Magnificent trees and flowers are not the only things sprouting in the Tagaytay landscape; impressive infrastructure projects are blooming as well. The most impressive so far is Ponderosa Leisure Farms.
The people behind the Ponderosa project know how alluring Tagaytay is, how it has everything for the family — from horseback-riding and sightseeing, to just chilling out and enjoying the nippy Tagaytay air. If we had a choice, we would all live there.
That’s the philosophy behind the Ponderosa project.
Three villas with Spanish-Mexican architecture make up Ponderosa Leisure Farms: Villa Jasmina, Villa Althea and Villa Amaranta. The most striking thing about it, aside from the design, is everything in it: furniture and artworks from the early 20th century brought by Spanish missionaries. Most of the décor are even authentic pieces brought by the Ponderosa owners from Spain and Mexico.
The three villas feature three bedrooms with individual full baths with pocket gardens. Jasmina’s interior courtyard brings the outdoors in and connects the main dining room to the creatively shaped hexagonal living room. It is unique how the living room is isolated from the main living spaces, transforming dinners into really special occasions.
And Althea’s central trellised courtyard is framed by the living room, dining room, and the master bedroom. This allows homeowners to enjoy the view of the three-tiered water fountain at the heart of the villa. While Amaranta, the biggest among three models, boasts an open-planned living and dining area that is perfect for hosting family gatherings or entertaining guests. I could just imagine throwing a kiddie party for my kids Enrico, Alyssa and Alyanna, and how they and their friends would have fun in the parlor games and such. Dreaming is free, anyway.
“Ponderosa Leisure Farms is precisely for people who want to make their dream homes a reality,” said Joby Xerez Burgos, Landco Pacific Corp. vice president for leisure and resorts. Landco entered into a partnership with Ponderosa Leisure Farms in 2003.
Big space, really big space — this is what made me fall in love with Ponderosa. Homeowners can cultivate their own farms and plant veggies. Ponderosa even has a maintenance crew that will even do the hassle-free gardening for busy homeowners. By the way, homeowners can only use 25 percent of their purchased area in order to build their Spanish-Mexican-style villas. This is to encourage the homeowners to utilize the 75 percent for flora. The essential part, of course, of living in Tagaytay is the greenery, that’s what the Ponderosa owners want to preserve in the area.
Xerez Burgos took members of the media on a tour of the villas. Impressive. The heavy-carved wooden doors open with old-world charm, and the arch-shaped windows allow homeowners to smell the scent of roses basking in the sunlight.
Residents will enjoy the Villa Ponderosa Clubhouse, El Refugio Meditation Garden, Campo Verde Campsite, the Las Rosas outdoor dining restaurant, and the Plaza Maravilla and its flower market as well as food and retail stores.
I also imagined having tea at the veranda under the moonlight before calling it a night. This is the good life, indeed!
We spend so much time pondering on the inanities of city life, not realizing that something calming like Ponderosa Leisure Farms is just around the corner.
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Ponderosa Leisure Farms is only an hour away from Makati and can be accessed via two routes — through Tagaytay proper or from the Sta. Rosa Exit, South Superhighway.
For information, call 836-5000, 809-5628, SMS 0920-9383564, e-mail info@landcopacific.com, visit www.ponderosaleisurefarms.com or www.landcopacific.com, or visit the Landco office at the second floor of Centermall Bldg., 51 President's Ave., BF Homes, Parañaque City.