MANILA, Philippines - A decade after the start of the new millennium, the country has finally moved in to poll automation this week, undoubtedly, a legacy of electoral modernization by this administration. A constitutional process such as this shares many experiences and lessons to all of us, yes, even in where and how we live.
South Forbes, Golf City, recipient of the Best Golf Community Development title by the CNBC International Property Awards, the world’s most prestigious property awards program, is the city of the future, designed to accommodate modern conveniences and technologies while retaining a hospitable, “homey” atmosphere, faithful to our Filipino culture and identity.
Size matters. South Forbes is the country’s largest fully-integrated, self-sustaining, and all-themed golf resort city at the forefront of the Metro Sta. Rosa – Tagaytay corridor at 500 hectares and growing, which can be an official precinct in itself requiring only a minimum of 1,000 voters.
Perhaps, in the future, South Forbes residents need not leave the city gates to vote just like for every other need they have because of the synergy shared by its five Clusters of Excellence, where the Residential Cluster is supported by the Business, Education, Wellness, and Leisure Clusters. Synergy, where different entities cooperate advantageously for a final outcome, is integral in the development and continuing growth of South Forbes so that its residents are assured of a place to live, work, study, shop, and play all within its walls.
Back to school. All elections are held in schools since these are the only facilities that can accommodate a huge number of people which can be further divided into several rooms.
South Forbes’ Education Cluster provides for a complete education from pre-school to college level in two campuses. Early education starts at the Learning Links Academy of Sta. Rosa which extends until the child graduates from high school.
South Forbes City Colleges (SFCC), after its groundbreaking, has begun in its mission to provide quality, holistic global education to South Forbes residents and its neighboring communities. SFCC, in partnership with Global City Innovative Colleges, will have modern facilities and equipped with fiber optic connectivity to insure that the future potential applicants and enrollees will be educated and trained on an international standard.
The multi-million campus community project will be patterned after Ivy League campuses like Stanford University in Palo Alto, University of Texas in Austin, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston where technology-based industries and educational institutions work hand in hand.
Cool heads. The recent elections have been the hottest, literally, in recorded history. Although global warming may be the root cause, it is also our built environment, spelled concrete jungle, which exacerbated this phenomenon.
As a green city, South Forbes is structured into complete, well-connected, mixed-use neighborhoods, all within a walking or transit distance and in a clean, pollution-free environment. All paths to and from every destination, like the City Center, South Forbes’ social and commercial hub, are landscaped to encourage residents to take to walking and leave their vehicles at home -- ensuring a more sustainable way of living.
And more than having just green patches all over, there is the city’s largest garden, the world-class 18-hole South Forbes Golf and Leisure Club creatively integrated in the forests, hills, and valleys, that accounts for much-needed green space within the whole development. The environs of the golf course, where lush flora and some watering holes still dominate the site, are the perfect habitat for wild birds. In fact, at least 23 migrant and resident species of birds have been discovered by the Wild Birds Club of the Philippines during their visit.
Even as we move to modern times, it is also equally important not to lose our identity in the process. South Forbes has the best of both worlds. Move in right here, right now. Call 635-7777 or 631-8855 for a free city tour or log on to www.southforbes.com for more information.