By Carlo P. Mallo
Photo by Ariel Balofiños
In 2008, Davao City experienced a boom in the real estate sector with nearly all the industry players coming to town to build their condominiums, exclusive villages, socialized housing, and even mixed-use property developments.
But one player, whose presence was already felt in the city early on in 2000, seemed to be lagging behind the boom. Camella, the Villar-led real estate giant, didn’t have a new project in the drawing board.
After successfully putting up Solariega and La Toscana, there was nothing new from Camella, until Camella Northpoint came into the picture.
“We actually came into the picture late already. There were already four players investing in condominium projects in the city when we joined the club,” Marlon Escalicas, general manager for Davao and Tagum of Camella, said. “Instead of just selling properties, we changed our approach. We started selling a lifestyle.”
Utilizing the various kinds of marketing, Marlon and his team started to revitalize a long lost icon along J.P. Laurel Avenue – the Ker Mansion, a white mansion on top of a hill that overlooks an entire estate.
For the longest time, the property was just filled with weeds, and the mansion a mere shadow of its glorious past.
Thousands of heat-resistant pine trees imported from New Zealand were planted in the area changing an otherwise barren landscape into one teeming with greenery and trees. Come Christmas season, the property that was oftentimes overlooked is turned into a Christmas village – a setting made perfect with the English village theme of the property, the pine trees, a million lights, and décor.
“It was a tough first three months for us after we launched our condominiums as we have to make Dabawenyos understand and appreciate the condominium lifestyle,” Marlon said, adding that Dabawenyos still appreciate open spaces and the outdoors. “That’s why we made sure to integrate a lot of open spaces and outdoor amenities in our property. We even brought it a notch higher by constructing green buildings.”
After a tumultuous first three months, it was a relatively smooth sail for Marlon and his team.
Marlon himself changed games early on in his career. From being an investment banker in the central business district of Makati, Marlon shifted into becoming the marketing head in Davao City, his hometown.
“Metro Manila was fun, but I thought it was time for me to go back to Davao,” Marlon said.
Shortly after his return to Davao, Marlon soon headed the company’s operations, implementing new projects left and right bringing the
“If there is one motto I live by, it would be ‘I don’t commit if I can’t deliver,’” Marlon said.
After a robust quarter decade, Marlon sees that the real estate industry will continue to grow. “People will always need houses, they will always need new places to live and we will continue to provide not only that, but a new lifestyle for them,” Marlon said.
As Davao City expands in its economy and population, new players continue to enter the real estate industry. “In this game, you have to continue innovating, constantly change strategies, and always be one step ahead of your competitors. If not, you will lag behind. One day you will just wake up and find yourself out of the game,” Marlon said.
With Marlon holding the reigns for Camella here in Southern Mindanao, the late player has turned the table around making it one of the leading real estate players in both condominium and subdivision projects.
