MANILA, Philippines - Years ago, a luxury home meant a sprawling residence situated in posh subdivisions in Metro Manila. With the scarcity and high cost of land in the metropolis, developers are building vertically, making the condominium the luxury home of the 21st century.
Looks like Landco Pacific Corp. was on to something when it chose to concentrate its developments outside Manila 25 years ago. While competition built on the big city, the then fledgling property developer ventured to the countryside.
In time, the company founded by Alfred Xerez-Burgos, Jr. and Danilo Antonio in 1990, joined by key partner Metro Pacific four years later, not only discovered its niche as a leading player in premium leisure communities, it also came upon a market eager to invest in developments of similar nature.
“In the 1990s, cities in Luzon outside of Metro Manila had no first-class subdivisions similar to a Forbes Park or Ayala Alabang. There was, however, an underserved market consisting of local professionals like doctors and lawyers, as well as overseas Filipino workers, Filipinas married to foreigners, and families with young children who study in Manila but come home to their hometown every weekend,” says Landco vice president for luxury home communities and business development Gerard Marcelo.
“We found this opportunity to address their needs and build new communities outside the city center, but still within ‘tricycle’ distance from the city center. We looked for areas along the national highway and made sure to build flood-free subdivisions with modern facilities.”
For 25 years, Landco has made the word “leisure” its own, translating it into world-class developments like its exclusive residential resort communities such as its flagship project Peninsula de Punta Fuego and Terrazas de Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas; Playa Calatagan in Calatagan, Batangas; Playa Laiya in San Juan, Batangas; and Playa Azalea in Samal Island, Davao.
It also ventured into hobby farming community Leisure Farms in Lemery, Batangas; flower garden community Ponderosa Leisure Farms in Silang, Cavite; and Aquaria Water Park in Playa Calatagan’s Leisure Tourism Estate.
Landco offered its clientele the experience of countryside luxury with its upscale recreational amenities, wide traffic-free roads, tree-lined streets, lush gardens, abundant green spaces, and resort-inspired ambiance. These have become the signature features its blue-label subdivisions Woodgrove Park in San Fernando, Pampanga; Waterwood Park in Baliuag, Bulacan; The Courtyard at Lakewood City in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; Montelago Nature Estates in San Pablo City, Laguna; and Hacienda Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon.
“Our new locations in the cities we enter have become new city centers. In fact, a major department store chain has located near us after we built our subdivisions,” Marcelo points out, saying Landco’s developments have improved the land value in areas where their projects are situated.