Tycoon Andrew Tan-led property developer Megaworld Corp. sold out its first upscale residential village in Trece Martires, Cavite last month, generating P3 billion from the sale of the entire residential inventory within seven months from project launch.
Sales of residential lots at the 18-hectare Arden Botanical Village, which was launched in November 2019, peaked at P1.4 billion during the second quarter, despite tough lockdown protocols for most of this period.
Metro Manila and the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon shifted to general community quarantine (GCQ) only starting June 1, alongside Davao City, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Pangasinan and Albay.
This was even as Megaworld increased selling prices twice, first in January and another May this year. From P23,000 per square meter in December last year, lot prices in the village rose by 35 percent to P31,000 per square meter in May this year.
When the project was unveiled in November last year, the group was projecting to unlock only P2.5 billion worth of lot sales from Arden Botanical Estate.
“Amid the lockdown, we have booked sales from buyers in the Philippines and across the world who were looking for purposeful, more livable spaces to build a house. Arden Botanical Village’s concept gave us a convenient push, and the unique concept of Arden Botanical Estate as an integrated lifestyle community was a huge factor in selling this fast even amidst the pandemic,” said Eugene Em Lozano, first vice president for sales and marketing at Megaworld.
Turnover of lots at Arden Botanical Village, which is part of the 251-hectare Arden Botanical Estate, is scheduled to start in 2024. The village will have 329 lots ranging from 280 to 609 square meters.
“A P7 million lot bought when we started selling late last year can now be sold at almost P9.5 million. Our early takers are so happy with their investments today,” added Lozano.
Designed by Filipino landscape architect and environmental planner Paulo Alcazaren, the centrepiece of the gated Arden Botanical Village will be Centrera Park, which is surrounded by natural groves of mature trees, natural waterways and ponds, sprawling lush greeneries, expansive open space, promenades and parks, and jogging paths.
The clubhouse will also be part of the Centrera Park. A natural swimming pool will be part of the amenities and village landscape, in line with the trend seen among European neighborhoods.
Taking inspiration from Scandinavian architecture, Arden Botanical Village will also feature thematic bridges, landscaped walkways, bike lanes, and some interactive water features. Houses and village amenities, including the village showroom, will feature minimalist form and clean lines with panoramic windows that look out, and make a pleasant contrast with the village’s verdant landscape.
This village is a joint development of Megaworld and its subsidiary Global-Estate Resorts Inc. (GERI). They expect to spend P18 billion to build the integrated lifestyle community in Arden Botanical Estate, which will be highlighted by flower farms and gardens, within the next 10 years.