Nothing tests sincerity more than a dilemma. In business, the most challenging scenario is always the choice between making a profit and everything else.
The three bigwigs at JEG Development Corp. (JDC) passed the test long ago, when they constructed in Cebu City a 22-story green structure: the JEG Tower @ One Acacia.
“We wanted to build the best workplace possible, that was our brief from day one,” explained JDC estate and business development manager Stefan Garcia, who with Marko Sarmiento and Ayla Gomez make up the JDC executive committee. The two are chief operating officer and brand manager, respectively.
The vision costs 20 to 25 percent more than a standard skyscraper, a margin the company footed to offer offices that Cebuanos deserved, Sarmiento said, adding that “it isn’t always about the bottom line.”
The three bear different surnames but they all come from Cebu’s Escaño-Garcia clan. The business sense came from ancestors involved in abaca trading, shipping and energy. The tower was their boldest move in real estate yet. It also involved demolishing their own strip mall, One Acacia Place.
“They were very supportive of the move,” recalled Sarmiento. The three simply had to uphold the family values of giving back to Cebu and enriching the lives of its residents. For a company that entered the scene “a bit late,” he said going green was both an homage to family and an edge.
JEG Tower
LEED certification
They capitalized on that. JEG Tower, designed by Casas + Architects, holds a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design BD+C Core and Shell Silver pre-certification. That ensures energy and water savings, fewer greenhouse emissions and more green spaces, and great accessibility to the rest of the city, among others. With other measures, these assurances would raise well-being and lower turnovers for occupants.
JDC’s being new has its advantages for tenants, said Garcia.
“We offer flexibility. We are not rigid like bigger corporations and decisions can be made quicker,” said Sarmiento. Gomez added that they would do business on a more personal level and respond faster to emergent concerns.
One proof is how they managed the business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Admittedly, they also faced delays in turnover due to mobility restrictions.
JDC implemented a work-from-home scheme for its employees and had rolled out new health and safety protocols in its construction site.
Smart features
While the building design already ensures proper ventilation and topnotch filtration to help lower the risk of infection for workers, JEG Tower will also have QR code check-ins at entry points, sensors at faucets and toilets, and even more showers and bike racks for people.
“Now is the time to re-think old ways and shift our mindset,” said Gomez. “We’ve seen throughout this pandemic the importance of safeguarding one’s physical and mental health. These are things that we have had in place and continue to give value and importance to because we see the greater impact on our overall well-being and the world we live in.”
If the tenants have concerns, Sarmiento said: “We will move in on the top level so they can just come to us. If we’re willing to move to the building and … our standards are quite high, they will feel the effects of it.”