FILINVEST: Building every Filipino’s dream house

Today’s homebuyers are very discerning that they look for a house that provides not only a roof above their heads, but also quality assurance that it is worthy of their investment.
With this market preference in mind, Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) recently unveiled its newest batch of residential projects: Citta di Mare, Tower 2 of The Linear, Sorrento Oasis, Maui Oasis and Capri Oasis.

“These projects are part of Filinvest’s plans to launch 14 new projects and 18 additional phases in 2010 with an estimated sales value of P9.1 billion across all market segments, 42 percent more than last year,” FLI president and chief executive Joseph Yap said during the projects’ media launch held recently in Taguig City. “All of which bear the same seal of quality that Filinvest has been known for the past 45 years.”

Starting as a modest company that first broke ground in a middle-income residential subdivision in Cebu in 1965, Filinvest is currently one of the leading full-range property developers in the country, with consolidated assets of P163.5 billion and stockholders’ equity of P63.3 billion. To date, it has developed more than 2,000 hectares of land for over 100,000 families, including the five newly launched shelter projects worth P13 billion.

Delighted by the company’s latest housing endeavors, Yap also expressed satisfaction by the firm’s recent achievement—the Gold Trusted Brand award from Reader’s Digest Asia under the property development category. “This is proof that we certainly are on the right track in building quality homes and providing lifestyles all over the Philippines,” he said.

The recognition is the result of the Trusted Brands Survey conducted by Synovate for Reader’s Digest Asia in eight Asian markets. Since its launch in 1999, this award has been conducted annually to reflect how different brands appeal to Asian consumers based on six qualitative criteria: trustworthiness and credibility, quality, value, understanding of consumer needs, innovation, and social responsibility.

“Being honored as one of the country’s most trusted brands highlights all the hard work and dedication that we at Filinvest have put into our mission in the last 45 years,” Yap noted. “Looking forward, Filinvest will make every effort in living up to this recognition in the years to come. This will be our inspiration as we continue to provide competitive and innovative projects that reaffirm our commitment to building every Filipino’s dream of owning his own home.”



Citta di Mare

BOUNDED by Mactan’s coast and Cebu’s mountainous areas, Citta di Mare—a soon-to-rise seaside development at the heart of South Road Properties (SRP) in the Queen City of the South—boasts of a “coastal living” concept that lets future residents enjoy the idyllic yet modern kind of a seaside lifestyle.

“It’s an Italian representation for ‘city by the sea,’” explained Tristan Las Maria, FLI first vice president for Visayas and Mindanao. “Literally, it’s a city because it’s a big development project at 50.6 hectares. By the sea, you [future residents] are beside the waters. It has around 1.3-kilometer area sea frontage that makes it the [most] prime area in that 300-hectare SRP recreation project.”

Citta di Mare features a 40-hectare residential town comprised of four Asian and European seaside communities. In each of the communities lie the Amalfi Oasis, a cluster of midrise condominiums set against landscaped greens, offering one-, two- and three-bedroom units, with an array of resort-inspired amenities, including clubhouse, gazebos, cascading pools, basketball court and play areas, Zen and floral gardens.

Anchoring the residential enclaves is The Piazza, the commercial hub teeming with church, school, retail shops, restaurants and bars. Entertainment and leisure come alive at Il Corso, a 10.6-hectare waterfront development, featuring a terraced beach, boardwalk, exhibit tent, amphitheater, marina, restaurants and retail shops, to name a few.

What makes Citta di Mare unique and sustainable is its relaxing pedestrian-friendly ambiance courtesy of wide landscaped walkways, bike lanes and car-free zones. With Filinvest’s initiative to “develop only 35 percent of the area and dedicate 65 percent to open spaces, parks and playgrounds,” Citta di Mare, according to Las Maria, is indeed a “pedestrian paradise.”



The Linear

A HIGHLY functional living space that has all the elements of a dynamic lifestyle is what The Linear is all about. A master-planned residential and commercial development sitting at the sprawling area of 7,413 square meters is bounded by Mayapis, Malugay and Yakal streets in Makati, making it accessible from neighboring financial districts in the metropolis.

Rising with two towers—each 24 stories high—The Linear features state-of-the-art building design and a full complement of indoor and outdoor lifestyle facilities perfect for young professionals and starting families. These include commercial area on the ground floor, hotel-like lobby, high-speed elevators, telephone and cable provisions, intercon provision per unit, mail room, Wi-Fi facilities, 24-hour security, fire detection and alarm systems, standby generators, CCTV system, water reservoirs, multipurpose covered court with indoor jogging trail, 25-meter lap pool with wading pool and kiddie pool, fitness center, study hall, jogging and walking trail, kid’s playground, party and game rooms.

What sets such a residential-cum-commercial project apart from the rest is its well-designed eco-friendly amenities that include themed parks, picnic area and a perfume garden around the complex. Also, it boasts of utilizing an eco-roof technology.

“This [eco-roof technology] helps create a better, earth-friendly home for you and your family as it lessens UV [ultraviolet] rays and temperature impact, cuts energy consumption, suppresses noise, and absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen, among others,” said Julian Concepcion, FLI vice president and project group head.

Perfectly complementing its strategic location and wide range of amenities, The Linear’s novel design creates functional living spaces at competitive price, from P1.93 million to P5.88 million. Each of the studio (22 sq m), one-bedroom (28 sq m) and two-bedroom (49 sq m) units is built without beams and columns to give homeowners maximized use of every square inch. What’s more, full-length picture windows are put in place to allow natural lighting and maximum ventilation per unit.

“For the Linear in Makati, we offer affordable financing schemes. For example, we are only offering 20-percent down payment for a period of 36 months at zero interest. So that will result to as low as P10,200 per month on the down-payment period. And when you pay your amortization already after the 20-percent down payment, it will only be about P18,600 under bank financing, assuming it’s a 15-year term at 12-percent interest,” Concepcion stressed.



Oasis communities

MOTIVATED by the success of its Oasis-themed mid-rise condo communities in key cities across the country, Filinvest has made its signature experience even more available, with the development of three latest projects, namely, Sorrento Oasis in Ortigas, Maui Oasis in Santa Mesa and Capri Oasis in Pasig.

Reflecting the Italian town of Sorrento’s refreshing atmosphere of breathtaking sunsets and rejuvenating fragrance of its orange-and-lemon groves, Sorrento Oasis features verdant foliage and citrus gardens. Adding to the company’s collection of Oasis communities, this 6.3-hectare development located on C. Raymundo Avenue in Ortigas, Pasig, is divided into two phases—the first of which is comprised of nine midrise condominiums offering studio and two-bedroom units.

“Sorrento Oasis is planned as a car-free development, thus making it so earth-friendly. It’s also very affordable, with a price range from P1.26 million to P3.15 million per unit. For instance, the equity or down payment for our 22-square-meter studio unit is P10,000 only. And when you amortized it, it will be about P16,000 monthly,” said Concepcion.

Inspired by a tropical enclave in Hawaii, Maui Oasis, on the other hand, treats its residents to a lush tropical vacation all-year-round. In spite of its very busy surroundings on Anonas Street, Santa Mesa, Manila, this property never fails to create a community that can assure homeowners privacy within the clustered buildings. Up for grabs are the 22-square-meter studio units suited for the student market, as well as the one-bedroom (30- to 34-square-meter) and two-bedroom (30- to 42-square-meter) units perfect for small, up-and-coming families—all within the price range of P1.2 million to P3.4 million.

“Maui Oasis is what we call a ‘hybrid development.’ We’ve designed the property to have a mix of three five-story condominiums, and two 10-story condominiums that would allow us to provide a bigger amenity area for our homeowners,” noted Tet Abad-Santos, FLI first vice president/cluster head. “We’re also building a tunnel right there that would give the property direct access to the main road. And again, this will make it easier for buyers and the guests to and from the property.”

Capri Oasis, meanwhile, carves out a dynamic lifestyle for the modern city dwellers. Deriving its name from the famed Italian resort-town of Capri, it is a picturesque community with a sedate charm of its own—thanks largely to its Mediterranean vegetation, deep turquoise coastlines and sun-drenched landscapes.

Located on Sixto Antonio Avenue, barangay Maybunga in Pasig City, Capri Oasis is a 1.9-hectare property that houses 600 units at its six condominiums. The studio (22.06 sq m) and one-bedroom (30 to 38 sq m) units are well suited for single, young professionals, while the two- (40 to 50 sq m) and three-bedroom (63 to 64 sq m) units are perfect for small families. Cost-wise, the units are priced between P1.2 million and P4.4 million.

“At Capri, we’d like to recreate in a property the easy living, laid-back lifestyle. Here, we’re going to have six buildings, with five residential buildings at one side of the property, and across the street is a building that is designed to be either a small office or a home office,” said Abad-Santos. “We have also designed it in such a way that 30 percent to 40 percent of the total land area is built on and the rest are open areas.”

The Sorrento, Maui and Capri are unified by qualities that are unique to Filinvest’s Oasis-themed communities. Each of these developments feature stylish architecture and world-class building amenities and facilities. Furthermore, these midrise condo communities are built with a well-guarded and gated entrance to ensure the residents’ safety and security.

For details on Filinvest properties, please contact Reby Ramirez @ +63 916.4044.555 / +63 922.883.9308 / +63 919.699.3572 or e-mail her at reby_ramirez@yahoo.com.

Source: Buiness Mirror, 05 September 2010

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