The bond that lasts

Theirs is a friendship that has surpassed the test of time.

Who would have thought that the two little, carefree kindergarten boys from La Salle would make it to be inseparable business partners today – and still continues a friendship that knows no lapse of time?

Alfred Xerez Burgos Jr. and Carlos Perez Rubio merged their love for real estate and came up with Ponderosa, a beautiful leisure farm in Silang, Cavite. Alfred is the president and CEO of Landco Pacific Corporation while Carlos is a Finance graduate of Wharton School of Business as well as Ponderosa Leisure Farm vice president.

While Alfred finished high school and college in La Salle, his best friend Carlos flew to the land of milk and honey to craft his own path. "Through the years, we maintained contact," shares Carlos. "Because our class of 1964 has been very close over the years."

First impressions last, so goes the saying. True to this, their instant likeness of each other has already proven a friendship worth keeping through the years. Carlos continues, "I liked him from the very beginning as I think he liked me, too."

Their common denominator: football. They played the sport together and was in fact on the same team – Alfred on the offense while defense was tactically played by Carlos. "He used to tell me that I should not worry for when the ball passes me, the player (who hit it) won’t pass him," Alfred remembers with fond memories. "Carlos was a tough kid then."

It may not need be a standard in school to be friends with your classmates, but it does happen most of the time. Alfred recalls that the friends closest to him were those he went with in grade school and in high school. "You’ll realize that at the end of the day, it’s not just about the value of education," he emphasizes. "It’s also about being with your classmates – the time you enjoyed bonding with them."

Everyone who has attended school knows that the populace is a mix of the bullies, the nice ones, the geniuses, the introverts and many others. Carlos, according to his best bud, was at the middle. "He can blend with everyone." Alfred furthers that his friend exudes confidence even at their tender age. Hence, he was the last person surprised of his friend reaping success nowadays. He knew quite well that his friend would make it big someday. Real estate expert he soon became.

Carlos and his mom, Maria Luisa Perez-Rubio, own a nice property in Silang, Cavite – of which Alfred never thought of tapping that property for "business" until his son, Alfred III, used the location for his masteral thesis. Since the Burgoses are involved in the real estate business and therefore have a lot of land investments, studies like that of Alfred’s son surely helped their business be more warry of possible failures. But failure did not happen. Realizations to that particular study were done in Lemery (in Batangas) and transformed it into one incredible paradise for leisure and relaxation. They took the same model and used it in the 53-hectare Ponderosa farm.

Alfred discloses, "Carlos has made it easy for us to deal with his mother. The agreement was all natural and smooth." They just agreed on the vision and the direction the project will take, and voila, the plan was laid out! Using their property for leisure was Carlos’ idea, though marketing it as a leisure farm was Alfred’s.

Asked on their roles, Carlos was quick to answer, "Alfred is the big boss because he’s president of the land developer and I sit on the board." He adds that five of them on the board, including his mom and Alfred’s son, discuss business matters and issues of strategic importance.

Ponderosa is the first of its kind to have been developed to be a garden community with residential resort features. Designed as a haven for the city-dwelling urban gardener, Ponderosa’s promise is a mere one-hour drive from Manila’s concrete jungle. Since it is breezed by the cool winds of Tagaytay, one can consider it a second home – and eventually one’s personal. In this tourism-oriented farm development, the family is sure to experience a comfortable life with all the necessary establishments now arising within and around the area – pretty far from the busy weekdays and vertiginous pollution of the metropolitan.

"If you think of retiring, it is a beautiful place to retire," suggests Alfred. Carlos backs up, "Everybody deserves to have enough time for leisure activities, and this is a good place to be."

They both agreed, though, that business should not interfere with their friendship. Their camaraderie, however, obviously has made matters in the venture quite easy and progressive. "It’s important to have trust and confidence, and a mutual respect for each other," Carlos shares.

Varying competencies in business are also key factors in the success of this endeavor. Carlos compliments his good friend and says that Alfred possesses the skills required of a competent regional real estate practitioner. "He has a vision and that’s great."

Alfred, on the other hand, has nothing but kind words for his pal, too. He shares that Carlos is very professional and has great ideas in mind. "He’s like a doctor who tells us in times of problems ‘Yeah, I’ve come across that already, this is how we can solve it’." Carlos’ mother is also one creative person. In fact, she has designed two models of Ponderosa’s themed gardens.

Coupled with excellent management and operation skills, this investment thrives amidst political turmoils and economic uncertainties in the country because the partners focus on the needs of their market.

"I think it is and will be a lifelong friendship," Carlos concludes. "What is important about friendship is that it transcends the time gaps in which friends have not seen each other,"Alfred agrees.

After all these years, the friendship that bound them in the football field is also the friendship that joined them in the leisure farm of Ponderosa. This friendship is the bond that lasts.