The brisk sales it saw in the first quarter of the year revealed a healthy financial condition that enabled it to continue thriving and expanding amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
But apart from chalking up a 23-percent increase in revenues to P11.4 billion in the first three months of the year, SM Development Corp. clearly has other reasons why it remains bullish of its outlook for the Philippine property market, despite this unprecedented health crisis.
The residential arm of SM Prime Holdings, for one, already offers projects primed for the new normal as it has long been creating integrated communities that have become vital today.
Even prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, SMDC communities are sustainable ecosystems enabled by its synergies with companies under the SM Group. They are being built near malls, groceries, dining areas, banks, schools, offices and transport hubs. In other communities, hotels and convention centers are thrown in this mix as well, explained SMDC president Jose Mari Banzon.
SMDC’s intrinsic designs and amenities are also found suitable in this era of the new normal as buildings provide ample lighting and natural ventilation, which are crucial in having a healthy home. Its Wi-Fi equipped lobbies, open air lounges and pocket parks offer room to observe social distancing while co-working spaces provide the perfect setting for home offices.
According to Banzon, the robust demand for SMDC homes hinges on several factors such as the inclusion of commercial strips or malls, which became the lifeline of residents in SMDC’s integrated lifestyle developments during the pandemic. Also highlighted were the priceless benefits of convenience, safety, security, accessibility and that feeling of belongingness offered by SMDC. All these only further strengthened SMDC as a brand that offers a smart, practical investment option, and which homeowners and investors can trust and truly relate with.
Brilliant offering
This will be the same kind of offering (and perhaps, even more) that one will find in SMDC’s latest brilliant project along the 32.5-kilometer C-5 Road—a known flourishing corridor of progress where the biggest names in real estate have converged.
Rising along C-5 Road is the 41-story Gem Residences, which offers right-sized homes that cater to the multi-faceted lifestyle of today’s active young professionals. Here, in this modern contemporary themed residential enclave in bustling Pasig City, is where wellness, productivity and camaraderie will meet, enabled primarily by an array of topnotch amenities well-suited to the demands of the new normal.
Its strategic location is impressive enough—of being along C-5, one of the most important transportation corridors of Metro Manila that offers easy access to established and emerging growth areas as well as other major thoroughfares. Add to that the proposed MRT 4, which is planned to have a station approximately 850 meters away from Gem Residences.
The advantage is primarily two-pronged—one is proximity to a key transport project and second is in terms of land value appreciation. Proof? A 2019 study by the Asian Development Bank showed that land values of property parcels located a kilometer away from the MRT 3 posted a 220 percent jump for residential and 290 percent for commercial over a 10 year period from 1995 to 2015. A similar pattern of property value appreciation may likely happen to those within the immediate periphery of the proposed MRT 4, including SMDC projects. This alone already shows how Gem Residences can indeed be a brilliant investment prospect as well.
Brilliant amenities
What will steal the show however are Gem Residences’ first-rate amenities that will help create a healthy, promising and enabling environment as well as a brilliant lifestyle for future residents.
Gem Residences’ The Creators Park brilliantly fuses amenities within more than 40 activity areas designed to support residents as they build a lifestyle in pursuit of work-life integration.
Its wellness facilities include outdoor and indoor gyms, a yoga deck, jogging path, as well as lap and kiddie pools, while productivity facilities feature a co-working space in the Creators Park; the Idea Zone which is a breakout area meant for informal meetings; and the Visionary’s Corner, a meditation area where you can take a breather from all the hustle and exacting demands of your work. Socialization facilities meanwhile will help you stay connected with your neighbors and friends in Gem Residences while still practicing social distancing—The Arcade is the game area; Celebration Hall (function room); City Observation Deck (viewing deck for stunning, sweeping vistas of the city skyline); pool deck; and children’s playground.
Its units, which will come in studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom cuts, promote efficient, urban living that will allow you to save significantly on electricity, water, maintenance and other costs.
And like other SMDC developments, Gem Residences will host a built-in commercial center so essentials and other necessities are within reach, while serving as complimentary living and social spaces for easy meet up with friends over a quick bite or coffee.
Gem Residences will truly prepare you to live a smart, practical but brilliant lifestyle in this era of the new normal and enable you to seamlessly pursue your wellness, work and social goals within a community that is safe, secure and well-poised to meet the challenges of the future.