Thriving in townships in the new normal

One could not stress well enough the crucial role that integrated communities play amid a crisis.

While the deadly COVID-19 pandemic had upended lives, forcing many to drastically change their lifestyles almost overnight and restrict all movements within the safe confines of their homes, some were fortunate to be in communities that offered proximity to groceries, banks, pharmacies and other institutions. During these trying times, such townships offered a critical lifeline to the residents, who could readily purchase food, water, medicines, alcohol and other necessities despite the limits imposed by the lockdown and this so-called “new normal.”

Colliers International Philippines even pointed out that this pandemic had only further emphasized the need to be in an integrated community, encouraging property developers to highlight such integrated features as these will likely be among the major considerations of homebuyers and investors in a post-lockdown, post-pandemic era.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has only highlighted the need to be in an integrated community. Condominium investors, for instance, have become more aggressive in scouting for properties that are within townships. Colliers believes that in the next 12 to 36 months, the demand for residential projects, whether house and lot or condominium units, will likely hinge on integrated features,” Colliers explained in its report.

Keen foresight

Fortunately, there are those like Cathay Land, who long had the keen foresight to create future-proofed townships such as South Forbes, where residents are afforded adequate spaces, greener surroundings, proximity to key establishments and institutions, as well as features that ensure a holistic, well-balanced lifestyle—everything that is highly sought today in the new normal era.

Indeed, Cathay Land has long seen the value of providing a complete, safe and resilient township where you can readily live, work, study and play. In doing so, it has since been providing individuals and families with a better quality of life, with more time to nurture closer relationships as well as pursue other activities and ventures–with or without the pandemic.

“Our clients can invest in South Forbes and experience a better quality of life, especially if they choose to make South Forbes their first home,” said Cathay Land president Jeffrey T. Ng. “Ultimately, a better quality of life for the family due to cleaner air, greener surroundings, minimal commutes and more quality time with the family is what we all aspire for as we slowly embrace the new normal.”

Benchmark community

Located at the heart of the Silang-Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay growth corridor, the 500-hectare South Forbes Golf City is Cathay Land’s innovative township comprised of eight boutique communities with international architectural themes. It also features several mixed-use, mid-rise residential condominiums with two more now under construction, namely the Stanford Suites 3 and Fullerton Suites—the latter being a stone’s throw from the Chiang Kai Shek College Silang campus, which is set to open for school year 2021-22.

Despite the sprawling expanse of this township, Cathay Land chose instead to build intimate, low-density and tranquil communities where one can conveniently live, work, study and play.

In South Forbes, residents are offered utmost exclusivity given the low density in each community; lush greenery and generous open spaces that could help ensure social distancing; a commercial center called Westborough Town Centre to ensure convenient access to your essentials; educational institutions; and an 18-hole golf course amenity, which would allow you to relax and unwind after a grueling work week.

Its proximity to other commercial centers and top educational institutions in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and Silang, Cavite provide the discerning residents of South Forbes with even more options for their essentials, leisure and entertainment.

Its strategic location, too, offers multiple accessibility via major thoroughfares including South Luzon Expressway, the partially opened Cavite-Laguna-Expressway (CALAx) via Laguna Boulevard Interchange, and the proposed Cavite–Tagaytay–Batangas Expressway (CTBEx).

However, although location is indeed a significant advantage, work-from-home arrangements have become the norm amid the pandemic and the lockdown. This prompted many discerning homeowners and buyers to start looking into other options—scrutinizing, in particular, the benefits of living in a complete, spacious and green suburban township like South Forbes.

All these features, without a doubt, could aptly address all your needs in the new normal, enabling South Forbes to be a benchmark in terms of creating safe and resilient communities that are highly suited to thrive amid and beyond the pandemic.

Yet even so, South Forbes continues to grow and evolve to cater to changing demands.

New opportunities

South Forbes offers multitude of opportunities for those who choose to reside here. Apart from providing a wide array of upscale residences, the township also abounds with attractive prospects, whether you’re looking for a new job or trying your hand in business.

Soon, this growing township will be home to business process outsourcing firms through its South Forbes Cyber Park (SFCP), which could generate thousands of fresh quality jobs for residents within the township and those in surrounding communities.

SFCP, located beside St. Benedict’s Church and South Forbes City College, is an accredited IT park by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) where BPO locators can enjoy a host of fiscal and non-fiscal perks including income tax holidays, tax- and duty-free importation of capital equipment, special visa status for expatriates and their immediate family, among others.

Aspiring entrepreneurs, according to Ng, are also offered the option to set up their own businesses with this township. Although a supermarket, gym, hardware, water station, and laundry shop, among others, already operate within South Forbes, its growing communities will need more tenants and businesses to cater to their needs. Future business owners can set up shop either in Westborough Town Center or in the retail podiums of the various condominium projects located within the township.

Indeed, never has the concept of a safe, complete and resilient township like South Forbes, with its convenient accessibility and proximity to all essentials, been as important as it is today. And while the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a drastic pivot to new preferences and trends, South Forbes has managed to be well ahead of its time, offering a true haven amid this crisis.