Consunji dreams of Japanese hot spring, villas in 40-ha Laguna estate

 Isidro Consunji at a DMCI Homes construction site

The Consunji family conglomerate DMCI Holdings is developing a 40-hectare (ha) leisure estate in the Philippine hot spring capital of Laguna province, which will include a Japanese-style onsen and villas, as part of efforts to diversify its property holdings.

The power, mining, infrastructure and construction giant is currently in the planning stage for the Los Baños, Laguna project, which will rise near a forested mountainside overlooking Laguna de Bay, according to DMCI chair and CEO Isidro Consunji.

“I think it will click because there’s still no high-end hot springs in the whole Philippines,” he told reporters in an interview on Friday.

Consunji said they were still finalizing the concept for the estate, parts of which would be developed on a joint venture basis with the Mamon family, which built the Enchanted Kingdom theme park.

He said the project would feature an upscale onsen, which is a hot spring facility that is popular in Japan. DMCI is also looking to build a condotel and villas in the estate as well as a possible orchid garden and aviary to turn the project into a leisure destination in Laguna. Leisure, tourism

DMCI, one of the country’s biggest developers of high-rise and mid-rise residential projects, recently announced its diversification into leisure and tourism. Last year, it announced the launch of Solmera Coast, an “Asian tropical-inspired” condotel project in San Juan, Batangas under the DMCI Homes Leisure Residences sub-brand.

Condotel units are sold to homeowners who can rent out their condominiums to guests.

DMCI has been buying land in Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna and Pampanga, raising its landbank in Luzon alone to nearly 100 ha.

Meanwhile, Consunji said DMCI Homes was set to turn over a record 8,000 units to homeowners this year, a 60-percent increase from the 5,000 units delivered in 2023.

Asked about the historic high figure, Consunji said this was the result of their various residential projects being completed.

DMCI Homes earlier budgeted P18.6 billion for its 2023 project development and land acquisitions, which was an 18-percent increase from the previous year. INQ