Mt. Makiling attracts middle-income earners

Mediterranean-style houses in the southern portion of Greater Manila and within the reach of middle-income earners are selling quite briskly. The performance of the project, which is jointly developed by Laguna Properties Holdings, Inc. (LPHI), Greenfield Development Corp. and Batangas Assets Corp. is considered a phenomenon in an industry that has yet to fully recover from the Asian financial crisis and other setbacks.

At the launch of San Antonio Heights 4’s latest phase last April, prospective buyers reserved 39 house-and-lot units on the spot. One week later, 26 more units at the development near the Calamba exit of the South Luzon Expressway were sold totaling 65 units for that month alone. In contrast, similar real estate developments sell an average of 20 units a month.

Officers of LPHI, the affordable housing arm of Ayala Land. Inc., attribute the brisk sales of their units to the superior location of the property, affordability and quality of the units. "Our buyers believe they are getting value for their money from San Antonio Heights," according to project officer Martin Joaquin de Leon.

San Antonio Heights is located at the foot of majestic Mount Makiling which has retained its pristine ambience. Buyers appreciate both the rustic setting of the project and its location near multinational manufacturing firms and the progressive communities of Calamba and Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

Major factories such as automotive parts manufacturer Yazaki-Torres, cultured milk drink producer Yakult and ceramic tile maker Mariwasa are in the area. Three of the biggest industrial parks in the country are also in the vicinity.

San Antonio homes make use of European building technology. Invented in Britain, the Tex system utilizes pre-cast parts that are pieced together and then assembled onsite. This manufacturing systems assures homeowners that parts produced in the factory are subject to strict quality control. Since Tex homes use reinforced concrete on metal deck supported by steel frames, all units are also virtually termite-free.