Real estate property developer Earth and Style understands the needs of the Filipino family. The company strives to enhance the quality of life by providing superior developments designed to fulfil dreams. Our new Communities in Biñan, Laguna, comprised of Jubilation Central, Villaggio di Xavier Mia Vita, and Porchview County, are the upcoming developments in the Jubilation New Biñan township offered by Earth and Style, and are specifically designed to meet the lifestyle demands of the modern Filipino. An easy drive from Manila, Makati and Ortigas, New Biñan lies in the middle of the buzzing metropolis and scenic Tagaytay.

The purchasing power of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Northern California is today, one of the highest in comparison to other countries with substantial Filipino populations. With a significant number of relatively affluent OFWs continuing to send money home, remittances today account for 13.5% of the country’s GDP.

Accordingly, the number of investments being made in the property sector is increasing and OFWs contribution to the real estate boom in the Philippines is being facilitated by strong financial institutions that are eager to provide simplified loans and a platform for efficient remittances to hard working Filipinos abroad.

Leading the way is BDO Unibank (BDO), the Philippine’s largest bank in terms of customer loans, total deposits, total resources and assets under management.

“BDO is a member of the SM Group, one of the Philippine’s largest and most successful conglomerates with businesses spanning retail, mall operations, property development (residential, commercial, resorts/hotels) and financial services. Our consumer lending group completes the suite of bank services available to BDO’s millions of customers by providing retail, automotive, home, small business and personal and credit card loans,” explains Mr. Rolando C. Tanchanco, BDO Executive Vice President and Consumer Lending Group Head.

BDO’s global remittance service brand ‘BDO Remit’ is proving to be a huge success throughout the country. The service comprises of almost 5,000 cash pick-up points in the Philippines located at the banks own branches, BDO Remit Counters in SM Group locations, rural banks and financial partner offices.

“This ensures that OFW families can easily get their remittance.  BDO branches and BDO Remit Counters in SM malls, allow safe and convenient peso and dollar payout for beneficiaries,” says Tanchanco.

Recognizing the demand for seamless efficiency and convenience, the bank offers lower interest rates and longer payment terms for home and auto loans. Clients may also get approval on their applications within 10 working days provided all requirements are met.

“Customers can also take advantage of our All-In Financing scheme that takes care of the miscellaneous expenses at all stages of owning a home or vehicle– registration fees, insurances, and incidental expenses.  The Home Loan could also be used to refinance an existing home loan, or as reimbursement of home acquisition cost.  We also partner with major developers as well as local provincial developers, among which is SM Development Corporation,” he says.

A sizable number of BDO’s retail loans customers are OFWs and the bank reaches out to them via strong remittance partners, overseas offices and retail developer’s international road shows. In the U.S., BDO has four remittance subsidiary offices including one in Mission St. in San Francisco and has established partnerships with large U.S. based remittance companies including Wells Fargo, RIA and MoneyGram.

“In the Philippines, we have a large distribution network with 740 operating branches and over 1,600 ATMs and our internet and mobile banking services make it convenient for the beneficiaries of OFWs to partner with us. The BDO website enables customers to access their deposit, credit and loan accounts, pay bills, transfer funds, reload cash cards or wire money from abroad. We have a responsibility to our customers to provide them with these relevant and seamless products and services wherever they are in the world,” he says.

Looking forward, BDO will continue to take advantage of favorable domestic and international growth opportunities. BDO looks set to remain the preferred bank by consistently meeting international market demands and delivering products and services that surpass customer expectations, wherever they may be located.

“Every Filipino deserves to work and own a home and car, among other things. It’s up to us to find ways to help our OFWs further their success,” Tanchanco says.

Alfred S. Xerez-Burgos III is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Landco Pacific Corporation, a developer of leisure and luxury home communities as well as resort-inspired condominiums all over the Philippines.

It’s flagship development, Peninsula de Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas, is the country’s first private and exclusive seaside residential resort. This along with other resorts developed the last two decades, paved the way for the resort-inspired condominium TRIbeca Private Residences located along the highly accessible South Luzon Expressway in Sucat, Muntinlupa.

What was the inspiration behind TRIbeca?

There’s philosophy and theme, as it translates to substance and form.

The philosophy behind every Landcoproject is to promote our brand promise – Life at Your Leisure. That means every since project of Landco is devoted to promote a lifestyle that encourages moments of leisure. We make sure to provide wide, active, open spaces that enhance appreciation for nature and enjoying time alone or with loved ones. We believe that moments like these form part of our precious memories that money can’t buy. By advocating this philosophy for more than 20 years, Lando continues to reshape and revolutionize the way people live.

The theme we chose was an upscale, upbeat and young metropolitan theme inspired in a way by the urban developments in New York. TRIbeca to us means three towers to a cluster. We even have a central park around which all the clusters form a surrounding community.

Why would Filipinos in the Bay Area be interested inTRIbeca?

Many of our buyers from the United States invest in TRIbeca, first and foremost, because they are looking toward retiring in the Philippines. As a retirement community, TRIbeca is advantageous because of the large space that we’ve incorporated for recreation. When in TRIbeca, you’ll never feel caged in your unit because of your very big back yard. I don’t know how many condominium developments can boast of having your own football field, resort pools, jogging path, barbeque pits and so much more. For the same reasons, TRIbeca is also advantageous for those who are still active in the United States, and would like to visit the Philippines from time-to-time. We have a rental pool wherein one may enroll their unit if they’re not using it for the meantime.

What are the advantages and benefits of owning in TRIbeca?

Landco is the purveyor of leisure living in the country. Along with our partners ATR KIMENG Land, we have chosen the largest tract of land along the South Luzon Expressway corridor just to be able to execute our concept. No other development can approximate this size. And because of this, we are able to provide 60% of our 10-hectate project to open spaces.

The other factor is that an owner of a TRIbeca unit, subject to prevailing rules and restrictions, is granted membership in our LandcoPrivilege Club. The card entitles members to access some of our leisure projects in the country, such as Club Punta Fuego at Peninsula de Punta Fuego and Terrazas de Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas; Playa Calatagan in Calatagan, Batangas; and Playa Azalea in Samal Island.

Message to Filipinos in the Bay Area on Labor Day:

First we’d like to thank all of the Filipino-Americans and Balikbayans who believed and trusted Landco all these years. When you come over, please do drop by and see what we’ve done so far. And to those who are reading about Lando for the first time, we invite you to come over and visit and of our projects in the country, but most especially TRIbeca.

Rockwell Land, one of the most trusted premier real-estate developers in the Philippines, gives us 10 things that every consumer should ask their real-estate developer.

Amenities are for sharing, and you want to make sure the amenities are well maintained, clean and orderly. Avoid overcrowded amenities that are made available only depending to your scheduled time of use.

“What is the elevator waiting time?”

You would think that the provision of elevators in a development isa standard, but you get stuck in line, queuing to go up to your home.

“How many units are there per floor?”

The number of residents in a floor dictates the comfort that you feel when considering personal space.

“What kind of demising walls stand in between units?”

Most developers will not tell you that their demising walls (walls that divide your unit from your neighbors’) are made of gypsum board and base boards only. This means that you can practically hear anything and everything that your neighbor is doing, and vice versa. At The Grove by Rockwell, you are assured of walls that are made of concrete masonry unit (cmu) which not only minimizes noise, but also lasts longer and is resistant to patching and deterioration.

“When can I expect the project’s turnover?”

While other developers promise a date at the appointed time, there are often repairs that need to be done on rushed building components like plumbing and electricity.

“How is the quality of the finishes? Who are the contractors and sub contractors of the project?”

You will want your tiles to be made of ceramic for a cleaner feel and laminated wood flooring to add an elegant luster to the area. Finishes should be easy to maintain and last for longer use.

“Does the area of the condominium flood? How was the developer prepared for this?”

One of the basic misconceptions about condominium living is that floods are never a problem since the units are several floors above the ground. However, one must still scrutinize the steps taken and functionality considered when the developer was designing your home.

 “How much back up power is guaranteed and what areas are covered?”

Developers often promise that they have back up power for you. Ensure that you satisfied with the amount of reserve energy they have for your convenience. In most cases, back up power is just assured for common areas of your condominium. Or, if it reaches your unit, provision for electricity is only good for one or two socket outlets.

“How much water supply is available in case of emergency?”

This is a feature that is provisional to particular emergencies, and yet is an undeniable need when an unexpected event does occur. A reservoir of water for dire circumstances is a very welcome point indeed.

“How credible is the developer behind the project?”

An indication of how your future home will look like, be delivered and maintained is an echo of the developer’s past projects. You must look at their project portfolio, examine and evaluate its condition now. With your hard earned money, you must place it in the hands of a trusted developer.

With over 16 years in realty development, Rockwell Land stays true to its reputation as the premier property developer in the country. Rockwell has delivered quality residential and commercial spaces fit for the discerning consumer, who knows the value of investment.

The Grove by Rockwell is the elegant address for emerging professionals, newly weds, starting families – those who want more in life and the luxury of comfort and relaxation in a convenient location, as there is cohesion in the elements of the inside and the outside, with the thematic of resort living to blend in with the community.

It is a 5.4 hectare property with a notable 75% open space between 6 well secured and magnificent towers, which only means more lush spaces coupled with your peace of mind, as well as a retail area where you can find your everyday essentials.

Located along C5, it is within comfortable distance to commercial centers, malls, the Ortigas business district, top rated schools and hospitals. The Grove gives you the luxury of space, security and comfort that only Rockwell can give.

Led by a group of men and women with combined leadership experience and management expertise in healthcare administration, travel, hotel, business process outsourcing, marketing and leisure facilities management, PMTI has done extensive research on the emerging medical tourism industry and envisions the Philippines to be the destination of choice of medical travelers.

PMTI is currently affiliated with top hospitals, specialty clinics, hotels and resorts in the country today.  We seek to expand our network of partnerships with other medical and leisure facilities to continually enhance our offerings for integration services.  We work only with government and internationally accredited establishments because as an integrator, we never compromise when it comes to caring for your health and wellness.

Our catchphrase of “holding your hand through it all” sums up our role in that we are here to guide the medical traveler from the moment he decides to come here until he gets home.

PMTI is an accredited institution of the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Tour Operators Association and affiliated with the Department of Health.