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Editor’s
note: The author is the architect of Hacienda San
Benito.
ALL of
us have a desire to get away from the city—the traffic
of its roads, the polluted air, and the stresses that
come with city living. This is why most people I know
dream of having a weekend retreat, if they don’t already
own one. Tagaytay,
Baguio, Antipolo—wherever it may be, the change provides the
opportunity to relax, rejuvenate and recharge. Hacienda
San Benito, the most recent development of Milrose
Realty, may be the perfect setting to do all of those.
Developed by Milrose Realty, Hacienda San Benito is in
Lipa, Batangas, just two hours away from Manila. The
main concept of the development is to fuse together the
idea of a residential subdivision and a real working
farm, creating a unique leisure-farming community.
Out of
the 22-hectare property, 5 hectares are dedicated to
Finca Central, or central farm, which is where all the
amenities will be located. Unlike other
integrated-farming communities with limited land, this
generous open space will allow various kinds of farming,
such as plantation crops, fruit trees, livestock, even
aquaculture. The Finca Central will be an authentic,
commercially integrated working farm that will be
managed by a cooperative to ensure its viability and
sustainability. This entitles landowners to shares of
the cooperative’s proceeds apart from what they earn
from their own backyard harvest. The Farm Management
Group makes sure that residents benefit from what the
farm produces without doing any actual work. This is a
first of its kind in the Philippine real-estate scene.
Aside
from the actual produce of the farm, there are also a
number of amenities that both the homeowners and
visitors can enjoy. There will be a Trading Post and a
Farmer’s Market, which could cater to vibrant activities
such as Sunday bazaars, concerts and small-community
gatherings. The Terraza de Barako is a coffee shop that
is surrounded by beautiful views of coffee plantations
and Mount Malarayat. It is dedicated to the revival of
the barako as one of the world’s best coffee varieties
and, consequently, of Lipa as the coffee capital of the
country. There will also be a Pizza Cabana, a specialty
restaurant and salad bar. Surrounding it will be
plantations of the actual ingredients used in the pizza,
such as lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Kois will be
imported from
Niigata,
Japan,
and will be housed in Laguna de Oro, a koi-shaped
lagoon. The central landmark of the whole development
will be the Molino del Viento, a windmill doubling as a
water tank. Of course, the typical features of a
subdivision will also be present, such as swimming pools
(The Cascadas), chapel (Capilla del Sagrado Corazon) and
clubhouse (La Primavera).
The
residential area will be divided into five districts,
namely, Pueblo, Rancho, Hacienda, Vista and Rotunda.
Leisure farms usually offer larger-cut lots, which make
it difficult to maintain as a weekend home. In Hacienda
San Benito, potential buyers are presented with lot cuts
of different sizes, which give the buyers more freedom
to choose what kind of lot will fit their needs.
With the
combination of all of its features, Hacienda San Benito
offers an idyllic environment for the weekend home that
everyone dreams of. Because of its unique concept and
its proximity to nature, residents will truly be able to
relax and recharge while enjoying a haciendero
lifestyle.
For
inquiries and for those interested to tour Hacienda San
Benito, call 772-4262 or 772-1697 local 109 and look for
Rodney Sobong. You may also visit haciendasanbenito.com.
***You may e-mail the author at
design@buensalidoarchitects.com and visit his
web site at
www.buensalidoarchitects.com. |
