I didn’t originally intend to blog about this place when I took pictures of it during one of my bike rides a few weeks ago. But when you think about it, this post underscores the overarching importance of achieving one of man’s most basic human needs, no matter how insufficiently that need can be filled.

Artex Development Co., Inc. aka Yupangco Cotton Mills, Inc. used to be the biggest and most modern textile mill in Asia. It is located in Malabon City, in one of its lowest-lying barangays, Panghulo.

During its heyday, the company allotted part of its land next to its factory as a housing project for some of its workers. This is what was then referred to as Artex Compound.

The housing project sits on a “land” that is more than 1 hectare and the factory occupied more than 7 hectares. Today, locals loosely call the entire complex Artex Compound.

In 1989, the company closed down resulting from a labor strike in which allegations of low pay and inhuman working conditions were thrown at the company. Left with unpaid wages and benefits, the workers protested by staying in their houses.

Did I say land? This is what has become of Artex Compound since 2004.

Home to more than 150 families, Artex Compound is submerged in 5 feet of water year-round; up to ten feet during heavy rains. The only means of going around is by banca earning it the moniker water world. Ferrying residents by banca has become an important source of income for some residents with each ride costing 5 pesos. Imagine buying, say, cooking oil in a nearby sari-sari store for 10 pesos and spending 5 pesos for the fare.

It hasn’t always been like this for the people of Artex. It was once a clean, dry, orderly and happy community where people celebrated fiestas, held basketball tournaments and attended Sunday masses.

Picture above on the right shows the vast area where Artex’ milling factory used to stand.

There was a time when the workers-residents, through their association, the Samahang Manggagawa ng Artex (or SAMAR), were awarded ownership of the compound by the Regional Trial Court of Manila and it was later affirmed by the Court of Appeals. The case, however, was elevated by the owners of Artex to the Supreme Court which, in 2002, reversed the decision of the lower courts, thereby remanding the property to the original owner.

What’s abhorrent about this case prior to the ruling of the Supreme Court is that SAMAR sold the property to a certain Rodrigo Sy Mendoza.

Now the residents, with new leaders, are lobbying for the local government of Malabon City to award to them the compound promising to keep their houses for themselves.

The following are more pictures of Artex Compound:

Here’s its navigable satellite map. It also contains more and better quality images of Artex Compound. Just play around it with your cursor and click anything that lights up in yellow.

Though, I live in another barangay in Malabon where I witness poverty every single day, nothing compares to my experience in Artex Compound.

Strangers will consider this place a no man’s land, but the people are so kind and endearing. And, though, I believe that no Filipino deserves to live in such a horrible condition, they say it will have to do for now and they will make the most out of it.

To the sweet and beautiful people of Artex Compound, thank you so much for welcoming me in your humble community.

Your prayers are my prayers and may God protect you always.

Dr. Cura believes that:

The Philippines has a built-in competitive edge in its natural resources and the warmth and hospitality of its people who are skilled in global communication and comfortable with inter-cultural exchange… It is only by building on these natural advantages and developing the facilities that the global tourism market demands… that the Philippine tourism industry can become globally competitive.

It was a gathering of major local and foreign players in the real estate and tourism industry with no less than President Aquino as the keynote speaker.

The highlight of the event was the giving of Models of Excellence awards to projects which the organizers believe excel in certain categories. These categories are the following:

Technical and Structural – technical innovations, applications and development of new standards in the construction of physical structures

Design and Aesthetics – for their extraordinary handling of conventional design systems and revolutionizing ordinary systems

Community and Society – for enhancing and revitalizing the quality of life of the residents, as well as industrial and commercial zones that open up more economic opportunities for the masses

Environmental and Ecological – for developing architectural designs that may address prevailing natural conditions and employment of environment-friendly systems of building and construction, execution of projects without necessarily destroying the surrounding balance of nature

Effective Project Management – for their involvement in the exceptional performance in the oversight of projects whether in the developmental stage or in the full operation resulting in the efficient employment and control of materials, manpower, service outsourcing, time and cost

Education and Public Information

And the Winners are:

Technical and Structural

Lighthouse Marina Resort is located at the Moonbay Marina Complex, Waterfront Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone. It’s a three- story, 34-room boutique hotel designed by the famous architect and urban planner, Felino A. Palafox, Jr.

Development Bank of the Philippines Executive Office Building in Global City, Taguig – This one puzzles me. Given the criteria for the award – “… application and development of new standards in the construction of physical structures” – this project should not have won; its construction hasn’t even started yet. Aren’t there other buildings already standing or in the process of construction that have already applied and developed these new standards? This is also a design by Palafox Associates.

Summit Ridge Hotel is located in the highest and coldest part of Tagaytay City. This nine-story hotel is the fourth hotel under Robinsons Land Corp. of the Gokongweis. Just over a year old, Summit Ridge is primarily designed as a venue for corporate events such as trainings, meetings and seminars. It boasts of having all its guest rooms and suites facing the Taal Volcano. It was designed by Palafox Associates which used the Asian tropical theme.

Design and Aesthetics

Development Bank of the Philippines Executive Office Building in Global City, This time, I will not argue about this the award; it does have a highly innovative and beautiful design.

Summit Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City

Shrine of Jesus: The Way, The Truth and The Life is a Catholic church located at SM Central Business Park, Reclamation Area, Pasay City. It was designed by Palafox Associates and built in 1999. The church was donated by Mr. Henry Sy’s SM Group to the Archdiocese of Manila in memory and in fulfillment of the late Pope John Paul II’s dream to have a center for the young people, as he expressed during his visit to the country at the World Youth Day celebration in 1995.

Community and Society

Tuloy sa Don Bosco Street Children Village is a project that proves that hope springs eternal for those who truly believe. What started as a dream 17 years ago is now a home of hope for countless street children.

The village sits on a 4.5-hectare piece of land located in Alabang, Muntinlupa City and used to be the site of the Department of Social Welfare and Development´s Lingap Center.

Baluarte Zoo in Ilocos Sur – Baluarte is Spanish word that means stronghold, fortress or bulwark. It is also the term used by Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson to call his 80-hectare private residential property in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.

It started as a rest house in 1991 to accommodate friends like the late Fernando Poe, Jr. on long weekends. Eventually, the governor turned the property into his personal residence and administrative office. His long-time passion for animals made him decide to convert a large chunk of this property into a zoo where everyone can come, feed, pet and interact with animals and enjoy all its facilities for FREE.

Baluarte stands on a hill and offers a magnificent view of Vigan and is the biggest tourist attraction in the city.

[See the satellite map of Baluarte]

Here, you’ll even see the Governor’s State Mansion and Provincial Office. There’s even an office specially constructed for the Philippine President.

One Pacific Place is a 36-story residential condominium project of ACI Group-Cactus Realty Corp. and is situated in Salcedo Village, Makati City. The project is still under construction and has currently reached the 16th floor.

ACI Group is the same company behind Pan Pacific Manila Hotel in Malate. It boasts of being the only “butler hotel” in the Philippines and has for its main attraction the Adriatico Square – 4 floors of restaurants, snack bars and entertainment centers.

Sta. Elena Golf Course Community – Also known as Sta. Elena Village, this project was first envisioned in 1989 by Jose Alberto Yulo Quiros of the Canlubang Sugar Estates and Bienvenido R. Tantoco, Jr. of the Rustan Group of Companies. The idea was to build a world-class golf course and incorporate residential developments in and around it – the 13-hectare Banahaw Village that is completely surrounded by the fairways of the golf course and the more modest Sierra Madre Village east of the fairways.

This community was master planned by Felino A. Palafox, Jr while the golf course was designed by world-renowned golf course designer, Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

[See the satellite map of Sta. Elena Village]

Gawad Kalinga – For GK to receive an award in an event whose theme – “Global Tourism and Real Estate Development: Sunshine Industries for the Philippine Economy” – seems inappropriate at first glance. But to think that many of GK’s community projects have become tourist attractions in themselves and have created a lot of attention for the Philippines in the international community, I’d say the award is very apt.

Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBF) or simply Subic Bay, is surrounded by the town of Subic and Olongapo City, both in Zambales and the Bataan Peninsula to the southeast. Subic Bay used to host the biggest US Naval Base in Asia, the only lifeblood of Olongapo’s economy.

After experiencing a double whammy in 1991 – the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo and the removal of the US Naval Base in Subic Bay, the place was transformed into the country’s first successful freeport through pure voluntarism that was spearheaded by Richard Gordon.

Today, after less than 20 years, Subic Bay is one of the country’s major economic engines with more than 700 investment projects, including Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction, the 4th largest shipping facility in the world. SBF, together with the Clark Special Economic Zone in Angeles, Pampanga, are positioning themselves to become the most competitive international service and logistics center in South East Asia.

Subic Bay is now also home to some of the most sought after travel destinations in the country.

Rockwell Center was the site of the Meralco-owned 130 megawatt Rockwell Thermal Plant in Makati City and master planned by Palafox and Associates. Shortly after shutting down the plant, Meralco spun off a company, Rockwell Land Corp (RLC) in 1995, 2 years before the Asian financial crisis, to transform this 15.5-hectare property into a high-end residential and commercial district. In retrospect, no developer in his right mind would have done so knowing that the 1997 Asian financial crisis crippled the Philippine real estate industry.

RLC, however, emerged from the crisis unscathed. Today, Rockwell Center comprises seven (1 under construction) high-rise residential towers, three office buildings, the Power Plant Mall (where the thermal plant exactly used to stand), a lifestyle, recreational and fitness club (Rockwell Club) and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business whose building was designed by no less than the world-renowned Arch. Bobby Manosa.

Windmill Farm, also called the Bangui Wind Mills in Ilocos Norte, is the first project in the Philippines to harness wind power to generate clean energy. It started operation in 2005 and is the largest of its kind in South East Asia producing 24.75 megawatts of electricity.

Developed by a private, Manila-based company, Northwind Power Development Corp., headed by a Danish national, the Windmill Farm is composed of 15 tri-blade wind turbines, each standing more than 23-storys high. Each blade is around 41 meters long, just 9 meters short of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The windmills are arranged in a single row along the shores of Bangui Bay spanning a total of 9 kilometers and running across nine barangays. It provides 40 percent of the total energy requirement of Ilocos Norte with a population of 600,000.

The windmills are so efficient and cheap to operate that, according to a 2007 PCIJ report, it made a 70 million peso savings in 2006 alone; savings that was passed on to consumers in terms of cheaper energy rate.

[See the Bangui Bay shoreline where these windmills stand]. Zoom in by repeatedly pressing the + sign on the upper left portion of the screen to see the windmills.

NOTE: I counted at least 19 windmills in the satellite map contrary to the 15 that the company’s website mentioned.

Paseo Del Rio (or River Walk) is a 12.3 hectare mixed use development in Bgy. Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City, located east of the Cagayan River; it is owned by Zealep, Inc. (Pelaez spelled backward). The Pelaez family is one of the most illustrious families in Cagayan de Oro having founded the city’s preeminent school – Liceo de Cagayan University – 55 years ago. Paseo del Rio was master planned by Palafox Associates and is being constructed by ESCA Engineers.

The development has been approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) as an economic tourism zone.

Two-thirds of the total land area will be dedicated to economic tourism that will house two 350-room five-star hotels; an international convention center; theme parks and recreational facilities, swimming pools, commercial centers, office/business centers, pocket parks, promenade and bicycle lanes.

[Read the latest news about Paseo del Rio]

Environmental and Ecological

Windmill Farm

Baluarte Zoo

DBP Executive Office Building

Manila Polo Club Redevelopment Also called the Centennial Renewal Project is in line with the club’s 100th Anniversary in 2009 and was master planned by Palafox Associates.

Not much could be gathered about this redevelopment except those written in the club’s (PDF) e-magazine from February 2009. The redevelopment included (but may not be limited to) the completion of three new stables that can house 78 horses and the opening of the new kitchen in one of the club’s restaurants on December 2008. Its West Lounge was also completed at around the same time. The redevelopment effort also included the planting of six Miracle Tree seedlings along the club’s Parking 1 driveway.

Tuloy sa Don Bosco Street Children Village

Subic Bay Free Port Zone

Effective Project Management

Novartis Corporate Headquarters Redevelopment by Novartis Healthcare Philippines Inc. This, I believe is a bold decision on the part of Novartis. In a country where buildings (especially high-rise condominiums) have a lifespan of 50 years, investing in the redevelopment of its 38-year old headquarters is worth looking into.

Other companies would have simply transferred, but Novartis chose to stay put in this old building. I can only surmise that they know the current buzzword in urban planning – retrofitting.

[Watch here a riveting talk about the concept of retrofitting]

Education and Public Information

Urban Zone is a 30-minute lifestyle TV program that focuses on architecture, interior design and living. Hosted by Daphne Osena-Paez, herself an urban planner, among others, the show airs on ABS-CBN every Sunday at midnight. The program is produced by Bayan Productions, a multi-awarded independent production company headed by Ms. Arlene de Castro, daughter of former VP Noli de Castro.

Project: Fist Home (or P:FH) is one of the segments of Philippine Realty TV, a real estate lifestyle TV show that showcases the best real estate developments in the Philippines. This 30-minute weekly show is hosted by Gabe Mercado and Angel Jacob and airs on ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel) and ANC Global on TFC (The Filipino Channel) and produced by StreetPark Productions Inc.

P:FH demonstrated how the show’s executive producer, John Aguilar, built his first “project” house in Antipolo. It’s a very informative peek into the entire process of building a house from the ground up.

[Here’s a blog that showcases this very beautiful house]. I bet you did not immediately look at the house : )

To tell you frankly, I’m not totally happy with a few of the choices especially when you consider that some projects won in multiple categories and designed by a certain firm. This seems to imply that we have a shortage of developments and talents that can fill those categories.

For me, the most inappropriate award is the one given to Manila Polo Club’s Redevelopment. Does it deserve to win the Environmental and Ecological Award for having completed stables for 78 horses, completing a kitchen and a new lounge and for planting 6 Miracle Tree seedlings in its parking lot? Aren’t there any projects more deserving of the award? You only need to look at the many eco-tourism projects in, say, Palawan to know that there are.

I was also hoping to see in the list Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point in San Fernando, La Union. It’s not only the lone 5-star hotel in the north but it’s also situated in a Special Economic and Freeport Zone which used to be an American Military Base – the Wallace Air Station. Of course, that’s just my opinion.

[See a navigable map of Thunderbird Resort here]

My favorites among the winners are: Tuloy sa Don Bosco Street Children Village (although, I doubt how it can contribute to the development of tourism in the country), the Windmill Farm, Baluarte Zoo (I’m not a big fan of Gov. Singson, but let’s face it, opening his private sanctuary for everyone to enjoy for free offers a refreshing perspective into his persona), the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and of course, Urban Zone and Project: First Home.

How about you? What are your favorites? Do you see other projects in the list that shouldn’t have been chosen? Do you have other developments in mind that you think are more deserving of the awards?

Thank you so much.

ITToolkit.com, a technology website, defines Project Management as a set of principles, methodologies, procedures and practices used to ensure that a project will be built on time, on budget and as required. Just like any project, building a house must have specific goals, a clear beginning and end, assigned resources, and an organized sequence of activities, tasks and events.

Ultimately, it is by employing accepted industry standards and best practices in the design and building processes that you will be assured that you get the house that you truly want. The standards and practices may vary in complexity depending on the kind of house you want but the objective is the same: build it within a given time and available resources at a quality that is agreed upon.

This is not to say, though, that building a house is rocket science. Couple this with elements beyond your and the contractor’s control like unexpected setbacks in your family, weather conditions, human quirks (especially of the laborers), unexpected increase in the price of materials mean that you should be open to the idea that your vision of an absolutely perfect house may not be achieved. But significant imperfections should and can be avoided.

What does using accepted standards and best practices in building a house involve?

There’s no simpler way to answer this question than by saying that it involves employing licensed professionals: an architect and a contractor (a civil engineer), at the very least. Note that many architects do not have the extended knowledge of a contractor and vice versa. Depending on your needs and budget, you may even include electrical (or a licensed electrician) and sanitary engineers. Others go as far as contracting an interior designer or a landscape architect. Nobody can better understand and apply these building and construction standards and best practices than these certified professionals.

Building a house is a complex task that requires inter-disciplinary activities. To name just the initial few, it involves evaluation of the exact location of the lot, its landscape or terrain and its neighborhood; assessment of soil condition, drainage, zoning and building codes in the city or municipality and restrictions in the subdivision where the house will be built. All these are done even before an architect draws a floor plan of your dream house. Just imagine the immensity of the succeeding tasks leading to the completion of your house.

It doesn’t always mean that you will have to scout around for each specialist yourself.

The usual process among Pinoys is to start with an architect. The architect then recommends other specialists. In some cases, the architect has these specialists in his team. They may be working within a single company or they may operate individually as friends or acquaintances.

Here’s a caveat for the homeowner who relies on the architect’s recommendation for an independent contractor: The architect may ask the contractor for a commission for his recommendation. It’s a cost that will ultimately be passed on by the contractor to the homeowner.

My advice is to bid out the architect’s design to at least three contractors. Be clear and specific with what you want, what you expect and the resources that you will provide. And be consistent with these specifics when talking to each contractor.

Again, ask around for recommendations from relatives and friends or their friends who have recently built their own house.

It is only by employing the services of these licensed individuals who are equipped with allied expertise that you, the homeowner, can be assured that the house you envision will be delivered closest to the agreed plan given the set time and budget. It will be a house that is not only habitable but more importantly, will enhance the quality of life, protect the health, safety and welfare of your family.

Note: If you are planning to build a house, you are best advised to come up with a “Construction Contract” to be signed by you and the contractor and have it notarized. If you are interested to have a free e-copy of this contract, kindly email me via junsanchez2003@yahoo.com.

Note that the contract I have is just a sample, very long and tilts in favor of the homeowner. You may alter part of it until you and the contractor arrive at a mutually-agreeable contract.

Thank you so much

P.S. I obtained this contract from an acquaintance I met in a forum whose name I have since forgotten. If you happen to drop by this blog, please identify yourself so I can give you proper credit.

Thanks again

Above is the last image that I attached to that post. The proximity of Barangays Pulong Sta. Cruz and Don Jose to each other as clearly indicated in the map and by comparing it with the GIS (Geographic Information System)-generated map below that I obtained from the City of Sta. Rosa, made me plot Bgy. Sto. Domingo where it shouldn’t be. As a result, I also mislabeled the Cavite-Laguna boundary.

These maps confused me and for that, I deeply apologize. You can say that I was biased and immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion out of sheer excitement thinking that my worst fear about this active fault relative to Nuvali is unfounded. By now, it should be apparent to you how much I admire Nuvali judging by the number of articles I’ve written about it.

Here are the facts:

• The map which I erroneously labeled covers only part of Laguna. Click here to see a complete version of this map in PDF format.

• On my first trip to Phivolcs, my objective was simply to do research on the Valley Fault System, I didn’t know that anyone can request for a fault certification for a certain project or property.

• Turned out that the most important requirement for such a certification is a hard copy of a topographical map where the project to be assessed should be “accurately” plotted. Without one, we settled with a Wikimapia Map of Nuvali which I emphasized is not 100% accurate; it’s an approximation of the Nuvali map at best.

With limited resources with which to base their assessment, Phivolcs geologists did the best they could to come up with the certification. They plotted in their system the map of Nuvali based on the approximate Wikimapia map. Although the certification may also be considered as an approximation because of the foregoing explanation, it appears that there’s a fault around 400 meters off the north-westernmost part of Nuvali and another one that traverses its south-westernmost tip. Again, this is unofficial.

The geologists could tell that I was disturbed by the result; they felt how strongly I felt about it. They then held a meeting for several minutes and decided not to release the certification.

Instead, they gave me a new map that covers much of Laguna. This one starts where the PDF map I asked you to see ends.

This time, I assure you that my tags are correct. This map clearly shows that Bgy Sto. Domingo, the gateway to Nuvali, is located much farther, around 4 to 5 kilometers, south-west from where it was first erroneously tagged and nearer to the fault than first thought.

The two most important places to consider to ascertain the location of Nuvali are the Canlubang Golf and Country Club and the Diezmo River. Also important is Bgy Laguerta which lies at the southernmost boundary of Nuvali.

Take a very close look at the shape of the Diezmo River on the map above and compare it to the image below, I am certain that the “rotund” is in the intersection of the 91/73 axes.

Here’s a navigable version of the map that you can play with. Again, examine the shape of the Diezmo River and compare it with the map given by Phivolcs.

Notice in the map given by Phivolcs that the Valley Fault System was not plotted. Here’s why: the Phivolcs geologists know how badly I feel if Nuvali or even just a part of it is indeed traversed by the fault, they know I am biased. They told me that they will make a second fault certification, free of charge, if I can accurately plot the exact outline of Nuvali using a topographical map similar to what they gave me. Only then will they plot the fault relative to the location of Nuvali.

Truth is, only a professional cartographer with access to the exact map of Nuvali can do that.

I think it’s no longer incumbent upon me to prove whether the Valley Fault System actually traverses Nuvali or just a part of it. Albeit I committed a blunder, I feel I’ve done more than I should to point out that there is probably a serious issue that must be addressed. And who can better clarify this matter than Ayala Land itself?

Did you know that last March, I even went to see the Mayor of Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Hon. Mayor Arlene Arcillas-Nazareno to follow up on my “online” interview with her? Prior to the meeting, I emailed her a few questions about Sta. Rosa including the issue regarding the Valley Fault System. Here’s the picture of our meeting.

Unfortunately, I have yet to receive her answers in spite of several follow ups with her assistant.

I hope you understand my decision not to pursue this issue anymore. As lawyers would love to say, there is probable cause to pursue this case but I will not pretend that I have all the resources to prove it beyond reasonable doubt. The ball is no longer in my hands.

I will only change my mind if someone helps me obtain a topo map with an accurate outline of the borders of Nuvali that is acceptable to Phivolcs.

Thank you so much and again, my sincerest apology for making an error in my last post.

Acknowledgment: Thank you so much to Ms. Perla J. Delos Reyes, Supervising Science Research Specialist and Officer-in-Charge of the Geology and Geophysics Division of Philvolcs, to Ms. Jed, Ms. Abby, Ms. Jayvie, Ms. Marose and to Sir Atoy for going over and beyond their normal responsibilities to accommodate my request and for enlightening me on matters which I know little about.

P.S. I was told repeatedly by Ms. Jed, also a geologist at Phivolcs, that there is no such term as “fault line;” the correct term is simply “fault.”

P.S.S. Thanks again.

The veracity of this issue has bothered me for a long time. This fault line has been discussed in at least one forum and has caused anxiety among some who have invested in real estate properties in the area. Most often mentioned is Nuvali.

Just this Tuesday, June 15, I received a question from a reader asking if Venare in Nuvali is traversed by this fault line.

To settle the matter ones and for all, I went to Phivolcs (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) yesterday and tried to find out what I could about the Valley Fault System. I was directed to go to the Geology, Geophysics, Research and Development Division. There, I was told that anyone can apply for a “fault certification” for any property or project that he suspects might be near or lies along a fault line. Such certification will either confirm or dispel such suspicion.

So for 500 pesos, I requested that they plot the Valley Fault System relative to the location of Nuvali. I also submitted three satellite images of Sta. Rosa that was given to me last year by Mrs. Nelly Gomez, Sta. Rosa’s City Assessor.

When told that they also needed a vicinity map of Nuvali, a staff helped me get online to secure this map.

Place your cursor on the cross hair in the middle of your screen to make the Nuvali map light up in yellow. Play around with it, zoom in and out, to examine the area. Note that places in Wikimapia are tagged by its users, including myself, to the best of our knowledge and we do not claim that our tags are 100% accurate. If anyone among you feel that the map of Nuvali is incorrect, I cordially invite you to join Wikimapia and edit it. Click on the Nuvali map then click “Menu” and choose “Resize outline (polygon).”

Be informed that serious users of Wikimapia do not take “vandalism” lightly; members have the responsibility to improve the maps, not make them worse.

Back to Phivolcs, I took pictures of a larger (3 feet by 2 feet) and more detailed map that shows the active fault lines in Region IVA or CALABARZON. Below is the map showing the Valley Fault System relative to the location of Sta. Rosa.

The slightly curving vertical broken lines inside the upright rectangle represent part of this fault line.

I will not make any conclusion based on this picture but I can’t help noticing that the fault line “appears” distant. What do you think?

I was told to call Philvolcs on Monday to see if the certification is ready for pick up. I will post the findings of Phivolcs as soon as I get my hands on it.

Update: I called up Phivolcs today, June 21, and was told that they are not yet done with the fault certification. I was told to call again on Wednesday for possible pick up the same day.

Thank you so much.

I said previously that Nuvali’s master plan is geared towards achieving sustainability which is defined as forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future to meet their needs.

True sustainability can only be achieved by simultaneously addressing and enhancing three factors: environmental, social and economic. It’s a fine balancing act which Metro Manila failed to achieve.

Metropolitan Manila or NCR is divided into six Districts with the City of Manila being the capital plus the fifteen cities and one municipality, Pateros, surrounding it.

Latest official figure (2007) from the National Statistics Office put the Philippine population at 88.57 million. With a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers (including inland waterways), that puts the Philippine population density at an average of 295 persons per square kilometer.

Metro Manila, on the other hand has a population of 11,553,427 and occupies an area of 638 square kilometers, putting its population density at 18,100 persons per square kilometer. Don’t drop your jaw yet because the City of Manila, District I, with a population of 1.6 million has a density of 41,014 persons per square kilometer making it the most crowded city in the world.

With the Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product of 1.42 trillion pesos for 2008, Metro Manila contributed 468.4 billion or 33%.

Metro Manila, a region that comprises just 0.21% of the country’s total land area is home to 13% of the national population and contributing 33% of the country’s economic output. Can you imagine the impact those 11.5 million souls have on the landscape and resources of a place that is less than one fourth of 1% of the country’s total land area?

Metro Manila’s relative affluence should not be taken as a positive sign considering what its inhabitants have to bear in terms of what its environment has become. Everyone, even those living and working in well-planned communities, are not exempt from living or at least experiencing urban decay and blight on a daily basis.

On a macro level, Metro Manila’s relative affluence reflects well on the failure of the past and present government to spur economic growth in the countryside where they are most badly needed. The GDP figure also says that 67% of it is produced in 99.79 of the rest of the country’s land area. This has resulted to unmitigated migration to Metro Manila by rural folks in search of greener pasture, many, adding to the already unmanageable number of informal settlers there.

My research to find a master plan for Metro Manila that addresses environmental, social and economic sustainability has been fruitless. There are master plans regarding the environment, still, a few on social sustainability and then some on economic sustainability. But there’s none that ties them all together.

Metro Manila was fine given the realities of the 19th century when its population was only around 200,000. It could have worked towards sustainability then to meet the needs of its inhabitants and those who followed.

But in an October 31, 2009 issue of the Philippine Star, Mr. Paulo Alcazaren reported that Metro Manila has had 14 master plans on urban planning, transport and flood control starting in 1870. None of which was ever implemented.

Reasons cited for their non-implementation were politics, government corruption, greed (plus shortsightedness and even stupidity) of real estate speculators.

Without any master plan, Metro Manila’s solutions to problems have always been knee-jerk. It has become a region that, although relatively affluent, offers majority of its residents a poor quality of life that is aggravated by unmitigated blight and uncontrolled development. In Metro Manila, the rich and poor alike are not exempt from hellish traffic, air pollution, overcrowding and recently, flooding, insufficient water and electricity.

Such is the effect of not having a master plan that serves as a template for achieving environmentally-sustainable, economically-viable and socially-enriching lives.

The following is the link to Nuvali’s Master Plan (note that it’s in PDF format that’s more than 7 megabytes large and takes a long time to load). You can have first dibs on it before I discuss it on my next post. I will not discuss it point by point, only its salient parts.

Nuvali can be considered as a microcosm of any city or even a province. Its master plan is a great lesson on how Metro Manila should have planned itself. For other cities and municipalities outside Metro Manila, it’s a plan that’s worth emulating.

Thank you so much

It’s true that it’s every Filipino’s dream to own a house. But more than dreaming, it’s imperative that you make a thorough examination of your financial position before you take the plunge.

Last year, I came across a survey by Registered Financial Planners Institute Philippines (or RFP Philippines). It was designed to find out the Filipinos’ spending and saving habits. They used the survey as part of their free financial planning seminars to help employees of companies manage their personal finances at a time when the global financial crisis was at its worst.

Looking at the survey questions, I realized that they can also serve as a tool for Filipinos to assess their financial readiness to build or buy a house. Note that I am adapting this survey for something it was not originally intended for. Thus, take the survey as a mere approximation, not an absolute measure, of your readiness to own a house.

With permission from RFP Philippines, I am reprinting below their survey questions. I hope that by answering these question, you will be able to gauge how near, far or really far out you are from owning your house.

Age: _____ Gender: ___________

Monthly Gross Family Income:
P20,000 to P35,000
P36,000 to P50,000
P51,000 to P65,000
P66,000 to P80,000
P81,000 to P95,000
P96,000 – above

Home Ownership (choose one)
__Own, __ Rent, __ Living with parents/relatives

A) How would you describe your financial situation? Would you say you:
1. Live comfortably
2. Meet your expenses with a little left over for extras
3. Just meet basic living expenses
4. Don’t have enough to meet expenses
5. Don’t know

B) How often do you worry about money matters?
1. Often
2. Sometimes
3. Rarely
4. Never
5. Don’t know

C) How would you describe the extent of this crisis’ impact on your personal finances?
1. No impact
2. Some impact
3. Major impact, but I can handle it
4. Very high impact, I’m having difficulties
5. Wouldn’t say

D) How often would you say you spend money on things you can’t afford?
1. Often
2. Sometimes
3. Rarely
4. Never
5. Don’t know

E) Have you ever felt that your financial situation was out of control?
__Yes, __ No

F) How closely do you watch the amount of money you spend?
1. Very closely
2. Fairly closely
3. Not too closely
4. Not at all closely
5. Don’t want to say

G) To what extent is this increased watchfulness a result of the ongoing crisis?
1. Not at all connected to the crisis
2. To some extent a result of the crisis
3. A direct result of the crisis
4. Wouldn’t say

H) Are you always aware of how much money you are spending or you just have a general idea?
1. Always aware
2. Have a general idea
3. Neither
4. Both

I) Which expenses are you having most trouble budgeting for now but are still including in your expense list?
1. Entertainment and recreation
2. Food and dining out
3. Shopping and personal items
4. Bills and utilities
5. Car/cars
6. Home and housing
7. Luxury items
8. Children and schooling
9. Credit card payments
10. Medical
11. Taxes
12. Insurance
13. Regular savings for retirement
14. Investments
15. Health insurance
16. Debt payments
17. Others
18. Nothing

J) If you need to cut back on your expenses, which items would you need to remove from your list or have already scrimped on in recent months? (Choose up to three)
1. Entertainment and recreation
2. Food and dining out
3. Shopping and personal items
4. Bills and utilities
5. Car
6. Home and housing
7. Luxury items
8. Children and schooling
9. Credit card payments
10. Medical
11. Taxes
12. Insurance
13. Regular savings for retirement
14. Investments
15. Health insurance
16. Debt payments
17. Others
18. Nothing

K) Which items do you splurge on, even when you know you should not? (Choose up to three)
1. Food and dining out
2. Entertainment and recreation
3. Shopping and personal items
4. Home and housing
5. Children and schooling
6. Bills and utilities
7. Cars
8. Medical
9. Luxury items
10. Travel
11. Others
12. None of the above. I have everything under control

L) Do you or your spouse have a formal budget for your household?
__ Yes, __ No

M) Would you say you are saving and investing as much money as you should, or should be saving and investing more?
1. As much as I should
2. Should be saving and investing more
3. I don’t know

N) Do you have savings in the bank that you can count on when there’s an emergency?
__ Yes, __ No

O) How many weeks’ worth of living expenses can your savings cover?
1. One to two
2. Three to four
3. Five to six
4. Seven to eight
5. Nine to ten
6. More than ten

P) Have you resorted to borrowing money in the last six months to cope with financial needs?
__ Yes, __ No

Q) Do you foresee a need to borrow money in the next six months to cope with financial needs?
__ Yes, __ No

R) Have there been unexpected expenses over the past year that have severely set you back financially?
__ Yes, __ No

S) Which unexpected expenses have set you back financially?
1. Medical
2. Cars
3. Home and housing
4. Life events and children
5. Work-related
6. Travel/vacation
7. Taxes
8. Pets/veterinary bills
9. New baby
10. Need to take care of parents/relatives
11. Business-related expenses
12. Others

End of Survey

Simply reading all the questions will produce a feeling of anxiety among many of us. Suddenly, we are confronted with issues that many of us never thought of or, worse, denied. For most of us, we equate our readiness to own a house on just two factors: our monthly gross family income and savings.

If there are things the survey wanted to find out, I think they’re  the respondents’ prudence in spending only on what’s essential; their willingness to provide for unforeseen but necessary expenses and making sacrifices along the way.

Since I’m not qualified to interpret your answers, I will lead you to an article dated August 2008. It’s titled Pinoy Financial quotient, pass or fail? by Mr. Noriel Malacaman.

In this article, Mr. Malacaman concluded the following:

• Budgeting is not a habit for Filipinos
• We don’t have a monthly budget, and if we do, we do not stick to it.
• Insurance is not a priority, making us vulnerable to a much higher financial crisis.
• Saving is not automatic; we do not set aside money during salary day.
• Filipinos don’t have retirement plans, some have not started planning. It is either they don’t have an idea of how much they need for retirement, or they have some savings but don’t know if it is enough.
• Most of us also have savings that are not enough in cases of emergencies or retrenchment.

I decided to include Mr. Malacaman’s article in this post because by answering the survey questions, you will get an idea of where or how you stand given his conclusions. The more your answers confirm his conclusions, the farther you are from owning your house.

This post is not intended to dispel your dream, but to remind you that some hard choices will have to be made if you are serious about owning your dream house. Buying or building a house is one of life’s most exciting and important decisions. It’s always easy to lose focus between the house you dream about and what you can actually afford. It takes an honest assessment of your financial position, careful planning and willingness to make sacrifices to make the right decision.

What’s more tragic than living in your dream house and paying amortization for, say, five years and just see it foreclosed on the 6th because you ignored to carefully assess your financial situation and plan before building or buying your house and refused to make sacrifices along the way?

Owning your dream house is as much a lifestyle decision as it is a financial one.

It’s a fact that many Pinoys fail or refuse to acknowledge.

Thank you so much to RFP Philippines’ Program Coordinator, Ms. Paula Minerva and to Mr. Henry Ong, Program Director who allowed me to use their survey. You may also check out their Multiply site here.

Thank you also to Mr. Noriel Malacaman for his insightful article.

To everyone, thank you so much.

The following are Google Earth images that I edited to represent Nuvali. They are far from being complete and accurate and are only meant to facilitate the succeeding discussion. The outlines were based on available materials about Nuvali and plotted according to the visible images in Google Earth.

The green lines are creeks. Note that in many parts, the creeks are so deep that they form ravines. The image above shows the outline of the creeks but it shows neither their source nor the direction of their flow. Needless to say, water flows with the help of gravity and follows that path of least resistance.

Tilting the same map to make it appear as if you are looking at it from the ground level, reveals part of its topography.

The image above shows the flat/ground level view of Nuvali and the creeks (orange and green) from the south. Nuvali sits on a valley east of the slope of the Tagaytay Ridge and north-west of Mt. Makiling. The development has moderate rolling terrain with a gradient that descends gently to the north-east in the direction of Laguna Lake.

Below is how Nuvali looks from the opposite side, north.

Again, it clearly shows the gradient with the terrain descending to the north-east. Note that Tagaytay City is just a part of the entire Tagaytay Ridge which is a long chain or series of several hills and mountains. And the ridge starts west of Nuvali.

The image also indicates the source of the water that form the creeks; they come from the Tagaytay Ridge and follow the path of least resistance to the north-east and drain at Laguna Lake.

Below is a lengthwise image of Nuvali viewed from the east.

This image shows that from the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road in Sta. Rosa, Nuvali gently ascends to the south in Calamba. That’s why developments south of Nuvali like Montecito, and now Venare, may be relatively distant from the current commercial and office components, but they offer the best view of Tagaytay Ridge, Mt. Makiling and Laguna Lake. This is especially true for Venare. Below is its location plan.

Note also that past the southern end of Nuvali, the ground starts to descend towards Taal Lake.

After studying its location and topography, it’s now clear to me why Nuvali was not in any way affected by typhoon Ondoy when my friends and I visited it last October 1, just 5 days after Ondoy hit.

Realtors would like to say that there are three rules when choosing a property: location, location, location. After Ondoy, they added three more: terrain, terrain, terrain. Given its location and terrain, Nuvali should be flood-proof. But why leave everything to chance when it’s a virtual city, a 1,840 hectare development worth billions of pesos that is at stake that the Ayalas are fast converting into the most important Central Business District south of Metro Manila? Besides, nature has recently been giving us back the bitter fruits of our years of disrespect for it; natural calamities like Ondoy are predicted to become more frequent and more severe.

Real estate developments are subject to the ravages of time. If and when Nuvali actually becomes the next Makati CBD, how will it be sustained for the next generations to come?

Thank you so much.

Not that they will leave the Makati CBD, but they admitted that with Nuvali, they can start with a bigger canvass (it’s eight times the size the Makati CBD), where they intend not repeat whatever mistakes they committed in their Makati development.

Given the sheer size of Nuvali and the fact that it will be composed of several residential, commercial and office components, it’s easy to see that Nuvali will become a virtual city in itself. And it is a city that will be built with sustainability as its focal point.

The best known definition of sustainability, sustainable living or sustainable development is the one by the Brundtland Commission or the World Commission on Environment and Development. It is defined as

forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Sustainable (or green, that word again : ) living, has been with us for a long time. Wikipedia offers a list of publications and events that chronicles the long history of sustainable living dating as far back 1854 when Henry David Thoreau published his book Walden.

But it is only recently that sustainability gained serious attention because we have begun to realize that the threats to ourselves and to our planet are real if we continue to ignore it. Earth is the only home we have and we have nowhere else to go if we do not take care of it.

On this premise, Nuvali was designed as a cutting-edge community that encourages residents and transients to live and work comfortably, simply and responsibly without putting too much stress on the environment and, therefore, giving future generations a chance to experience the same lifestyle.

As ambitious and complex as Nuvali’s Master plan is and the fact that the Ayala’s were lucky enough to start with a large blank canvass with it, are there lessons from Nuvali that our local governments can learn and apply? Can old dogs learn new tricks from a puppy like Nuvali?

My answer is yes if local governments would be honest enough to admit their own mistakes and modest enough to realize that there is a modern community on the rise which plans, or at least parts of them, are worth emulating. I’m not asking these cities to start from scratch; that’s ludicrous, but they can start with what they have and make the most of it.

To see a satellite image of Nuvali, and to realize how vast it is, click here. Find the “sniper cross hair” in the middle of your screen and move your cursor over it to highlight it.

Thank you so much.

Prospective buyers are gathered in the property where the project will be built and are told: “On this land will rise a residential project that will consist of this and that amenities, with so and so open spaces and more.” It’s like telling prospective buyers to close their eyes and imagine what the future development will be like and are then told to buy what the developer promises to deliver in the future.

For the developer, it offers two benefits:

1. With the proceeds from the pre-selling stage, he can use the money to start the project.
2. The proceeds from the pre-selling stage (if it was successful enough) determines the amount of loan he can secure from a bank to finance his project, i.e., the more units were sold at the pre-selling stage, the more money he can borrow from a bank.

For the buyer, buying at the pre-selling stage enables him to buy at the lowest price possible. It’s like saying: ”Own your house tomorrow, at today’s price.” Like I’ve said, the less steel, hollow blocks, concrete and other building materials that have been put in a project, the less its price is.

In effect, the lower price is a discounted price extended to buyers for buying something that isn’t there. For me, it’s a discount that the buyer is rightfully entitled to for pump-priming the project. But it does not, in any way, give the developer the right to shortchange the buyer.

To complement what developers promise on papers, model units are built. These are nothing more than a vivid representation of what a developer promises to deliver. The problem with a model unit is… it’s exactly that – it’s a model, an ideal or a benchmark.

You will also notice that in most brochures, there are disclaimers that say:

Plans are subject to change without prior notice. No representation is being made herein. The particulars, details and visuals shown herein are intended to give a general idea of the project and as such are not to be relied upon as fact.

The buyer is then encouraged to consult a lawyer or any professional who is familiar with the real estate law in the country.

All these are intended to imply that the developer’s promises should not be taken hook, line and sinker and they have no legal obligation to deliver everything they promise.

Do you think that’s fair? Before taking your money, they promise you the moon and the stars, but they will not if they feel they can’t. Developers can do that arbitrarily if they feel they can no longer obtain the margin they set before starting the project. The result: many cut back on promised features and amenities of the project until it no longer resembles what it ones looked like on papers.

I’ve been to a condo whose ceiling almost touches the heads of its residents. I know someone who bought a property from a developer who promised several open spaces. He chose a location where the proposed open space in front was constructed with a road and additional housing units. At the open space on his left, a Napocor transmission tower was erected.

In the 1990’s, another very good friend bought a property in Canlubang, Laguna (right beside SLEX) from a then well-know developer. After almost 20 years, long after the property has been fully paid for, not a single development has been added to the project. To aggravate matters, their monthly dues (which they refused to pay since there’s no development whatsoever) has run to more than 100 thousand pesos. That project sold out like hotcakes. The question is: Where have all the money gone?

In San Lorenzo South in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, where my sister has 2 lots, all Meralco and PLDT posts are inside individual lots. There are hundreds more such horror stories where the Filipino home buyers get shortchanged.

I have a question about Manila Southwoods in Carmona Cavite; its primary developer was Fil-Estate. It was a first-class project in the early 1990’s with a 36-hole golf-course designed by Jack Nicklaus and 350 residential lots around it. That, too, sold like hotcake. The golf course was finished as envisioned, but what happened to the amenities and infrastructures to allow construction of the houses? Whenever I pass by the area, I only see the interchange but none of the houses. I may be wrong, though.

In my opinion, real estate laws in the Philippines are tilted heavily in favor of developers and give little protection to buyers. Victimized buyers have to go through so many tiring and lengthy processes to have their grievances redressed, if at all. After having your dreams dashed and your coffers emptied, will you still have the strength and finances to go through such aggravations?

To summarize, do not always believe what a developer promises to deliver. Buying your dream house may be your best decision ever of it may be your worst. Betting all your hard-earned marbles on a developer who dazzles you with his eloquence and cutting-edge plans without conducting due diligence is the fastest way for you to lose a fortune.

I’ve heard of developers who shamelessly bought helicopters and fast cars from the proceeds of their pre-selling efforts thereby undermining the projects for which they were intended for. These are the worst developers to buy from.

On the other hand, there are those who value their reputation over and above anything, are in the business for the long haul and will not do anything to undermine their buyers.

I look forward to the day when real estate buyers will be treated as kings and not as cash cows of big businesses.

Thank you so much.