ladies had their hair colored according to their
personalities—Andi, Savannah, China and Mika went
naturally brown with the help of George Bantolino
of Sir George Salon; Divine, Alessandra and Debbie
were treated to vibrant burgundy by Nelson Cruz of
Essensuals Toni & Guy; while Marie, Jo Ann, Ana and
Raya deepened their color with the elegance of black
with the help of Gio Ledesma of David’s Salon.
The Sunsilk Colour Shine System comes in three
variants: Radiant Light Brown with passion fruit
complex, Dazzling Shiny Black with black pearl complex,
and Vibrant Burgundy with red cherry complex. Each
is formulated with nutri-proteins, Vitamin E and shine
protectors to nourish and moisturize color-treated hair
without depositing colour. It only takes three simple
steps, all of which are no stranger to any woman’s
beauty routine—shampoo, conditioner, and leave-on.
MARCH 2007
103
 eye candy
Henri Eteve, Moden Life in High-Rise, 2006, paint pen on acrylic sheet, 53 3/8” x 51 3/4“
Life on a high note
A
mong Henri Eteve’s 60-plus artworks in an exhibit dubbed as
Versatility on view until March 10 at the Avellana Art Gallery
is “Modern-Life in High Rise,” the artist’s frenetic rhapsody of
condominium lifestyle. It contains the artist signature strokes:
joie-de-vive colors, amorphous forms and humorous, sometimes ironic,
streak of sensibility.
The show, tough not exactly a retrospective, assembles what is
perhaps Eteve’s most representative works in different forms and
104 MARCH 2007
media, exemplifying his vision and versatility. His artworks (paintings,
sculptures, mixed media, tapestries/carpets and found objects) make
use of a wide array of materials (wood, marble, acrylic sheet, polycast
resin, metal, aircraft aluminum, wool, among more utilized materials),
taking on all exhibit rooms.
Avellana Art Gallery is located at A-19, 2680 F.B. Harrison St. Pasay City
(fronting Gideon Academy). For details, contact 833-8357.
CondoCentral
 www.condo.com.ph
For inquiries and viewing request:
CALL NOW (632) 812-3333
 Come home to the best address in Metro Manila
and enjoy the best life has to offer!

Introducing a new way

of owning your home:
Using the BYO system, you can own a luxury condo
in the heart of the Bonifacio Global City
starting from P1,900,000.00 for one-bedroom unit.
You can save up to 40 percent off the
usual price and your money is secure as it will

be invested with a bank.

Find out what everybody

has been raving about today!

LIVE IT UP!
CONSTRUCTION IS ONGOING!

Contact us:
Sales Office - First Global BYO Corp.
Fort Bonifacio Stop Over corner 32nd Street and Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Telephone numbers: (632) 815-8080; 727-4221; 727-1517, 726-2360
Fax numbers: (632) 815-7070, 721-0726; 726-0626
Log on to: www.fortpalmspring.com.ph E-mail: fortpalmspring@yahoo.com