Ricky Ocampo: A developer with passion for wellness and environment

MANILA, Philippines - Strong-willed with a progressive attitude makes Ocampo an effective businessman. Quite unusual for someone of his age to enter into real estate, at 28, Ocampo chose property development as the business he sees his self happily doing, 10 to 30 years from now.

Milrose is a name coined by his dad for their printing press back in the day. A combination of the first names of Ricky’s two grandmothers, Milagros and Rosario, it also means “a million roses.” Ricky Ocampo, president and CEO of Milrose Realty Development Corporation (MRDC) recalls, “The Company started when my parents had idle parcels of land, and thought of developing them into useful properties.” For an industry that relies heavily on the developer’s name and credibility, where most players are veteran businessmen or a magnate’s son taking over the family corporation, Ocampo is tenacious and confident of his work. “I started in building residential units, and realized I wanted more, something different,” he added.

MRDC flagship project Hacienda San Benito is a living testament to that. The property is Ocampo’s first big plunge as a developer, and helped him create a niche of his own. It is the country’s first” residential wellness estate “to give homeowners the privilege to live a peaceful, hacienda life. With a unique business proposition tucked in the middle of the 22-hectare land, a mix-use farm and commercial area which San Benito Wellness Inc. (SBWI) manages, buyers can enjoy planting vegetable crops - salad greens, bell peppers, squash, cacao and sweet potatoes. He also dedicated 70 percent of open space for homeowners to own and domesticate their farm animals like chickens, goats, horses, even ostriches.

“Homeowners are treated as partners and shareholders of San Benito Wellness,” Ocampo shares. Committed to over-all health and true wellness, SBWI, makes sure land owners, farmers, and cooperatives, meet their standards into organic farming. San Benito Wellness Inc. buys the produce from its partners, packs the vegetables fresh, and distributes them directly to markets and leading groceries nationwide. This one-of-a-kind concept in real estate encourages buyers to make the most out of their investment, and be part of a farming community, earning extra from harvests while making new friends.

Hacienda San Benito is a twenty-two hectare wellness and ecological sanctuary in Lipa, Batangas which sits approximately two hours away from Manila, being the third coolest city and accessible destination next to Baguio and Tagaytay. The estate’s gradually sloping terrain with rows of strawberries and vistas of Mt. Malarayat and Mt. Maliponyo make it an alternative nature spot to frequent Baguio-goers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Giving back to communities through sustainable green projects

“We don’t just develop and sell properties, we offer a healthier lifestyle that is sustaining and nature-friendly,” Ocampo explains. “We want to be recognized as the leading developer of wellness and eco-friendly communities by tapping the natural resources of the area, and transforming it into a natural to organic farm, complete with wellness amenities like a spa, a chapel, organic pools, eco-trams, a hike trail, and fields of green.”

The blueprint actually works. Hacienda San Benito assures homeowners of their developer’s commitment and permanence.

Unlikely beginnings

Ocampo recalls, “At six years old, I started breeding dogs. It was a dachshund given to me by my parents and I thought I could make her even more of an asset.”

Bitten early by the entrepreneurial bug, the young Ocampo hounded his parents for answers to “What is a stud? How can I breed dogs?” and throughout grade school, sustained this enterprising attitude that he was able to breed and sell a few dachshunds, German shepherds, and cocker spaniels.

In the 70s, his family owned a printing press around which he grew up. Observing how it was run, he reflects, imbibed in him a silent know-how for business – something that would develop in later years.

Leading by example

Casey San Luis, marketing and business development head for Hacienda San Benito says of her boss, “When we were working on the San Benito project, he would always encourage us to think outside of the box and explore all means to execute the plan.”

“He’s so passionate about his work that he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty,” she describes, “He doesn’t care too much for the spotlight, more a behind-the-scenes kind of guy.”

Future projects

These days, he has his hands full with his latest project, but he stays mum about it. All Ocampo divulges is that the new development will be the country’s leading wellness estate. He has enlisted a roster of seven world renowned Filipino artists, heavyweights in their respective field, to pitch in another wellness community, master-planned by no other than Francisco “Bobby” Manosa, architect designer of Amanpulo, Pearl Farm, and Shangri-la Cebu, together with Ildefonso “I.P.” Santos, a landscaper architect. Both were awarded with a “National Artist” title.

The real estate developer points to sustainability and environmental sensitivity as two major considerations for all their projects. “The aftermath of Ondoy made me realize even more the importance of building eco-villages and communities,” he says. In Ocampo’s terms, “Wellness real estate developer with environmental sensitivity” is the position he wants Milrose to take.