Sustainable Living

Ready for furniture shopping at Manila FAME

My Nuvali Home Green Design and Architecture

So excited for this!  It will be my first time at a CITEM trade show, and what a first time it will be– I’m coming in as an actual buyer and not just an usi or usisera.

Thanks again to my trusty friend, Claudine, for the heads up! 🙂

The fair will run for four days starting this Sunday, October 16, 2011.   More info and online registration at the Manila FAME International website.

UPDATE: Just called the Manila FAME Sectretariat (833-1258) and was advised that pre-registration to the trade fair is now closed.  Admission is at P500/day.

PRODUCT CATEGORIES

FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS

Architectural Components

Interior/Exterior Architectural moldings and millwork, columns and capitals, balustrades, wrought iron components, pressed tin and stamped steel ceiling tiles, brass tubing and fittings, period and contemporary hardware, plaster architectural elements, fireplace surrounds, etc.

Arts & Crafts

Local items including handicrafts, textile/fabrics for product applications (merchandise, both fashion and non-fashion, that uses indigenous materials made from natural fibers), handmade paper (made from handmade paper that uses natural fibers and recycled paper), basketry, and woodcarving, among others.

Furniture

Movables that are both functional and decorative that distinguish the various settings of the home or any building structure (home/office); includes household, office and contract furniture, as well as furniture components.

Garden Accessories

Items for the garden such as tools, planters, pots, decor items.

Home Décor

Items for home interior that are functional or decorative. Dividers, door/floor mats, umbrella stands, decorative wall hangings and antique reproductions, among others, excluding picture and mirror frames, and art objects.

Kitchen & Tableware

Articles for the kitchen and dining table that are either functional or decorative.

Lamps & Lighting

Lamps, lighting fixtures and accessories to illuminate the home which can be both functional and decorative. Mirror & Picture Frames Home accessories for the living room, kitchen, bathroom, etc. made of wood, metal, plastics and natural materials.

Visual Arts

Paintings, framed pictures and sculptures.

HOLIDAY AND GIFTS

Boxes

Containers, storage, packaging materials, etc.

Christmas & Other Holiday Decorations

Seasonal decorations with designs associated with holiday occasions such as Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc.

Gifts and Premium Items

Generally given as a gift or items used as souvenirs and tokens for any occasion, including gift packaging materials.

Stationery & Desk Accessories

Table/desk accessories like pencil holders, filers, notepads, stationery sets, as well as writing instruments.

Toys, Games & Dolls

Merchandise for entertainment, education and recreation of both children and adults, including collectibles like model cars and others.

Personal Care Products

Personal care includes products as diverse as colognes, deodorant, eyeliner, lipstick, lotion, makeup, mouthwash, pomade, perfumes, shampoo, shaving cream, skin cream, cleansing pads and wipes, lip gloss, and toothpaste, as well as handmade soaps made of natural materials.

Votives and Candles

Votives or candles that are decorative/ functional articles in homes and spas.

Spa Products

Restorative merchandise of marine origin both natural and processed: aquatic plants, salt, dirt, components of marine animals, as well as other natural products, such as plant extracts, essential oils, enzyme, vitamins, food supplements, etc.

FASHION ACCESSORIES

Costume Jewelry

Body adornments made of materials other than gold, silver, and precious/semi-precious stones.

Fashion Complements

Fashion enhancers, usually worn in parts of the body or attached to clothing, they may also be carried as part of an overall look or may serve practical purposes.

Fine Jewelry

Body adornments made of gold, silver, and precious/semiprecious stones.

Footwear

Fashion wearable for men and ladies made of leather, manmade materials, or indigenous/natural fibers.

Leathergoods

Fashion enhancers made of leather or combining leather and natural/synthetic materials; may also be carried as part of the overall look or may serve practical purposes.

Have you heard of the Tzu Chi Foundation?

Sustainable Living

Last Wednesday we had people come over the house here in Quezon City to pick up recyclables–old furniture, appliances, etc.

They were volunteers from the Tzu Chi Foundation, a charity group from Taiwan with a base in Marikina (of many) in the Philippines.

\"Tzu

My parents told me that most of these volunteers were flood victims themselves who were helped out by Tzu Chi after Typhoon Ondoy.

\"Tzu

So glad for neighborhood recycling drives like this.   In our village, a resident volunteered his home as a recycling base for Tzu Chi, and every Wednesday we get smiling volunteers knocking on our doors, ready to take whatever donation we have set aside for the week.

Learn more about Tzu Chi on their website, www.tzuchi.org.ph, or contact:

Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, Philippines – Still Thoughts Hall
76 Cordillera cor. Agno Sts., Brgy. Doña Josefa, Quezon City
(632) 7320001

Nuvali Association dues

Life in Nuvali Philippines

\"Avida

I visited the Avida Settings Nuvali administration office last Friday, and found out that association dues for ASNU homeowners will be collected at P5.74 /sqm effective next year. Engr. Vic advised that out of 1,670 units in Avida Settings Nuvali, 912 units or 60% have already been turned over, which means we are well beyond getting free association dues. It has also been the practice of Avida to start off homeowners\’ associations with seed money to manage the village, but HLURB recently discontinued this practice, hence the urgency to collect.

Anyone with info on the current dues for Abrio, Treveia, and Montecito?

 

PLDT to set up shop in Nuvali

Life in Nuvali Philippines

Got word that PLDT will soon put up 300 boxes in Montecito to service Nuvali residents.

Hopefully this also means yes to more high-speed internet and cable tv providers in Nuvali.  I\’ve seen satellite dishes around ASNU and Engr. Vic also confirmed that most residents use Cignal Digital TV.  I took a look at their subscription packages and didn\’t see the ANC News Channel in any of their plans– too bad, it\’s the only channel I really watch!

Will post an update as soon as application forms for PLDT are available.

 

My walls are up

Life in Nuvali Philippines

\"My

*********************
DISCLAIMER: vanity post
*********************

When I saw these walls–concrete and solid–it hit me.  I\’m moving.  In three months.  To a place far from home.

Any big lifestyle change brings with it a certain level of stress, but to be honest I\’ve found the delay in moving more stressful (target construction start was pushed back 6 months).

I first moved out last year as an experiment, and reading about what I thought of living alone makes me excited to do it again:

This year–2010–has been my big living alone project. The point was to freely explore possibilities that would open up in the process, to have no other agenda but to clear the path. Five months into it, I’ve been asked by at least two good friends for output, an honest concern as to whether I was getting somewhere, or anywhere for that matter. Without second thought, I gave an exuberant YES to their questions, but in complete honesty, I can only claim this– that my life has become lighter, I have lighter everydays, and although it has its gains, it has also come at a cost.

Remembering even the costly side of it is making me smile now:

On cleaning: I used to cherish neatness and wiping my floor with tissue paper just to see that it was squeaky clean. Now I don’t even bother scrubbing the bathroom tiles. What’s happened? I’ve grown into living with no helpers, and household chores have shown their true nature– hardy, time-consuming, and persistent. They just never stop coming.

Lovely. Really. 🙂

By November, I\’ll be living within these walls in Nuvali, a full-fledged adult with a house to maintain, uprooted from Metro Manila which has been home for 30 years.

While driving to Sta. Rosa the other day I had a random thought: I\’m going to have to register as a Laguna voter now.

Other random thoughts:

  • Gas money is going to kill me! P400 for each trip to \”the North\”
  • Goodbye to futsal in Club650, boo.
  • But there\’s always frisbee/ultimate (I get to wear Pink again!), especially if the league goes back to Nuvali — just have to work around the sun issue:  irreversible skin damage, double boo!
  • So much furniture and appliances to buy!
  • I wonder how hard (or easy) it will be to clean my house
  • Should I get a dog?  Can I take care of a dog?

On my to do list:

  1. Check if Sun internet works on my street / lot.
  2. Check the lights around Nuvali at night– hope the area is lit enough
  3. Get Nuvali and Greenfield stickers
  4. Get to know my neighbors!

I cannot wait to plant in my garden.

I cannot wait to bike everyday.

I cannot wait to set up my workstation and paint away!

More on Cebu\’s amazing South Road Properties

Green Communities Sustainable Living

Got really curious after I first posted about the Cebu SRP— now sharing more info and pics I found online.

From the ADB report on Eco-Park Development in the Philippines (June 2009):
\"\"

Beautiful vision.  To be a showcase for green technology is something I also wish for Nuvali.

And I especially like that last bit: \”The provision of attractive open space and public areas for the enjoyment of locals is a vital component of the project.\”

This is something I think we need more of in Nuvali– freewheeling open spaces that are literally open to the public.  Those that invite gatherings and events that don\’t have the manufactured (oftentimes commercial) nature of business-led developments.   There are other great ideas from people who care about Nuvali that echo this sentiment.

I already said that what I find most amazing about Cebu\’s SRP is that it\’s a government-led project.  I for one would love to see more participation from the local government of Laguna in the development of Nuvali as a thriving, organic community.

\"\"
(These are actual site pics from the SRP facebook page)
\"\"

What\’s the government\’s game plan for the SRP?

The total reclaimed area for the project is 300 hectares, which is small compared to Nuvali\’s 1,800 hectares.  If I remember right, Nuvali\’s allocation for its office and business district alone (partly where The Fields is now) is 400 hectares!

Here\’s the recommended zoning for the SRP from the ADB report:
\"\"

I\’m curious about the \”Open Space/Tourism\” category– maybe it\’s meant for a stadium, concert hall, indoor arena?

…

More on Cebu\’s amazing South Road PropertiesRead More »

My Green Ribbon

My Nuvali Home

This is the green space closest to my house in Avida Settings Nuvali: my own green ribbon.

\"Avida

Doesn\’t looking at it make you smile? I chose my lot specifically for this tree 🙂

Technically the green ribbon is across the street from me–that\’s my friend Claud checking out the construction!  The green ribbon is a common area for residents, though, so I also consider it an extension of my house.

\"Avida

On another note, this Maia Unit on the corner and along the green ribbon is for sale and ready for occupancy.

\"Avida

212 sqm lot, selling at Php4,615,000.  Terms still available. For more info and updates, contact me at johanna@metrorealty.ph or 0920-9624116.

Our sunflower in bloom!

Farming and Gardening Sustainable Living

Do you remember the giant sunflower head from Antipolo last summer?

\"At

I didn\’t know our helpers actually planted the seeds– and now we have a tall sunflower plant in bloom! Amazing…

\"At

The head is not nearly as big as the original (see below pic), but it\’s still a baby plant, about three months old, so who knows how much more it will grow… 🙂

\"Antipolo
I got these giant sunflower heads from the Antipolo Earthfest last May2011.

Dad says we still have some seeds left for planting… I hope the Sta. Rosa weather in Nuvali will be just as conducive to sunflowers!

Why Ayala has my vote

Life in Nuvali Philippines,

While searching for info on the upcoming Kukun hotel in Nuvali, I found this update on Ayala\’s hotel and tourism investments from the President’s Report for the Ayala Land, Inc. Annual Stockholders’ Meeting 2011:

\"Kukun

I started investing in Ayala stocks recently, so I went through the rest of the President\’s Report with special interest, but it\’s a great read nonetheless.  If anything, it offers reassurance to those of us who have invested in Nuvali– whether directly or by sharing in the collective vision for the place– that we have invested in something that\’s part of a wider and just as impressive development umbrella.

\"Ayala\'s

 

I was particularly amazed at the simultaneous mixed-use projects going on all over Metro Manila:

\"Ayala\'s

 

…

Why Ayala has my voteRead More »