On eco-friendly communities

MANILA, Philippines - Face it: you may not be able to reduce global warming, end pollution, and save endangered species single-handedly, but by choosing to live in an eco-friendly community, you can do a lot every day to help save the planet.

This is the rationale behind the “Eco-Friendly Community” thrust of Filinvest, one of the country’s largest and most diverse property developers. The company has made “Eco-Friendly Community” more than just a mantra, but a corporate commitment from blueprint to actual development. Examples of these Filinvest developments are Timberland Heights, Laeuna de Taal, and The Linear.

Mountain suburban living

As you travel up the hills of San Mateo in Rizal, Timberland Heights stands out as it nestles in a green bowl — a patchwork of a mini-nature reserve, city farms, winding and wooded trails, swimming ponds, camping sites, and sprawling landscapes. This 677-hectare development is located just a 15-minute drive from Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

True to Filinvest’s advocacy, Timberland Heights was created without disturbing the natural greenways of the San Mateo mountains. Its naturally lush greenery, rolling terrain, and panoramic views of Laguna de Bay and the Sierra Madre mountain range make it an oasis of calm, especially for tired and weary city souls.

“Upon entering Timberland Heights, you can already feel that the air gets cooler because of the trees and vegetation in the area that improve air quality,” said garments distributor Jose Winston Dichupa, one of the homeowners in Timberland Heights.

Close to nature yet designed for everyday living, Timberland Heights has themed communities with a tropical Asian flavor to suit different lifestyles. Mandala Residential Farm Estates is designed for hobby farmers who enjoy cultivating their very own farm lots. There are also the exclusive hideaways of Banyan Ridge, The Ranch, and Banyan Crest for those who go for luxury and freedom.

Mountain retreat

In the south of Manila, Filinvest also built a lakeside community called Laeuna de Taal. The 60-hectare development lies along the Tagaytay Mountain Ridge and is located just 15 minutes from the Tagaytay rotunda.

Conceptualized as a lakeside residential community, Laeuna de Taal was planned and designed around the natural setting of Taal Lake and the various flora and fauna in Taal, Batangas. Roads and other infrastructure were built following the natural topography of the property to ensure minimum cut and avoid soil erosion.