United by a culture of building communities, some 70 volunteer employees and residents of DMCI Homes condominium projects recently gathered together for a house-painting activity for the benefit of residents of Gawad Kalinga’s Manggahan-Kawayanan Village located in Barangay Marcelo Green, Parañaque City.

Held last July 7, the volunteers helped spruce up a total of 26 housing units in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity organized by DMCI Homes together with Gawad Kalinga.  The 26 beautified homes were among the 93 socialized housing units donated by the leading resort-inspired community developer to Gawad Kalinga in Parañaque City.

Von Castor, a business process manager at the DMCI Homes Property Management Corporation (DPMC) said he didn’t hesitate to volunteer knowing the activity’s impact to community building.

“We, at the DPMC, we’re after community building. So we’re very happy that we were part of this activity. It may just be a house-painting activity but there’s a deeper meaning behind it,” Castor said.

“Of course before you build a community, you first build a home. We hope na yung pinagpaguran namin, pinaghirapan namin maging ‘home’ siya para sa beneficiary na family,” he explained.

Volunteerism

Dubbed as DMCI Homes-Gawad Kalinga House Painting Activity, the volunteers formed groups of five and were given materials before they were assigned to a housing unit.  Together, they helped apply primer on 15 housing units and colored 11 others slated for turnover.

A fixture in DMCI Homes CSR activities, Alan Domingo of the Purchasing Department likewise shared his favorite part of the house-painting activity.

“Pinakagusto kong part ng activity yung medyo pa-ending na kasi nakikita mo na yung pinaghirapan mo. It’s very fulfilling. Masarap sa pakiramdam kasi nakatulong ka sa ibang tao,” the procurement officer related.

Volunteer unit owners, meanwhile, were elated that DMCI Homes opened up an opportunity to help the underprivileged through the activity.

“I’ve been wanting to join a house building and house painting activity. Luckily and fortunately, DMCI Homes organized this kind of outreach program for the less privileged,” said Rhapsody Residences unit owner Christabelle Matoza.

“So happy naman ako sa naging experience kasi kung titingnan natin sa point of view natin, iisipin mo sila yung blessed because nandito tayo to volunteer for them. Pero in return, bine-bless din nila tayo kasi parang may realization din tayo na mayroon pala tayong compassionate and generous heart,” she added.

Katherine Olaivar, one of the 10 volunteers from Siena Park Residences, said there is no better feeling in the world than having able to help people who are in need.

“Hindi mo mararamdaman yung pagod kasi alam mong may matutulungan ka,” she enthused

Partnership

Since 2015, DMCI Homes has helped Gawad Kalinga build more than 500 housing units for families displaced by local government units’ relocation program and those affected by natural disasters all over the country.

At the 2.7-hectare Manggahan-Kawayanan Village, DMCI Homes has donated more than 90 units of 20-25 square meter concrete shelter with a provision for a second floor.

“When Gawad Kalinga came in in 2006, the first order of business that we did was how to take this piece of property become legally-owned by the informal settler beneficiaries. We explored ways and means and we found out that Community Mortgage Program is the best alternative here,” said Cokes De Leon, project director of Gawad Kalinga for the Manggahan-Kawayanan Village.

“This is under the Social Housing Corporation of the Philippine wherein they purchase the properties from private individuals or corporations and then they sell it to the existing people living there, the informal settlers. So this is how the community came about,” he continued.

Anita Enderez, who is one of the socialized housing beneficiaries, said she could not thank DMCI Homes enough for helping her family own a decent home.

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa DMCI Homes kasi hindi na kami palipat-lipat ng tirahan. Kaya natutuwa ako dahil talagang bahay na namin ang lilipatan namin,” she said.

Aysa Oquinena of Gawad Kalinga Mabuhay Social Enterprise, Inc. who helped organized the activity, on the other hand, lauded the volunteers for demonstrating one of the key elements of Gawad Kalinga which is bringing people together through “bayanihan.”

“It’s more than cooperation, it’s more than teamwork, it’s more than solidarity, kasi binibigay po natin yung buong buhay natin doon sa pagtulong. You are creating an impact and you are helping us build this nation,” she beamed.

To learn more about DMCI Homes, news and other updates are posted on the company's official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

True to its commitment of delivering quality projects, DMCI Homes is set to turnover 11 residential condominium buildings in 2018—two of which will be ready for occupancy (RFO) a year earlier than scheduled.

The turnover of the 11 buildings will mark the completion of three ongoing residential condominium projects namely Brio Tower, Asteria Residences, and Mirea Residences.

Brio Tower, DMCI Homes’ initial development in Makati City is set for turnover in October, over a year ahead of its original RFO schedule of November 2019.

The last two buildings of Asteria Residences, a midrise development in San Pedro Street, San Antonio Valley 2, Barangay San Isidro, Sucat, Parañaque City, are also slated for turnover this year. The buildings will be made available to unit owners in March and June respectively.

On the other hand, the remaining four buildings of the eight-building mid-rise development Mirea Residences in Amang Rodriguez Avenue, Barangay Santolan, Pasig City are also set for turnover until September this year.

Also up for occupancy in 2018 is the seven-building mid-rise development Ivory Wood in Acacia Estates, Taguig with the early RFO of the first three buildings: Anahaw in January, Palmira in April, and Lauan in July.

Meanwhile, Lumiere Residences’ West tower is set for RFO status middle of 2018, a year earlier than its June 2019 original turnover schedule.

The country’s first Quadruple A developer last year turned over more than 15 buildings ahead of schedule despite concerns on industry delays.

"More than having consistent strong sales, we pride ourselves on always striving to exceed the expectations of our clients. This includes the delivery of their units ahead of schedule most of the time,” DMCI Homes President Alfredo R. Austria said.

DMCI Homes, the country’s first Quadruple A developer, is eyeing more residential condo projects in and outside of Metro Manila in 2018 after posting a banner year in sales and reservation in 2017.

Strong sales of all its ongoing developments last year helped DMCI Homes record Php 38.9 billion in sales and reservations - 53 percent higher than its target of Php 25.5 billion for 2017.

For this year, the property arm of DMCI Holdings Inc. has lined up mid-rise and high-rise developments in Parañaque, Las Piñas, Pasig, Pasay, Manila and Quezon City.

Eight residential condo projects have been penciled in for launch in 2018.

“We’re looking at new product formats that would suit the evolving needs and preferences of the market but still consistent with our value-for-money proposition,” DMCI Homes President Alfredo Austria said.

The developer known for building resort-inspired communities is also eyeing another residential condo project in Davao City following the consistent strong sales recorded by its initial offering in the King City of the South, Verdon Parc.

The company is bullish on Davao City’s real estate sector following positive forecasts on residential projects in urban areas all over the country for 2018.

In its top 10 predictions for 2018, global real estate services company Colliers Philippines said the government’s aggressive infrastructure push would further drive the demand for residential projects in major urban areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“The improvement of road networks and expansion of airports should further unlock land values in these areas, making them more feasible for residential projects,” the global real estate services company said.

Torre de Manila:  Superb location with amazing views -- soon-to-be your home address.  So exciting!

With its superb location at the heart of Metro Manila, DMCI Homes’ Tivoli Garden Residences easily tops the list of favorite shooting spots of cityscape photographers.

Nikon Philippines brand influencer Cris Magsino, for one, considers the Iris tower in the 2.7-hectare community in Barangay Hulo, Mandaluyong City as the top condominium building in Metro Manila which offers the most amazing view of the cityscape.

The DMCI Homes’ resort-inspired community’s excellent location and proximity to key cities with views of picturesque lines of high-rise buildings, gives a good vantage point to get a good composition, Magsino shares in an interview.

“As a landscape and cityscape photographer, having a good vantage point is a key element to get a good composition. Tivoli Garden Residences provides several spots that offer interesting compositions for a cityscape photograph,” he points out.

Led by Magsino, Nikon Philippines in partnership with DMCI Homes, recently led a free cityscape photography workshop dubbed as “Urbanscapes” at the roof-deck of the Iris Tower of the five-tower development.

Landscape photography enthusiasts were taught proper camera handling and basic post-production techniques during the seminar.

“The deck of Tivoli Garden Residences provides a spectacular unobstructed view of the metro that allows you to marvel at the city skyline spanning several cities from Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, and as far as Pasay as well as enjoy both the beauty of sunrise and sunset panorama,” Magsino notes.

“Based on places that I have been to, Tivoli Garden Residences tops my list. Next would be The Grove, City Garden Hotel, Vista Shaw, Avant,” Magsino says of the five condominium buildings which offer the most picturesque views of Metro Manila’s cityscape.

Located near the Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge, Tivoli Garden Residences offers a serene retreat amidst the bustling metropolis. It is the first property to feature DMCI Homes’ proprietary Lumiventt technology which is an architectural innovation that allows natural lighting and airflow to permeate the building through Sky Patios and breezeways.
A multi-awarded photographer, Magsino has been shooting commercially since 2006 but only started doing serious landscape and cityscape photography in 2013 as a way to escape the pressures of commercial photography.
“Landscape photography gave me a relaxing way of doing both things I love and enjoy which are travel and photography. It is one of the genre wherein you get to enjoy nature or the city view in a relaxed pace,” he relates.
"It combines the joy of travel and photography at the same time. It suits people who love the adventure of immersing one’s self into different places, its culture and its people,” Magsino explains.
Aspiring photographers, he notes, should have tons of patience to be able to capture stunning landscape photos.
“The key to be a good landscape photographer is to have a lot of patience. Patience to look for the perfect spot. Patience to wait for the perfect light. And patience to learn and develop your skills both on camera handling and post production,” the veteran photographer says.
“With landscape photography, you are at the mercy of nature in terms of light, weather and other uncontrollable conditions. Landscape photographers learn how to react, adjust and improvise to make the most of what nature provides,” he concludes.

Despite decades of living overseas, many Filipinos still choose to grow old in their native land for reasons that vary from economic to just purely sentimental.

For 78-year-old Sofia Murphy who had lived in Perth, Australia for 40 years, coming home to her native city of Davao for good in 2014 meant a fresh start after her husband passed away due to heart attack.

“After my husband died a few years ago, I wanted a new environment, a fresh start,” Murphy shared in an interview.

Determined to live a worry-free life, she sold their house in a subdivision in Maa and decided to embrace the convenience of condominium-living in DMCI Homes’ three-hectare Verdon Parc development.

“I lived before in a subdivision and I always pass by this place when I go shopping. I really like the area. It’s very close to (commercial) establishments, to the mall, and bus terminals. I think, it is (the) center of the city,” she said.

Located along Ecoland Drive corner Peacock Street in Davao City, Verdon Parc offers excellent proximity to various commercial establishments including malls and markets as well as educational institutions, banks, places of worship, medical service providers and government agencies.

Even though Verdon Parc was not her original choice, Murphy said she is convinced that she made the right decision in picking the DMCI Homes’ leisure-inspired development.

“The first condo that I have looked at, it’s really the kind of condo that I like. I actually decided to buy that one but when I saw Verdon Parc and inquired, I realized that it’s much better here. My original choice was not just more expensive compared here, it also does not have a balcony unlike here in Verdon Parc,” Murphy pointed out.

Friendly neighborhood

Murphy moved into her two-bedroom unit early this year and was immediately smitten by the friendly residents and Property Management Office staff at Verdon Parc.

“Everybody’s so friendly. The guards and especially the staff,” she said.

The exclusivity of the development and the presence of 24/7 roving guards and modern security measures make her stay even more enjoyable according to Murphy.

“When I go on travel, I know that my stuff is secured. We also had security in our subdivision before but it is much better when you live in a condo. At my age, I can sleep soundly at night because I know that I’m safe here,” she said.

“It’s like living in a resort”

Consistent with its reputation as the best provider of residential communities designed to create quality lifestyle, DMCI Homes intended Verdon Parc to complement the King City of the South’s abundant and pristine natural resources to create a leisurely atmosphere for Davaoeños.

Fitness facilities, swimming pools, entertainment and game rooms, play areas and leisure zones, are available to satisfy every whim.

Murphy, with all the first-class features of her “retirement home”, could not help but get excited over the possibilities brought by a new life at Verdon Parc.

“It’s like having a holiday every day. It’s like living in a resort,” Murphy beamed.

The country’s first real estate contractor to earn the Quadruple A license, DMCI Homes has been known for building quality resort-inspired communities in Mega Manila, Baguio City, Boracay and Davao City.  Built with world-standard craftsmanship borne from D.M. Consunji Inc.'s over 60 years of expertise in the construction and development industry, DMCI Homes continues to uphold its thrust of providing quality homes at best value on or ahead of time.

For more information on DMCI residences, explore dmciresidences.com. News and other updates are also posted on our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

DMCI Homes, the country’s first Quadruple A builder-developer, capped the Nutrition Month celebration with a medical mission held last July 22 in Barangay Guadalupe, Makati City.

Through its “Kaakbay sa Kalusugan” Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, DMCI Homes provided free health consultation and medicines to over 220 children and adults from underprivileged families of the community with the support of volunteers and partner organizations.

“This is a big help for our residents especially since we are observing the Nutrition Month. With the assistance of DMCI Homes, we are able to continuously improve the quality of healthcare in Barangay Guadalupe Viejo,” barangay captain Dennis Almario said in an interview.

Aside from the free health consultation, DMCI Homes also donated wheelchairs and canes which were given to several beneficiaries selected by the barangay council.

87-year-old Calinica de Leon fought back her tears while being seated to her new wheelchair.  She was being assisted by her granddaughter Margie Oliva, who revealed that they “have been praying for a new wheelchair and now it’s really an answered prayer.”

Meanwhile, Conchita Tuazon, 81, felt elated as she accepted one of the wheelchairs on behalf of her 55-year-old daughter Victoria whose leg was amputated due to diabetes complication.

“My daughter couldn’t leave home because of her condition. She couldn’t work anymore so she sells goods in front of our house and this wheelchair would greatly give her ease in her chores,” teary-eyed Tuazon shared in vernacular.

Other medical supplies including weighing scales, sets of nebulizers, sets of sphygmomanometer, stethoscopes, and even height charts were also turned over for the use of the barangay health and day care center.

DMCI Homes Corporate Communications manager Josephine Cruz, meanwhile, expressed her gratitude to all volunteers and partner organizations for making the medical mission possible.

These include the Westmont Unilab, Generika Drugstore, Makati Medical Center, Insular Health Care Inc., Rotary Club of South Triangle, Riqueza Events Services, homeowners from Stellar Place and Zinnia Towers in Quezon City and DMCI Homes employees.

“While we build quality homes for our own residents at DMCI Homes, we also want to help improve the condition of the community where we belong and that is one of the reasons why we held this medical mission in barangay Guadalupe Viejo where Brio Tower is located,” Cruz said.

Physicians from the Makati Medical Center and Ospital ng Makati as well as independent practitioners affiliated with Insular Life and Generika Drugstore administered the general health consultation to the beneficiaries.

Rotary Club of South Triangle and Riqueza Events Services, meanwhile, gave out snacks and toys that brought cheers especially to the children beneficiaries.

“Kaakbay sa Kalusugan,” which pertains to health and well-being, is under the DMCI Homes CSR program “Kaakbay” that aims to extend global affluence and uphold the well-being of Filipinos.

The program promotes fostering of good relations with the communities where they operate and bring forth social activities beneficial to the Filipino society.

Taking advantage of children’s strong yearning for new knowledge and skills, Zinnia Towers in North EDSA, Quezon City recently held its own version of a play city to allow kids in the community to learn and have fun at the same time.

The DMCI Homes development recently held “Kidzinnia,” a five-day workshop that involved children who lived in the community. Spearheaded by Zinnia Towers’ Property Management Office (PMO), the event included workshops on gardening and recycling activities as well as other fun activities such as games, storytelling, a treasure hunt, and role-playing.

Only 15 to 20 children were expected to turn up at the workshop, but in the end, the event counted over 40 participants – a testament to just how active both the Zinnia Towers’ community and PMO are.

Through the activities, children were able to learn about the Zinnia Towers community, and know more about the roles of the people they interact with everyday, from the DMCI Homes property management staff, to fellow residents.

The kids also learned about taking care of their surroundings, and were oriented on the community’s house rules in an enjoyable and exciting way. With their safety in mind, the kids were also given an emergency preparedness workshop.

The event ended with a hands-on activity that allowed participants to actually experience what it’s like to work in the property management aspect, stepping into the shoes of security guards, housekeepers, receptionists, officers, and property managers. This way, the kids were able to truly learn the value of doing their best, working together, doing the right thing, and making other people happy.

Resident Gerald Sanchez, a parent at Zinnia Towers, said that Kidzinnia was a “great activity”, sharing that he appreciated that it was both informative and fun.

“Keep it up,” he told the PMO, referring to the event’s success.

According to Zinnia Towers property manager Edilyn Perez, the idea for the event came about because they wanted to get children more involved in the community.

“The PMO believes that children have a positive impact and contribution to the community,” she said, explaining that children are a factor to having a safe, clean, and healthy environment.

The workshops according to Perez were designed to teach children how to be better members of the Zinnia community, in an interesting and experiential way. They also aimed to instill values that will benefit the children in the long run, and help them not only at home, but also in school, and with their friends.

For instance, she explained that learning about property management and having that hands-on experience not only made the children more aware of house rules, but because property managers are leaders, the experience also helped instill leadership skills in the kids, training them to be more proactive in the future.

KidZinnia was only one of several events held by the PMO for its residents. They also held a bazaar as well as a Santa Cruzan to keep Filipino culture alive while giving the residents an opportunity to bond, make friends, and have fun.

“We want them to have not just a home, but a community,” Perez said.

Indeed, community is the best word to describe what the residents at Zinnia Towers have. The best part is, their community includes the entire family – especially the kids.

Zinnia Towers is one of the developments of DMCI Homes, the country’s first Quadruple A real estate developer known for building quality resort-inspired communities in Mega Manila, Baguio, Boracay and Davao City. Each of its properties is built with world-standard craftsmanship borne from D.M. Consunji Inc.'s over 60 years of expertise in the construction and development industry.

For more information on Zinnia Towers and other DMCI Homes projects, call (+632) 546-4500 or explore dmciresidences.com.  News and other updates are also posted on our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

In today's world where everything comes in an instant, keeping fit has become an even more complicated issue for most people with the increasing uptake of modern conveniences.

In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980 which it attributed to a "rise in physical inactivity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization."

For DMCI Homes' Stellar Place resident, wellness coach Lyra Vallejos however, modern-day conveniences should be seen as an advantage rather than a hindrance to a healthy lifestyle.

The easy access to information and fitness facilities especially to condominium-dwellers like her, Vallejos said, should be used to the hilt to have a healthy and enjoyable life experience.

"It's not really hard to be healthy but of course it's a kind of mind-setting also and your willingness to embrace a healthy lifestyle," said Vallejos who at 46, could easily pass up as someone who is in her late 20s.

The mother of two boys, Carl and Marco, has been leading wellness activities together with the Property Management Office (PMO) in DMCI Homes' development along Visayas Ave., Quezon City, most recent of which was the "Biggest Loser" challenge in March this year.

"I only wanted to share what I know to help people choose more wisely or consciously about what they're eating. What they are feeding their body on a daily basis without really depleting the nutrients of our body," Vallejos shared.

"So every week we meet up and then I weigh them in. I give advices and most of all I give lectures. I make them aware of the calories that their body can burn and how to help improve their metabolism, what food to avoid, and what kind of exercise they can do," she added.

The encouraging response of her fellow Stellar Place residents to the weight loss challenge, she said, was enough reward for her as a wellness coach knowing that she has made a difference in the community.

Being sickly when she was young and having some of her relatives dying from stroke at an early age, Vallejos has embraced healthy living and made it a personal mission to promote awareness about the importance of one's health.

"Actually, if you talk to the (weight loss) challengers, after the sessions, they were not really into the prize anymore because they have seen the value of what they are doing," Vallejos shared.

"Our motivation was to promote wellness and also to promote healthy active lifestyle and health awareness. And even until now, even after the challenge, the participants are still together. They are still doing some exercises and I still check on them from time to time," she said.

This is the same attitude that she and her husband Caesar, want to impart on their children—to treasure one’s health amid the comfort offered by modern-day conveniences.

So in choosing a home for her family, Vallejos said she wanted an environment that promotes quality lifestyle for the holistic development of her children.

"We are all into swimming. When we saw the swimming pool here in Stellar Place, we were really excited. We also like the gym because we are into healthy living," she said.

Living in a three-bedroom unit at Stellar Place for the past three years has been nothing but a wonderful experience for the Vallejos family with the development's excellent location and wide array of leisure-inspired amenities.

"We love staying here. It's tailor-made for our lifestyle. We want a place where we can feel secure because we are really very particular about the security and the amenities. And the location is perfect. It's like the center of everything--schools, malls, and the North Luzon Expressway. I really like the location," Vallejos said.

"Comparing DMCI Homes to other developers because we also have a property made by another developer, DMCI Homes really stands out. Just upon entering, you will already feel the homey ambience. We really found a home here in Stellar Place," she added.

Stellar Place is one of developments of DMCI Homes, the country’s first Quadruple A real estate developer known for building quality resort-inspired communities in Mega Manila, Baguio, Boracay and Davao City. Each of its properties is built with world-standard craftsmanship borne from D.M. Consunji Inc.'s over 60 years of expertise in the construction and development industry.

To learn more about Stellar Place and other DMCI Homes projects, call (+632) 546-4500 or explore dmciresidences.com.  News and other updates are also posted on our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.