Enhancing the beauty of suburban life

Most urbanites used to have qualms at the thought of embracing suburban life. Until Ayala Westgrove Heights (AWH), the exclusive residential community in Silang, Cavite, opened their eyes and hearts to the beauty of suburban life set amidst lush environment, rolling hills and yes, mango groves. Indeed, the next big thing to living well is Ayala Westgrove Heights.

Homeowners Association president Bobby Chan could not agree more. He also believes the abundance of mangoes proved to be added attraction. "This makes our community unique. The great thing about it is that Ayala Land Premiere (ALP) kept the natural topography of the property because really the mango groves complement the overall setting of AWH."

With over 1,500 existing and newly planted trees, AWH takes pride in being a good source of quality and a few varieties of mangoes. Originally a mango orchard, AWH produces "Carabao" or Manila super (comprises 95 percent of AWH harvest), mango apple and Kent mangoes that as Chan revealed show potential in meeting the demand for high-grade mangoes abroad.

"We already had initial talks with private companies interested to purchase our mangoes. This made us work extra hard in developing our mangoes to meet international standards, discloses Chan.

In fact, the association has established a program dedicated to properly tend the trees including a nursery for grafting and re-grafting. It also designated tree care staff to oversee cleaning and harvesting. More importantly, it has implemented strict conservation rules.

Chan explains: "We have a nature conservation committee to ensure that the rule about prohibiting mango-picking is being followed. Since most of the residents believe these fruit trees are an integral part of our community, it was not hard for everyone to abide by the rules."

With such valuable undertakings, the assocaition also receives technical assistance from ALP landscape consultant and horticulturists Arnel Sulit and landscape supervisor Francisco Castro. Both lend their expertise in proper care of the mango trees.

Says Sulit: "Our role is mostly consultation for growing mangoes, like where and when to plant trees or how to prevent infestation. We anticipate possible problems and offer solutions. We also give advice when needed. Even then, it is expected that we could produce high quality mangoes here because AWH is a most conducive location to grow them."