There’s no doubting it– green is definitely in these days, what with most of us already getting firsthand accounts of the baaad effects of climate change. Al Gore’s vivid campaign is ruffling feathers, to say the least, and I’m both glad and wholly appreciative that even in the business sense, Pinoys are turning green.
Heard about AyalaLand’s new project in Canlubang, called Nuvali (from the Latin nuvo meaning “birth of a star”). Literally a “new valley” in the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay area, it’s a 1,600-hectare megatownship development set for full bloom over the next 40 to 50 years. Eyed as the next Makati, its main thrust is 21st century technology meets back-to-basics harmony with nature. Think eco-friendly, ultra-modern sustainable living: clean lines, fluid designs, integrated zones (residential, business, services), and green green green everywhere.
My dad has always pointed out that in the Philippines, land development is generally in the hands of private/business groups, which themselves target areas for projects and take care of building the necessary roads and infrastructure. In other countries such as the US, it is the government that first develops a piece of land, after which it invites private investors to build and sell.
Being in the real estate business, I’m wary of companies out to profit on monster sales talks, but as I told friends, if there’s one company you can trust to deliver on its promise, especially for a project of this magnitude (expect it to shape future lifestyles!), it’s Ayala. Sure it’s still, first and foremost, a business, but I see nothing wrong with that. Hooray for that, I say: bring in money, circulate it to benefit more people, everybody happy!
The holistic vision for Nuvali is contagious and in my opinion, exactly what we want and need today. Our parents’ generation lived to fight for causes; our generation is living to enjoy (?) the fruits of their labor. “Doing the right thing” is not as much as a struggle as before, with social trends making it almost natural, automatic, expected. We are living in the “ever after”, in what comes after Sleeping Beauty wakes up.
Good news is we don’t have to wait so long to see this vision made manifest (even partially). Turnover for the project’s first residential lots is in mid 2009, but some areas will already be open to the public by next year, in April 2008. These include an iconic commercial and sales center reminiscent of Singapore’s new Harbour Front (or is it Vivo City? pic below taken last July) and an 8-hectare manmade lake with water buses and taxis.
Coooool!