Edge Properties Development Corporation (EPDC) President Jose Razon Puyat 3rd talks about how his childhood memories inspired his first real estate endeavor.
Kawayan Cove in Nasugbu, Batangas an expansive 68-hectare property that boasts of breathtaking views of the Batangas coastline, coupled with a white sand beach and sparkling waters. The property is notable for its well-planned development with large cuts of land and wide-open spaces that are exclusive to members.
The prime property, a short and scenic drive from Metro Manila, has de rigueur amenities such as an immense clubhouse with function rooms, an inviting infinity pool, a tennis court and playground that boasts of an amphitheater. However, its main selling point is something that is intangible but easily felt—the absence of large holiday crowds.
Central to the concept of Kawayan Cove is the conservation of the natural environment with lots occupying only 30 of the 68 hectares. There are approximately 300 prime view lots, ranging from 500 to 2,000 square meters, which this translates to less congestion even at peak seasons.
From being his private childhood playground, Puyat turned Kawayan Cove into one of the most coveted and exclusive properties in Sourthern Luzon PROPERTY PHOTOS BY ABBY PALMONES
EPDC President Jose Razon Puyat 3rd explains the rationale of Kawayan Cove as thus: It is a dream development built on happy memories.
“This property was inherited by my mother, and I remember going there with my siblings during weekends and summer holidays. The whole property was like our private playground.”
It was all very simple then, he recalls. They would go out to the family escape via banca ride, sleep in tents, and use kerosene lamps at night.
“Through the years, we have seen the neighboring properties being developed and we were asked so many times, ‘Why don’t you do something similar?’,” Puyat relates.
Well planned, the property has multiple facilities which have all been designed in a way that is unobtrusive to nature
What they found was not to their liking. “All the developments here and abroad would advertise themselves as ‘exclusive,’ but there were just too many people. They were not really exclusive in the sense that they were membership clubs offering access to a lot of people other than the residents themselves.”
True exclusivity
The “norm” in the vicinity led Puyat to a differentiation that is highly appreciated by their own Bamboo Beach Club members today. “We developed Kawayan Cove with the concept of being totally geared towards privacy and exclusivity.”
As such, EPDC offered large cuts of land, with a minimum of 500 square meters, and with membership only open to home and lot owners. In effect, instead of having 20 or 30 houses in an area, there would only be five or six. This guarantees less density even in the open space areas that comprise about 55-percent of the 68 hectares.
Natural beauty
Kawayan Cove is an expansive 68-hectare property that boasts of breathtaking views of Nasugbu’s coastline
Besides the beach, there is the awe-inspiring Meditation Point and Mango Grove, a playground-cum-picnic area shaded by fruit-bearing trees planted by Puyat’s grandfather in the 1940s.
The inviting pool overlooks the white sand beach and sparkling waters of Nasugbu
“We didn’t want to cut them down, we want our homeowners’ children to experience the same joy we felt playing among those trees. We could have easily converted these into more lots to sell, but that is not what our objective with Kawayan Cove is all about.”
The developers’ objective is to be close to nature, and in their own way, give back for all the bountiful blessings it has given them. This is why the whole project is about taking care of the property and making sure it is as unobtrusive as possible.
Logically, less population density means a lesser toll on the property’s natural beauty. Careful planning further highlighted Mother Earth as the cove’s queen with all utility lines installed below ground, the houses painted in natural colors, and common structures such as the clubhouse designed to blend into the surroundings.
“The word ‘green’ has become a buzzword in the industry, but we have been doing it even way before it became popular,” Puyat asserts. “When we started construction in the early 2000s, our consultants were saying, you don’t need to do this or that—but we wanted to, because it is our advocacy to take care of the blessing that we have been entrusted, and to let our homeowners experience what we did back then.”
One of the features they built was a filtration system—a series of ponds with the first one situated at the highest point of the property 130 meters above sea level.
The high-ceiling clubhouse offers a cool resting place on scorching hot days
“When water comes down from the sky, it brings down soil and rocks with it, and this becomes a form of pollution. What we did was to design a series of 14 ponds where the 14th releases clean, filtered water down to the sea,” Puyat details.
“Our environmental specialist says we didn’t have to do this, but we wanted to because nature has been very kind to us, it is our way of giving back. These are the things that people don’t see, but these are the things that matter to us. That is our contribution to the community and the environment. We try to lessen our carbon footprint, and we want to keep it at that,” he vows.
Puyat says that they had offers to partner with big developers. “But when we saw their plans to sell small cuts of land for bigger profit, we decided to do it ourselves. We denied ourselves that income, so we can assure our community of the privacy and real exclusivity that we ourselves experienced growing up, with all those summers spent relaxing and enjoying nature without having to contend with thousands of people.”
Formidable name
The Puyat brand is also quite formidable in various businesses, and its proud son says that they have used the same principles of the family for Kawayan Cove as with their other businesses.
“We have always been conscious and conscientious in our businesses and we certainly get the best people to realize our goals.”
There are other real estate ventures in the horizon, he reveals, but says they are concentrating on Kawayan Cove at the moment.
The Puyat brand is quite formidable in various businesses and its proud son says they have used the same principles of the family for Kawayan Cove
“One thing is for sure, if we do decide to do something else, it will be as well-thought out and as thorough,” Puyat concludes.
To ensure security and privacy, site visits to Kawayan Cove are by appointment. Please call (632) 845 1246, 845 1266, +63918 265 9112, or email at info@kawayancove.com. For more information log on to www.kawayancove.com
PHOTO BY DJ DIOSINA