In 2009, when we were going around the country to look at possible locations for our planned development, we chose Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao. Our company, Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC), has always aimed to establish developments in emerging cities.
Cagayan de Oro was definitely a good choice even though there was hardly any developer building condominiums in the area during that time. Some people thought we were a little crazy as we did not just build a condominium, we established a modern development, rated green by no less than the International Finance Corp.’s green building certification system, EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies).
We fell in love with Cagayan de Oro’s natural beauty, green surroundings, warm and friendly people, and its vibrant culture and cuisine. It is not called The City of Golden Friendship for nothing.
I love doing business in CDO and, like many other foreigners, I feel very welcome here. In fact, I have a few Italian friends who have chosen Cagayan de Oro over Metro Manila as their place of residence in the Philippines. It is fairly easy for Italians to embrace Filipino culture because we have many similarities, in terms of traditions, habits, and the way we relate to family and friends.
Cagayan de Oro is one of the Philippines’ fastest-growing cities. It is considered an important business hub and trading center. Aside from that, CDO is also known as a university town and a shopping destination.
The natural environment in the area is simply breathtaking—from the famous island of Camiguin and the mountains in Malaybalay in Bukidnon to the pristine beaches in the region and the famous river and nature parks. It is a dynamic and progressive city and, indeed, the perfect location for IDC’s first project, Primavera Residences.
It is a multi-awarded mixed-use green building in Uptown Cagayan de Oro, which came before Primavera City—a much bigger development also in the same area. Primavera City is also rated green by EDGE and offers the same fantastic view of mountains and the sea.
Both developments in Cagayan de Oro carry IDC’s trademark features: increased natural ventilation, abundant natural light, plenty of green and open spaces, magnificent view of natural surroundings, a better environment in general, and passive green features that allow owners to save on water and electricity costs. All of these make our projects very livable—an important requirement among homebuyers and investors these days.
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