PUBLISHING DATE: AUGUST 2015
(Cover Story - Original Submission)
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
“If there’s anywhere in the world you can live, where will it be?”
Missy Castro glanced outside towards her home’s patio and garden, pensive for a moment. The Vice President of SOC Land, yoga instructor, and active Dasmarinas Village member is an avid traveller and once lived in France for three years. A smile broke the pause as she remarked, “Right here. In Dasma, in Makati. It never grows old for me.” And with that simple statement, all of Missy’s passions and advocacies intertwine, revealing the root of it all as the very place where she grew up in.
Missy recalled her childhood in Dasmarinas Village vividly. Family weekends in Quad or Greenbelt, summers in Polo Club, and after school playtime with friends in the streets of the village. She shared how her generation was always out and about, hanging out in friends’ houses or playing classic outdoor Filipino games like Patintero. The spacious roads and shady large trees were her playground, and after all these years she still sees it as a paradise within the city.
And it’s not just the place but also the community that Missy feels deeply connected to. “There’s so much growth around this area. It’s near everything you need. I love the community so much, I intend to stay here forever. I know a lot of friends and relatives here too. I want to keep it the way it is, or make it even better. I want to foster friendships and help build camaraderie with the people in the village, and maintain or improve the quality of life here,” she said. Looking back at her very active childhood, one filled with memories trying out different sports and getting into tennis and horseback riding, Missy advocates for the kids of the village to be the same.
Missy is a yoga instructor in Yoga Plus (she teaches Mondays, 7pm, at the Salcedo branch) and her yoga journey that began in 2011 cemented her principles in sports. She sees it as a holistic approach that should benefit one’s mental, physical, and spiritual health; it’s not about winning, but about making oneself feel better. These are the same principles she wishes to instill in the village’s young neighborhood, and she helps make sure they are provided with fun filled happenings throughout year. From easter egg hunts, summer workshops (basketball, art, and dance), fun runs, pilates, yoga, to Christmas celebrations, Missy works on continually inspiring the villagers through these free activities. It’s no wonder City Hall awarded Dasmarinas Village as the most child friendly barangay in Makati.
She carries the same passion for her community in her work as Vice President of SOC Land, her family’s venture. The company is behind Anuva, a thoroughly planned resort like neighborhood of eight towers in a 2.4-hectare space in Sucat. What’s particularly special about this development is its focus on mid-economic status groups and providing them with affordable condo living above and beyond their expectations. “Our slogan is ‘change the way you dream.’ We want the market to see how their hard earned money can get them the best value they deserve,” Missy expounded. Anuva goes beyond the standard and builds on only 20% of the land, giving residents 80% open space equipped with parks, gardens, function rooms, a clubhouse, pool, jogging path, sky lounges, and even a river, lagoon, and lake.
Missy explained how her family and consultants were all on board for the planning, giving thoughtful considerations in every aspect, such as the maximized room layouts that allow more space and reduced sun exposure. It’s a project she is very proud of because of how it elevates Filipinos’ lives, and the name Anuva, that means ‘a new beginning,’ is a fitting term for what it stands for.
“There really is no place like home. I’ve had friends ask me why I came back, and it’s because of the people, the culture. I thought I’d settle abroad but I missed the Philippines,” Missy continued on, still pensive from the question of where she’d choose to live, her smile reflecting all that she wishes for her village and Anuva – to impart a caring and striving village culture that Filipinos, from whatever status they may be, will forever cherish.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Image from https://www.behance.net/gallery/31883717/Dasmarinas-Village-Gazette
“If there’s anywhere in the world you can live, where will it be?”
Missy Castro glanced outside towards her home’s patio and garden, pensive for a moment. The Vice President of SOC Land, yoga instructor, and active Dasmarinas Village member is an avid traveller and once lived in France for three years. A smile broke the pause as she remarked, “Right here. In Dasma, in Makati. It never grows old for me.” And with that simple statement, all of Missy’s passions and advocacies intertwine, revealing the root of it all as the very place where she grew up in.
Missy recalled her childhood in Dasmarinas Village vividly. Family weekends in Quad or Greenbelt, summers in Polo Club, and after school playtime with friends in the streets of the village. She shared how her generation was always out and about, hanging out in friends’ houses or playing classic outdoor Filipino games like Patintero. The spacious roads and shady large trees were her playground, and after all these years she still sees it as a paradise within the city.
And it’s not just the place but also the community that Missy feels deeply connected to. “There’s so much growth around this area. It’s near everything you need. I love the community so much, I intend to stay here forever. I know a lot of friends and relatives here too. I want to keep it the way it is, or make it even better. I want to foster friendships and help build camaraderie with the people in the village, and maintain or improve the quality of life here,” she said. Looking back at her very active childhood, one filled with memories trying out different sports and getting into tennis and horseback riding, Missy advocates for the kids of the village to be the same.
Missy is a yoga instructor in Yoga Plus (she teaches Mondays, 7pm, at the Salcedo branch) and her yoga journey that began in 2011 cemented her principles in sports. She sees it as a holistic approach that should benefit one’s mental, physical, and spiritual health; it’s not about winning, but about making oneself feel better. These are the same principles she wishes to instill in the village’s young neighborhood, and she helps make sure they are provided with fun filled happenings throughout year. From easter egg hunts, summer workshops (basketball, art, and dance), fun runs, pilates, yoga, to Christmas celebrations, Missy works on continually inspiring the villagers through these free activities. It’s no wonder City Hall awarded Dasmarinas Village as the most child friendly barangay in Makati.
She carries the same passion for her community in her work as Vice President of SOC Land, her family’s venture. The company is behind Anuva, a thoroughly planned resort like neighborhood of eight towers in a 2.4-hectare space in Sucat. What’s particularly special about this development is its focus on mid-economic status groups and providing them with affordable condo living above and beyond their expectations. “Our slogan is ‘change the way you dream.’ We want the market to see how their hard earned money can get them the best value they deserve,” Missy expounded. Anuva goes beyond the standard and builds on only 20% of the land, giving residents 80% open space equipped with parks, gardens, function rooms, a clubhouse, pool, jogging path, sky lounges, and even a river, lagoon, and lake.
Missy explained how her family and consultants were all on board for the planning, giving thoughtful considerations in every aspect, such as the maximized room layouts that allow more space and reduced sun exposure. It’s a project she is very proud of because of how it elevates Filipinos’ lives, and the name Anuva, that means ‘a new beginning,’ is a fitting term for what it stands for.
“There really is no place like home. I’ve had friends ask me why I came back, and it’s because of the people, the culture. I thought I’d settle abroad but I missed the Philippines,” Missy continued on, still pensive from the question of where she’d choose to live, her smile reflecting all that she wishes for her village and Anuva – to impart a caring and striving village culture that Filipinos, from whatever status they may be, will forever cherish.
0 comments:
Post a Comment