Growing up in Villamor Air Base was such a blessing — but I didn’t realize it at the time. I didn’t take it for granted, but it was normal for me. Life was simple, yet everything we needed was there — food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over our heads, and clean air to breathe.
Saturdays were special because it was palengke day for Mommy. I always looked forward to my kakanin fix — sapin-sapin, puto, suman, kutsinta — and of course, the crispy chicken skin she would fry after cleaning the fresh chicken from the market. Sundays meant grocery runs after mass at South Supermarket Magallanes. Looking back, my brothers and I were brainwashed that grocery shopping was already our pasyal. haha!
We lived in apartments, close to each other, which meant more bonding time with neighbors. Without gadgets to keep us indoors, we were always outside playing. The friends I made at 3 years old are still some of my best friends today. We had a walkable park where we rode bikes, played patintero, agawan base, taguan, kickball, rollerblades, and more. We watched friends play basketball and soccer at the field. Summers were spent at the Villamor pool and golf club. It was safe, it was secure, and it was home.
Fast forward to 2007: Ayala Land launched Nuvali in Laguna. When Alveo launched Treveia inside Nuvali, feel ko deja vu moment. It was still preselling, so all we had were photos and descriptions from the presentation. Treveia’s tree-lined streets, wide-open parks, and the vision of kids riding bikes brought me back instantly to my childhood in Villamor. Lakas makaflashback hehe.
Our village back then was not posh, but it carried the same essence: safe, secure, gated, where parents could feel at ease knowing their kids could roam freely. It was clean, green, and filled with spaces for connection, community, and play. That’s the magic of Treveia — and other Nuvali villages for me. We didn’t just sell land. We sold the possibility of recreating what many of us had (or wished we had) as kids. I remember even telling my mom, “Ma bili tayo, parang sa Villamor!” and my mom answering with “hay nako!” hahaha
At that time in 2007, I was only two years into the real estate industry. My strongest “sales tool” was not numbers or investment formulas, but my own memory of childhood — which I translated to buyers. I didn’t fully understand capital appreciation yet, even when it was explained to me. It was just numbers i was throwing about Forbes, Dasma, Urdaneta, Ayala alabang. I just say it for clients who may understand, it was not coming from my heart because i couldn’t relate hehe.
What we sold back then for ₱7,000–₱10,000 per sqm is now at ₱35,000–₱45,000 per sqm for resale or secondary market. Currently ₱55,000–₱60,000 per sqm for preselling properties. And Nuvali isn’t even 50% developed! This means prices will still continue to appreciate.
This isn’t a sales pitch — it happened, and it will keep happening. Even if you don’t see yourself living there or retiring there, securing a property in Nuvali, or other Ayala estates, remains one of the best ways to invest and to hedge against inflation (my favorite topic — maybe for another post!).
For me, that’s the beauty of real estate compared to other investment instruments. You can hold it for value growth, but if plans would change, it’s something you can use, live in, and enjoy. and vice versa. 🙂
I got inspired to type this now because my friend Bel’s client just purchased an Avida lot in Alviera Pampanga yesterday for as low as ₱10–20k/month. The key is just to start and lock in. You don’t have to live there right away — what matters is you’ve already secured the property and the price.
And it all circles back to the same question I’ve asked clients through the years:
- Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
- Do you see yourself living in one of the properties available today?
- Or smiling because its value has tripled, quadrupled, or more already?
— Myra 
