THE Canlubang of yesteryears is still memorable to the older generation. To keep these memories and traditions alive in these modern times, the Carmelray Group has embarked on a series of development projects that will put emphasis on combining the good old values with the new ones: its vision, to develop a vibrant, growing community known as Carmeltown.

Francisco Zaldarriaga, vice president of the Carmelray group of companies, said in an interview with the BusinessMirror that the company will be stressing on the good values, good principles and the essence of the good life that were ever so present in the Canlubang of those years.

“This approach will expectedly set us apart from all the other developers in the surrounding area.? Canlubang is a place rich with many good stories; there were good times, and an abundance of good people and a good way of life.? The legacy that the patriarch Don Jose Yulo left can and will be carried out in some of these developmental elements,” he explained, not without a misty eye for some magical world that is fast disappearing as concrete jungles replace once quiet, natural havens.

“It is not really a hard-core nostalgia approach. Rather, we will be drawing inspiration and values from the past and fuse them with today’s state-of- the-art technology in township development,” added Zaldarriaga.

He stressed that Carmelray believes there is a way of retaining some of the look and feel of the glory days without sacrificing the practicality of today’s technological advantages.

For instance, Carmelray plans to have closed-circuit TV (CCTV) as part of its security facilities while, at the same time, remaining very visitor- friendly to all who would like to visit the site.

“We will be wired with broadband facilities all throughout without throwing out the value of community [live] interface,” he said.

He said the architecture and feel of the Mills Country Club is an example of Carmelray’s approach.

At present, Carmelray has prebooked almost 600 units in its residential township development.

Carmelray Industrial Park 1 (CIP 1) is a sprawling 270-hectare, fully integrated industrial estate of international standards located in Canlubang, Laguna.

It has been developed in two phases. Phases 1 and 2 cover 95 and 135 hectares, respectively. Aside from the industrial complexes, CIP 1 also houses the administrative and support-service centers, commercial districts, a park and the 41-hectare Special Export Processing Zone, where investors enjoy simplified import/export documentation and several tax incentives. It has been given an A-1 ranking by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) and has received the highest locator satisfaction rating.

Zaldarriaga said the project envisioned to provide world-class and environmentally engineered infrastructure and facilities for clean, light- to medium-size industry locators.

“As Metro Manila continues to grow more and more congested,? moving to the south, particularly in the Canlubang area, [Carmeltown] becomes a really viable and logical option,” he concludes. If there’s such a thing as having the best of both worlds, it could be this.