There is a new standard of residential living in the Philippines. I grew up  in a regular neighborhood  where I am taken directly to the outside world beyond the gates of our home. Today, more and more homes are being enclosed in gated subdivisions and villages where community living is more independent and contained.

village

Traditional Filipino Residential Communities

Traditional Filipino residential communities in cities used to be characterized by homes that are found in a certain location usually clustered together depending on political mapping of streets for the purpose of government’s delivery of services. Each home is part of a barangay and each together with the surrounding homes constitute a community. For purposes of identification, each home has a designated address made up of a house number, street name, barangay, city or municipality, the province, and the zip code. Metro Manila addresses usually omit the province and addresses in the City of Manila in particular usually indicate the district instead of the barangay.

Homes can refer to single detached structures, apartments, rows of houses in a family compound, and other forms of dwelling that serve human residential purposes. The personal territory of each individual, family, or other groups of people is indicated by the territorial boundaries of the property as indicated by walls, fences, gates, and other forms and marks of such territory. Each resident is expected to follow and abide by the existing rules and regulations of the barangay in particular and the country in general.

Residential Living in the Philippines Today

For many years now, private land and property developers have been offering Filipino individuals and families a way of residential living that is a lot different from the traditional. Subdivision living, village set-up, and condominium lifestyle are just some of the many residential options that are being proposed to the home-searching market of the country. Most developers line up different projects to cater to the various economic levels and lifestyle preferences of people.

Beyond the basic housing needs, a number of developers have already come up with other options that address the other needs of the more affluent class. Thus, we see offers for beach homes, vacation homes, and other proposals for the “second home”. It does not require much searching to acknowledge the fact that residential and commercial developments are simultaneously sprouting in many parts of the country. It has long been an established fact that there is a market for housing products in all levels of society.

Housing for the Average Filipino Family

It can be quite difficult sometimes to determine what an average Filipino family is like given the wide gap between the two extreme economic realities in the country. The difference in the actual number of the extremely rich versus the extremely poor tend to present a skewed picture of the middle ground. For purposes of easier presentation, this article would refer to middle class families wherein the heads of the families are gainfully employed to provide basic needs of its members while allowing some degree of luxury to address wants.

A lot of property developments now are being focused on this particular market. Young people with promising corporate careers, families of overseas Filipino workers or OFWs , or families with several gainfully employed members such as siblings who can contribute to the common goal of acquiring a house, are all probable targets of these developments. With these offerings, homeowners are being promised a new way of living characterized  by safety, convenience, and beauty.

The Village Proposition

The most common residential proposition to Filipino families today is to live in a village. Living in a village as presented in many brochures promises gated and fenced private territories manned by security guards, complete and reliable facilities, amenities like clubhouses and sports areas, and a certain degree of control of running the village by being part of the homeowners’ association.Aside from the local and national rules, regulations, and laws, residents of villages are required to follow those that are established for each specific village.

With such promise comes the responsibility of paying association dues and active cooperation towards the improvement of the village as a whole. It is not uncommon to find villages where the residents come from the same company or nature of work. Houses in villages commonly appear to follow a theme or design and deviations from such are typically not encouraged.

My Say

There are a good number of property developers who have successfully penetrated the housing market for Filipinos. If one looks into the thelist of developers who are considered to be the most reputable, we would see names that come with solid track records for delivering what has been promised to homeowners. Paying for a home for at least 5 years or up to 25 years for some is no joke. Property developers should realize that they are peddling or selling dreams to Filipino families so they should take care not to deliver nightmares that come in the form of poorly constructed homes and invisible facilities.