LUXURY condominium development The Rise at Monterrazas is set to get its Berde stamp.
Slater Young, the project’s lead, said on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, that the certification would alleviate concerns about the project and its environmental impact. It would also serve as validation for the project’s sustainability features and practices.
“We may have the chance to get the five-star Berde rating,” Young told the 500-delegates of the recently concluded National Developer’s Convention of the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association Inc.
The five-star Berde rating is the highest rating which means the project adheres to world-class standards in green building.
Berde stands for Building for Ecologically Responsible Design Excellence, a green building rating system established in 2009 by the Philippine Green Building Council (PhilGBC). The PhilGBC is a member of the World Green Building Council, a non-profit organization and global network of national Green Building Councils.
Berde compels property developers to align their construction and operation initiatives to the best sustainability practices and submit projects to be green-verified.
Young said the Berde stamp will help allay the fears of the public over the project that is set to build 146 ultra-luxury condominium units in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.
“We are taking a step further to get the Berde certification, an independent company. We showed them all the project plans just to make sure mawala ni nga issue (this issue will disappear) and to show that we are doing it right. I feel like The Rise can be a good example of sustainable development. We are on the same side when it comes to making sure that this project is sustainable,” Young said in a press conference.
“We are aiming for five stars, we have the potential to get the five-star but getting the one star is already very, very hard to get. It’s a long long process that’s gonna take months,” he added.
Assurance
Shortly after unveiling The Rise project on social media, netizens swiftly voiced their concerns regarding its potential environmental and community impacts.
The Rise at Monterrazas is inspired by the beauty of the Rice Terraces and is designed to mimic the cascading mountains of green fields. The development offers a variety of unit types, including two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and loft units. All units are said to have spacious interiors and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer stunning views of the city.
Young assured the public that The Rise had been meticulously planned. Even before the project’s conceptualization, flood mitigation measures had already been completed.
He said there are two olympic-sized pools that are ready to catch rain, especially during downpours.
“This concept (The Rise) has been done all over the world, but because this is new to the Philippines, that’s why it’s raising many questions… But behind me is a team of over 100 people, working not only on the design. We have a team of geotechnics engineers, structural, architects and more,” said Young, who is an engineer.
According to Young, they already have the master Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) but they have added an amendment because the (project) area has been expanded.
“We already have an application with the DENR and it’s in the finishing steps already,” said Young.
Under Philippine law, any project that may have significant environmental impacts must undergo an environmental impact assessment and obtain an ECC from the DENR.
‘Doing well’
Amid the concerns surrounding the project, The Rise, according to Young has been doing well. He said despite the project’s expensive price starting at P60 million, it has been getting positive interest from both local and foreign buyers.
“We initially thought this project would sell out in five to seven years but it’s been selling out quickly so that means there’s a market,” he said.
According to theriseatmonterrazas.com, the two-bedroom and penthouse units are already sold out.
Earlier this year, Colliers Philippines, a property advisory firm, predicted that the luxury residential market, which experiences demand from an affluent and discerning clientele, would also emerge prominently in regions beyond the National Capital Region, such as Cebu.
According to Joey Roi Bondoc, director of Research at Colliers’: “[We project] the attractiveness of luxury and ultra-luxury residential projects sustaining pace and we see this trend even outside of Metro Manila. Offering luxury condominium units in key areas outside of the capital region will be more pronounced beyond 2023 and we see an aggressive differentiation among property firms’ projects moving forward.”