PICO DE LORO BEACH AND COUNTRY CLUB - CLUB SHARE AND CONDOMINIUM UNITS FOR SALE

Pico de Loro is both leisure and nature-based. As of now, four two-building clusters of mid-rise condominiums - called Myna, Jacana, Carola and Miranda - have been launched, surrounding a four-hectare manmade lagoon. The buildings feature a tropical contemporary style, along with the Pico de Loro Beach Club. The Country Club is targeted for completion by yearend and the 150-room Azurea Hotel will open in 2011.

According to SM Land vice president for marketing May Precilla, Pico de Loro is tailored for the upscale market. The initial phase of Jacana and Myna was launched only in 2007 and 98 percent of the units have been sold to date.

The two clusters will be turned over progressively starting in September this year. The latest phase launched in November last year are the Carola and Miranda clusters, which have one- to three-bedroom units and prices ranging from P4 to P17 million. "Both clusters have a variety of unit spaces," Precilla says. "Some units come with lofts, most with balconies showcasing majestic views." Precilla adds that because these are second or vacation homes, the units are fitted with durable finishes to make maintenance hassle-free. When homeowners buy a unit, they only have to activate their club membership to enjoy the use of the facilities and amenities of the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club.

Time was when golf and country club shares were all the rage. Today, people seem to be looking more toward nature and outdoor activities they can enjoy. SM Land vice president and Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club project director Carlos Chikiamco says they recognize that not everybody can buy a piece of property in Pico de Loro - but there is an emerging leisure market that's looking for such a place, which is why membership to the Beach and Country Club is available. "The Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club appeals to people looking for value in terms of amenities," he says. "Shares are available to individuals for P500,000 and to corporations for P850,000. I think we offer more than, say, Boracay at an easy reach."

"The beach is a very valuable asset, and we want to provide amenities where people can enjoy the beach and the views in a nice, low-level, open structure," he says. "The activities that are not beachbased are in the Country Club, where people can enjoy indoor sports such as squash, basketball, badminton, bowling, billiards, gym workout, or even read in the library. The whole concept is to offer multi-activity, multi-lifestyle facilities for different kinds of people."

SM Land spared no expense in the facilities, allotting more than P1 billion for the Beach and Country Club. Designed to embrace the outdoors and to take in the wide vistas, the Beach Club is only two stories high with a viewing deck on the third. It has swimming pools for adults and children overlooking the beach, separate locker rooms for men, women, and even children (the bathroom fixtures are scaled for 12 years old and below), and three dining options.

The best place to really enjoy the views is from the Brisa open bar, which has a sundeck where you can nurse your cocktails; the Arribada lounge and function room; and the Sun Coral Café with its Mediterranean-California cuisine and some choices of Pinoy comfort foods. By the time the Beach Club is fully complete a few months from now, it will also have massage huts and a sundry shop.

"The difference with the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club is you have a whole range of land and sea-based activities that you can do," Chikiamco says. There is a seven-kilometer bike trail; a hiking trail that will have varying levels of difficulty; planned zip-line and bird watching; and water sports such as snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaking -natural activities that do not use much machinery or fuel, a commitment on the part of Hamilo Coast to keep the entire property environment friendly even as it provides its homeowners and club members all these adventures and facilities.

He says that out of the 5,800-hectare Hamilo Coast property, only 1,800 hectares are developable- the rest are forests and mountains, and they want to keep the balance this way. After all, they are already fulfilling their role as guardians of the environment with WWF on projects such as reef rehabilitation, pawikan hatchlings and clam seedings. Because of the grand scale of Hamilo Coast - with 13 coves to boast of! -they can offer a "condo leisure lifestyle" for different market segments, from the upscale to the triple-A who may want to build their own homes and villas (SM Land is considering offering lots only in the later phases of development).

"At Pico de Loro, it's a lock-and-go lifestyle; you don't worry about security or grounds maintenance while you're away," says Chikiamco. "You can come and go anytime you want, whether on a weekday or weekend." He says Pico de Loro, and Hamilo Coast in general, not only provides a leisure option in the real estate market but fulfills a greater role - "to support the communities within and around Hamilo Coast by giving the people employment and weaning them from illegal forms of fishing. The local government is working on declaring the coves of Pico de Loro, Etayo and Santelmo as marine protected areas, and recent pictures show that marine life is flourishing once again."

PLEASE CALL :

REALTOR®Nancy Tan Golpeo, IPA
REBL 14680R / REA 548-07
Tel No 632-3991348
Mobile No. +639189033914 / +639228160684
email address: golpeo@yahoo.com