Two weeks ago, the 3-day, 4th Philippine Real Estate Festival (PREF) was held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. It was no ordinary real estate event for it involved the tourism sector. According to PREF Chairman, Dr. Jaime Cura, the tourism industry has recognized the importance of drawing the real estate sector into greater involvement in the development of tourism related projects.

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.