World-class residential resort on Batangas soil

APART from boasting what it believes is the ''most elegant''

exclusive haven there is on Philippine soil_able to hold its own

''strongly'' against top European and American

resorts--Peninsula de Punta Fuego is a glimpse of the historic

scenery as it was believed as the battle site between the

Spanish galleon San Diego and the Dutch ship Mauritius.

Along with this rich history and with 12 beaches in the

peninsula's 6-kilometer coastline, Punta Fuego is now believed

to be one of the most sought-after havens for people who have

something substantial to invest.

Almost total sellout

Less than 40 lots are left unsold in the entire subdivision_an

almost total sellout by posh residential resorts' standards.

Developer Landco Pacific's president Alfred Xerez Burgos Jr.

said the Punta Fuego lots serve as the safest haven for

investment. This was proven by the people who patronize Punta

Fuego, but who have sold their lots due to their financial

setbacks, he added.

''These people have gotten good value for their lots,'' he

claimed.

Other than the good investment that Punta Fuego offers is the

trend that Punta Fuego's project director Patrick Villano sees:

There is a strong focus on the preservation if not enhancement

of the natural environment. This concern for the quality of the

environment is more pronounced in the seaside resort

community because such communities are mostly directly

affected by the pollution especially of sewage and solid waste,''

he stressed.

Villano cited the experience of Boracay whose ''pristine white

sand beaches have slowly decayed through irresponsible

disposal and management of wastes.''

The flame-shaped Peninsula de Punta Fuego in Nasugbu,

Batangas, juts out into the sea. This 88-hectare peninsula

surrounded by lush greens and trees--coconut groves, duhat,

mango and tamarind--is composed of a residential area of about

600 to 700 lots. This area is comprised of an upper beach club

and a lower beach club. It has a main club, a small golf club and

a 9-hole golf course. The North Marina, located at the mouth of

Maniba Creek, was inaugurated last July 29 and was able to

accommodate as much as 20- to 30-foot boats and other small

watercraft. The residential area also has a South Marina.

Another trend

Villano also sees another trend in modern residential resorts and

this is the introduction of upgraded amenities, facilities and

services.

''The modern resort residents want to become connected to the

outside world even as they enjoy the isolation and privacy of

their resort experience. That is why there is a very strong

demand for the most modern telecommunication facilities with

'converged' capabilities in voice, data (Internet) and video

(cable),'' he said.

Villano stressed that this is aside from the demand for

high-quality service in other related services such as food and

beverage, health and beauty, entertainment and recreation.

Untapped market

Xerez Burgos, on the other hand, believes that the market for

exclusive residential resorts is still largely untapped, even if this

market was a very limited one. He described it as the top three or

four percent of the whole real estate market spectrum: closest to

the triple A. He added that these are the kind of people who

want exclusivity and value for their money.

''We are supposed to have competitors but they have stopped

operating in the last two to three years because of the economic

downturn,'' said Xerez Burgos. Although he didn't mention the

competitors, he described them as major developers who have

slowed down on their residential beach developments. He said,

however, that these developers might resume operations.

At par with int'l standards

But with or without competitors, Punta Fuego seems to have

delivered everything it has promised. Xerez Burgos claimed that

Punta Fuego patrons have seen the results. He also added that

these well-traveled patrons appreciate Punta Fuego more, as

they see how closely it is at par with the international standards

for posh residential resorts.

''A lot of people who have gone abroad have told us that the

quality of Punta Fuego compares very strongly with the top

beach developments in Europe and the States. The quality is

practically the same, if not better,'' he stressed.

Xerez Burgos gives credit to what he believes his firm's

extensive market research study. ''You have to go through panel

interviews to find out what the market wants before you launch

it. If you are not sensitive to your market, you'll end up with a

lot of inventory that's unsold,'' he said.

Punta Fuego recently conducted the groundbreaking rites of its

main club and the inauguration of its North Marina and Golf

Club. Peninsula de Punta Fuego is an exclusive residential

beach resort community owned by Roxaco Land Corp. and

developed and managed by Landco Pacific Corp., a subsidiary

of Metro Pacific Corp.