MANILA, Philippines - Homebuyers are now very discerning when it comes to choosing a new residence, especially with the recent spate of natural disasters affecting the country and other parts of the world. Foremost among considerations are the safety systems put into place within a development that would counter the effects of incidences like fire, flood, and earthquake.
This is especially true for high-rise dwellers who tend to feel more cautious about the safety of their family. The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti in January, along with the successive fire disasters around Manila and last year’s typhoon Ondoy have convinced condo dwellers that they need to live in a home where they can be protected from similarly unfortunate circumstances.
A vertical residential development that offers more safety advantages is the Paloverde Tower at Dansalan Gardens Condominium, a project of DMCI Homes in Mandaluyong City. Set on a prime 8,015-sqm. property, Dansalan Gardens’ three towers are recognized for their structural stability as a quality-crafted project under the DMCI Homes brand. After all, Dansalan Gardens was developed by DMCI Construction, ensuring the quality of construction, durability, and reliability, courtesy of DMCI’s more than 50 years of track record in the industry.
Engineer Gerardo S. Ancheta, head of engineering for DMCI Homes, affirmed that all DMCI Homes projects like Dansalan Gardens are planned and constructed by reputable designers and consultants in accordance with the latest building, structural, electrical, and fire codes, among other safety requirements.
“We use the latest systems available in tandem with international building structural codes,” Ancheta related. “This is being updated whenever events like Haiti and Ondoy occur. Normally, these events will be reviewed, taking into consideration the behavior of the earthquake or the typhoon. Sometime in the ‘70s and ‘80s, for instance, the behavior of an earthquake was a little bit simpler. But after Kobe and San Francisco happened, patterns of movement changed, so there were several improvements with the structural codes that are now being used.”
DMCI Homes is firm in its commitment to construct a building that would sufficiently mitigate the potential hazards associated with a strong earthquake. Engineers and project planners of Dansalan Gardens went to great lengths to ensure that the building would not collapse or at most suffer only minor and repairable damage resulting from a moderate or even fairly strong earthquake.
Ancheta explained that coping with expected ground vibrations is the basis of designing a structure while potential ground liquefaction is addressed by proper selection of the foundation scheme. Seismic-resistant design provisions have been part of the local building codes since before WWII but significant refinements of the provisions are added with every new information gleaned from recent earthquakes. With this, Ancheta stated that in general, a properly designed and well-constructed building such as Dansalan Gardens would not suffer life-threatening damage if and when it experiences the effects of a maximum credible earthquake.
Another consideration implemented is in terms of the building’s wind-load capacity. With the property zoned according to wind velocity, projects like Dansalan Gardens are planned in such a way that they can handle the wind conditions during a typhoon or storm. This also goes for flooding, which is addressed through the installation of several pumps and the addition of drainage channels that can be used to counter rising floodwaters.
For fire, an updated electrical code is implemented to avert accidents, while safety of residents is emphasized around the gated village through high perimeter walls, 24/7 security systems and roving guards.
All these safety precautions allow the residents to enjoy peace of mind within their condo community along with the development’s various amenities. Paloverde Tower is strategically located at the corner of Boni Avenue and M. Vicente St. (former Dansalan St.) in barangay Malamig, Mandaluyong City. It is only three blocks away from EDSA and a few minutes’ drive to the premier shopping and business districts of Makati, Rockwell, Ortigas, and Greenhills.
The development targets young, mobile, and driven professionals, either single, newly married, or starting a family. These unit buyers are mostly upgraders who previously lived in Pasig, San Juan, and the Mandaluyong area, who are ready to make their first smart investment in a first-rate, secure, well-protected, and safe development from DMCI Homes.
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 work.
For inquiries on Dansalan Gardens and other DMCI Homes projects, call 324-8888 or log on to www.dmcihomes.com” www.dmcihomes.com. Clubhouse and model units are ready for viewing.