Taking a much Active stance

It takes more than just guts and capital to put up a business.

Passion, discipline and a common vision often play a crucial role in ensuring a company’s success and stability. And this is something that seasoned property developer Active Group of Companies can attest to as its growth was heavily grounded on the strong bond that its stakeholders share.

For more than four decades, Active Group has managed to acquire and develop over 2,000 ha of raw land and turn it into livable communities ranging from socialized housing projects to premium property developments.

And while innovation and synergy may have been the company’s anchor, its growth and stability would not have been possible if not for the solid and stable partnership between husband and wife Arch. Antonio Asperilla Turalba Sr. and Maria Cristina Valera Turalba. Through their vision and pursuit for quality, they’ve managed to institute a dynamic management style that allowed them to capture and serve the need of middle-income Filipino buyer.

Such will and desire are meanwhile carried on by their children who currently take an even more active role to help ensure that the company will remain relevant and attuned to the needs of the market. As one of the oldest and trusted property developers, its founders understand that succession and the contribution of their children would be crucial in keeping the company afloat and a top of mind choice.

“My wife and I started the company. Anything you build, if you build properly, should outlast you. I am proud to say that we are confident of what we have built and developed, and we are confident that our children will continue with what we have done, and improve on it. I am sure the next generation of the Active Group will take the company farther and make it even better,” said Active Group founder and chair Arch. Antonio A. Turalba Sr.

Since its establishment in 1970, it has been the fervent hope of both the husband and wife to continuously grow the company and make it one of the most successful and reliable real estate firms that will be known for delivering innovative products that help enhance and improve the quality of life of many hardworking Filipinos.

Indeed, Active Group has managed to make a mark in the industry by creating and bringing to the market developments that allow individuals to enjoy an enviable quality of life that goes beyond shelter. Each project is done with much care for the environment and goes through careful planning to help ensure a truly comfortable and sustainable lifestyle.

With the Turalba children actively taking part in running the business, Active Group is sure to further enhance its full range of successful endeavors that include middle-income housing, urban high-rises as well as resort and leisure communities like Mount Malarayat Golf & Country Club and Residential Estates.

“My children, especially my son Toti, started to show interest in the business at an early age. He would tag along when we had projects, and play at the construction sites,” recalled the elder Turalba.

“Our children naturally gravitated towards our line of work. They enjoyed the idea of building something out of nothing. When Toti and Anjeanette decided to become architects, we did not force them in their decisions,” he added.

Such early interest was sustained and it proved to be beneficial to the company as the children now serve as a staunch partner of their parents in continuously seeking for ways to grow its foothold in the market.

“I was around 8 years old when I was exposed to the business and the architectural profession by my parents. They would often bring me to job sites and clearly remember enjoying playing on sand piles. I would also spend time in the architectural office and this introduced me to the pen and paper,” recalled Active Group president and CEO Antonio Turalba.

“My early exposure to what my parents did was definitely a strong influence to my decision on pursuing architecture and taking on the family business.  But it is the creative nature of our business that drew me towards really pursuing it as a career. I’ve always enjoyed building things. From static scale models to remote controlled vehicles. Building stuff from an instruction manual was always something I’ve enjoyed even as a kid. What I build now may not fit in a display case anymore but designing and building structures and communities fuel my natural desire to create things,” he added.

As a company where family ties played quite a crucial role, Active Group currently is well structured to sustain growth as its top management team is composed of men and women whose exceptional discipline and focus are sure to bring the company to even greater heights.

“As an architect-developer, my approach to a project has always been to find the best use for the site presented to me at the same time respecting the nature of site itself. Its more like maximizing the site’s potential use than altering it to suit financial gain. Finding what works both aesthetically and financially without sacrificing a site’s natural attributes is key to a project’s success,” Turalba Jr. shared.

“The Active Group has introduced several innovations through the years. But I believe that the passion for continued innovation is the challenge. A new innovation we conceptualize today may be a standard that all others will offer tomorrow. It is our constant creative pursuit to offer something new and innovative rather than the innovations themselves is what will keep the company relevant and attuned to the needs of the market now and well into the future,” he concluded.  —Theresa S. Samaniego