CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The year 2020 was full of uncertainties and challenges for both local and international developers like HTLand Inc.
But this 2021, executives of Mandani Bay are taking on a more positive outlook as the world prepares for a post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic world.
“We are 100 percent ready to greet the new normal, the post-pandemic world, after what we went through and learned in 2020,” said Gilbert Ang, project director of Mandani Bay, in a press conference on Thursday, January 14.
Mandani Bay on Thursday greeted 2021 with a ceremonial opening of an exclusive painting exhibition by acclaimed Cebuano abstract painter, Dennis ‘Sio’ Montera.
Montera was also exclusively commissioned to do the paintings of Mandani Bay Suites, the first two towers to rise in the 20-hectare township located in the North Reclamation Area, Mandaue City.
Present in the press briefing were Montera, Ang, Mandani Bay Sales Head Audrey Villa, and HTLand Project Advisor Jeffrey Lun.
Lun told reporters that the COVID-19 public health crisis has greatly affected development in Mandani Bay.
“The lockdown has a lot of impact – in our sales and in our activities – like any developers… But what we’re doing right now is to channel the entire company that we have to keep moving forward,” Lun said.
At any rate, Lun said they are also looking forward to the turnover of several projects this 2021.
“Our sales may have reduced and we have lesser construction activities but the important thing here is that we’re still going even at a slower pace,” he added.
Mandani Bay is expected to formally turnover over a thousand residential units of Tower 1 and Tower 2 of Mandani Bay Suites within the first half of 2021.
Turning crisis into opportunity
Developers of Mandani Bay attributed their readiness in welcoming the ‘new normal’ to recent modifications they adopted in both their residential and office projects.
Ang said most of the adjustments they made during 2020 were tailored for a post-pandemic setting. These included installing equipment and other fixtures in compliance with existing health standards such as air filters and purifiers, and ultraviolet (UV) lights, and devices that can help implement ‘contactless’ interactions.
“Yes, these are added costs but we want these to be incorporated,” said Ang.
“This enforcement of health protocols and health standards are necessities so that we can finally move forward safely,” he explained.
Villa, for his part, assured their stakeholders that there will be no ‘major’ price adjustments despite these additional expenses.
HTLand Inc. is the joint venture of Hongkong Land and Taft Properties for the development of Mandani Bay, which is presently the former’s only ongoing township project. /rcg
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