The growth of new normal family living at Tagaytay Highlands
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many families have started to invest in homes away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The pandemic is likewise fueling a work and learning environment that no longer tethers families to offices and schools.
With this trend, Belle Corporation, a part of SM Investments Corporation’s portfolio companies, has seen the growth of investments by families looking for new normal homes at Tagaytay Highlands, its mixed-use mountain resort development at the heart of Cavite, Laguna and Batangas.
“Tagaytay Highlands is no longer a secondary home but a primary home with more families seeing our properties as more than just a perfect getaway. Even with a treasured history of more than two and a half decades, the estate continues to adapt and transform and promises to be a place of recreation, connectivity, and learning,” Tagaytay Highlands founder Willy Ocier said.
Developed in 1989, Tagaytay Highlands is poised for the future with its ongoing digital modernization. This entails increased wi-fi connectivity to facilitate a work-from-home lifestyle and remote schooling.
To take advantage of the growing demand for unconfined areas in the new normal, 40% of Tagaytay Highlands residential communities’ total development area is dedicated to open spaces, thereby allowing its residents plenty of room for recreation, wellness and communing with nature while having a majestic view of Taal Lake. Tagaytay Highlands, which has a sprawling land area of approximately 1,500 hectares, also has dedicated areas for biking and pedal go-karts, and is known for its Tagaytay Highlands and Midlands golf courses.
The Midlands, a 594-hectare themed residential enclave also featuring wide spaces and is situated in Talisay, Batangas City with panoramic views of Taal and Mt. Makiling, has been touted as a bird sanctuary offering bird watchers and enthusiasts a welcome respite from work and an avenue for their passion.
The pandemic has also cultivated ‘plant therapy’ enthusiasts (In the vernacular: “Plantitos and Plantitas”) who now happily tend to their flourishing home gardens to manage stress.
Newest project developments at Tagaytay Highlands
Belle’s latest development, The Grove at Plantation Hills in the Greenlands, provides ample green space for nurturing plants. This 22-hectare leisure farm community is master-planned to be a residential and farming concept-in-one.
The Grove’s Orchard Lots range from 750 to 1,300 square meters with 65% of each lot cut ideal for growing fruit trees, herbs, and vegetables in the comfort of one’s own backyard. Its Garden Lots, with lot sizes ranging from 450 to 600 square meters, enable future residents to build their dream farmhouses and surround these with an abundance of greens. Here, they can grow all the fresh produce they want for a farm-to-table lifestyle—plus bright-colored flowers and ornamental shrubs.
Tagaytay Highlands brings green spaces close to its residents to allow exposure to nature and promote active lifestyles. This is in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation that people should be able to access these outdoor spaces that are within 300 meters’ linear distance of their homes, a mere 5-minute walk.
Meanwhile, Highlands Prime, Inc., co-developer of Tagaytay Highlands and a subsidiary of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., recently expanded the condominium developments at The Midlands with The Horizon Terraces.
The Horizon Terraces, which offers the Garden Suites and Garden Villas, dedicates over 70 percent of its land area to recreational and garden space. Blending beautifully with the natural landscape, the Central Garden at Horizon Terraces inspires leisurely pursuits such as a stroll at the Garden Courtyard with Sundial; young children to romp and play at the Sensory Garden; seniors to spend quiet moments at the Pocket Gardens; and the entire family to take a dip in resort-inspired swimming pools.
The Garden Suites, five-storey low-density residential condominiums sitting on a 3.2-hectare land, offer one- and two-bedroom units with floor areas from 43 to 68 square meters.
Meanwhile, the Garden Villas is a three-level townhouse development offering three-bedroom units with generous floor space of 136 – 168 square meters including balconies and terrace, where family and friends can connect and commune with private gardens and a seamless access to the Central Garden.
As Tagaytay Highlands accelerates its digital conversion, discerning homebuyers are now given online access to experiential journeys that allow them to ‘explore’ potential alternative primary homes without onsite visits through the 360° Virtual Walkthroughs and Virtual Tour Guides. These provide potential buyers with a warm, personalized service through a virtual yet experiential journey featuring the exclusive lifestyle one can enjoy in Tagaytay Highlands.
This year, Tagaytay Highlands is poised to unveil exciting additions to its portfolio of luxurious residential concepts. A modern take on summer-themed living is set to break ground soon where sunny walks in the park will be enjoyed as an exclusive lifestyle 365 days a year. A new district is in the offing that will usher in a new beginning for the mountain resort complex with this district’s introduction of its first of a series of subdivisions centered on sustainability. Also in the pipeline is an embodiment of Tagaytay Highlands’ ideals that combines luxury living with outdoor adventures and turns them into everyday experiences.
