Pueblo de Oro on expansion and the environment
For more than 20 years, Pueblo de Oro Development Corporation (PDO) has been building distinctive, quality homes for Filipino families. They provide a unique mix of residential communities ranging from high-end exclusive subdivisions to affordable economic housing projects to complement the thriving commercial and industrial hubs and populations in the regional centers of Cagayan de Oro, Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas, and Cebu. By focusing on these areas rather than in Metro Manila, PDO is well-positioned to deliver quality products to key provincial areas in the country.
PLANS FOR MORE MIXED-USE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENTS AND TOWNSHIP PROJECTS
Currently, plans are underway for the expansion of Pueblo de Oro’s existing properties while new land acquisitions are targeted for booming areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. For its Cagayan de Oro project, the developer has acquired another 40 hectares of prime land for residential and commercial development to add to its existing 360-hectare township development.
In Malvar, Batangas, a 40-hectare residential community will be part of the 250-hectare “live-work” community being developed together with its sister firm, Science Park of the Philippines, Inc. (SPPI).
Replicating the success of PDO’s township in Cagayan de Oro and SPPI’s light industry parks all over the Philippines, another high-quality mixed-use development is on the horizon for the progressive province of Bataan. With SPPI’s existing 162ha industrial estate called Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park, which is part of a 480-hectare mixed-use property, a cuttingedge development will be designed to attract multinational and domestic locators, skilled employees and residents. For the residential component, a 135- hectare prime land will be designed offering detached houses, semi-detached, and townhouses and another 28 hectares will be allotted for a commercial area.
“Living comfortably near modern conveniences like work, school, or the malls is our goal for all our mixed-use developments. We are envisioning more self-sustaining masterplanned townships in progressive areas outside Metro Manila in the near future,” said PDO chairman Guillermo D. Luchangco.
The chief executive further shares, “We are completing all required government approvals right now. And as soon as we secure them, we will be full speed ahead with our developments, and we similarly intend these projects to be a cut above the usual.”
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PUEBLO DE ORO
As a responsible developer, the company has been spearheading environment-friendly programs for more than two decades, long before green efforts became a nationwide trend in the country. As one of the pioneers in building a wastewater treatment system in the industrial estate industry, the PDO takes to heart its commitment to protecting the environment.
“Environmentalism is an advocacy of the company, and pioneering many green initiatives clearly puts it in the forefront of its business,” according to the Luchangco.
From its regular tree planting forays, to the establishment of a 40-hectare urban rainforest in Cagayan de Oro, to the introduction of innovative and hybrid solar powered public transport in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, to the planting of 60,000 mangrove seedlings in Mactan, the Company’s commitment to enhancing the natural environment is one of the pillars on which all PDO’s projects are anchored.
“In our golf course, for example, we have five man-made lakes that do not only serve as golf hazards but also act as interconnected reservoirs to conserve water. We have a layer of sand around eight inches thick underground, through which water from the course drains to the interconnected lakes .The sand filters the water, helping to clean it up before it is reused to irrigate the course. This is part of a water-recycling system for the course. In addition, the amount of water sprinkled on the course is determined by computer so that the only necessary quantity is used, ”explains Luchangco.
The company also places great emphasis on the control of flooding in its projects. In San Fernando, Pampanga, homeowners in its project continue to benefit from a comprehensive 50-year flood study which resulted in PDO increasing the elevation of the land by one to three meters from its original level. Because of this, the residential property it developed there has to date never flooded, even during the worst typhoon experienced in the province when surrounding areas were inundated by the torrential rains. The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board ( HLURB) officially announced and certified Pueblo de Oro San Fernando to be flood-free.
In Cagayan de Oro, the Company built a 6,600 cu.m. surge to accommodate rainfall from typhoons. Thus, even Typhoon Sendong, which wrought havoc on the city, the Pueblo de Oro township did not flood when numerous surrounding areas were inundated, and the surge pond was able to accommodate the rain water and keep it from flooding even the neighboring communities.
Every village construction is carefully studied to provide something that is unique, innovative and presents value-for-money. Moreover, buyer-friendly homes allow worry-free and affordable expansion of units to suit the needs of a growing family.
Chairman Luchangco stressed, “Pueblo de Oro achieved historical highs in sales revenue and net income in the last two years, and 2019 promises to be an even better year. We will continue to strive to achieve our goal of making Pueblo de Oro a formidable brand in the real estate industry.”