Laguna developer sees potential in Lipa

MODEL units at NuVista Lipa are all dressed up and ready for viewing.

Just a mere two-hour drive from Manila—thanks to the linked South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) and Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (Star) Tollway—Lipa in Batangas is fast becoming a favorite among real estate investors.

Lipa’s location is perfect. Situated in a valley bounded on the east by Mt. Malarayat and on the west by Mt. Maculot, the city is naturally shielded from strong typhoons.

“Its centralized and sheltered location makes Lipa City not only a commercial and industrial center but a religious, recreational and educational hub as well. The challenge now is when to give Lipeños and the rest of homebuyers longing to relocate here high-quality homes as well as sustainable, inclusive and mixed communities,” said Romarico Alvarez, chair of Laguna-based PA Properties that recently began the development of Nuvista Lipa, the company’s first project in Batangas.

Nuvista Lipa is a 12.8-hectare development—another 30 hectares is reserved for future expansion—located in Barangay Antipolo del Norte (situated on P. Torres Street, just a few meters away from Mary Mediatrix of All Grace Parish).

A thousand units

When completed, this community will be home to a thousand families. “Nuvista Lipa is envisioned to be a Mediterranean-style gated community with a huge plaza and boasting of amenities such as multipurpose clubhouse, swimming pool, basketball court, children’s playground and a grand entrance gate,” described PA Properties president Jonathan Lu.

According to Lu, the company has extensive experience in building thousands of single-family homes, mid-rises, as well as similar exclusive gated communities throughout Luzon.

Nuvista Lipa will offer several models:

• The P1.1-million Seville townhouse unit offers a 42-square-meter total floor area on a 40-sqm lot.

• The P1.96-million Venice is a single firewall unit with a 56-sqm total floor area on an 80-sqm lot. It features a balcony, two toilets and bathrooms, as well as a provision for three bedrooms.

• The P2.9-million Brescia is Nuvista Lipa’s most spacious unit, a single-detached home that offers an 86.5-sqm floor area on a 133-sqm lot. Like the Venice unit, it offers a balcony, two toilets and bathrooms, a carport, and provision for three bedrooms.

All these models are now ready for viewing at the site.

First-time homebuyers

Alvarez said: “Considering the price range of the units—from P1.1 million to P2.9 million—we are definitely looking at first-time homebuyers within Batangas or those from Metro Manila wanting to transfer here. They should appreciate the quiet life. After all, country living remains a widespread aspiration. But the lack of trusted and attractively priced residential projects put these homes out of reach for many and we hope Nuvista Lipa would satisfy their requirements.”

He added: “People would love to live here. Amid old seminaries, historic houses and churches, and families still engaged in the age-old barako coffee industry, the city is fast transforming. Several light industries and business process outsourcing firms have already been established here. The city is also home to a world-class 27-hole golf course as well as top shopping and commercial centers.”

Besides, Alvarez added that Region 4, where Lipa belongs to, has one of the highest housing backlogs.

“More than 800,000 housing units are still needed in this region, a figure that is even higher than Metro Manila’s. Moreover, Batangas has over 2.38 million people—almost 300,000 in Lipa City alone—so there is a huge market for willing developers like us,” he concluded.