Amidst the rising of big players in the business concentrating in metropolitan cities, Chairman and CEO Arch. Romolo Nati has one thing to say about it on why Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC) chose to play in growing cities, which started with an investment in Cagayan de Oro. “What I discovered first when I visited the Philippines was that most developments are concentrated in Metro Manila and other big cities, while there were no big developments in other minor locations. People choose to go to these cities thinking they could find a better job or a better life. Our move for emerging cities is to put forward on reversing the mentality of people and investors”.
Looking back when IDC was searching for a place that would fit its ideals, Nati recalled, “We started to go around the Philippines. We studied General Santos, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro. At the end, we decided to start in CDO because of its selling factors”. Some reasons he mentioned were the city is the gateway to Mindanao which means that more people often visit CDO, plus the dramatic mountains and terrain surrounding Uptown Cagayan de Oro makes it more attractive.
Italpinas Development Corporation is a listed green design-driven company engaged in real estate, born in the city of Golden Friendship, a city they considered the city of golden of opportunities. Eight years ago IDC was established with an aspiration of becoming the first mover of green developments for emerging cities. A few years later, with its two globally recognized and in demand projects Primavera Residences and Primavera City invested in Cagayan de Oro, the company achieved a great feat at a tender age. This proves that investing in CDO is indeed one of the best investment opportunities that every investor must grab on.
This was what the company highlighted during the prestigious Mindanao Business Conference in its 26th year, held last September 7-9, 2017 right here in this city. Speaking to an audience of local and foreign investors and public officials, Arch. Nati shed light on the company’s participation in the growth of emerging cities and sustainable developments throughout the country.
Investing in emerging cities like Cagayan de Oro was not popular in mainstream business and is only known to some. IDC saw the potential of the city in the real estate specifically in the area of sustainable condominiums. According to Jose P. Leviste, Primo Consigliere of the company, IDC was the only condominium developer who had the confidence to invest in the city. But now, more and more are coming to CDO, which means more job opportunities and income are expected in this city.
As what IDC’s President Atty. Jojo Leviste explained, IDC anticipated a centrifugal migration in which the population moves away from Manila to their hometowns. This approach lessens congestion and environmental degradation in the big cities and increases the chances of investment in small cities.
A place with a good environment is one of the factors that IDC considers when choosing the right location for their developments. Taking the Uptown Cagayan de Oro, one of the booming districts of the city, as an example. Atty. Leviste pointed out that IDC makes sure that the location complements the idea of green living and is accessible to life’s important places.
Greening the Condominium Life
Mentioned in the event is IDC’s value in mitigating the effects of the building to the environment and health. Aside from that, in coming up with a desirable and reasonable condominium unit to its end-users, IDC in its design stage uses a contemporary approach called, “performance-based design” with the goal of developing buildings that reduce the consumption of energy, and the overall environmental impact. According to Nati, in this way IDC is able to develop buildings that are cost-effective because of its “active and passive green features” that enable buildings to perform better than any other regular developments.
Primavera City, for instance, will use both active and passive features that during the day, its inner vertical voids and cross-ventilation layout maximize natural light and natural ventilation. At night, the common areas will be lit with energy-saving bulbs and the power will be supplied by the renewable energy produced by the photovoltaic panels.
Technically, the internal vertical atrium found in towers will be a natural ventilation system that integrates the vertical and horizontal distribution of air throughout the buildings, contributing to the passive cooling of units by using a natural chimney effect. At the same time, the void serves to optimize natural light, allowing sunlight and moonlight to enter the central section of each tower to illuminate the common areas.
One more unique characteristic is the facade of the building with brises soleils or shelters that protect the windows and glass surfaces from direct sunlight, especially during the hottest time of the day. These reduce the overall internal temperature of the units in the building. In addition, the façades are designed in a way to use the building components with the use of the digital simulation technology, the location of the louvers and the windows are strategically placed to maximize the indirect light exposition for natural illumination while reducing the heat entry and glaring from the direct sunlight.
At the same time, Primavera Residences, the first completed project of IDC carries the same unique feature. “Primavera is very well-ventilated. I started to like the building because it is very open. It is not like any typical building that is actually closed,” said Fermin de Leon, a unit owner in Primavera Residences.
Nati said that the layout of the building, like Primavera Residences, has to sacrifice a number of areas that could have been a source of additional income of the company, but the green design has to be giving comfort and savings to its community. It may be something different to other developers, but it’s IDC’s big advantage why clients choose their projects.
Green Living at Premium Investment
Both Primavera projects were established to harmonize with the comfort of living of Kagay-anon. Ms. Gladys Echano, Sales Director, said, “Every month we make Primavera project a premium investment that would respond to the market demand.”
Primavera Residences is offering the Ultimate Investment Madness V2 inclusive of Kitchen Showcase, a 12-month free Property Management with Damiani Property Management and Services, Inc. (DPMSi), and a 12-month downpayment holiday. At the same time, Primavera City presents Viva L’Italia V2.0 that will give a free modular kitchen, plus a chance to win a free vacation to Italy for two. For this month, on top of these incentives, a Free Sofa Bed is on offer to all buyers.
What makes Primavera projects more desirable to buy and invest in is how IDC helps its clients create passive income through Damiani Property Management and Services, Inc.
“We have property management, Damiani, an Italian-Filipino company to maintain a high quality and hassle-free management for unit owners. Our foreign investors increased to 11%. They like the fact that they have a recurring income. This is what we will do on our future projects also,” said Nati.
Learn more about the company and its projects at www.italpinas.com. (Published also in Mindanao Daily News September 30 , 2017 Issue)
