CASE STUDY on addressing an issue

 https://www.snappedandscribbled.com/2015/10/statement-on-lilac-food-festival-issue.html?fbclid=IwAR1SFYMCn_9e5s3ehl6GoWwQDqfleoj9xb2Wc7j0AQs-hyRLnlz0ZTFTN78&m=1

BUSINESS DEV TIPS: How do you know if an area has the capacity to pay?

Location. Location. Location.

This is the most important factor when it comes to many businesses, they say.

But how would you know if the geographic market of your chosen location has the capacity to pay or is liquid enough to afford what you are offering them?

As a business development consultant who does market studies for clients ... I use two indicators as a guide: the density of banks and the density of pawnshops in an area.

The proximity of a location to a row of banks or a strip of pawnshops is something to look out for.

If your location is near a row of banks, that is a good sign because it means people who live and work within the immediate vicinity have excess liquidity. That is the reason banks gravitate towards it. Banks do their due diligence and the fact that they were convinced to locate a branch there is a positive validation.

Another advantage of being near a financial strip is that bank clients who transact there will most likely eat or shop nearby ... before or after.

The presence of many pawnshops, on the other hand, is an indication that people within a certain radius are not that liquid and need to pawn valuables in order to obtain much needed cash. It can also mean that criminality is high in the area and that snatchers and robbers are valued clients of these establishments.

The next time you do your market research for a new business you are contemplating, look out for these 2 red flags or "economic indicators."

(Please "like" our "Philippine Business Development Institute" page on Facebook.)

City's "Place Marketing" Attracts New Residents, New Investments, New Visitors

Make it Marikina!

How can we say if our city government is doing the right thing and is on the right track?

It’s true that there are a lot of ways to assess if the present administration of Mayor Del and Vice Mayor Cadiz are governing well. Low crime rates and increasing annual income of the city are just two of the many indicators to prove it.

But for me, the best way to really see if our city government is effective and doing the right thing is when we are able to encourage outsiders to live here, invest here, and come visit our tourist attractions.

Why do I say that?

Let us put ourselves in their situation. First, will you live or transfer to a place that is dangerous and dirty? Given a choice, of course not! Certainly, all of us would choose to live in a place that is safe, clean, and with a high quality of living.

Second, are you going to invest in a place where the available workforce is unskilled and uneducated? Are you going to put up a business in a place where residents do not have the capacity to pay and have no stable income? Obviously, you prefer a place that ensures a constant supply of highly educated and skilled employees; and, where residents have disposable income.

Third, are you going visit a place that is boring, inaccessible, and inconvenient? Definitely, you’d go to a place that is unique, with a rich culture, and friendly people.

Knowing these realities, Mayor Del R. de Guzman conceptualized and launched “Make it Marikina” (MIM). MIM is a “place marketing campaign” which aims to encourage both locals and foreigners alike to live, invest, and visit Marikina.

Our objective is to attract new residents, new investments, and more visitors.

This objective is the basis for the work program of each department of the city government. The department heads will then be responsible for ensuring that each employee will contribute and work towards the achievement of our goals.

“In order for us to further improve the quality of life of our constituents, we would need more income to fund our various projects,” said Mayor de Guzman, adding that, “If we succeed in attracting thousands of AB families in our subdivisions, substantial direct investments into our commercial system, and millions of tourists to visit our attractions … more people will pay taxes and patronize local businesses. An invigorated economy will also mean more employment and better pay for Marikenyos. With this campaign, we are expanding the tax-base and taking full advantage of tourism’s multiplier effect.”

“Make it Marikina!” is an appeal to AB families in search of a place to construct their dream house or a townhouse to rent to ...Make it Marikina!

It is a call-to-action to investors on the lookout for new business opportunities, to … Make it Marikina!

It is also an invitation to travelers and tourists looking for excitement or a relaxing respite, to ...Make it Marikina!

MIM aims to position Marikina City as the “Sports Hub” and “Bike Capital”. We are also working at making our sports center or Marikina Sports Park (MSP) the “Home of the Azkals”.

Exciting developments are happening in Marikina … IF done correctly, it will spell success for our city and our families. Now is the time to come together as a people. Come, Marikenyos … join us in this shared vision and common aspiration.

For outsiders … we have whatever it is you are looking for. So, please … Make it Marikina!

Marikina as Sports Capital, why not?

Photo Credit: Jonathan Penarejo

One of Marikina's greatest asset, aside from the shoe industry and its being a good governance model, is the Marikina Sports Park. More popularly knows as "sports center," it is located along Sumulong Highway -- bounded on the east by McDonald's Avenue and on the west by Shoe Avenue.

This is one asset which the city government can optimize and use as anchor towards a new marketing positioning for the city that will hit two birds with one stone. The new positioning as "Sports Capital" will:

1. Complement and revitalize the ailing shoe industry; and,
2. Will solve the land-use problem of what to do with the permanent danger zones along the river.

Is there a need for a Sports Capital?
As it is, we cannot hold a global sporting event in one place in Metro Manila where venues for the different sports are within 5-10 minutes walk of each other and the athletes village. Our stadiums and arenas are spread out in different cities of the metropolis and even the provinces. Thus, we are rated low by organizers when it comes to preference as a venue for the Olympics, Asian Games, etc.

Where will the land for new sports venues come from?
A big stretch of land along the Marikina River is considered as a danger zone because of its being susceptible to flooding as proven by Typhoon Ondoy (2009) and the recent Habagat (2012). If people presently living here are relocated to higher grounds, then the land they vacate can become higher by dumping the silt and soil taken from the river bed when it is dredged. The developers can also use the latest "adaptive architecture" designs and technology in their structures. Even without altering the natural terrain of the vacated areas, it is still safer to have sporting venues there instead of residential areas because games, concerts, etc. can easily be cancelled and reset if flooding is expected.

How will the residents be convinced to relocate elsewhere?
Normally, it would be hard to convince them because of sentimental reasons and the fact that their present land values will be substantially lower than its actual value. However, if we are able to convince property developers to a "swap arrangement" where they build new townships in higher areas of barangays Fortune, Parang, Marikina Heights, and Concepcion Dos for residents to transfer to in exchange for the land to be vacated, people might be convinced easily because they do not get to fork out a huge amount upfront for the peace of mind of living on safer grounds. Others may even end up with an upgrade of their living conditions in the new mid-rise housing flats, or detached housing units in upscale villages newly constructed by participating developers.

Why will property developers like Ayala, Megaworld, DMCI, Filinvest, etc. agree?
Aside from ensuring a good return to their investments, it will be a good opportunity for them to showcase their latest "adaptive architecture" developments. The success of waterfront developments like Eton City along SLEX and Lakeshore along NLEX is proof that there is a market among the high-end AB market.

Is the swap arrangement concept feasible?
There is actual proof of concept. According to urban planner Dr. Danielle Guillen of the Ateneo School of Government, a similar swap arrangement was done successfully in Japan years ago.

Read about a related post: http://www.ideasmanph.com/2012/08/why-not-use-marikina-danger-zones-as.html

As you can see, there is a feasible alternative to staying put and endangering the lives of residents and the government spending billions each time widespread flooding occurs. The question is ... does government have the political will to solve this perennial problem?

You be the one to answer.


NOTE: The author is a business development consultant who does market studies, best use studies, property development concepts, etc. for the country's premiere property developers. He used to work with Megaworld Land, Inc. where he did market studies and best-use concepts for its commercial center developments, e.g, Eastwood City Walk, Laguna Bel Air commercial center, etc. As a consultant, he also did the market study and best-use concept for Robinsons Land's Escalades in Cubao, LK Group's Treasure Towers in Sta. Mesa, and Subic Leisureworld in Binictican, among others. Together with then Mayor Bayani Fernando, he wrote the Marikina Riverpark Concept Paper which won a Galing Pook Award from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).

Marketing Issue: Mall Owners should rethink "No Picture Taking" policy

TIMES BOOKSTORE AT THE PAVILION KL: Quality trade books at very low prices compared to the ones in Manila.

Going abroad, especially in the Asian region, is an opportunity to buy good quality glossy trade books at much lower prices compared to those in Manila.

For those who love to read books that keep them updated and make them learn more about their craft, one of the "must dos" in shopping abroad is a visit to the local bookstore in upscale malls.

So, when I spotted this "Marketing: An Introduction; An Asian Perspective" by marketing guru Philip Kotler together with new editions of "Principles of Marketing" and "Marketing Management" at the Times Bookstore at the 6th level of Pavilion mall along Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur ... I wanted to take pictures of the 3 valuable reference books side by side on the shelves.

"I'm sorry, you are not allowed to do that," a staff said politely.

I explained that I wanted to let the people back home know where to buy these trade books in KL so they would know where to go to and what store to head straight to. But, elevating it even to her superior did not work. We were also not allowed to take pics of the facade of the store. In fact, taking pictures inside the mall was prohibited.

Well, actually, our malls in the Philippines also have the same archaic policy -- and it is about time that mall owners and property developers reconsider this.

Why? Because ... with the advent of modern technology that spawned gadgets like digital cameras, smartphones with cameras, tablets with cameras, etc... there already is an existing trend to take pictures of our experiences so we could immediately share it with others over the digital platform in an instant.

That's why blogging is now so popular and many have taken it up. We all know this, right?

Even marketers and advertisers acknowledge the growing influence of blogs to push and move their products and services that even malls host blogging events to launch brands and shops.

So, why do they continue to ban shoppers, patrons, and even bloggers from taking pics? Don't they see this as an unnecessary obstacle to encouraging more features and endorsements of their locators and what they are selling?

Come on, guys. Sure, there was a time -- once upon a time -- when there were few cameras and very limited access to market info and images that we in the business development and industrial espionage business resorted to covert operations or special ops in order to spy on our competitors. 

Another reason then was for security reasons so the safety of the property and the people therein would not be compromised if terrorists or bad elements were casing your establishment.

But those two reasons are so passe! Obtaining information via a digicam or DSLR is not necessary anymore with so many images and information about them flooding social media and the internet.  So easy to download. It is now just a click away.

Besides, if we really wanted to ... you would not even notice our spy cams and listening devices even if you were just a step away.

I, therefore, appeal to mall owners to rethink this and see the light to finally allow taking pictures in their premises. They will be the first ones to benefit from it anyway.

Take it from Alliance Global Inc. -- owner of Newport City and Eastwood city Malls -- who is open to having pictures taken because they see its advantages. "We do not have that policy in our mall. When you come to Newport Mall we have a lot of people taking pictures. The idea is for them to spread it through social media," said Kingson Sian, President & COO.

Well, Kingson has always been a visionary and has always been a step ahead of the rest anyway. It is now time for other mall owners to take the cue from him and repeal this stupid policy.

*Selamat datang Zest Air and Tourism Malaysia for making this trip possible.

What CEOs look for in hiring new employees

Source: studentbean.com

For fresh graduates and young employees who have job interviews or who are on the look out for job opportunities, this tip from a young and very accomplished chief executive might help you land that much coveted position. The advice comes from an economics graduate of the University of the Philippines and a former investment banker based in Hongkong before he was pirated by taipan Andrew Tan in mid 1990 to set up Megaworld Land.

When I interviewed my former boss recently at his office at Resorts World, Newport City, I was able to ask Kingson Sian, now president and chief operating officer of Alliance Global what it was he was looking for in employees or subordinates. Hopefully, these tips will be able to help our new graduates or job applicants find the right fit for themselves early on in their careers.

Kingson explains, “In AGI, we are all average people put together in a company with an environment where we can spread our wings, where we can find ourselves, where we can enjoy what we are doing, and excel in the process. You don’t have to be a genius. Most of us are just average people. But how do you transform that average person into becoming above average in terms of results and performance? It is by creating that environment so that they can experiment and are not afraid to make mistakes. An entrepreneur makes a lot of mistakes. But, hopefully, you don’t repeat your mistakes. That’s the very nature of an entrepreneur, maraming mistakes, wala namang perfect eh, di ba?

Integrity is important. The background of the person is important. I like to hire people and check their references very carefully. Preferably, may strong reference. Without integrity nagse-second guess ka na. Did he decide based on what is good for the company or because of ulterior motive? It’s hard for you to function if there is a doubt.

We look for people that are motivated and passionate. Some people just get a job because they just want to make money or earn a living. However, in order to last, you need to have more than that as a motivation. Money is one thing, but just like anything, money should be secondary. The opportunity should be the primary consideration because when you are young you still need to learn a lot of things and exposure is a great teacher. Of course you need money to help your family but you should ask yourself saan ka pinakamaraming matututunan?

The work environment is important so you can excel based on your skills. That’s why I always ask applicants … what do you want to do? It is not what I am offering, but … ano ba ang gusto mo? It is important for you to know what you want. And if you want to do this – we have opportunities for you. And if you want to do that, we also have opportunities for you.”

Very well said, boss. Thanks for sharing your valuable insights.

Marketing Tips: Product Knowledge

Source of image: actioncoach.com

You may have spent a lot for a big event or a brand launch ... only to negate the impact with unprepared staff when customers start asking about your product or service.

Last night, my friend Sunny Ku, CEO of Masterminds Worldwide and I were in Chili's Tomas Morato discussing the "120 years of Amorsolo" project  and he ordered 12 pcs. Buffalo Wings. Our server replied that an order was only 5 pieces. Sunny asked, "Are you sure? I always order that and I know you have a serving of 12 pcs." 

The server stood her ground. A few minutes after, she came back, "Ay, sir, 12 pcs nga."

I'm sure we have all experienced situations where we ask a waiter about details in their menu and end up frustrated when they try to parry it with an unacceptable answer. This is a mortal sin for frontliners. But we also have management to blame.

In the first place, we have to make sure that we equip our staff with superior product knowledge so they won't end up flat on their faces when asked by a customer. We should teach them what our product or service is all about, e.g. its strengths and intricacies, etc. before we set them free in the selling or dining area.

Provide your employees with a well-prepared FAQ or Primer which anticipates all possible questions of a customer and answers it accordingly.

Remember, marketing is responsible for bringing customers into the selling area, but it is operations that is responsible for repeat patronage. Do you agree that it is up to the operations people to manage the customer experience while in your premises in such a way that will make them want to come back -- again and again?

Marketing may have succeeded into luring customers into your shop but if customers did not enjoy their experience while in your shop ... they will not stay long or come back. So, it is up to your operations team in your outlets to keep your customers satisfied.

Unfortunately, one of the turn-offs for customers is encountering staff who cannot answer their queries to their satisfaction. So, make sure to inculcate the critical importance of "product knowledge"among your team members and you will surely gain more customers and loyal patronage.

Marketing Tips: Observing Customer Behavior

As Vice President of Marketing of Ergonomic Systems, Inc. more than a decade ago, I brought my marketing team to the basement of SM Megamall to teach them first hand a very important lesson in understanding consumer behavior. We went to the office furniture section and observed potential buyers from a safe distance.

For marketers, it helps to know how our customers interact with our products or services. What attracted them to approach the display? Did they respond to brighter colors more than neutral colors? What was the first thing they did? Did they touch it? What was the first thing they touched? Did they smell it? What senses did they involve?

This exercise helps us in considering factors for our marketing mix, e.g. product, place, promotions, price.

Trivia: Jollibee came up with their "Langhap Sarap" positioning statement after observing that their diners smelled their food first before proceeding to eat it.

CASE STUDY: Why not use Marikina Danger Zones as Showcase for Adaptive Architecture?

If the habagat flooding is now the new normal according to the DENR, that means government will be spending millions, if not billions, every time it floods. The social cost of evacuating residents, feeding them, the clearing operations, clean up, and relief operations will drain government coffers.

As a former business development executive of Megaworld Land and as a consultant now doing market and “best-use” studies for property developers, I would like to pose this challenge to Megaworld, Ayala Land, Robinsons Land, Filinvest, etc:

Is it possible for you to build mid-rise housing buildings or detached housing units in flood-free areas of Marikina in exchange (SWAP) for land that will be vacated by residents in danger zones?

Let's make it easy for residents to say “yes.” Of course, these homes have sentimental value ... but if they will be able to transfer to a safer home or benefit from an upgrade of living conditions because of the "swap deal" with property developers ... they will grab the opportunity. It is easier for them to say yes if they don't have to fork out a huge amount because the flood has effectively devalued their properties even if they are able to sell it. So, this swapping offer is their only hope and what they will be entitled to is commensurate to the pre-flood value of the home they are swapping.

You can then level the land, start from scratch, and use these swapped properties for your "adaptive architecture" developments where you can highlight the river as a unique water feature. In effect, converting this geographical threat and weakness into an opportunity and strength.

Exclusive villages with elegant homes with boat docks and ground floor lanai/veranda (open first floor with bedrooms, living and dining rooms, etc upstairs) designed to adapt to water or potential flooding will attract the affluent much like how Eton City in SLEX and Lakeshore in NLEX with their man-made lakes did.

We just have to be creative.

Or, you can build facilities that will give you a decent ROI without endangering lives. Ex. sports facilities, arenas, stadiums, etc. that have no one sleeping in them but only athletes or artists working out, practicing, competing, or performing. Games and concerts can be easily cancelled once a flood alert is raised.

At the periphery, the development plan can include facilities and services that support these sporting cum performing arts venues like sports rehabilitation hospitals, therapy clinics, factories for sports equipment/accessories, etc.

This concept supports the existing Sports Center and Marikina's positioning as "sports hub" while solving the problem of having thousands of families living in danger zones along the river.

Think about it. We can develop this further with the help of other experts like Paulo Alcazaren, Jun Palafox, etc.

What do you think?

"Yes, I believe, he can!"

The head of a prominent foreign chamber of commerce believes that President Benigno S. Aquino can deliver on his campaign promises although he admits to being underwhelmed at the content and vision of the president’s recent state of the nation address (Sona).

In an exclusive interview before the SONA, Austen Chamberlain, president of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) said that Aquino can deliver but it is contingent on his getting the right people, getting good advice, having the political will, and having the energy to continue to make the right decisions. He asserts, “I believe he can do it. And, hopefully, he will.”

His post-SONA rejoinder reads, “The message was clear and the content reasonable. I didn’t see a lot of Shock and Awe, but then again I might have, had there not been the build up in the papers.”

As head of Amcham, Chamberlain meets his counterparts monthly under the auspices of the Joint Foreign Chambers. He shares their impetus for growth to advance foreign direct investment (FDI): improve the climate for foreign investments by allowing more foreign ownership and participation in the economy, leveling the playing field, and a justice system that works.

The priority bills they believe will help the country attract substantial foreign investments are: the formation of a department for information and communications technology (DICT), and laws on transparency, anti-smuggling, and corruption.

Chamberlain said the new President is on the right track though. Aquino has to create jobs, invest in infrastructure, create transparency, improve procurement processes, and zero based budgeting.

There is a lot of work to be done and he hopes BSA’s team will stay focused on this vision of improving the lives of Filipinos, “I believe there is a lot more to do in order to accomplish these goals and fighting corruption is a major task that cannot be eradicated overnight. I hope that this does not sidetrack the new administration to the exclusion of a holistic approach to all the problems e.g., obtaining more foreign investment to create economic growth, jobs, extend education by 2 years, improve proficiency in the English language, and make hard decisions that are in the best interest of the country rather than populist.”

The Amcham president said it is hard to be in Aquino’s shoes because it is difficult to  keep everybody happy since there are so many opposing forces to everything, “You can get so bogged down and mired by having all these opposing forces that are just too complex  and too complicated. Somebody has to come in and say this is how we are going to do it. We are going to make some people angry but if want to get from this point and move forward we have to do this, this, and this. Unfortunately, you cannot keep everybody happy all the time.”

On the issue whether increased labor and electricity costs may force present investors to relocate elsewhere, he feels that labor cost is high because labor and government have not achieved the proper balance between productivity and populist policy. Labor cost in the Philippines compared to neighbors is higher. While, electricity costs have gone up basically because of lack of supply and sudden increase in demand.

Chamberlain explained that the country has been experiencing capital flight for a long time. Goodyear, Intel and many others closed their factories. He said a lot of it is due to China and the fierce competition from other Asian countries, “If you want the investments and the jobs, you have to compete regionally against China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Hongkong, etc. But there have been new factories that have come in as well. Texas Instruments invested a billion and a half in Clark. So the companies that have been here for a long time and have flourished here have reinvested. But there is not a lot of new investment other than Hanjin shipbuilding factory in Subic.”

Chamberlain observed that there seems to be more optimism in the air—more than anytime in the last 10 years, and that the SONA built on that sense of optimism. “The people I have talked and listened to generally feel there is a better chance then ever that the country will finally begin moving forward. There are always people that will disagree and fight progress every step of the way...that is democracy. But I sense that the general population is behind this and that a new “People Power” will emerge. Not one that marches down EDSA but people uniting in a single purpose to fight the county’s problems together for the betterment of all its citizens. When you get enough people thinking that way, you get synergy and if you do it with honesty, with integrity and with the right principles and purpose in mind, good things can happen,” he said, concluding, “Well done Mr. Aquino!”

His company

Austen Chamberlain is the president and CEO of Carepak Moving and Storage, a leader in the international Moving, Storage, and Records Management Service industries in the Philippines.  Since investing in the company, it has grown two fold in 7 years with increased market share, and a diversified revenue base including handling of shipments in and out of Micronesia. Carepak is the Network Representative for Allied Pickfords in the APAC and ME, Allied International in the Americas and Team Allied Europe. It is the world’s largest network of quality moving companies. Allied’s parent company is Sirva Inc. and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). 

ROADMAP? OR, WISH LIST?

“Read the roadmap.”

This was Austen Chamberlain’s reply when asked about any unsolicited advice for President Noynoy. Chamberlain is on his second term as president of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham).

The Roadmap he refers to is an advocacy recommendation of the Amcham entitled, “Roadmap to More Foreign Investments.” It was first released in 2003 and later updated in 2004.

According to Chamberlain, the latest Roadmap, which is still a draft and being completed, is a joint effort of the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) but it encompasses the “7 Big Winners: High Growth Sectors for Investment and Jobs.” The Roadmap itself covers the entire investment climate but features the “7 big winners” as well. It will be recalled that the JFC presented the latter during a briefing attended by representatives from the Philippine government, private sector, international organizations, academe, think tanks, business groups and media last April 12 in Makati. It forecasts $75 billion in foreign direct investments (FDI) and 10 million jobs from 2010-2020 if the government follows its headline recommendations. Apparently, this recommendation for investment climate reform by the JFC was presented to the previous administration. JFC plans to resubmit it to Aquino this time.

The Seven Big Winners are 1) agribusiness, 2) business process outsourcing (BPO), 3) creative industries, 4) infrastructure: airports and seaports, power and water, road and rail, 5) manufacturing & logistics 6) mining, and 7) tourism (including medical travel and retirement). 

The 2006 Roadmap, on the other hand, included six broad areas for reform: 1) Infrastructure, 2) Governance, 3) Population Growth, 4) Legislative Reform, 5) English, and 6) Security.

For Infrastructure, the previous concerns centered on the Philippines not investing sufficiently on it compared to the $3+ billion needed each year. Foreign investors were particularly concerned about the poor conditions of most air, land and marine transport infrastructure. Four years ago, they already foresaw the high cost and expected shortages of electric power and the inadequate supply of quality water. Since only the private sector can finance, build and operate most of the needed infrastructure, a more attractive contractual, financing and operating environment is essential.

It is good to know, however, that not all recommendations fell on deaf ears as the need to accelerate the privatization of NPC and Napocor was heeded.

We will tackle the other areas for reform in succeeding columns in greater detail while we haggle for an advance copy of the 2010 Roadmap which will be submitted to President Noynoy.

Chamberlain is upbeat about their latest roadmap and it would be interesting to see what it contains.

I have a feeling it includes the creation of a Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the need to seriously clamp down on corruption and smuggling, having a legal system that works, and the need for a level playing field.

Some may feel that it will be extremely difficult to comply with the JFC recommendations but Chamberlain believes that all it takes is just political will if we really want to achieve exponential growth in FDIs from the present $1 billion to a whopping $10 billion a year.

It now depends on how the new administration will treat it – will they value it as a roadmap … or, take it for granted as just a wishlist?

ideasman to visit Mapawa Nature Park in Cagayan de Oro

My last visit to Cagayan de Oro was in the late eighties when I was still working for the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) -- the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism. I was with Joji Gregorio, presently finance manager of PCVC. 

I can't believe that it was almost twenty years ago!

Anyway, my May 16-17 familiarization trip to Mapawa Nature Park is related to its thrust to reposition itself into a full-blown adventure and ecotourism destination. 

Mapawa is managed by the Pelaez family.

Expect some pics when I get back.

Robinsons Escalades: From market study to reality

ideasman, inc. was commissioned by VP Chris Narciso of Robinsons Land to do the market study of RLC's 20th Avenue property in Cubao last September to November 2007.

The Escalades is a cluster of 6 midrise condominiums in the heart of Cubao which offers a respite and a refuge from the toxic conditions of everyday life in the city. If I recall it right, the buildable to open space ratio is 80:20 or 70:30. 

The name "Escalades" came from Architect Paul Mauricio of Robinsons Land. 

TREASURE TOWERS MARKET STUDY

Yesterday, I presented the findings of the market study we did for Treasure Towers, a tri-tower residential condominium with condotel development at the corner of Ramon Magsaysay Blvd and Santol St. in Sta. Mesa.

ideasman, inc. was commissioned by LK Global to conduct the study from March 23 to April 24, 2009. We were given a month for something ideally done in 3 months.

Kayangan Lake at the end of the rainbow

Kayangan Lake was like finding gold at the end of the rainbow. It was an arduous trek up a hundred steps and down several more to get there but it was certainly worth all the huffing and puffing. This thermal lake was a paradox of water alternating between hot and cold while we swam. The grandeur of tall karst formations competed with the tranquil scene below. It was like swimming in an underwater amphitheater complete with eerie chambers from where schools of small elongated fish called tunggao by the locals emerged like gladiators out to do battle with the thin small scorpion-like shrimps which also abound in the lake. I remained transfixed for a long time while snorkeling and relished the vivid impact of being in the middle of floating leaves in various levels 1 to 6 inches from the surface. The curtain of brown, beige and green spattered leaves floating all around me served as an upper layer in deep contrast to the teal water and the natural rock formations below. It was a pity that our companion, Allan Lumbo of Turismo Mismo, stayed at the fringes afraid to venture into the middle of the lake because he said he was not a good swimmer. He missed all of these.

The group agreed that Kayangan Lake was definitely an experience of a lifetime. Little did we know that our hosts had another treat awaiting us at Twin Lakes.

3 beers for Alex, Jesse and Mr. Shin

I am ashamed to admit that I had a negative mindset about Koreans ... that is before I met and enjoyed the company of 3 Koreans in our fam trip to Coron, Palawan which was made especially enjoyable by our gracious hosts Stevie Tajanlangit, Amor Salud, Ed Reyes, Dino Bautista and Alex Javellana of 7,107 Islands Cruise.

I found the 3 Korean travel agents to be very sincere, sensitive to the needs of others, and fun to be with. Para din tayo. I told Stevie that they are even more hospitable than us. Imagine ... they were the ones serving us instead of the other way around since they were the foreigners here in our country. We, Filipinos, pride and even promote ourselves as the most hospitable people, and yet, we were not doing what these people were doing to us in a very natural and heartfelt way.

Alex Moh, who owns Base Camp Travel agency and Calachuchi restaurant here in the Philippines, is my first Korean friend. He was very friendly and accommodating. Always reaching out to other people. You could see and sense that this man has a kind heart. He made me and Allan Lumbo at ease and comfortable with their group. He was always asking how you were --- not in a mechanical way -- but in a sincere way each time.

Jesse or Koh Jin Kook, managing director and in-charge of marketing for A.S.K. Marketing & Sales based in Korea. The "best friend" of Allan. Jesse was the de facto leader of our group ... the life of the party ... a take charge guy.

He made us laugh ... he made us drink ... he made us dance!

Not a single dull moment. Even when he had a hangover and lacked sleep he was still fun to be with. Very, very funny. He was the most hospitable, always checking if you still had a drink, pouring the beer once it arrives, etc ... A person of great cheer and character.

Much to everyone's surprise he returned more than $800 dollars of bets he won in a game of blackjack aboard the banca on our way home to the cruise ship from wreck diving.

Shin Jung-Ho is also managing director of A.S.K. Marketing & Sales. Mr. Shin, as we call him, is in charge of sales and reportedly is very good at it.

He is the silent type among the 3. But he had so much fun dancing "running man" cum "itik-itik" with Daren and Jane at disco time at the cruise ship on our second night.

We had so much fun watching Jesse beat the hell out of him in black jack ... and see him once again dipping into his wallet for US$ 100 bills. He was smiling all the time while losing more than a thousand dollars.

He is the type who "goes for the gold" and wins it ... but not this time.

The 3 Korean travel agents were guests of Dennis Javellana, chief mktg officer of 7,107 Islands Cruise. It was their first time in Coron but it is not definitely their last.

They put together a package targeting tour groups and honeymooners in Korea that will leave Batangas via the cruise ship, sail to Boracay, then to Coron for 2 days, then fly back via Seair.

For those interested, you may call:

Alex Moh of Base Camp, tel. (632) 5217181

Stevie Tajanlangit, (632) 7528255 to 57

"Domestic" bliss to Busuanga via Seair

The threat of typhoon Ofel did not diminish our resolve to visit Coron with our community organizing consultant and documentarist, Allan Lumbo. Against the advice of our respective families, we still pushed thru with it and were glad that we did.

It was eerie to find ourselves with only less than fifty people at the old domestic terminal. So many empty seats. Unlike the good old days when we were barraged with verbal abuse from irate mobs of complaining passengers due to delayed or cancelled flights of Asian Spirit.

Now, it is only Seair and Asian Spirit that use this terminal after Cebu Pacific transferred to NAIA 3 a few months ago.

We were fortunate to make it to Busuanga that day via Seair's Let 410 unlike the group of former Businessworld editor Mike Marasigan and other guests of 7,107 Islands whose PAL Express flight in the morning (Sept. 25, Thurs) was cancelled. It was good that they were offered a free stay at the Century Park Hotel. This group included the QTV 11's Izza Litton. Tim Yap of Phil Star was a no show.

Unfortunately, their jinx continued till the next day (Sept. 26, Fri) when they were already in Busuanga but had to fly back to Manila because the pilot did not want to risk landing in poor visibility. For pilots who are new to the terrain and destination, it is better to err on the side of safety.

The Francisco Reyes airport in Busuanga was upgraded with a new terminal building and a paved runway courtesy of the development agency of Korea. This looked much much better than the old "airfield" which we flew out of in 2006.

Overall, it was a safe and comfortable flight to Busuanga. Thanks to Seair and Patrick Tan :-)

Moving Up to Robinsons Escalades

It was the first time I did a market study where I was not able to contribute substantially to the concept of the project. The study merely validated what my client, Chris Narciso, VP Operations of Robinsons Land, already had in mind for his medium-rise residential development along 20th Avenue and Aurora Blvd in Cubao. Naisip na niya lahat eh :-)

The name Escalades, on the other hand, was the brainchild of Paul Mauricio, the multifaceted architect of RLI.

For those on the look out for a good buy ... invest in Escalades. It offers real value for your money. You get the cosmopolitan experience of the redeveloped Araneta Center and the convenience of being centrally located with easy access to both MRT 3 and LRT 2 --- at a much more reasonable price.

Congratulations to Chris and Paul!

Case Study in Progress: Circle Mall in Marikina Heights

Two heads are better than one.

With this in mind, ideasman is using this blog as a mechanism by which other "ideasmen" or "ideaswomen" can contribute their intellectual and creative prowess to a work in progress.

We are currently doing the market study of this community strip mall in Marikina Heights. For those familiar with this mall, it was originally owned by Villar's Camella & Palmera group thus it was called "C&P S' Mall" ... S for small or small mall.

It was repossessed by Metrobank a few years ago and recently sold to a new owner.

A week ago, ideasman was commissioned to determine the "best use" of its twin idle properties at both ends of the mall.

ideasman, inc. then submitted a proposal to first improve the present mall through a market study and marketing plan that will include a new development/product/tenant mix before coming up with the "best use" concept paper. The rationale being ... to optimize the rental yield of the new development, we first need to improve on the track record of the existing mall.

Are you up to the challenge?

For those who live in Marikina, have you been to S' Mall? How often? For what reason do you go to S' Mall? For those who have not been to S' Mall ... why don't you patronize it? What will it take for you to patronize it? What needs to be done?

Those who want to share their ideas on how to improve the mall's offering and experience can comment directly below this blog ... or you can email me directly at ideasman@globelines.com.ph or ideasmanph@gmail.com