Camella

Camella
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryReal estate
FoundedAugust 1977; 47 years ago (1977-08)
FounderManuel B. Villar Jr
HeadquartersWorldwide Corporate Center,
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
,
Philippines
Key people
Manuel B. Villar Jr. (Chairman)
Manuel "Paolo" A. Villar III (Vice Chairman, President and CEO)
Cynthia Javarez (COO)
Brands
  • Camella Homes
  • Camella Manors
ParentVista Land
Websitewww.camella.com.ph

Camella Inc. also known as simply Camella, is a house and lot and condominium developer in the Philippines.[1] It is the flagship subsidiary of Vista Land, which is part of the Villar Group of Companies associated with Manny Villar.[2][3]

History

Camella was founded by Manuel B. Villar, Jr. in August 1977. Villar took out a seven-year loan from a rural bank offering low interest rates then kick-started building and selling at his first project, Camella Homes Phase 1 and 2 in Las Piñas, with 160 units initially.[4][5] The company became the pioneer for developing house and lot packages in the country when the usual practice at that time was to sell lots for future homeowners to build on. This initiated the mass housing projects through economies of scale, utilizing the cost advantages of developing a large-scale project to bring down housing prices. Camella has since become the country's largest home building company.[6][7]

Accolades

Camella has been recognized by Reader's Digest as Asia's Trusted Brand in property development from 2012 to 2017.[8][9][10][11][12][13]

In 2016, Camella's Camella Palawan resort was named as Best Housing Development by the Philippines Property Awards.[14]

Controversies

Monopolization of Internet connectivity

In March 2021, the homeowner associations of the Camella Cerritos Heights and Lessandra Heights residential subdivision developments in Bacoor, Cavite protested the prohibition of Internet service providers competing against sister company Planet Cable (now Streamtech) from operating in their neighborhoods.[15]

In a letter to the National Telecommunications Commission, Cerritos Heights Homeowners Association Inc. (CHHAI) president Toteng Tanglao wrote about the unavailability of ISPs aside from Planet Cable due to right of way issues and lack of permits given to build broadband lines inside Cerritos Heights Phases 1 and 2, Cerritos Terraces and Cerritos Hills Phases 1, 2 and 3.[16] This was forwarded to the Philippine Competition Commission. Camella did not respond to their initial request, as well as to the same from Lani Mercado, the Mayor of Bacoor.[15]

Furthermore, a team of armed security guards blocked personnel of Globe Telecom, a subsidiary of conglomerate Ayala Corporation, from installing Internet access cables the May of the same year.[17][18]

Camella responded to the petition by releasing a set of policies clarifying and formalizing the process for accepting entry of other providers. PLDT had since then sent the CHHAI initial plans to service their area.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ "About Camella". Camella.com.ph. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "Company Information". edge.pse.com.ph. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  3. ^ "Villar group sets P175-B capex for next 3 years". BusinessWorld. December 29, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  4. ^ Tanya T. Lara (February 3, 2010). "Cynthia Villar on Manny, the presidency & what her father taught her". Philippine Star. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  5. ^ "Geography". CHAINworks. Camella Homeowners Association, Inc. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Mr. Billion How Cheap Homes Made A Filipino Rich". CNN. November 30, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "Senator Manny Villar". Senate Of The Philippines. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  8. ^ Zinnia B. Dela Peña (July 19, 2012). "Camella Homes bags Reader's Digest Trusted Brands Gold Award". Philippine Star. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  9. ^ "Camella cited by Reader's Digest". SunStar Cebu. June 3, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2021 – via PressReader.
  10. ^ "Camella bags Reader's Digest award anew as Asia's Trusted Brand in property dev't". Philippine Star. June 8, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "Full List of Winners of Reader's Digest Trusted Brand 2015". LionhearTV. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  12. ^ "Reader's Digest Trusted Brands 2016: Recognizing the consumer's choice". Adobo Magazine. July 11, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  13. ^ "TRUST REMAINS BIGGEST INFLUENCER". Philippine Star. March 7, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  14. ^ "Villar receives the Philippines' Real Estate Personality of the Year Award". Property Finds Asia. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  15. ^ a b JPV (March 10, 2021). "Homeowners' group in Cavite asks PCC to break 'monopoly' of internet provider". INQUIRER.net. Manila: Inquirer Group of Companies. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  16. ^ "Cerritos Heights residents hit Planet Cable's monopoly". Manila Standard. Makati: Philippine Manila Standard Publishing, Inc. March 2, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  17. ^ "More internet providers sought for Cavite village". Manila Standard. Makati: Philippine Manila Standard Publishing, Inc. May 29, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  18. ^ "Basbas ng homeowners tablado! Globe hinarang sa Camella Homes". Abante (in Tagalog). Quezon City: Prage. May 28, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  19. ^ Mencias, Eileen (February 6, 2022). "Camella Homes residents rejoice as they await entry of other ISP providers PLDT, Globe". Bilyonaryo. Quezon City: Prage. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  20. ^ Ople, Carlo (February 7, 2022). "Camella Homes Residents Finally Getting PLDT, Globe Connections". Unbox PH. Quezon City: Prage. Retrieved October 30, 2024.