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Infrastructure projects to boost Central Luzon property market

By Vincent Mariel P. Galang
Reporter
CENTRAL LUZON, particularly Clark in Pampanga, is emerging as a real estate hotspot, with the numerous infrastructure projects and industrial development in the region.
“The usual suspect outside of Metro Manila is Central Luzon,” Michael R. Mabutol, president and managing director of Pinnacle Real Estate Consulting Services, Inc. told reporters after the company’s media briefing on Jan. 23.
In particular, Clark is expected to reap the benefits of the infrastructure that will improve connectivity among the provinces in the area and beyond.
For instance, Clark International Airport is undergoing an expansion which will increase its capacity to eight million passengers a year, while the Subic-Clark Cargo Railway which will provide freight service between the two economic zones.
Pinnacle also noted the proposed New Manila International Airport in Bulacan. Once completed, the airport will be able to accommodate 100 million passengers a year.
With increased connectivity in Central Luzon, Pinnacle noted the area will be more attractive for developers given the possible price appreciation as a result of these projects.
“It improves physical connectivity, thereby, stimulating economic activities and opening up new opportunities… Another benefit… is capital appreciation. As we may know, maraming infrastructure projects sa Central Luzon [there are many infrastructure projects], and most… ng land doon [of the land there] is agricultural, so can just imagine ‘yung [the] price appreciation which can happen in the short term because of the infrastructure projects,” Leo C. Doplito, director for research and consulting of Pinnacle said during the briefing.
A major project that is being developed is Clark Global City. The 177-hectare development is being undertaken by businessman Dennis A. Uy’s Global Gateway Development Corp. (GGDC). Mr. Uy’s group secured the government’s approval for the lease rights of Clark Global City for a total of 75 years. This came after the group’s $1-billion acquisition of the growing logistics hub in 2017.
GGDC’s parent, Udenna Development Corp., earlier said it plans to invest $6 billion for the development of Clark Global City. This includes the construction of more office buildings, residential developments, hotels, hospitals, schools, transport terminal, sports center, and a casino and entertainment complex.
With the public and private projects being rolled out in the region, Pinnacle said the benefits will be felt not just in Central Luzon but nearby areas.
“When we say Central Luzon, it does not only focus on Pampanga alone. Development in Bulacan, in Clark. It will spill over to other areas such as Tarlac, Pangasinan, and La Union,” Mr. Mabutol said.

Spotify commissions covers of OPM love songs


FILIPINOS love Original Pilipino Music (OPM) and they also love love — that was one of the observations made by Spotify regional executives which led them to launch their newest campaign, Spotify Jams: OPM Love Songs, where popular singers and bands cover classic Filipino hits from yesteryears.
“OPM is big for us, we have close to 10 billion streams [globally of the genre],” Gautam Talwar, managing director of Spotify Southeast Asia (SEA) said during the launch event on Jan. 31 at Shangri-La at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
OPM is also the most streamed genres in the Philippines, he said before adding “OPM streams more than doubled in the last year.”
But that wasn’t always the case as Chee Meng Tan, head of artists and labels at Spotify SEA, said in the same event that “for the longest time the only OPM track that was on the Philippines Top 15 was Up Dharma Down’s ‘Tahanan.’”
“But now seven out of the Top 10 are OPM songs,” he said adding that IV of Spades’ “Mundo,” Ben & Ben’s “Kathang Isip” and Moira dela Torre’s “Tagpuan” were included in the top five most streamed songs of 2018 in the Philippines.
Acknowledging the popularity of the genre and in part to celebrate the streaming service’s 5th year in the country, Spotify is set to release several classic Filipino love songs sung by Rey Valera, Jose Mari Chan, and Regine Velasquez, to name a few, on the platform as covered by Ms. Dela Torre, Sarah Geronimo, and bands like IV of Spades, juan karlos, Ben & Ben, and Silent Sanctuary.
“At Spotify, we realize that helping you discover new music wasn’t enough: we wanted to have a hand in celebrating OPM content of the past and the present. For the launch of this campaign, we wanted to work with some of the top OPM artists of today and get them to cover their favorite OPM love song of the past. We understand the importance of OPM here in the Philippines and we want to celebrate this beautiful genre with our fans,” Mr. Tan said.
Among the songs given new interpretation by the new crop of singers are Mr. Valera’s “Naalala Ka,” sung by Ms. Dela Torre, and Mr. Chan’s “Beautiful Girl,” played by Ben & Ben.
The songs will be released throughout the month via the service’s flagship Filipino playlist, Tatak Pinoy: Feb. 8 for Moira dela Torre and juan karlos; Feb. 14 for Sarah Geronimo and Silent Sanctuary; and Feb. 22 for Ben & Ben and IV of Spades. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Philippines AirAsia to open Kalibo-Taipei route

PHILIPPINES AirAsia is launching a new flight from Kalibo to Taipei. — LEAN S. DAVAL, JR.

PHILIPPINES AirAsia, Inc. said on Monday it will start flying to Taipei, Taiwan from the Kalibo International Airport next month.
In a statement, the budget carrier said it will open its Taipei-Kalibo route on Mar. 31 and will serve eight flights weekly: twice every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
“We are officially painting the skies of Boracay red with our newest international flights from Kalibo, the gateway to Boracay, to Taipei. We are the only airline that will connect travelers from Kalibo to Taipei and vice versa and this exciting route is part of our commitment to provide connectivity and only the best quality service,” AirAsia Philippines Chief Executive Officer Dexter M. Comendador said in the statement.
Before opening its new route out of Kalibo, AirAsia has also been serving several flights to Taipei from its hubs in Manila, Clark and Cebu.
The airline also has routes from Kalibo connecting to Manila, Puerto Princesa, Busan, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Kunming, Macao, Seoul and Shanghai. — Denise A. Valdez

Getting messy to start the new (lunar) year at Xian Tian Di

CANTONESE YUSHENG SALAD

CELEBRATE the year of the Earth Pig with a meal meant to bring forth wealth, health, and prosperity at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria’s Xin Tian Di today.
The Wealthy Menu is one of the sets prepared by the restaurant’s Executive Chinese Chef, Peter Yeung, who specializes in Cantonese cuisine.
The meal opens with the traditional Cantonese Yusheng salad, a raw fish salad with condiments which is often tossed in the air in the belief that the higher the salad is thrown (and the messier the final product becomes) the more prosperous the year will be.
Aside from being a fun way to usher in the lunar new year (because it is arguably one of the few times one is encouraged to play with one’s food), it was testament to Mr. Yeung’s talent that on the day BusinessWorld tried out the dish, no matter how almost haphazardly he poured in the sauces and condiments, the prosperity salad still turned into a dish that balances sourness, saltiness, and has texture.
After a thorough cleaning to remove the mess we made, the salad was followed by a platter of cold cuts which, aside from the usual Chinese elements — jellyfish, century egg, char siu pork, etc. — but also incorporated Japanese salmon nigiri sushi and the non-Japanese California maki.
We were then warmed up by the Eight Treasure fish maw with shredded abalone. Mr. Yeung pointed out that eating abalone is meant to attract more wealth, likely because the sea snail is so expensive that it has became a status symbol.
One of the standouts among the main dishes was the Deep-fried stuffed US scallop with wasabi salad dressing, because of the generous serving of scallops and the subtle kick of wasabi at the back of one’s tongue.
But the other entrants were no slouches either as the Steamed codfish fillet with black bean sauce was perfect for those who wanted lighter fare, and the Roasted duck in plum sauce which was suitably juicy and flavorful and, while it might be bad for one’s heart, it can be forgiven because it celebrates the New Year’s after all.
Finally, for dessert were served the usual tikoy (pan-fried glutinous rice cake) and ginataan (taro pearls with coconut cream). The two desserts brought the meal to a satisfying and familiar close.
Note that the restaurant’s Wealthy Menu is a set for four people and is priced at P12,888++ and includes a box of Koi Fish nian gao (tikoy).
The restaurant also offers set menus for six people which include half of a roast Peking duck served two ways and Steamed halibut fillet in golden garlic sauce, among others, and is priced at P16,888.
There are also sets for eight people and 10 people, priced at P22,888++ and P26,888++, respectively.
Xin Tian Di is located at the 4th floor of Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Ortigas Ave. corner Asian Development Bank Ave., Quezon City. For inquiries call the restaurant at 633-7222 local 7296/7298 or visit its official Facebook page. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Okada Manila operator takes control of ABG

OKADA MANILA is one of the integrated casino-resorts in Entertainment City.

THE operator of Okada Manila has concluded its share purchase agreement with Asiabest Group International, Inc. (ABG) as part of its backdoor listing plans.
In a disclosure to the stock exchange on Monday, ABG said shareholders who signed the share purchase agreement with Tiger Resort Asia Limited (TRAL) last September 2018 have transferred their shares to the latter through a special block sale.
With this, TRAL now owns 66.67% of ABG, or 200 million shares. The transaction was valued at P646.50 million.
TRAL is the local unit of Japanese firm Universal Entertainment Corp. It owns Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment, Inc. (TRLEI), which in turn operates integrated resort and casino Okada Manila in Entertainment City.
ABG’s public float now stands at 20.62%, versus 33.97% prior to the transaction.
Minority shareholders of ABG opted not to participate during TRAL’s tender offer, where the company proposed to purchase the remaining 100 million common shares held by minority investors at P3.23 each.
Shares in ABG soared 8.36% or P2.40 to close at P31.10 each at the stock exchange on Monday, bucking the main index’s loss of 0.92% to end at 8,069.48.
The conclusion of the transaction comes amid the ownership dispute filed by Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada against the current board of directors of TRAL and TRLEI. Mr. Okada had filed lawsuits questioning his removal from TRAL and TRLEI in 2017.
He was also removed as chairman and director of UEC — the beneficial owner of TRAL and TRLEI founded by Mr. Okada himself — for allegedly fraudulent activities.
Mr. Okada earlier asked the Philippine Stock Exchange to deny the backdoor listing of TRAL via ABG until such time that all relevant legal proceedings be completed. — Arra B. Francia

Solid demand for office space seen this year

THE OFFICE sector is expected to sustain its growth this year, with the expected delivery of 1.2 million square meters (sq,m.) of new office space.
In a media briefing in Makati on Jan. 29, officials from real estate consulting agency Santos Knight Frank identified several trends that will affect the industry this year.
“In 2019, Santos Knight Frank forecasts continuous growth in rent as demand remains strong. More office space will be infused into the market and accommodate the demand,” Santos Knight Frank said of the office sector.
In an email to BusinessWorld, a company representative said of the expected new supply, 34% will come from Quezon City, 20% from Makati City, 18% from Taguig City, 13% from Ortigas, 10% from the Bay Area, and 5% from Alabang.
Rick M. Santos, chairman and chief executive officer of Santos Knight Frank, noted as office rental rates increase in Metro Manila, more multinational companies will expand in other areas such as Metro Clark, Metro Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Bacolod.
“More third party BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) providers will expand to provinces amid the rental growth in Manila, while the global captive centers remain and continues in the capital,” he said during the briefing.
In its report, Santos Knight Frank said office rental rates in the Metro have increased 9.38% year-on-year to breach the P1,000 per square meter (sq.m.) level to P1,042.35 per sq.m. in 2018.
Another trend cited by Santos Knight Frank is the “co-working phenomenon.” It cited 135 locations, mostly in Makati and Taguig, that are categorized as co-working, serviced and shared offices.
Aside from Regus, international players such as New York’s WeWork, Malaysia’s Common Ground have entered the market. Local developers have also opened co-working spaces, namely Ayala Land, Inc.’s (ALI) ClockIn and Robinsons Land, Corp.’s (RLC) work.able.
The boom in co-living spaces is also expected to continue this year, Santos Knight Frank said. The sector will be supported by additional supply from ALI’s The Flats, and MyTown of SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) and Philippine Urban Living Solutions, Inc. (PULS). Other new projects include First Georgetown’s GRID in Makati City, and Centro nin Kaaram in Naga City.
“Gentrification is driving new developments on the fringes of financial districts, such as Bonifacio Global City and Makati, where co-living spaces are built for employee housing,” Santos Knight Frank said.
It noted there has been renewed attention to the C5 corridor. Among the new townships in the area are Megaworld Corp.’s Arcovia City, Parklinks of ALI and LT Group, Inc., and RLC’s Bridgetown Business Park.
Santos Knight Frank also expects the growth in tourism to boost the hospitality industry. It forecasts the addition of 6,400 hotel rooms until 2023 in Metro Manila, with 2,900 rooms expected in 2019. The bulk of the supply will be in the Bay Area.
For retail, Santos Knight Frank sees both e-commerce and traditional malls thriving. For traditional malls in Metro Manila, there will be an additional 250,000 sq.m. of space, or a 5% growth from current stock.
“The growth of e-commerce has led malls to follow different strategies. For instance, community malls such as CityMall (DoubleDragon Properties Inc.) have focused on basic necessities. Most malls in Metro Manila focused on experiential shopping, adding more or renovating existing space for international brands, co-retail, pop-up concepts and dining,” it said.
Santos Knight Frank also noted that more developers are going into the industrial and logistics sector, amid the dearth of supply of warehouses and industrial parks.
Developers that have ventured into this sector are ALI, DoubleDragon, Anchor Land Holdings, Inc., and Metro Pacific Investment Corp. through its subsidiary Metropac Movers, Inc. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Rolling Stones piano man talks Trump, trade, and touring

AS MUSICAL director for the Rolling Stones, Chuck Leavell knows a thing or two about tickling the ivories.
But the legendary piano man, who’s also played with the Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, and David Gilmour, spends as much time these days trimming trees. From his Charlane estate in Bullard, Georgia, Mr. Leavell manages a sustainable timber operation encompassing almost 4,000 acres of lob lolly, slash, and long-leaf pines.
On Thursday, Mr. Leavell sat down with Bloomberg to discuss his storied musical career, timber and trade.
Bloomberg News: You met with US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in December. How did that come about?
Chuck Leavell: Sonny was a two-term governor of Georgia, so we had some interaction on policy while he was in office. There are a number of issues in the southeast forestry market that we wanted to bring to his attention. As we all know, there was a tariff put on Canadian lumber because of the so-called softwood wars. When Trump came into office, several Canadian companies saw the writing on the wall and tried to figure out how they could avoid the levies and started buying up mills in the southeast. It’s now kind of bordering on a monopoly of Canadian mills.
As this was going on, the US passed the farm bill, which provides subsidies to American tree farmers and is helping create a glut of timber in the market. So there’s really a two-fold problem. You got a lot of trees on the market and then you got almost a monopoly of Canadian mill ownership.
BN: So what’s the problem?
CL: It means that when you go to big box stores to buy lumber, the price of that 2×4 has been going up over the past decade or so but the profit on the raw material has been flat over that time. When you put pen to paper it doesn’t make sense to grow trees, the market is so bad.
BN: And the solution?
CL: What we’d like to see is tree farmers and forest landowners create a co-op to help offset the imbalance. The problem is that the law says you can’t do that for forestry. You can do it for soybeans, cotton, and other agricultural products, but it’s not allowed for forestry. That would take a legislative change. It would take a long time to push it through, but we’re not afraid to give it a go.
BN: How has this affected your estate in Georgia?
CL: Well we also do eco-tourism, like traditional quail-hunting. It’s a great southern tradition that’s not about how many times you pull the trigger, but about being outdoors, watching the dogs point, and having that great experience. People stay overnight, we cook for them and give them the whole southern experience. If it weren’t for that, I don’t think we could really sustain on just tree farming because we need that component for income.
BN: So how do you manage your time? Obviously when the Stones go on the road it’s a huge commitment.
CL: Well, fortunately, tree farming is slow motion. It’s not like you have to go out there to weed the garden every week. And we do have a small staff that carries on activities when we’re not there.
BN: President Trump has said the recent wild fires in California could have been prevented with better land management. Do you agree with that?
CL: There is an element of truth to that. First of all, the US Forest Service is under-funded and overworked. I think if they had more personnel and more resources, they could be doing some things like removing underbrush and prescribed burns. The notion that there needs to be proper forest management in this country is correct. You’re not going to be able prevent all of them — it’s part of nature — but if you do it like we do in the southeast with prescribed burning, it can be a great tool.
BN: Enough about trees. Let’s talk about the Stones. You guys are hitting the road again in the spring. Isn’t this getting a bit old?
CL: The band gets better and better, and I mean that sincerely. I’ve been with this outfit for 37 years and it’s never been as good as it is right now. The songs are iconic, Jagger is an amazing front man, and Keith is one of the most amazing guitarists. We start rehearsals in March.
BN: About Keith: He recently told Rolling Stone that he’s cut back on drinking. Can that possibly be true?
CL: Keith has amazing willpower. For somebody who kicked heroin, he knows how to shut the faucet off if he needs to.
BN: Was his drug-infused persona just an act?
CL: (Laughs) His lifestyle speaks for itself. What’s great is that the music has taken precedence.
BN: What’s your favorite Stones song?
CL: There’s so many but I have to point to “Honky Tonk Women.” I remember where I was when that record came out in 1969.
BN: And looking back over your long career, what stands out?
CL: Recording Brothers and Sisters and Gregg Allman’s first solo record Laid Back. It would be wonderful to say I had success with one band or one artist, but from working with Dr. John prior to the Allman Brothers to Sea Level to Clapton, George Harrison, John Mayer, David Gilmour, the Black Crowes. It’s been a blessing.
Mr. Leavell’s latest record, Chuck Gets Big, was released in November on BMG. — Peter Newcomb, Bloomberg

Ayala Land tightens hold on Prime Orion

AYALA LAND, Inc. acquired Mitsubishi Corp.’s 20% equity interest in Laguna Technopark, Inc. — HTTP://LAGUNATECHNOPARK.COM.PH

AYALA LAND, Inc. (ALI) has strengthened its grip on real estate logistics and industrial estate developer Prime Orion Philippines, Inc. (POPI) via an P800-million share purchase through Laguna Technopark, Inc. (LTI).
In a disclosure to the stock exchange on Monday, the listed property giant said its executive committee has approved the acquisition of a 20% equity interest in LTI held by Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. This is equivalent to 8,051 common shares valued at a total of P800 million.
ALI will then exchange the 20% equity interest in LTI for additional shares of stock in POPI consisting of 323.89 million common shares.
“This will strengthen POPI’s vision to be the leading real estate logistics and industrial estate developer and operator in the Philippines,” the company said.
ALI first acquired the Tutuban Center operator in 2015, with an initial stake of 51.36%. The company then increased its interest to 54.91%, further hiking its direct ownership to 63.9% in March 2018.
Following ALI’s acquisition, it has been positioning POPI to become a leading property logistics player in the country. It was able to acquire a majority stake in LTI, which manages the 460-hectare Laguna Technopark in Santa Rosa as well as a 135-hectare Cavite Technopark in the municipality of Naic.
POPI recently allotted P1 billion to develop a logistics and warehousing facility in Laguna Technopark. The Standard Factory Building (SFB) will house a total leasable area of more than 60,000 square meters (sq.m.) divided into 40 units sized 1,200 to 1,500 sq.m. each.
The company expects to complete the warehouse by October 2020, but it will be available for lease to non-PEZA locators starting on May this year.
POPI also has two industrial parks in the pipeline, with the first located in Cagayan de Oro near the Laguindingan airport. The company will offer 42 parcels of land with cuts of 7,000 sq.m. each. The second industrial park will be in Central Luzon.
Meanwhile, the company is also in the process of rehabilitating Tutuban Center. Since the Ayala group’s entry, POPI has expanded Tutuban’s gross leasable area to 53,000 sq.m., while also introducing new retail and wholesale concepts.
POPI’s net income attributable to the parent soared 122% to P189.47 million in the first nine months of 2018, following a 328% surge in revenues to P1.94 billion.
For ALI, attributable profit climbed 17% to P20.78 billion in the nine-month period, as gross revenues went up 21% to P119.68 billion.
Shares in ALI shed 0.22% or 10 centavos to close at P44.85 each on Monday, while shares in POPI jumped 3.83% or 10 centavos to close at P2.71 apiece. — Arra B. Francia

Oyo to invest $50M in PHL market

OYO Hotels and Homes is entering the Philippine market, where it committed to invest over $50 million to “transform” the local hospitality industry.
Oyo Hotels, which claims to be South Asia’s largest chain of hotels, home, and spaces, currently has 21 franchised and leased hotels with more than 500 rooms in Metro Manila, Tagaytay, and Cebu.
“We at Oyo, our mission…(is) to make affordable living places, to make quality living places… We are very, very excited to… bring this mission in the Philippines,” Abhinav Sinha, Oyo Hotels and Homes global chief operating officer, said during the media launch in Bonifacio Global City on Wednesday.
The company helps small and independent hotels compete with big chains by providing better technology, and improving operational efficiency, including staff training, and revenue management.
Since 2013, Oyo has expanded in 500 cities in India, China, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
For its Philippine expansion, Oyo targets to have a total of about 20,000 rooms in key cities in the Philippines.
“Ours is a business where we have multiple areas where we invest to grow the business in any country. In [the] Philippines, we are committing $50-million towards building capabilities of infrastructure innovation, towards building our technology capabilities in the country, towards investing in building a large team across multiple markets. We are planning to go to more than 10 markets within this year itself. So, the investment will be across technology, across infrastructure innovation, and across building a very strong local team in the country” Mr. Sinha told BusinessWorld in an interview.
The company noted its partner hotels in the Philippines have seen a major leap in occupancy rates. For instance, Oyo 110 Asiatel Hotel, an airport hotel located near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), saw an increase in occupancy from 63% to 82% in just three months after adopting the Oyo brand name.
Ankit Arya, Oyo country head for the Philippines, noted during the same interview that the company is looking for partner hotels in Baguio City, Subic, Angeles City, Clark, Tagaytay City, Batangas City, Naga City, Legazpi City, aside from Metro Manila. It is also considering expansion in Cebu City, Iloilo City, Boracay, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.
For the Philippines, the company expects to generate more than 1,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.
“Within Southeast Asia, of course, Philippines is a very large and significant economy. It also has a very significant in-bound tourism, almost at the scale… mirrors what you see in India and its growing at the pace of more than 10% per annum, so we are very, very committed to [the] Philippines, given the strength of its local economy, given the size of the hotel industry, and given the growth of tourism that the country has seen,” Mr. Sinha said during the interview.
Oyo currently operates over 13,000 franchised or leased hotels and over 3,000 homes as part of its chain around the world. The company is backed by investors such as SoftBank Group, Greenoaks Capital, Sequoia India, Lightspeed India, Hero Enterprise and China Lodging Group. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap: Wa-is Guys

By Menchu Aquino Sarmiento
Movie Review
Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap
Directed by Marius Talampas
PERHAPS the MTRCB wasn’t in on the jokes between the wonderful ensemble cast and their brilliantly demented director and screenwriter Marius Talampas. That may have been why this puckishly politically incorrect feature got the R-16 rating which also effectively restricted its access to screens nationwide. When God closes off a cineplex, Mama Mary opens a cinematheque, and it is along the art house circuit that Mr. Talampas’ first full length feature has found its destination audience.
The film starts off with a gleefully tasteless, but ribaldry funny “Boy Bastos” anecdote told by farmers planting rice and having fun. For those of us steeped in Western pop culture, Boy Bastos, a trickster figure of contemporary Pinoy lore, would be the down and dirtier equivalent of the moron, or Hymie of classic Catskill standup comedy. If seeing farmers this way (not spouting quaint folksy wisdom, toiling away grimly, or suffering nobly) is a paradigm shift, the film’s premise of the feckless and futile quest by three bottom feeders from the fictitious Brgy. Husay, Tondo to win the respect of their community by becoming “hold-uppers” (robbers), is an insanely refreshing spin on the inspirational success story. There is also a father-son family drama between the revered master thief Ka Paeng (Pen Medina) and his half-wit son Eman (Pepe Herrera) who idolizes him, that is actually an earnest lesson in unconditional love.
The aforementioned farmers get entangled with the Tondo version of the gang that couldn’t shoot straight, in a convoluted criminal heist which involves illegally fencing buried treasure and unlawfully cutting the government out of their find. This treasure which the farmers dug up, naughtily alludes to the popular souvenir, the wooden barrelman, and sends up the historical hoax of Datu Puti and the Ten Bornean Datus.
Mr. Talampas slaughters sacred cows. His 80-second Clio-award winning ad “Dr. Internet” features a lone Pepe Herrera impersonating the most irritating patients (no sympathies for any of them), as well as the smugly unempathetic physician. Mr. Herrera has been called the millennial Rene Requiestas, but his huge talent and wide range, as well as his high cheekbones and complete set of teeth, are more Dolphy. However, with Mr. Talampas as his writer-director, Mr. Herrera’s characters have much more nuanced complexity than Da King of Comedy’s. His star turn as Tolits in the PETA musicale Rak of Aegis set the benchmark for other Tolits to follow. One wishes that there was more for him to do in Ang Pangarap although his duet with the undercover policeman Nicoy (Paulo Contis) which sweetly savages L.A. Lopez (who was discovered by Dolphy) is wicked genius.
Unlike most comedies where one person gets laughs by insulting others, here our heroes bring it upon themselves simply by being who they are. That they are utterly simple in mind and at heart, is their problem. They are their own worst enemies. The three failed criminals are in such a state of arrested development that they even target children, their true peers, for their schoolbags and baon (pocket money). Toto (Jerald Napoles) hypnotizes himself instead of his intended schoolboy victim. Mr. Napoles relies a little too much on his Ilonggo intonation, punctuated with yudiputa’s (a corruption of hijo de puta or son of a whore), but he owns the movie’s final scene. There are also easy laughs about Carlo’s (Jelson Bay) short stature. His sly dig at Call Center English was spot on.
It seems that the MTRCB committee which rated the film, feared that its low life protagonists would influence the Filipino movie-going public to aspire to become petty criminals. They should be so lucky. Ang Pangarap’s Eman, Toto, and Carlo were content with having enough money to get their daily fix of isaw (a street food treat of barbecued chicken entrails). If only actual criminals, especially in the government, were as easily satisfied.
The film has shining points of ha! ha! funny but also dark reminders of the real-life horrors in the underbelly of Filipino society to which the film’s heroes belong: the farmers graphically threaten the prostitute Marga (Kate Alejandrino) for betraying them, and manhandle her; the local bad guy-usurer Badjao (Raffy Tejada) employs a thug known as Bulag (Dindo Arroyo) to gouge out the eyes of those who can’t pay their loans.
Comedy is hard. Perhaps given much more time and resources, Mr. Talampas might have come up with a tighter, wilder, and crazier film — without the harsh nasty, real life bits. He shines in his ads and in his shorts. There are many such bright spots here, such as when he uses Badjao and Bulag in a riff on his Yung Dilaw o Yung Puti short that was still funny. It worked.

Proposed Parañaque satellite city hall faces Swiss challenge

ANCHOR LAND Holdings, Inc.’s unsolicited proposal to build a satellite city hall with commercial establishments in Brgy. Tambo, Parañaque City may face counterproposals in a Swiss challenge.
In a notice of invitation published in a newspaper on Feb. 4, the City Government of Parañaque said its Public-Private Partnership Selection Committee (PPP-SC) has received and accepted the unsolicited proposal of the original proponent of the project, Anchor Land.
“After completing detailed negotiations, the City is now ready to accept comparative proposals. The project is being undertaken by the City under a joint venture arrangement,” the city government said.
Under a Swiss challenge, other parties are invited to match the bid of the original proponent. The original proponent will then have the advantage to outmatch the lowest proposal in order to secure the project.
The Parañaque government said interested parties should submit their notarized expression of interest (NEOI) until Feb. 26 and may acquire the terms of reference (TOR) for P25,000 at the Office of the City Administrator at City Hall in Brgy. San Antonio.
Interested bidders must be a Filipino citizen or a corporation that is registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission, with at least 60% owned by Filipinos, or part of an existing joint venture or a consortium with 60% owned by Filipinos.
The challengers must also have at least 10 years of experience in real estate, and with developments in Metro Manila. They must also be a major taxpayer and active real estate developer in Parañaque, having launched or started construction on projects in the city in the last five years.
Those with their own property management arm will be given priority.
Interested bidders must also be well-capitalized by at least P1 billion. Challengers must also be able to construct, manage, and operate the commercial establishment. They should also agree to not prevent the award of the project.
The Parañaque city government will conduct an eligibility check to shortlist qualified proponents from Feb. 27-28. Notice of eligibility will be sent on March 1.
A pre-selection conference will be held on March 11 at the Parañaque City Hall.
The deadline for comparative proposals is on March 26. The original proponent can execute its right to match the proposal within 15 days from receipt of notice from the PPP-SC.
If no bidder is seen fit to execute the development, it will then be awarded to Anchor Land.
The original proponent, Anchor Land, was incorporated in 2004, and has developed mostly high-end residential projects for the Filipino-Chinese community in Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, and San Juan. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Greenfield to develop luxury community in Laguna

GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT Corp. (GDC) is developing a luxury residential community within its 400-hectare Greenfield City township in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Under new “ultra-luxe” brand Greenfield Deluxe, Trava is a 33-hectare residential community where “luxury meets green living.”
“In preserving the laidback environment of the South, Trava incorporates the urban conveniences of a premiere development with an ecological design that dedicates a huge 45 percent of the 33-hectare prime land to green open spaces and eco-efficient features,” the developer said in a statement.
Greenfield Deluxe tapped architectural firm Locsin and Partners for the master-planned community. Trava, which was launched in May 2018, features tree-lined roads, lush parks, fully underground utilities, and a streetscape with a four meter-wide lawn.
At present, Trava offers 315 saleable lots with sizes ranging from 550 square meters (sq.m.) to 750 sq.m. Prices range from P24,000 to P32,300 per sq.m.
Amenities include an ecologically designed clubhouse, a social hall, fitness gym, function and recreation rooms, children’s pavilion, a pool complex, adult and kiddie pools, dance studio, tennis court, basketball court, and bike and jogging lanes.
GDC has been involved in real estate development in Sta. Rosa, Laguna since the 1990s. The developer has transformed agricultural lands into cities within a park with its future-oriented homes, infrastructures, communities, and landscapes.
GDC is also the developer of Greenfield District in Mandaluyong City. Founded in 1961, the diversified real estate developer has been very committed in developing lands into communities that will be relevant throughout the years, still making sure that the environment is taken care and employing the latest technology. In addition to this, the company was founded by Jose Y. Campos, also the founder of pharmaceutical company, Unilab. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

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