How Caroline Tanchay chooses to grow the future
MANILA, Philippines - Business developments are all about timing and often, those who wield the capital and power are only concerned with the now. Only a few wise men tend to plant for the future. Among them is Caroline Tanchay, a resolute spirit in diversified businesses who’s passionate about planning for tomorrow’s prospects.
“Sometimes, people think that because you’re a mining company, you’re destructive of the environment. But there are miners who actually remain responsible in the areas where they do business,” reveals Tanchay, president and CEO of Oriental Peninsula Resources Inc., one of the leading exporters of high-grade nickel in the country. In her mining site in Palawan, Tanchay proves how a cycle of sowing and reaping can make for a more rewarding business model, not only in commerce but also in conscience.
Her Oriental Peninsula Resources (ORÉ) currently generates over 2,000 jobs for the locals in the area. “We are the lone employers. This supports even the auxiliary industries. In the town we’re in, there used to be no sari-sari stores. Now, we have restaurants and small businesses. So, we create communities, not just livelihood,” Tanchay shares, also noting how her company gave way to churches, schools, roads, potable water systems, healthcare and sports centers, and houses that made the once bucolic Palawan backwater a thriving, self-reliant village.
But what she’s most proud of is the minefield that yields a sweeter harvest. “We do a lot of sustainable development projects by working with the local community in planting a lot of agricultural products from our mine sites,” she discloses. With the iron-rich soil providing fertile ground for exotic produce such as dragon fruit, cashew, and pineapples, the enterprising lady reaps the benefits of her organic yield for her other venture, the famed café and deli Dean & DeLuca .
“Our avocados from Dean & DeLuca are all organic. Our red rice is all organic, grown in our mine site and planted without irrigation. We only use natural mountain water. And going forward, we will try to produce more of the organic stuff for Dean & DeLuca ,” she enthuses, letting me have a slice of the juicy and sugary dragon fruit that was freshly flown in.
She reveals that acquiring the license for the landmark New York gourmet eatery was the first step to an even bigger business venture, one that is quickly taking shape in the BGC skyline. “We really wanted a flagship tenant in front that would complete the look of the building, and that is why we got Dean & DeLuca ,” Tanchay says of her newest industry claim in real estate.
Her Oré Central at the Fort’s 9th Avenue broke ground just last December and has now built half of its master-planned 34 floors. “This will be our corporate tower. I think it’s going to be the best in the Fort when we’re finished,” Tanchay proudly states. This claim is not one without proof, however, as the recent Philippine Property Awards bestowed on this LEED-certified project the honor of being the Best Green Development for 2015.
“As you can see, our building is a whole block, and it’s facing a park, Park 30th, which is a permanent green zone and jogging trail at BGC. Because of the park, we decided to fit the design accordingly,” Tanchay describes how the glass-and-steel skyscraper was transformed into a landmark for ecologically-sound buildings in the country.
The modernist cubic structure is cleverly punctuated by sky gardens found in key levels. With a lofty lobby and high-ceilinged elevation, the Gensler-designed building — the same designer of the game-changing Shanghai Tower in China — features stately accommodations for corporate offices as well as retail flagships for those with a likeminded approach to sustainable and responsible business environments. Replete with water recycling systems, rainwater collection vats, low-energy double-glazed windows that effectively invite natural light but repel heat, and a state-of-the-art air-conditioning system that maximizes fresh air, building the Oré Central may not be a sound investment in terms of cost but is gratifying in terms of carbon footprint.
“We spend double of what a normal high-rise development would cost. But by going green, you not only make the landscape better, you also contribute a lot to the environment where you are,” she says. With a thriving business in mining, aggregates, and more recently, renewable energy and sustainable real estate, Tanchay couldn’t imagine a more suitable address for her flourishing enterprises.
More recently, her Oriental Peninsula Resources Group was recognized by Forbes Asia as one of three Best under a Billion Philippine businesses, and perhaps the Oré Central development, set to be completed by March of next year, is the perfect marker for Tanchay’s tireless pursuits for planting businesses that actually bear fruit.
Other than the Dean & DeLuca flagship, which she envisions as occupying one of the glass retail fronts of the building, showcasing how they roast their African green coffee beans and knead the dough of their specialty viennoiseries daily, Tanchay is also looking into healthcare to occupy one of her well-appointed sky gardens. “This is not going to be your typical, clinical type of healthcare establishment. This is going to be the new front, with innovations like stem cell, and alternative techniques that are proven to be really effective. And this will have a wellness center that will make you feel like you’re in a hotel or a spa, while enjoying effective medical treatments,” she reveals of the yet-to-be-named treatment center.
To better complement this, Tanchay is also looking at turning the topmost floors of the building into residences, which boast the plushest accommodations in the metropolis. “If we push through, we’re going to have a 16-unit residential component, with big and luxurious rooms with perspectives drawn up by renowned interior designer Manny Samson,” says Tanchay. “In fact, that’s the only reason why we want to get into residences, because his designs are so beautiful.” Whether the residential plans push through or the building is maintained for corporate use, one thing is certain: With a well-designed, thoughtful development such as Oré Central, it can only inspire a mindful take on growth, be it in business or in private life. “We wanted to show how all our expansion will always have the future in mind. We made it such that the look will last for centuries, and the key for me is maintaining it,” Tanchay quip. Judging from how well she cultivates her diverse businesses, this one demands utmost confidence.
Proving that the time to plant and the time to reap should not necessarily be different from each other, Caroline Tanchay shows how growth is made up of a symbiotic relationship of give and take, spending and saving, harvesting and making sacrifices, for the greatest resource of all is the future.
“Our core is putting natural resources to good use. We developed this tower not with a business in mind, but with a statement that we are a green company, and with it, our commitment to contribute more to the environment,” she says.
* * *
The Oré Central development is located at 9th Avenue corner 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City.
