Queen City of the Visayas hosts ULI Study Tour
CEBU CITY is considered as one the top 20 Super Cities in the Tholons Services Globalization Index (TSGI), highlighting its economic prowess as the city known as “Queen of the South.”
Regional and economic growth in the south has never been this apparent, and indeed, Cebu is on the rise as the country’s alternate metropolis, leading to a tremendous boom in real-estate development. The continuous growth of the business-process outsourcing (BPO) industries, tourism, information technology (IT), creative industries, and having a talented work force are contributing to Cebu’s growing economy.
The Urban Land Institute will head to Cebu for a Study Tour from March 20 to 22, 2019, spearheaded by homegrown Cebuano developers and ULI members. Attendees will be toured around three areas of Cebu, namely Mandaue, Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City. Tour stops include up-and-coming commercial, residential and hospitality projects in Cebu.
Some of the key highlights of the tour are Infinite City and Mandani Bay in Mandaue and the world-class Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2. Attendees will also have an intimate meeting with Mayor Luigi Quisumbing on the progression of Mandaue City as a rising central business district, with projects such as Mandani Bay, a 20-hectare waterfront development designed to be the focal lifestyle landmark of its area. Here, residential towers rise from podium blocks interconnected by footbridges, exclusive parking links buildings at the base, retail spaces border wide boulevards, a tree-lined central avenue puts nature at the heart of the community, and a 500-meter water frontage defines the iconic quality of the development.
The behind-the-scenes look at the airport will have speakers to discuss the infrastructure, which is the key to boosting the Cebu economy. Inaugurated last year, the project boasts of a capacity of nearly eight million passengers per year, which caters to international operations.
Other tour includes the JEG Tower, the first of its kind by combining retail and office in a high-rise, which is in the heart of the Queen City of the South. The building boasts of its resource efficient quality in design, and construction. LEED buildings use less water, energy and emits less greenhouse gases. As a friend to the environment, JDC is able accomplish this behaving set of the art facilities such as 100-percent backup power with 24/7 capability and VRF airconditioning.
True to its commitment to LEED standards, the JEG Tower One Acacia’s roof deck also doubles as a green space. The deck will feature greeneries and sunshine spaces that will contribute to workplace wellness and promote a healthy lifestyle among tenants. Green spaces help people improve their focus and foster a more relaxed and productive environment while addressing important well-being concerns. As the metro continues to develop, JEG Tower One Acacia provides a green haven as an effort to bring sustainable development in Cebu City.
Cebu Landmasters Inc. COO Franco Soberano will share their latest project Baseline Prestige, a sustainable and smart mixed-use development designed to nurture and promote an exclusive lifestyle while playing up the comfort of city living. The tower is located in the Baseline Center, which brings together residential, commercial, office and hospitality together in a strategic location—right along Juan Osmeña Street.
An innovative residential project by Fiona King and Acropolisland is the BLOQ Residences, which shines the light on new real-estate buyers—first-time buyers—who would finally discover that real-estate purchase need not be complicated, prohibitive and frustrating. BLOQ Residences spoke the language of and pulsed with the heartbeat of the independent, ambitious, and hardworking young Cebuano who is at long last empowered to make the bold move of owning his or her own first home. King is also licensed real estate broker who figures actively in Cebu’s real-estate scene; she was the 2016 president of Philippine Association of Real Estate Boards Inc.-Cebu Real Estate Board, Cebu’s premier real-estate board. She is now actively serving as a national director for the Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines.
The powerhouses of the Cebu’s real-estate industry strongly represent the Urban Land Institute’s mission to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. On a local level, this is part and parcel of the national council’s commitment to further decentralize the real-estate industry and recognize outstanding projects in the Philippines. “The goal of the tour is to promote recent, innovative and sustainable developments in Cebu, particularly of our Cebuano members,” Delfin Angelo Wenceslao, ULI Philippines’s national chairman said.
The ULI is an international, membership-based nonprofit research and education organization. Founded in 1936, the Institute now has almost 40,000 members worldwide representing the entire spectrum of land-use and real-estate development disciplines, working in private enterprise and public service.
The Institute has more than 2,100 members across the Asia Pacific with a particularly strong presence in Australia (Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney), China Mainland (Beijing and Shanghai), Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea. The local chapter of ULI in the Philippines is located in Metro Manila and hosts various events such as study tours, talks, conferences and panels that allow both members and nonmembers ali ke who are real-estate industry practitioners to connect and share knowledge in line with their mission and vison.
ULI brings together industry leaders with a common commitment to improve professional standards, seek the best use of land and follow excellent practices. By engaging experts from various disciplines, the Institute can arrive at responsible solutions to problems that would be difficult to achieve independently. ULI shares its knowledge through various discussion forums, research, publications and electronic media. ULI’s activities in the region are aimed at providing information that is practical, down to earth, and useful so that on-the-ground changes can be made. By building and sustaining a diverse network of local experts in the region, the Institute is able to address the current and future challenges facing Asia’s cities.
For more information about the ULI Cebu Study Tour, contact philippines@uli.org or asia.uli.org.