Following a tremendous showing last year, SMDC bagged a total of 11 awards at the 9th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards including the highly coveted Best Developer (Philippines) for the second straight year, and Best Mid Rise Condo Development (Philippines) for Gold Residences. The awards ceremony was held virtually on November 11, 2021. Alongside winning Best Developer, SMDC also secured the all-new Best Developer (Luzon) Award as well as being a two-time winner for the Best Lifestyle Developer Award in recognition of the company’s efforts to offer additional facilities across all developments made to enhance the living experience of residents. This year’s results further build on what has been a highly successful awards show run for SMDC, continuously driving the company’s vision to make luxurious urban living more affordable – enabling more Filipinos access to a truly cosmopolitan lifestyle. The group won big awards for Gold, Vine, Green 2 residences, and more. Following a tremendous showing last year, SMDC bagged a total of 11 awards at the 9th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards including the highly coveted best developer (Philippines) for the second straight year, and best mid-rise condo development (Philippines) for Gold Residences. The awards ceremony was held virtually on November 11, 2021. Alongside winning best developer, SMDC also secured the all-new best developer (Luzon) award as well as being a two-time winner for the best lifestyle developer award in recognition of the company’s efforts to offer additional facilities across all developments made to enhance the living experience of residents. In the development category, Gold Residences, within Gold City – SMDC’s pioneer township development in Parañaque City – is the winner of the best mixed-use development award. Gold Residences won the best high-end condo development (Metro Manila) and best lifestyle development awards as well. Vine Residences won the best upper affordable condo development (Metro Manila) award, while Green 2 Residences earned the award for best high-end condo development (Southern Luzon). Many other SMDC projects were highly commended across several development categories: best high-end condo development for Metro Manila (Sail Residences), best upper mid-end condo for Metro Manila (Light 2 Residences, Shore 3 Residences), best upper affordable condo development for Metro Manila (Bloom Residences, Charm Residences), best affordable condo development (Hill Residences), best condo development for Metro Davao (Lane Residences), best condo development for Central Luzon (Cheer Residences), and best condo development for Visayas (Smile Residences, Style Residences). Gold Residences also won in the design category, earning the title of best landscape architectural design as well as commendations for the best condo architectural design and best condo interior design awards. Light 2 Residences (best condo architectural design) and Vine Residences (best landscape architectural design) were also among the developments highly commended by the awarding body. SMDC was also among the winners of the special recognition in sustainable design and construction – an award given to developers whose projects utilize environmentally-friendly design features, low-impact material selection, and are assessed to be durably designed and capable of withstanding various lifecycles. This year’s results further build on what has been a highly successful awards show run for SMDC, continuously driving the company’s vision to make luxurious urban living more affordable, and enabling more Filipinos access to a truly cosmopolitan lifestyle. “For our efforts to be recognized by an esteemed organization such as PropertyGuru is indeed something we at SMDC can truly be proud of,” SMDC president Jose Mari Banzon said. “While these wins certainly validate the collective work we have done to realize the vision of our company founders, ultimately, they fuel our drive towards the creation of a nation of homeowners where each and every Filipino can live their best lives.”

Working from home used to be a fantasy for most. Not anymore. It comes with a slew of predicaments: the need for a reliable internet connection to prevent untoward interruptions; the constant search for Zoom-worthy backgrounds for never-ending discussions that could’ve just been emailed; the gasp for open and safe spaces for quick breathers; and so on and so forth. Running a business remotely adds up to the myriad of challenges the modern entrepreneur faces. Some of the country’s most inspiring business persons who have transformed themselves and their businesses share their secrets to success. Rhoda Campos-Aldanese, Beauty Scout founder “Managing a business from home] can be challenging as the work-and-home-life balance is disrupted. Aside from thinking about how to gain exponential growth, we now have to navigate as well that sense of imbalance. It is really important to think of wellness. You need to keep your mind sharp and your body fit as well. It’s good to be in an environment that enables you to live and work well.” Winston Llamas, Wilbros Entertainment Inc. president and Wholemart Philippines CEO “As an entertainment and concert company, our concerts and events got shut down when the pandemic hit. So we had to focus on other possible areas, such as international talents acquisition. Whatever the situation is, always look at the bright side. Instead of giving up and closing down, we were able to pivot and focus on other things.” Kris Lawrence, Champ Tailors Inc. co-founder “During the early stages of the pandemic, I was live-streaming and doing Zoom concerts. I also endorsed fashionable PPE’s, or essential fashion, for a garments factory, which eventually got shut down. But my friends and I decided to ‘save’ the factory. That’s how Champ Tailors was born. Today we create export-quality merchandise. It’s important to look for partners who complement your strengths. Also, build your own, personal sanctuary.” These modern entrepreneurs gamely shared their experiences and expertise at a recent virtual roundtable discussion brought by SM Development Corporation (SMDC), which also launched SMDC’s newest property that caters to the needs of people working from home.

SMDC’s ICE Tower Residential-Offices officially makes co-working spaces a fundamental part of the 21st-century work scene. Made for the modern entrepreneur in mind, the 17-story building will house luxurious business, fitness, and social hubs that will provide their residents with access to desks, office supplies, and meeting spaces together with wellness amenities such as gyms and roof decks. The entire development sits on a 3,859 sq.m. property, with 844 units with two-bedroom, one-bedroom, and studio layouts. The Benefits of Residential-Offices 1. Mental Separation This arrangement offers a “mental separation” from home and work life. If you need to print out materials head to the building’s business hub that’s fully equipped with essential office machines. For lunch break, just take the elevator up to your unit for some homemade food, and for those days that offer a light workload, take a dip at the swimming pool that also features meditative gardens and an eagle’s eye view of Manila Bay. 2. Save where you can For a city with a growing number of e-commerce and small businesses during the pandemic, entrepreneurs can also cost-save by having the same business and residential address. Alongside, their pay-for-demand system of their for board rooms and office accessories. These collaborative spaces also seeking to help people network and make connections in a more casual set-up similar to the comfort and productivity one gets from meeting at a coffee house. 3. Work on your own time And for those whose creative juices flow at dusk or work with international companies, their business hubs are open for 24 hours where fiber optic internet connection is provided. Their 100% backup power system also ensures work will always be business as usual With their new project, blurring the line of work, play, and living doesn’t have to be bad.