Boracay from a new point of view
Located in barangay Yapak with Punta Bunga Beach as its frontyard, Costa Vista Boracay is a six-hectare community that will have five mid-rise condominiums, hotels and private villas.
No one is immune to Boracay’s beauty. Not even those who have seen the best coastlines around the world — and have built actual towns.
Real estate tycoon and former Senator Manny B. Villar Jr. once told a foreign investor, “If it’s your first time to the Philippines and you can only go to one place, it would have to be Boracay. It has the best powdery white sand in the whole world.”
This anecdote is related to me by Nova J. Noval, Vista Residences marketing head, during last month’s groundbreaking of Costa Vista Boracay, the newest master-planned community in Boracay.
Located in barangay Yapak with Punta Bunga Beach as its frontyard, Costa Vista is a project of Vista Residences, the condominium arm of Vista Land. It’s a six-hectare community that will have six residential mid-rise condominiums, private villas and a hotel around a pavilion with viewing deck, swimming pool, convention center, and a commercial quarter.
You know how we keep coming back to Boracay every chance we get? How every summer or long weekend, we pack our bags and sunblocks and head to the island? What if you went there and could stay for as long as you like because now you can have an island home?
Vista Land chairman Manny Villar says, “Costa Vista Boracay is another strategic step in expanding our presence in Boracay, bringing Vista Residences’ expertise to one of the most popular world beach destinations. We are taking advantage of the increasing number of tourist arrivals and the favorable macroeconomic condition in the Philippines. This will be attractive for both end users and investors who are looking for either a home or a source of rental income.”
At the groundbreaking weekend, executives of both Vista Residences and Boracay Property Holdings Inc. (BPHI), and Malay Mayor Ceciron Cawaling toasted the addition of a master-planned community on the island.
Vista Land, through its condo arm Vista Residences, ventured into resort developments in October 2015 with a city resort project in Cebu called Vista Suarez Cebu. Costa Vista Boracay is its first island resort offering, which they launched late last year. This year, they added mountain resorts with Vista Villas in Crosswinds, Tagaytay and Vista Pinehill in Baguio to their portfolio.
Nova says of the Boracay project, “Over 10 years ago, the property was offered to Vista Land through one of Boracay Property Holdings Inc. (BPHI’s) board of directors and key movers of Boracay. Not much happened then. In 2013, Vista seriously considered expanding its portfolio into resort developments and Boracay, being the preferred tourist destination, was a top choice. Talks with BPHI were then rekindled and inked in 2016.”
Being where it is — right on Punta Bunga Beach, facing the Sulu Sea, and just around the corner of popular Puka and White Beach — it’s both a paradise and practical investment.
“I’ve seen how Boracay was a sleepy island with the most beautiful, long stretch of white beach in the late ‘80s to the early ‘90s,” says Nova. “There was no electricity and not much partying was happening then except for people having drinks at Beachcomber and at the then top resorts Pearl of the Pacific and Seawind. I’ve since made Boracay my go-to beach vacation spot almost on an annual basis. The sand, the colorful sunsets and the coves will always draw me back to this place. For some, the nightlife is a huge plus. But for someone like me who prefers the quieter side of Boracay, Costa Vista is quite like how I remember the naturally beautiful Boracay in my younger years.”
The structures are designed to blend in the forest of palm trees and hills in this northern side of Boracay. The condominiums will offer studio to two-bedroom units and will be equipped with 24/7 state-of-the-art security and safety protocols — including a CCTV system in all the common areas, Wi-Fi, smoke and fire warning and sprinkler systems, concierge and reception desks.
Every unit will carry Vista Residences’ DNA — creative and practical interior layouts and building design that offers better privacy and fewer units per floor.
“There is still a shortage of hotel rooms and accommodation of almost 8,000 rooms to date. This is where Vista comes in with its brand of master-planning. We help address the demand yet we build with a conscience and sustainability in mind. Our buildings follow the topography of the island, protecting and preserving the foliage and keeping the value of Boracay as a place for rest and relaxation.”
Imagine your weekends in Boracay stretching for as long as you want because you have a home on an island.
“There is, and never will be, any place on this earth like Boracay,” says Nova. “This is why Vista Residences is creating homes here — so more people can be forever part of this piece of exquisite beauty and sanctuary.
* * *
Visit the author’s travel blog at www.findingmyway.net. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @iamtanyalara.
For inquiries on Costa Vista Boracay or other projects of Vista Residences, call 650-0753 or 0999 8871705. Visit their website at www.vistaresidences.com.ph.
