Century Properties: Fulfilling dreams, nurturing communities in the new century
SLICE OF LIFE Ching M. Alano
It all started with one man’s dream and vision. Jose “E.B.” Antonio grew up amid humble circumstances, but that did not stop him from dreaming big. He rose above life’s challenges and earned his education through scholarship grants, armed only with sterling determination and a passion for hard work which he inherited from his parents. Graduating with cum laude honors from San Beda College, he went on to carve his own future, pursuing a post-graduate degree at Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business, major in business management, and attending Harvard Business School under the owner/president management program, where he had the distinction of delivering the commencement exercises speech before his class.
The Filipino is worth building for
In 1986, six days before the historic People Power Revolution rocked EDSA, not a few of the businesses in Manila started closing down. But amid this bleak business climate, Antonio chose to invest his savings in putting up a company. It was a bold but calculated risk for this maverick entrepreneur/innovator who believed in the growth potential of his then struggling country. Or, to paraphrase Ninoy Aquino’s famous words, Antonio believed that the Filipino was worth building for.
Looking back, he asserts, “I was determined to go into an industry that I believed so much in. There was practically zero confidence in the Filipino economy back then. But I’m a contrarian in nature and I like to take calculated risks. I thought it was a good time to start.”
Fast-forward to 30 years later: Starting as a fledgling company built on a humble capital, with only six employees, Century Properties has taken wings and soared to become a force to reckon with in pushing the envelope of world-class real estate in the country. A listed firm under the ticker symbol CPG in the Philippine Stock Exchange, Century Properties posted P10.83 billion in total revenues and P1.53 billion in net income for the full year of 2015.
Completions
As of yearend 2015, Century Properties Group, Inc. under the leadership of Jose E.B. Antonio as chairman and CEO has completed 10 residential condominium buildings, consisting of 7,120 units with a total gross floor area (GFA) of 513,656 sq.m.; a retail commercial building with 52,233 sq.m. of GFA; and a medical office building, housing 547 units and 74,103 sq.m. of GFA.
Before all that, there were 19 buildings (made up of 3,768 units and 518,634 sq.m. of GFA) that were completed before 2010 by the founding principals’ prior development companies, the Meridien Group of Companies. Noteworthy developments include the Essensa East Forbes and South of Market in Fort Bonifacio, SOHO Central in the Greenfield District of Mandaluyong City, Pacific Place in Ortigas, Le Triomphe, Le Domaine and Le Metropole in Makati City, and Gramercy Residences in Century City, Makati City.
Building Masterplanned communities
With pride and optimism for the future of Philippine real estate, Century Properties celebrates 30 years as it builds masterplanned communities and goes into the detail of retail and office development as well as tourism and affordable housing in the future.
Welcome to Century City, your kind of diverse city within a city. This pulsating flagship development of Century Properties Group in north Makati exudes a modern, international vibe with its internationally branded developments and establishment mix.
A dazzling 3.4-hectare mixed use township, Century City is the crown jewel of the company, envisioned to showcase the best of the world in one place, at your fingertips: the New York-inspired Gramercy Residences; the London-inspired Knightsbridge Residences; the Milano Residences (with interior design by Versace Home); the Philippines’ first medical mall, Centuria Medical Makati; Trump Tower Philippines at Century City; the Century City Mall; the award-winning Century Spire Residences (architecture by Daniel Libeskind, interior design by Giorgio Armani through Armani Casa); and the world’s first Forbes Media Tower office building.
Health care & Wellness in the City
Yes, there’s now a medical mall in the City. More than that, the recently opened Centuria Medical Makati is the country’s largest outpatient IT medical building designed to become the premier center for global health and wellness in the Philippines, taking healthcare delivery into the new century. Located in the heart of Century City on Kalayaan Avenue, Makati, the 28-story, 74,000 sq.m. facility houses more than 700 clinics and aims to provide an efficient, most professional environment for doctors as well as the most hassle-free and patient-centered services to guests.
Antonio says, “It is a realization of our vision to change the game in health care. Centuria Medical Makati addresses the country’s need for a point of reference when it comes to a medical tourism facility as well as an elevated form of outpatient experience.”
Suite Success
Now comes Siglo Suites, Century Properties’ exclusive, specialty management and leasing service that helps Century unit owners efficiently manage their units and effectively lease them to transient customers looking for short and long-term rental spaces. Century Properties will see to it that all your needs are attended to — from prepping and maintaining your unit to welcoming your guests and cleaning up after. They will even facilitate the payment of your utility bills, association dues, etc. (visit www.SigloSuites or contact info@SigloSuites.com).
The Mall of modern Makati
And what’s a city without a mall? Century City Mall is a world-class, five-level shopping and entertainment complex that promises to be the “Mall of Modern Makati” with its vibrant range of services, shops and restaurants that feature famous local and international brands, as well as its high-end Premier Cinema. But more than a shopping mall, it’s a family destination, where Mom, Dad, kids, and even their grandparents can have a great bonding time.
Century City Mall is surely a family-friendly, environment-friendly place, showcasing the best in modern retail design and architecture. For instance, its white exteriors minimize heat gain to the walls and roof. The facade material creates a wall that prevents heat gain to the units, reducing the energy needed for air conditioning. The tinted horizontal glass sheets reflect sunlight and reduce heat transmission to the floors, thus improving everyone’s comfort level. The natural ventilation and vegetation on the roof garden at the fourth level help filter air and reduce the temperature. Natural light filters through all levels through a series of skylights.
Awards galore
Is it any wonder then why Century Properties has garnered much recognition from local and international organizations? There’s the Best Residential High-Rise for Trump Tower at Century City as well as the Highly Commended Architectural Design for the Milano Residences. One of its earliest projects, the ultra-luxurious Essensa East Forbes, was named by Asiaweek as the Best Residential Building in the Philippines. Designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, the building remains as an icon in Philippine architecture. BCI Asia, a real estate market information organization, also awarded Century Properties as one of the Top 10 Philippine Real Estate Developers in 2011 to 2015.
Under the able leadership of Jose E.B. Antonio, Century Properties has weathered five economic cycles and risen over the odds, putting the company in the league of successful built-to-last companies belonging to two percent of firms that have survived and flourished after 30 years.
As Antonio promised, “It is the aspiration of every Filipino to have a place of his own. We will be there to help them achieve their dream.”
Century Properties continues to make good on its promise as it goes on to nurture dreams and transform lives in the next century.
