Camella diversifies to develop condos, malls

CEBU, Philippines - To mark its 21st year in the real estate industry, Camella intends to diversify its business into developing condominiums and malls this year.

“This is our 21st year. Camella has to be known with a big bang. We already have housing projects and memorial parks. Now, we are going to condominiums and malls this year. We are going to be bigger in Cebu,” Camella founder, Senator Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. said.

He added that for them to have complete coverage in Cebu, they are looking forward for more Camella projects in the northern part of the province such as Liloan and Consolacion.

Camella commercial area is about to open in Azienda Talisay to be called the Camella Plaza, a 1-hectare property which shall feature a supermarket, restaurants and community conveniences.

Villar said construction will start anytime soon and at the same time, refers Talamban and Mactan as good candidates for malls in Cebu.

In their next five years, he said that they are about to put up 50-60 malls nationwide and they will be called “Camella Malls”.

“Our stand is different. We want to bring lifestyle closer to homes. Yung mall na ang pupunta sa mga tao. The concept of Camella is complete. May simbahan, may shoping area, may school at maraming amenities,” Villar said.

Camella Homes will also have new phases in Batangas, Palawan, Baguio and other parts of the Philippines.

“In the last ten years, we are transformed to be something completely different with improved quality development which has increased significantly. We will be covering the entire country by the year ends. We are very aggressive and we are continuing in the next years. Camella Homes is a world-class housing company which has the biggest number of units and it’s time to let the people know that we are,” Villar expressed.

The senator also described Camella as a soft, female sound which is attractive to the feminine sector and his Spanish – Italian inspired houses as a sign of romance in an affordable price and value for money.

 “We don’t sell houses, we sell romance,” he said.

Camella’s first community project outside Metro Manila was introduced in Cebu when it opened its first project in June 1991– Vista Bella in Mactan.

Villar admitted that Cebu is a difficult province for their projects but the people in it makes everything possible.

“I admit dito sa Cebu kami nahirapan. It is the second most prosperous in the country and its land is either mountainous or sea. It’s really tough. But because Cebuanos are people with industry and persistence, it’s more achievable. It’s amazing how Cebu has progressed,” he stated.

Following Mactan in 1991, Camella House – Cebu continued its expansion. In 1992, Tierra Grande was first opened in Talisay and Talamban had Miramonte Townhomes in 1995. In the year 2004, Camella introduced first inner city development with Pasadena in Guadalupe and last year, it introduced the first Camella Condo homes project in Mactan and subsequently, opened Camella Carcar.

Camella – Cebu project data show that the total gross developed residential area to date is 123 hectares and 27 projects in communities developed including enclaves and several phases. Camella - Cebu total saleable lots count to 7,100 lots and houses built to date total to 4,700 units.

Records also indicate that there are 5,000 total no. of homeowners and lot owners to date and 4,400 families or 17,000 residents housed in Camella – Cebu.