Michael Tan-backed firm unveils resort-style town house dev’t in Batangas
Workcations are gaining traction among millennials and Gen Zs as remote work and flexible working arrangements become the norm.
A workcation enables individuals to combine work while enjoying the benefits of a vacation and spending extended periods at home rentals.
This trend, buoyed by improved infrastructure, stable internet connection and a pivot for better work-life balance, has led to a surge in demand for housing as well as vacation home rentals outside Metro Manila, especially for mobile upward investors aged 20 to 40 years old.
Joey Roi Bondoc, director of Colliers Philippines, says that the completion of infrastructure projects has resulted in the “shift to the suburbia.” This gave the leisure-themed developments an advantage against the “lackluster demand” for ready-for-occupancy units across Metro Manila.
Responding to such need, boutique real estate developer Havitas Properties developed its own collection of modern vacation villas that will cater to both leisure and investment.
Called Aya Hills, the low-density, resort-style town house project was first conceptualized during the pandemic when there was a demand to live in a healthier environment.
As an added benefit, these vacation homes have a potential to be an active yielding asset as they can generate recurring passive income through short-term rentals.
Aya Hills is located in Taal View Heights in Talisay, Batangas, and offers three villa models—Voss, Geneva and Como—each designed by Visionarch, one of the top architectural firms in the world.
The leisure property sits on a 2-hectare (ha) land with an unobstructed view of Taal Lake. Each villa has a floor area of 100 to 110 square meters (sq m).
3 clusters
Located at the very top of Aya Hills is the Voss. It is furnished with floor-to-ceiling windows, bifold glass doors and a private plunge pool. On the second cluster lies Como, with a unique facade leading to a bedroom with a panoramic view of Taal Lake and also comes with a plunge pool. Not to be outdone is Geneva with an amenity deck and a whirlpool jacuzzi on its second floor.
There are a total of 76 units priced at P10 million each, with 20 units already sold. Each villa has a Starlink satellite access so residents can be assured of fast and reliable internet connection.
Before diving into tourism leisure developments, Havitas Properties—composed of real estate veterans—focused on helping landowners and other developers turn their vision into reality.
“We provided them with actionable market insights … and ultimately helped them build winning products. But even as we guided others, we wanted to take our expertise and create something of our own, and that’s what led to the formation of Havitas Properties last year,” says David Rafael, cofounder of Havitas Properties.
Michael Tan, president of Asia Brewery Inc. and a key investor for Havitas, says that Aya Hills took on a market-driven approach “to find fresh new ways to create value and meet the evolving needs of buyers.”
“The local tourism industry is driven by a young, vibrant demographic that values experience over material possessions. Aya Hills is a perfect example of how we’re defining or meeting this demand,” he says.
Alejandro Mañalac, chair of Havitas Properties, says that every detail of Aya Hills is a testament to their commitment of delivering high-quality developments in established tourist destinations.
Up next for Havitas Properties is a seaside development in San Juan, La Union, to be launched during the second half of this year. Jonathan Caro, president of Havitas, explains that it is envisioned to be a world-class resort villa at a 1.3-ha land outside Urbiztondo beach.
The upscale property will have 75 units valued at P12 million to 20 million each for a one-story or two-story villa with a floor area of 90 to 150 sq m.
Havitas will also delve into affordable housing next year. The target location will be in Calabarzon with a price range of P2.5 million to P3.5 million.
“[Through this segment,] we will be showing our support to the government in improving the lives of our fellow Filipinos,” Caro adds.
