By Doris Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:06:00 08/03/2010
THE GOKONGWEIS’ Robinsons Land Corp. is expanding its property business in Mindanao with the acquisition of a 29.6-hectare property in General Santos where it plans to build a premier residential development.
The property was acquired by RLC through its housing unit Robinsons Homes from Integrated Credit and Corporate Services and Star Two (SPV-AMC) Inc., which specializes in the acquisition, management and disposition of personal and real properties, RLC announced in a statement yesterday.
The newly acquired property is strategically located along the National Highway in Barangay Labangal, General Santos City, and is close to the City Hall and the public market. It is a 25-minute drive from General Santos International Airport and within two to five kilometers from Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, Mindanao State University, Elizabeth General Hospital, Robinsons Mall and Makar Wharf.
The acquisition is part of the group’s plans to expand commercial, retail and residential operations in Mindanao, RLC said.
While development plans for the property are still on the drawing board, Robinsons Homes general manager Joan Cosico said the group would like to develop the property as RHomes’ pioneer project in General Santos City.
“We will position this project as the premiere housing development in General Santos City,” Cosico said. “We are encouraged by the support of the local market and feel that we can continue to make lives better for GenSan residents by providing a well master-planned housing development with modern amenities.”
Corsico said the group has also given its vote of confidence on GenSan as a growth market with its investment in the Robinsons Mall.
RLC owns and operates GenSan’s first full-service mall with cinemas and al fresco dining. Aside from GenSan, RLC has also invested heavily in both mall and housing developments in Cagayan de Oro and Davao cities.
Housing unit Robinsons Homes has four projects in Mindanao: Robinsons Highlands in Davao City and three in Cagayan de Oro City, namely, Robinsons Hillsborough Pointe, Richmond Hills and Fresno Parkview.
Planning to sell off your property, but not getting the proper price for the same? If yes, you are one amid many others who’re struggling hard to search for buyers who can buy property at the proper price. You need not deal with the situation any more. Let’s shed some light on easy tips that can help you increase the odds of sale of your property and that too at the price of your choice.
Window replacements are a great idea to boost the worth of your property. Windows not just add aesthetic value to your property however also offer great utility. The proper type of windows may lower the need for heating and cooling and could help make excellent savings on your utility bills. You could make your pick between wood or vinyl window replacements.
How about adding more storage space to your property? When searching for a property, most folks are looking for properties that provide sufficient storage space. This guarantees that they can store their things easily. You may think about adding cabinets or cupboards to your property. These cabinets will ensure that the buyer does not have any type of problem accommodating his things. The buyer could use them to stock clothes and even weight loss tablets such as Caralluma Burn Appetite Suppressant.
The addition of a deck to your property may also help raise its market worth. These do not just enhance the property’s appearance however also make it a more comfortable place to live in. You may choose between wood or composite decks for the accommodation. While both preferences are equally effective, it’s the wooden deck that would offer you a greater return on your investments.
Another thing that can help add value to your property is renovation. You need not opt for a complete refurbish for the house; refurbishing walls would simply be enough. Just paint the walls using quality paints in any of the several patterns like polka dots, stripes and plenty of more. You can also consider using botanical art themes for your wall. It gives a natural feel to the walls, enhancing the visual appeal of the overall décor of the property. As the visual appeal improves, the worth of the property increases in accordance.
Don’t let the task of selling your property provide you severe headache. Simply make use of the provided tricks and rest assured that the price of the property will augment to a great extent. Comply with the tricks and you could simply fetch the preferred price for your property.
By Uriel C. Quinguing
Misamis Oriental Provincial Press Office
THE Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) recently turned over a P10-million cheque to Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar S. Moreno for the ongoing Lasang Secret Adventure project.
Located inside the 1,300-hectare Initao National Park, the first phase of the project consisted of five-span canopy walk, 80-foot spiral staircase, 100-meter boardwalk and 100-meter zip-line and these were opened to the public in August last year during an inaugural program.
“This is a big boost to complete the project,” said Moreno during a news conference when the P10-million funding support was handed to him by documentation division head Joy Sison of PTA’s Physical Planning Department.
Ms. Cerilina Chan, the officer-in-charge of PTA-managed Gardens of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village in Cagayan de Oro, and tourism consultant Dorothy Jean B. Pabayo witnessed the simple turnover ceremony.
“The provincial government has already invested about P7.6 million to the project,” the governor said, adding that the total project cost would be about P40 million. This, he said, is being pursued because “tourism is one of the key movers of the economy.”
Moreno said he expects the entire Lasang Secret Adventure project, with the major components and expansion, to be completed within this year. These include the construction of a complex for a restaurant, coffee shop, business center, function rooms, dormitory, parking spaces and other amenities.
But the P10-million funding assistance from PTA could not be disbursed yet due to the prohibition in the implementation of projects within the campaign period.
“There is no restriction in the release of funds (for projects),” Sison stressed, adding that what is prohibited is project implementation.
Conceptualized in September 2008, the development of the 50.58-hectare Lasang Secret Adventure project is predominantly characterized by century-old and naturally-grown Talisay trees where various types of endangered animals, birds and plant species thrive.
Pabayo, a former DOT regional director who now heads a task force for the Lasang Secret Adventure, said project is a jointly being undertaken by the provincial government of Misamis Oriental, Department of Tourism and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
She said that the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) through architects Richard Tan and Ma. Linda Escaba as well as the De Oro Mountain Explorers (Dome) through Jerome Garcia and Aye Navarro have been involved in designing and the installation of the vertical and horizontal structures of the Lasang Secret Adventure.
The project area covers portions of Initao’s Barangay Tubigan and Libertad’s Barangay Gimanlayan, on the left side if one is headed to the west and opposite to the so-called Initao-Libertad Protected Landscape and Seascape on the right.
Meanwhile, wildlife enforcement officer Eddie V. Macasusi said that aside from the forests there have been sightings of tarsiers since 1987 and there could be about 20 of them in the area. Tarsier is considered as the world’s smallest monkey. Ordinarily, one could not see tarsiers during the day since they are nocturnal.
“What we usually see are the long-tail macaque monkeys and there are hundreds of them here,” Macasusi said.
Aside from tarsiers and monkeys, Lasang has been the home of many endangered animals and these include monitor lizards (palao), seal-fin lizards (ibid), flying lemurs (kagwang), and chicken-like dark-brown fowls known as megapodes (kahael).
Among the rare birds that thrive in Lasang include imperial pigeons (bawod), native doves (alimokon), emerald doves (manatad), and serpent eagles. There are three serpent eagles, all males, two of them were released in 2007 and another one last year.
“Certainly, the lush vegetation, the animals, birds and insects are attractions by themselves. But it takes more than that now since we have already put in place the structures and amenities for visitors in the area,” Pabayo who is considered as the province’s tourism guru concluded. —
LOCAL and foreign tourists who are staying in Cagayan de Oro for the summer are invited to experience the breathtaking and heart pumping zip line adventures at the Dahilayan Adventure Park.
The newly opened national park, which is 4,700 feet above sea level is located in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, just 40 kilometers away from Cagayan de Oro city proper.
Dahilayan Adventure Park is famous for it’s longest dual zip zone consisting of dual carrying cables each 840 meters long from point to point, safety cable is also 840 meters long. Total length of cables is 2,460 meters. Elevation drop is 100 meters with estimated speed ranging from 60-100 KPH.
With cool mountain breeze and ever green pine trees surrounding the area, Dahilayan is definitely worth the visit if you’re planning to enjoy the summer with your family and friends. The adventure park also has other exciting activities for their visitors. They currently offer horseback riding trips, ATV rides for teens and adults, the Zorbit, and a Mini-boat Ski ride.
How to go there
IF you’re planning to go there with your colleagues and friends, make sure to hire a private transport vehicle such as a jeep or van. The road passing through Camp Philips (the farm road owned by Del Monte) tends to be a bit dusty during hot season and muddy during rainy season.
While the road going to the nature park itself is a bit rocky and undeveloped so be sure that the vehicle you’re using is well equipped to handle mountainous terrains. From the city proper, take a 15-20 minute ride to Puerto, the entrance point to Bukidnon.
As soon as you reach barangay Ala-e you’ll be stopping by at a nearest footbath station; this is the 1st land mark that you need to remember.
Once you pass by the footbath area, you’ll then be passing towards a rotunda with two roads leading to two different directions the one on the left is the road going to the city of Malaybalay and Valencia, while the road on the right is going towards Del Monte Camp Phillips.
Take the right road and travel further until you reach the pineapple farm. This is where the journey to Dahilayan begins. Just go straight ahead passing by the pineapple plantation fields until you reach barangay Dahilayan.
Just look around for markers that indicate where the adventure park is so that you’re going on the right direction. You can also ask locals around the place so they can point you in the right direction.
Dahilayan Adventure Park Rates:
Zip Line – (Zip Zone Package: Includes 840m and 320m + 150m Zip Rides) php 600.00
ATV Tours – (20mins) php 400.00
Mini Boat Ski Ride – (15mins) php 200.00
Zorbit – (minimum of 2 persons) php400.00
Horseback Riding – php 200.00
(Note: Prices are subject to change without prior notice)
While waiting for your turn to go zip lining you can stay at their newly built gazebos and picnic tables and spend time enjoying the awesome breeze and surrounding view at the park. Food and drinks may be scarce at the park so don’t forget to bring your own food and drinks. Also, due to sudden weather and temperature change everyone is requested to bring their winter coats and jackets.
MORE paved and wider roads will cater to business operators, tourists and people in Mindanao as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to complete major road projects before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ends term on June 30.
“We are bracing completion for the on-going construction of major road networks and bridges placed under the Mindanao Super Region strategy,” DPWH Secretary Victor Domingo said.
Progress reports submitted by the DPWH-regional offices to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) here, show that the on-going multi-billion road projects with a total length of 451.846 kms are nearing completion.
The said projects include: the Dinagat Island Road Network; Iligan City Circumferential Road; a section of the Zamboanga West Coast Road; Region 11 side of the Kapalong-Talaingod-Valencia, Bukidnon Road and the remaining four road sections of Surigao-Davao Coastal Road are nearing completion.
“The Dinagat Island Road Network shall allow the continuous delivery of agricultural products of Dinagat to the major markets and trading posts in Surigao del Norte”, said Secretary Jesus Dureza, MinDA chair and super region champion for Mindanao.
Dureza added that ongoing improvement of the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road shall also improve the linkage of the towns along the eastern coast of Mindanao.
He also said that once completed, the road section from Bacuag in Surigao del Norte to Mati in Davao Oriental shall hasten the
movement of products from the Caraga Region and Davao Oriental to the Davao Port and nearby ports in Southern Mindanao region.
Moreover, the Kapalong-Talaingod-Valencia, Bukidnon road would cut the trip to Bukidnon from Davao del Norte by two hours.
With the construction of the 154.5 kms Zamboanga West Coast Road, the four municipalities of Sibuco, Sirawai, Siocon and Baliguian are now connected to Zamboanga City in the south and Dipolog City in the north.
Dureza also noted the on-going road improvement of Awang-Upi-Lebak-Maguindanao road traversing Shariff Kabunsuan and Sultan Kudarat. The project however, is set for completion by June next year.
Aside from these on-going projects, Dureza pointed out that DPWH has already finished two projects namely the Diosdado Macapagal Bridge in Butuan City and the Hawilian-Salug-Sinakungan road in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur. He also added that as of the first quarter this year, DPWH completed two sections of the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road specifically the 66.65 kms Manay-Mati Road and 40.141 Bacuag-Claver Road.
“The P2.1-billion Diosdado Macapagal bridge provides an alternate, all-weather and transport-efficient link across the Agusan River. The bridge serves as an alternate route for motorists during rush hours, saving around 30 minutes when traversing the highway of Butuan City”, said Dureza.
He added that the construction of the Hawilian-Salug-Sinakungan road has improved the accessibility of the hinterland in these parts of Agusan del Sur.
Dureza said with these road and bridges in place, the government’s vision for Mindanao to achieve a vibrant integrated economy is within reach.
Domingo also said that with an able infrastructure, Mindanao can even supply the country’s food requirements.
“That is why the President sees to it that farm outputs can be delivered to its destinations”, said Domingo, citing the importance of roads and bridges in the supply chain.
These road projects form part of the Agribusiness Mindanao super region, a multi-billion infrastructure support project started by Arroyo in 2006.
The super region strategy is the grouping of select regions according to their economic strengths while providing them with infrastructure support to stimulate economic activity and development.
For its part, Mindanao is given 36 projects which include roads, bridges, improvement of airports and seaports, upgrading of hospitals, irrigation, energy development and farm-to-market roads among others.
MinDA sits as the oversight agency among government agencies implementing Mindanao super region projects namely National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Health (DOH) and DPWH among others.
Meanwhile, data gathered and processed by MinDA show that as of 2008, Mindanao already has 4545.96 kms of paved national roads. (PNA)
