MANILA, Philippines - Digoy Borlaza, 30 years old, is a civil engineer by profession, so when the time came for him to look for a home, he knew the essential factors to consider before moving in to a residential development: structural stability of the establishment, quality of the fixtures and finishes, counter-measures against floods, fire and earthquakes, and most importantly, the reputation of the developer.
As a young husband and father of a toddler and a newly-born, there were other key elements to consider before making that final decision. Security is pertinent for Digoy and his wife Maryanne.
Having peace of mind every time they go out, knowing that they would be leaving their children Rafael and Mikayla safely with their nanny is something priceless. Also, several options for leisure and recreation should likewise be readily available, when the family needs to relax at night or over the weekend, without having to leave the confines of their community.
Price is also of major concern, especially for Digoy who needs to balance their household budget while raising two toddlers and paying a monthly amortization. And at this point in their life when they need to prioritize more important personal and professional concerns, having no worries about the daily maintenance of a big house certainly is a welcome advantage – this means a condo unit and its lock-up-and-go lifestyle fits the bill for the Borlaza family.
At East Raya Gardens in Pasig City, Digoy has found an ideal home that fulfills all his requirements. His 49.5-sqm, two-bedroom unit at the second floor of Amanusa Building is now serving as a fitting home where they can pursue their dreams and live the present to the fullest.
Having DMCI Homes as the project’s builder and developer also convinced Digoy to make the choice with East Raya Gardens . While surveying for a home in 2009, he heard about an emerging project by DMCI Homes located within Pasig City, where he has chosen to settle for its proximity to important destinations around the metro.
“I think Pasig as an address is very ideal for my family because it’s in the center of Manila. I can go to Makati through C-5 or to Quezon City in about 45 minutes, which is better than having to come all the way from the suburbs of northern or southern Manila. I have also gotten used to living in Pasig and know the neighborhood quite well, so when I learned about East Raya Gardens, I decided to fulfill my family’s dream of having our own home instead of just renting,” Digoy related.
Living inside an apartment compound within a subdivision in Pasig may sound practical, but paying rent versus amortization for his own condo unit sounded more sensible for Digoy. He also noted that the subdivision does not provide stringent security measures, unlike a condo development like East Raya where he knows that the entire complex is fully-gated and fully-secured.
It also helped that as an engineer, Digoy is aware of DMCI Homes’ reputation in the industry. By that time, he was almost 100 percent convinced about going with East Raya, but after he scouted other viable residential projects by other developers, it only proved that he made the right decision to buy a property from DMCI Homes.
“From the impressive amenities to the themed architecture, the landscaping, quality of finishes, and for a very competitive price, it turned out that DMCI Homes offered the best value-for-money product. I also preferred the medium-rise building structure because that meant the number of units and residents would be very manageable,” he noted.
Moving in at March last year, Digoy and his family have settled in quite comfortably at East Raya Gardens along with other start-up couples. One of the things he noticed is having neighbors coming from the same market segment of young couples and start-up families.
“Our community has so many babies! My neighbors and I have a lot in common and it’s shaping up to be one very vibrant and nurturing community. We hold a lot of parties and gatherings organized by the Property Management Office in the Clubhouse, and there are so many opportunities for bonding with everyone even at the gym, videoke room, and swimming pool,” he added.
East Raya Gardens is a ready community with Balinese-themed architecture composed of seven distinctly designed medium-rise buildings consisting of 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units. Sprawled on a 2.9-hectare prime property along Mercedes Avenue, East Raya Gardens offers a good location, safety and exclusivity features, and first-rate building provisions such as roving security, electrified perimeter fence, fire alarm and fire hose cabinets along corridors, and strategic fire exits.
DMCI Homes is the country’s premier triple A builder-developer that brings serviced, themed communities within reach of urban families who once had limited residential options, but still aspire to achieve a comfortable, enriching quality of life proximate to their place of interest. For inquiries on East Raya Gardens and other DMCI Homes projects, call 324-8888 or visit the website: www.dmcihomes.com.