The heart behind the build

Antonio Turalba Jr.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine real estate landscape can remain vibrant over the next 50 years – provided that  developers act responsibly, commit to sustainable building practices and avoid overdevelopment, according to Active Group president and CEO Antonio “Toti” Turalba Jr.

“If there are only 1,000 people who can afford to buy your homes, don’t build 10,000 homes,” Turalba says, emphasizing that correct allocation is crucial to solving the housing crisis in the country. “If you count all the vacant developments in Metro Manila and distribute these to all the areas that need development, the ratio will be correct. There is balance (between real estate development and the population). Hindi lang sa tamang lugar napunta yung developments, ” he explains.

Today, a growing number of potential homeowners are exploring areas beyond major cities for investment opportunities, or even to find permanent residences – prompting the Active Group to make a similar shift, realigning the company’s strategy accordingly. The company’s landmark project, Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club, is located in Lipa, Batangas while its next big project, the lakeside community Mozzafiato, is located in Balete, Batangas. Elsewhere in Luzon and Visayas – including Cavite, Laguna and Negros – the company is building residential subdivisions, office buildings and socialized housing projects. 

According to Turalba, Active Group builds each project with the community’s culture foremost in mind.

“You have to feel what the community wants,” he says, adding that “we don’t try to impose our vision. Our designs come from the feel of the place and the culture of the people.”

Architect Antonio Turalba Jr. and his son Juha are champion race car drivers, competing both in the Philippines and abroad. — Russell Palma

Character more than skill

In 1970, architects Antonio A. Turalba Sr. and his wife, Maria Cristina, founded Active Group with a pioneering vision – to become the country’s first architectural firm to offer integrated design and build services. At five years old, Turalba Jr. spent his time in his father’s construction sites, mixing cement to build roads for his matchbox toy collection. His sandboxes were piles of sand taller than him; his “Legos” were hollow blocks. 

Turalba now leads Active Group guided by the values his father Antonio instilled in him. By embodying these principles in both life and work, Turalba inspires the same level of commitment in his employees. 

“Integrity; that’s the key here,” Turalba says. “Make sure you deliver on what you promise. Don’t over-promise. Continuously work on your character, because you can always learn the skills,” he says.

His son Juha, an aeronautical engineer by profession, is now taking on a key leadership role in the family business as Active Group’s vice president for sales and marketing, helping to shape the company’s strategic direction and growth.

After a six-year stint as an engineer at Boeing in the United States, Juha returned home, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a strong focus on digital efficiency and innovation to help modernize Active Group’s operations. From creating a smoother payroll system to tracking and protecting customers’ data, Juha is streamlining processes, essentially future-proofing his family’s real estate business.

For Juha, however, this represents only one dimension of effective leadership within the company.

 “I’ve watched my dad figure out how to support each member of his team, helping them perform at their best,” Juha says, adding that “other than to set the direction, a leader’s job is to look at who’s on the team and support them so they can perform well. It’s not about just one talented person – it’s about having a solid team of good people.”

Teamwork

Outside the office and away from construction sites, the father and son tandem continues to be a formidable team. Both are champion race car drivers for the Miata Spec Series, clay shooters and insatiable globe-trotters. Turalba, who also serves as the president of the Ferrari Club of the Philippines, has drawn his son into his hobby of building model cars and planes. Two glass-enclosed shelves in Turalba’s office display over a hundred die-cast race car models and fighter planes. Three bicycles, built by Turalba himself, add another dimension and distinctive touch to his collection of hobbies. 

“One has to learn how to turn off,” Turalba says. “I schedule breaks more than work because my mind is always on work mode. I race. I shoot. I travel with my family to set the balance in my mind,” he says.

From this sense of balance emerges a company determined to keep the ever-evolving Philippine real estate environment dynamic, strong and rooted in sustainability.