Philippine real estate today is more than just an investment. The local housing market has surged amid the pandemic as homes turned into sanctuaries for homebound people who seek the comfort of a work-from-home setup, while others sought new places to live where they can experience life at their doorstep.

Following a tremendous showing last year, SMDC bagged a total of 11 awards at the 9th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards including the highly coveted Best Developer (Philippines) for the second straight year, and Best Mid Rise Condo Development (Philippines) for Gold Residences. The awards ceremony was held virtually on November 11, 2021. Alongside winning Best Developer, SMDC also secured the all-new Best Developer (Luzon) Award as well as being a two-time winner for the Best Lifestyle Developer Award in recognition of the company’s efforts to offer additional facilities across all developments made to enhance the living experience of residents. This year’s results further build on what has been a highly successful awards show run for SMDC, continuously driving the company’s vision to make luxurious urban living more affordable – enabling more Filipinos access to a truly cosmopolitan lifestyle. The group won big awards for Gold, Vine, Green 2 residences, and more. Following a tremendous showing last year, SMDC bagged a total of 11 awards at the 9th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards including the highly coveted best developer (Philippines) for the second straight year, and best mid-rise condo development (Philippines) for Gold Residences. The awards ceremony was held virtually on November 11, 2021. Alongside winning best developer, SMDC also secured the all-new best developer (Luzon) award as well as being a two-time winner for the best lifestyle developer award in recognition of the company’s efforts to offer additional facilities across all developments made to enhance the living experience of residents. In the development category, Gold Residences, within Gold City – SMDC’s pioneer township development in Parañaque City – is the winner of the best mixed-use development award. Gold Residences won the best high-end condo development (Metro Manila) and best lifestyle development awards as well. Vine Residences won the best upper affordable condo development (Metro Manila) award, while Green 2 Residences earned the award for best high-end condo development (Southern Luzon). Many other SMDC projects were highly commended across several development categories: best high-end condo development for Metro Manila (Sail Residences), best upper mid-end condo for Metro Manila (Light 2 Residences, Shore 3 Residences), best upper affordable condo development for Metro Manila (Bloom Residences, Charm Residences), best affordable condo development (Hill Residences), best condo development for Metro Davao (Lane Residences), best condo development for Central Luzon (Cheer Residences), and best condo development for Visayas (Smile Residences, Style Residences). Gold Residences also won in the design category, earning the title of best landscape architectural design as well as commendations for the best condo architectural design and best condo interior design awards. Light 2 Residences (best condo architectural design) and Vine Residences (best landscape architectural design) were also among the developments highly commended by the awarding body. SMDC was also among the winners of the special recognition in sustainable design and construction – an award given to developers whose projects utilize environmentally-friendly design features, low-impact material selection, and are assessed to be durably designed and capable of withstanding various lifecycles. This year’s results further build on what has been a highly successful awards show run for SMDC, continuously driving the company’s vision to make luxurious urban living more affordable, and enabling more Filipinos access to a truly cosmopolitan lifestyle. “For our efforts to be recognized by an esteemed organization such as PropertyGuru is indeed something we at SMDC can truly be proud of,” SMDC president Jose Mari Banzon said. “While these wins certainly validate the collective work we have done to realize the vision of our company founders, ultimately, they fuel our drive towards the creation of a nation of homeowners where each and every Filipino can live their best lives.”

Working from home used to be a fantasy for most. Not anymore. It comes with a slew of predicaments: the need for a reliable internet connection to prevent untoward interruptions; the constant search for Zoom-worthy backgrounds for never-ending discussions that could’ve just been emailed; the gasp for open and safe spaces for quick breathers; and so on and so forth. Running a business remotely adds up to the myriad of challenges the modern entrepreneur faces. Some of the country’s most inspiring business persons who have transformed themselves and their businesses share their secrets to success. Rhoda Campos-Aldanese, Beauty Scout founder “Managing a business from home] can be challenging as the work-and-home-life balance is disrupted. Aside from thinking about how to gain exponential growth, we now have to navigate as well that sense of imbalance. It is really important to think of wellness. You need to keep your mind sharp and your body fit as well. It’s good to be in an environment that enables you to live and work well.” Winston Llamas, Wilbros Entertainment Inc. president and Wholemart Philippines CEO “As an entertainment and concert company, our concerts and events got shut down when the pandemic hit. So we had to focus on other possible areas, such as international talents acquisition. Whatever the situation is, always look at the bright side. Instead of giving up and closing down, we were able to pivot and focus on other things.” Kris Lawrence, Champ Tailors Inc. co-founder “During the early stages of the pandemic, I was live-streaming and doing Zoom concerts. I also endorsed fashionable PPE’s, or essential fashion, for a garments factory, which eventually got shut down. But my friends and I decided to ‘save’ the factory. That’s how Champ Tailors was born. Today we create export-quality merchandise. It’s important to look for partners who complement your strengths. Also, build your own, personal sanctuary.” These modern entrepreneurs gamely shared their experiences and expertise at a recent virtual roundtable discussion brought by SM Development Corporation (SMDC), which also launched SMDC’s newest property that caters to the needs of people working from home.