FASHION maven Clint Holton P. Potestas takes a break from fashion and delves into the life of a woman who’s come home to stay.
“She never wanted to come home to Cebu,” whispered real estate executive Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung, glancing at her back to make sure her daughter, who was priming up for the shoot at their residence, could overhear the conversation. She leaned closer and continued, “She asked me once, ‘why would I live there?’”
If there’s one thing that Mariquita is most proud of, it is the change she has seen in her daughter, Carla, 31, who at first was reluctant when her parents suggested that she be relocated to Cebu from London to manage the family-owned real estate establishment.
“She takes a few trips abroad, but she always comes back. Generally speaking, she does not want to leave Cebu anymore.”
Mariquita attributed it to her daughter being enrolled at a boarding school in London where she fended for herself.
For almost three years now, Cebu is where Carla has placed her heart in—a city where she considers home, family, and fortress.
“I love Cebu,” beamed Carla. “I like the idea that the beach is so close to the city.”
“Speak in Cebuano,” Mariquita cut through the conversation, “maka-sabot man siya.”
Educated in Hong Kong and London, she takes the post as the real estate developer of MSY Holdings Corporation, a business that started out as a charitable institution for children with cleft palates founded by her mother.
Now, it is one of Cebu’s premiere housing companies. Located in Mactan, Bayswater has been known to provide luxurious living at a very reasonable rate, complete with amenities, such as a mini-mall, and round-the-clock security.
Planning the entire project that includes 800 units, she considered the general market: teenager, the mobile professionals, and the retirees who are looking for the appropriate venue for family bonding and community interaction.
Fascinated with the abundance of trees in the city, Carla has thought of the tree-lined access roads and landscaped spaces, and an all-weather covered basketball court.
She has also put much regard to drainage and sewerage system of the subdivision.
An eye for detail is the secret. From choosing the location up to marketing the properties to the consumer, Carla has her hands on them. While this does not mean micro-management, she still believes in upholding quality living for the Cebuanos.
“I am very meticulous with the materials used in building the units because that’s the very foundation of the structure,” she said. “The Cebuanos deserve that.”
Carla is finally home, and a true-blue Cebuano at that. But nothing could be more “Bisaya authentic” than skipping a strict no-carbohydrate diet for a plateful of lechon, taking a crisp bite of the roasted skin by hand.