New Bacolod township breaks ground

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – The City of Bacolod has welcomed a new township development in the northern part of the city, which aims to capture and preserve the essence of Bacolod living while incorporating modern conveniences and sustainable practices.

The PHINMA Property Holdings Corporation (PHINMA Properties) led the groundbreaking of the P12-billion township project called Saludad, situated in Barangay Bata, yesterday.

PHINMA is building the township in partnership with JEPP Real Estate Co., composed of the Jacinto, Echaus, and Puentevella families.

Bacolod Township Saludad offers a fresh perspective on a better Bacolod. Its 21-hectare community is designed to provide residents with a distinctive and enhanced living experience, featuring modern amenities, sustainable practices, and a deep appreciation for the city’s unique charm and rich heritage, ultimately transforming the city into a more vibrant, sustainable, and attractive place to live and work.

In a message, PHINMA president and chief operating officer (CEO) Raphael Felix said that Saludad is not just a home development but a township project because they believe that Filipinos deserve a dignified life.

“We cannot house them in some place and send them off an hour to buy groceries or two hours to work, so we decided to incorporate the essentials into dignified life and that of home life. We’ll be changing the urban landscape here in Bacolod,” he said.

During a media roundtable discussion at Seda Hotel last Thursday, Felix said that the city’s strategic location and dynamic economy provide an ideal setting to create a community that seamlessly blends modernity with tradition and nature.

“Bacolod is becoming an economic powerhouse, and a big part of that has to do with the local government unit (LGU). The current administration has done a lot to make Bacolod what it is,” Felix said.

As a mixed-use township, Saludad is poised to be a catalyst for local economic development by creating commercial spaces and a retail center that attract investors and entrepreneurs, generating new jobs and opportunities, and cultivating an environment where businesses can flourish.

It will feature a business district, residential areas, a town center, and hospitality and education facilities.

Paolo Reyes, vice president for township development, said that Bacolod continues to be one of the best places to live in outside Metro Manila, citing the city as the second-highest overseas Filipino worker (OFW)-generating area in Western Visayas, with 73 percent from the middle-income class, a 1.42 percent population growth rate, and as a top destination for Information Technology (IT) and Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) activities in the Philippines.

Reyes said that land development for the township has started. The first phase will include the development of a hotel, commercial lots, and mid-rise buildings.

Meanwhile, JEPP, represented by sisters Regina Jacinto-Barrientos, Patricia Jacinto-Golez, and Agnes Jacinto-Tinsay, was glad to have partnered with PHINMA, whose chairman emeritus is Negrense Oscar Hilado. The property firm adopted the vision of Architect Filoteo “Teng” Jacinto on how to develop the land.

Golez said their elders told them not to let go of the land to just anyone, so they are glad that the vision of JEPP and PHINMA aligned beautifully and matched the values of JEPP, such as commitment, professionalism, competence, and nation-building.

The township is also backdropped by the panoramic view of Negros Occidental’s scenic mountains: Mt. Silay, Mt. Kanlaon, and Mt. Mandalagan, integrating the region’s natural beauty into its development and connecting the residents to its picturesque landscapes.

SUPER CITY

“We are happy to be part of Bacolod’s journey to becoming a super city through Saludad,” Felix said in a statement.

“The residential developments, leisure amenities, commercial spaces, and other features of the township will undeniably attract more residents and opportunities for growth in the city,” he added.

“We are committed to ensuring that our projects add value to the regions we operate in,” he said.