Pueblo de Oro

As a responsible developer with nearly a dozen years of experience in developing first-class residential and commercial subdivisions, Pueblo de Oro Development Corp. puts a premium on ensuring the safety and security not only of its residents and locators but also the larger community of people in the areas surrounding the Township. It is for this reason that early on, we insisted on having a police sub-precinct installed in the Township, in a station we built along what is now known as Macapagal Drive, close to the SM Mall. Manned by members of the City Police Force whom we assist with certain logistical requirements, the police precinct amplifies police visibility in our area and provides quick response to any incident requiring police assistance.

In an effort to futher enhance security in our area, we are building yet another police sub-station in the Township, this time on a site facing Masterson Avenue, close to our present Fire Station and Security Office. We believe that the presence of another police station in the area can greatly boost security within and even outside the Township.

In addition to our police and security forces, we have instituted other measures to enhance security in our area. Aside from our gated villages with 24-hour security, we have motorcycle-riding and horse-mounted roving guards that regularly patrol the different areas of the Township. The Mounted Patrol team is particularyly useful in securing the ridges and valley portion of the Township. We also have our K-9 patrol, where we train and maintain guard dogs to help with security enforcement in our area.

With the objective of helping keep the Uptown area safe, we are working with other developers in Uptown, Cagayan de Oro as well as the leadership of surrounding barangays to institute cooperative measures toward said end. Believing that the residents themselves can also help promote peace and security in their respective villages, we, through our Community Relations Unit, are also working closely with the individual homeowners associations to be security concious and to come up with programs that can enhance security in their homes and villages.

In this endeavor, the need for cooperation among the Township residents and the people in the nearby communities cannot be overemphasized. We are proud to say that our Security Office and Fire Department have been responsive not only to Township requirements but to emergencies of our neighboring communities. Thus, in the recent fire incident in Xavier Heights, our fire brigade and fire truck were among the very first to arrive, controlling what could otherwise have been a bigger fire. For this, our Fire and Security Force was commended by the City Fire Marshall and received profuse thanks from the residents whose houses were saved from the spread of the fire. It is the least we could do as a part of the larger community of Uptown, CDO.

There are other measures we are looking at to further enhance security in our area, including installation of security cameras and gadgets in strategic points in the Township. All of these are in recognition that in Township living, security is key.

Key members of the 43-strong force guarding the Township.

Cagayan de Oro Awaits You!

Large-scale conventions, major sports competitions, festivals and special events play a very special role in branding a city to promote its products, places and projects to the world. In the Philippine culture and milieu, fiestas are such events for place marketing. Hence, a number of cities are known for their fiestas, such as Cebu for the Sinulog, Davao for its Kadayawan, Aklan for its Ati-atihan, and even Malaybalay for the Kaamulan.

The Promote CDO Foundation, of which I am President, has been tasked to organize this year's and the succeeding six annual fiestas thru City Ordinance No. 10514-2007. This is the first private sector-led fiesta celebration in Cagayan de Oro (CDO), and we had to come up with a unified fiesta celebration immediately identifiable with the City that everyone could enjoy. The Kagay-an Festival is the perfect venue to showcase CDO - a chance to draw visitors and guests to experience the famous Kagay-anon hospitality for themselves.

For the recently concluded fiesta last August, Promote CDO came up with Five Core Events: River Festivities, Agro-Industrial Trade Fair, Miss Kagay-an Tourism, Street Dancing, and the first Cagayan de Oro Golden Float Competition. Feedback on the Kagay-an Festival has been positive. Having built on the experience of the past, it has improved in its quality of participants consonant with the concept - "Street Dancing: One Higaonon Beat"; Miss Kagay-an Tourism: personable young ladies able to be Kagay-an tourism ambassadors; and River Festivities: long boats, white water rafting challenge, fluvial parade and Clean and Green contest - in keeping with Kagay-an Riverside. We are encouraged by the very positive feedback, and will seek to further improve the Core Events so that they will become a part of the fiesta tradition of CDO.

CDO is known for its warm smiles and friendly people, earning the nickname "City of Golden Friendship". Through the years it has been growing in leaps and bounds into a bustling and vibrant urban center that still maintains a balance of city living with small-town charm. We are already known as an eco-tourism destination in the country, with our year-round whitewater rafting, caving, and nature parks. The City has many infrastructure projects such as the rehabilitation of Cogon and Carmen Markets, the repair of Carmen Bridge and the construction of the Kauswagan-Puntod Bridge and the Kagay-an Bridge, which connects Macasandig with Balulang, among others. In addition, a major new road network has been laid, including Macapagal Drive (formerly known as the West Diversion Road), which passes through the northern portion of the Pueblo de Oro Township, connecting Bulua Highway to SM City. With the recent inauguration of the Capitol University Medical City, CDO now has the facilities to serve medical needs that one previously had to go to Cebu or Manila for, paving the way of the City into medical tourism.

At Pueblo de Oro, we are doing our part to bring Cagayan de Oro to the forefront of people's minds as a great place to live, work and retire. With our world class all-weather championship golf course, the SM Mall, two IT Ecozones (the Pueblo IT Park and the SM IT Ecozone), our first-class residential villages, 40-hectare Urban Rainforest and the presence of quality schools like Xavier University and Corpus Christi, among other facilities and amenities, we are able to offer Kagay-anons a place to enjoy high quality of life. Our active homeowners associations also allow villagers to experience a sense of community.

I am sure that many people, especially those who have been away from Cagayan de Oro for long, will be amazed at the changes that have taken place in the City over the last few years. I entice them to come to Cagayan de Oro and to Pueblo de Oro, not just for the Kagay-an Fiesta, but at any time of the year.

No Place Like Home

That "there's no place like home" may be the reason why a significant segment of the market for real estate products in the country today is composed of overseas Filipinos. And why not? Though they may now own their place in their current country of residence, there is always a deep yearning among them to someday return to the Philippines and the old town of their birth.

We, in Pueblo de Oro, are happy that more and more overseas Filipinos in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East have chosen to buy in the Township. We have a number of balikbayan retirees from the U.S. who now call our Pueblo Golf Estates home. And they need not even be avid golfers like Mr. Joe Barcelon or Mrs. Ervina Wilkinson. They could be like an Engr. Dulcisimo Manago who just relishes having his home in the golf course to ensure there are no buildings to block the wind and their view.

One curious thing is even non-Kagay-anons and Misamisnons have chosen to own a place in Pueblo de Oro. There are quite a number of those who are from Luzon, the Visayas and other parts of Mindanao who have also invested in a property in Cagayan de Oro and Pueblo de Oro.

These people like myself, and so many others before and after me, may have discovered the charm and benefits of countryside living in a modern city minus the negatives of Metro Manila, such as intermittent flooding, grave air pollution and the legendary traffic problem. Here in CDO, we can still boast of fresh, unpolluted air, traffic is still manageable, and streets are flood free, especially in Pueblo de Oro, whose plateau area is at least 120 meters above sea level. Yet, the city boasts of all the amenities of modern living like shopping malls, top-notch recreational facilities, excellent schools, and well-planned residential subdivisions.

It so happens that all the above-mentioned facilities are available in one compact township development that is Pueblo de Oro. It has been master-planned precisely in such a way that everything one needs is practically all in. Over the last 10 years, we have established the necessary building blocks of Modern Township living. Pueblo de Oro is perhaps one of the very few if not the only development in the country today with as many diverse elements such as an SM City Mall, a PEZA IT Ecozone, a Robert Trent Jones II all-weather championship golf course with an international luxury resort hotel in its periphery, and leading educational institutions within the 360-hectare Township. In addition, as part of environmental conservation, we also made sure to earmark 40-hectares for an Urban Rainforest and built a pond the size of a small lake to catch excess rainwater and guard against any flooding in the valley portion of the Township in the future.

Thus, our beloved kababayans looking for a home in the Philippines are well-advised to consider Cagayan de Oro - where its pristine river allows year-round river rafting, where everything is near - from the sea to the mountains and to other parts of Visayas and Mindanao (even Manila is just an hour and 20 minutes away by plane), where virtually everything (including real estate) is still cheaper than Manila and other urban centers in Luzon, and where peace and order is and has never been an issue despite its Mindanao location because of its stability and neutrality reminiscent of Switzerland in Europe. And when in CDO, we invite you to discover why Pueblo de Oro is the preferred location of choice by so many overseas Filipinos.

Building the Communities Around Us

"We're Building a Township" has always been our battle cry since Pueblo started in 1996. But more than just putting up the building blocks to make a complete Township out of the 360-hectare area of Pueblo de Oro, we have always endeavored to help build the communities around us, believing that a development like ours cannot prosper in isolation but must have the support of the surrounding ocmmunities.

Not many people may know it but even before our first project broke ground, we, through our Community Relations (ComRel) Unit, had started working closely with the nearby barabgays, including Canitoan, Lumbia, Balulang and Carmen.

One of the first things we did was provide the barangay centers with computer resources and appropriate training to modernize their office functions for greater productivity. With the start of development of the Golf Course and our various construction projects, we also prioritized sourcing labor and skills from our neighboring barangays, hiring residents as construction and maintenance workers, if not providing the with income as caddies, umbrella girls and ball pickers in the Pueblo Golf Club, in collaboration with the Mayor's Public Employment Service Office (PESO).

To further augment the income of barangay residents, we assisted in the implementation of several livelihood projects, including hog raising, cash crop planting, and sewing and bag making using recycled materials in partnership with the Rotary Club of West CDO. With Rotary Uptown as a partner, we have adopted Calaanan Elementary and High School and assisted in sourcing computer equipment from various donors. To put the equipment to good use, we coordinated with our locator, Link2Support, to provide computer training to teachers of said school.

Another livelihood project which was quite successful and continues to help the residents of Canitoan is the Micro-lending Project. With P50,000 seed money provided by PORC-ComRel and distributed to the barangay's seven districts, we have districts like District II, whose assets have grown by leaps and bounds and which has served and changed the lives of hundreds of residents of Canitoan.

To ensure the sustainability of the projects, our community development efforts are focused on empowerment and capability building through organizing the barangay residents, especially the wives and youth, and providing them training in organizational planning and development, project development and management, leadership and team building, and VMG (Vision, Mission and Goals) formulation. The training programs have borne fruit with youth involvement in environmental concerns like tree planting in support of reforestation efforts sucha s in the Pueblo Urban Rainforest.

Believing further that Pueblo can only grow if the City grows, we have been quite active in efforts to pormote investment and tourism in the region. Not only is Pueblo and active member of Promote CDO Foundation adn the OROCHAMBER (the two most active organizations helping promote the City), we early on set aside a one-hectare site for a Government investment Promotion Center in our area, 3,000 sq.m. of which is now the location of the OROCHAMBER Business Development Centre, whose construction has started. In addition, we take pride in being able to bring in big investors like SM, Koresco and Link2Support, which generated employment for many Kagay-anons and Misamisnons and is helping the City become world-class.

We are happy in the thought that while building a Township, we are also helping build the greater community of Cagayan de Oro.

A decade ago, we set out to build a Township in Cagayan de Oro, a place so complete you can live where you never have to leave. To have a complete Township, we need to have not only a place to live, but also something to do for recreation, a place to work, as well as facilities like school, church, and government. We had to set the building blocks of living in the Pueblo de Oro Township.

Ten years down the line, our first residential subdivision, Morning Mist, is now a bustling village. The residents have an organized Homeowners Association. There is a true sense of community as they really take time to get to know their neighbors. San Agustin Valley Homes, another of our more populous villages, not only has a homeowners association but an active youth group. Philamlife Village and Golden Glow Village are currently in the process of putting together their own organizations.

We are proud that the regions' most prestigious school, Xavier University, has transferred its high school and grade school here in Pueblo. Another top school, Corpus Christi, has also acquired property for its planned expansion.

With a world class championship golf course that has been recognized several times in leading golf publications such as Golfing Philippines and Inquirer Golf, Pueblo de Oro Golf & Country Club is a top draw of the city for tourism. We are set to host the PAL Interclub next year, which is the biggest and most prestigious golf tournament in the country. That we were able to bring the Interclub to Cagayan de Oro (CDO) not just once but three times is something to be proud of.

Our golf course has also caught the attention of the international golfing community. The Koreans, in particular have been so enamoured with our course that they have built within its periphery Hotel Koresco, a luxury hotel. Within the Koresco complex is an annex, and construction is also ongoing on their seven-storey residential condominium.

With our various commercial areas within walking distance of home, it is possible to work where you live. We are proud to have the first I.T. Park in Mindanao - the Pueblo de Oro I.T. Ecozone, which is now home to Link2Support, CDO's first call center. Of course, there is also SM Mall, its presence of which made the city a leading retail center in the country.

What is a community without a bit of greenery? At the Pueblo de Oro Township, we not only provide open spaces and parks within our villages - we have preserved 40 hectares of land as the Pueblo Urban Rainforest.

People are starting to take notice of the boom in Cagayan de Oro's Uptown area. The City has providentially prepared its road network in such a way that four new major roads adjoin the Pueblo de Oro Township. The OROCHAMBER has also broken ground on their Business Development Centre in the 2,800 sq.m. lot we have donated to them along Macapagal Drive.

Other projects in the works are the Northern Mindanao Institute of Good Governance and the church that will rise on the two-hectare plot donated by Pueblo to the Archdiocese of Cagayan. Our building blocks are well in place indeed!

In 1989, I visited Cagayan de Oro with my family. While I am originally from Luzon, I fell in love with Cagayan, its ginamus and delicious fish called pigok, the cool waters of its pristine river, and its warm unpolluted beaches. I was hopelessly smitten, just as I had already fallen in love with my beautiful Kagay-anon wife.

Cagayan de Oro is a melting pot. Many people from other places, like myself, have come here to stay because we have been enamored with this city and its people. We are already known as an eco-tourism destination in the country, with our year-round whitewater rafting, caving, and nature parks. Over the past few years, the City has been growing in leaps and bounds with many infrastructure projects such as the rehabilitation of Carmen Bridge and the on-going construction of the Macasandig-Balulang and the Kauswagan-Puntod bridges, among other projects. In addition, President Arroyo led the recent inauguration of Macapagal Drive, formerly known as the West Diversion Road, which passes through the northern portion of the Pueblo de Oro Township, connecting Bulua Highway to SM City.

The last city fiesta of Cagayan de Oro held in honor of its patron saint, St. Augustine, proved to be the biggest yet the city had. With the theme "Tsada Kagay-an: Going Global", the fiesta was held with weeks of fun and well-attended activities including the river parade (Lambagohan Festival), street dancing, whitewater rafting competition, Miss CDO pageant, and many more activities culminating with the launching of Glimpses: A Peek into Cagayan de Oro, Cagayan de Oro's first "coffee table" book.

Like the City, Pueblo de Oro has also gone global. With our world-class championship golf course, it was not long before we started attracting golfers from within and outside the country to play at the Pueblo de Oro Golf & Country Club, notably the Koreans who began sending jungolfers to train in Pueblo Golf. Last year, Hotel Koresco, a Korean luxury hotel, opened its doors in the Pueblo Golf Estates. With the Pueblo I.T. Ecozone and the subsequent opening of Cagayan de Oro's first call center, Link2Support, Kagay-anon voices reach out to the world from the Pueblo de Oro Township. And after months of preparation, we recently obtained the seal of good housekeeping from SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance) Philippines, Inc. with an ISO 9001:2000 Certification. This puts Pueblo de Oro among a handful of companies in the real estate industry in the world with such an accreditation and the first such firm this part of the country. It is recognition that we have the necessary systems and procedures that make us deliver quality service according to world-class standards.

Any work is the sum total of all the collaborations and efforts of stakeholders and participants. With a world-class Township we at Pueblo are proud to be a part of the force that is working to drive Cagayan de Oro into the global scene.

Why Be Near When You Can Be Here?

The landscape of Cagayan de Oro has made a quantum leap of change in the last 10 years. We at Pueblo de Oro are proud to be part of said change, transforming what used to be a vast tract of marginally productive if not completely idle land into vibrant residential enclaves, top-notch recreational and educational facilities, and a fast growing commercial complex.

We are, of course, aware that credit for the huge and rapid transformation of the City, particularly in this side of town (now being popularly referred to as Uptown, Cagayan de Oro) rests not on Pueblo alone but on other major developments in the area.

In terms of variety and number of facilities, however, we think our township concept of development offers our buyers and locators the unique advantage of having almost everything nearby, which is the whole idea behind our battle cry: "Live Where You Never Have to Leave."

For where else can you be where the mall is truly just a walk away; where your kids can just walk to school and come home for a hot lunch without the risk of having to cross a busy highway; where you can, if you please, just walk or drive a golf car from your home to the golf course; and where your place of work is just a minute or two away from home.

Already, existing residents of the Township are benefitting from our township concept of development. Aside from the proximity and availability of vital facilities and amenities, Pueblo de Oro has its own centralized water system anchored on an interconnection of several wells, thereby ensuring ample and abundant water supply. Because of its unique location where it is connected to not only one but three CEPALCO sub-stations (in Carmen, Macasandig, and right within Pueblo de Oro) as well as its link to CEPALCO's mini-hydro plant in Bubunawan, residents are also better assured of constant power supply. And, with the completion of the South Diversion Road, the ongoing construction of the West Diversion Road, the widening of Masterson Avenue and the cementing of the SM-Proposed City Hall By-pass Road, all roads lead to Pueblo, both literally and figuratively.

Other areas can be near SM. Others can claim they are close to the golf course or Xavier University. But Pueblo is unique in that all these landmarks are within the metes and bounds of the Pueblo de Oro Township. Which is why the question: Why only be near when you can be here?

A Decade of Building the Township

The year 2005 is a milestone one in the history of Pueblo de Oro. We are marking a decade of building the Township.

Ten years ago, the land that would become Pueblo de Oro was a rocky, marginal pasture. It was hard to believe anything would come out of here. Yet we at Pueblo de Oro believed that "If we build it, they will come." We surge forward with our battle cry: "We're Building a Township!"

Today, the Township is a vibrant, dynamic community. We now have a world-class championship golf course, commercial areas, a mall, an IT Park, numerous residential villages, and an urban rainforest. Our first residential subdivision, Morning Mist Village, is now home to nearly 250 households and has an active and committed homeowners association. Homes are also mushrooming at a rapid pace at Golden Glow Village, Philamlife Village, Hillsborough Pointe, and the Golf Estates.

We have proven to be a catalyst for change and development in the city, bringing an SM Mall and Hotel Koresco, a luxury hotel. We have spearheaded the declaration of the city as an IT Hub and have successfully campaigned for the establishment of the first call center in the city, Link2Support, which began operations earlier this year.

Pueblo is at the heart of the new growth area in Uptown Cagayan de Oro. With the completion of the South Diversion Road near the golf course, and the West Diversion and SM Bypass Roads in the northern portion of the Township, we can actually say that all roads lead to Pueblo.

But we are not about to rest on our laurels yet. Pueblo is exploring new markets both locally and even internationally. And in order to meet buyer demand, we decided to get into the housing market. This year, we launched house and lot packages in three of our newest projects: Golden Glow North is strategically located along the crossing of the West Diversion Road and the SM Bypass Road. Vista Verde Village is located along Masterson Avenue and is close to the future Corpus Christi School Pueblo campus. We are about to open Forest View Townhomes, our new townhouse project in the valley portion of the Township. We also have other exciting projects in the pipeline for the coming years, some of them the first of their kind in Cagayan de Oro.

With all the progress that has taken place in the Township over the past ten years, we can only marvel at what the future brings!