Thursday, May 28, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES [ BusinessWorld Online ]
GENERAL SANTOS — Listed property firm Sta. Lucia Realty and Development, Inc. has entered this port city, launching recently its "Colinas Verdes" residential project.
Liezel T. Magpoc, vice-president for sales and marketing of Orchard Property Marketing Corp., Sta. Lucia’s marketing arm, said the project sits on an 11-hectare property with 500 lots for sale.
Colinas Verdes, named after a successful property project in Manila, will have amenities like a multi-purpose clubhouse, pool, concrete road network, paved sidewalks with concrete curbs and gutters, underground storm drainage system, and centralized water system, among others.
The property is near major shopping malls. "As of now, we’re 50% sold out. We have varied buyers — from overseas foreign workers to businessmen. We realized that there is always a market for our projects It’s just how to attract people despite the [global economic] crisis," Ms. Magpoc said in a statement.
The lot price per square meter is P5,500. "[W]e are making it affordable ... this is a strategy to make sure that we’re able to sell," she added.
To strengthen its presence in General Santos, Orchard Property Marketing has established an officeto supervise some 1,000 sales agents.
Ellorence D. Cruz, Board of Investments (BoI) coordinator here, said company representatives had sought the agency’s help to assess the locality’s economic indicators before putting up the project.
Ms. Magpoc urged people to invest in real property, saying that the value of lots is "increasing by five to 10% annually."
Colinas Verdes, which the company said is the "very first gated community equipped with 24-hour security" in General Santos, is just the first of more projects to be undertaken by Sta. Lucia and Orchard Property in the near-term, she said.
But Sta. Lucia company is still evaluating prospects because it wants to see the turnout first.
"Our commitment to our sales force and to the people who believe in Sta. Lucia and in Orchard is that once we start on a certain area, it should be continued," Ms. Magpoc added.
Sta. Lucia, parent company of Orchard Properties, has 40 years of experience in the real estate industry. It has developed more than 250 subdivisions nationwide. — R.S. Sarmiento
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