AFTER building the Harbour Centre Batang Pier basketball dynasty in the Philippine Basketball League, Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc. chief executive officer Michael “Mikee” Romero is now harnessing his energy and talent in building another winner. This time Romero will weave his magic in the real-estate sector.

In a joint-venture agreement with Taguig City, R-II Builders Inc. will build the Skyline City as part of the city’s One Taguig vision under Mayor Sigfrido Tinga. R-II will be responsible for developing about 11 hectares to construct two major hubs, including one referred to as Skyline.

“This is certainly one of R-2 Builders projects that allows us to showcase a vision helping Filipinos attain their life’s dreams wit the help of safe, comfortable and affordable homes in one phase of the project,” said Romero in an interview with the Business Mirror.

The Skyline City is a mixed-used 8.8-hectare development in Barangay Ususan and spans a 1.5-kilometer stretch from the Shell gas station to the Petron gas station along C-5 Road in Taguig City.

Romero said a commercial mall and a strip of medium to high-rise towers are also envisioned to rise, targeting neighboring commercial business districts (CBDs) as well as several Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza)-zoned call centers. It will have a market positioning similar to the Eastwood City in Libis, Quezon City.

Moreover, the first part of the joint venture will involve the construction of medium-rise residential buildings in barangay Bagong Tanyag to benefit the constituents of Taguig, including qualified city employees, policemen, teachers, as well as its informal setters.

Meanwhile, Mayor Freddie Tinga said the city government is excited over the Skyline City project because it has helped a lot in pushing the One Taguig vision, which integrates the interests of all sectors of the constituency and other stakeholders in its development.

The agreement involves an initial P100-million cash outlay by the R-II group.

Romero said the Skyline project will introduce a new paradigm in property development in Taguig. “With the other phase of the Skyline project, the mixed-use concept of development gains a different dimension as it purposively weaves in aspects of modern life such as lifestyle, livelihood generation, business development and community interactions,” said Romero.

The broad-spectrum coverage of the projects points to the capacity of R-II Builders to provide holistic real-estate responses and approaches in community and business development, he added..

The city, which hosts big-ticket enclaves as Bonifacio Global City and McKinley Park, endeavors to achieve a unified manifestation of city progress in order to enhance the quality of lives all around, especially the needy sectors, while development goes on in the more elite enclaves.

 The Taguig chief executive said the Bagong Tanyag urban redefinition will provide school and community facilities, as well as space targeted for livelihood generation as well as other office and commercial use. Seen as a model for urban development, the project unifies both city concerns to uplift residents’ lives and provide more business opportunities cutting through sectors, Tinga said.

Finally, Romero said R-II’s partnership with Taguig city is a manifestation that the private sector and government can work hand in hand in pursuing local development. “We are most pleased to partner with the city government of Taguig to attain its One Taguig vision that harmoniously melds interests of its constituents,” said Romero.