When it takes a village to build a house.

Facade of Loreland Villa

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to build a house or do renovations too. That's what I learned when I started doing construction at Loreland Farm Resort and at Loremar Realty.

My familiarization with construction materials started at an early age - first there were Lego blocks. I made sure that the house I built using Lego blocks were the biggest if not the most beautiful among my siblings. A few years later when I was old enough, I would help around our small hardware store. During that time, my mother was running a garments factory while my father was running the hardware. 

Every summer, when there was no "Loreland" yet, I would help out in the store by selling concrete nails, paints, hardware materials, etc. My salary If I remember it right was about Php 10.00 to Php 30.00 a day. They would also bring me to Wilcon in Libis to shop for more materials and when their real esate company was formed, they would take me to the site then I would see them supervising construction. The white sand delivered by 10 wheeler truck was my playground. I thought all kids have that kind of playground.

The moment I joined family business, I told my boss, my mother that she cannot make me stay in the office from 8:00 to 5:00 pm. I made that quite clear to her. I just can't sit in a cushioned chair and in an airconditioned room all day being a paper pusher. It wasn't me. Some people were cut out to be one, but not me. I felt I just had to be out there supervising something from scratch to its completion. So when my boss gave me the go signal to do renovations, I felt extra excited. I was so looking forward to every morning and fix anything I could get my hands on. Another reason was that I could get my clothes dirty in the process and that laundry would be more sulit. I like it when I'm out naiinitan, that way sulit din ang sunblock. (!)

Although I wasn't trained to be an interior designer, an architect or an engineer, she gave me the green light. Remember I was supposed to take up Law in college but decided not to and instead go into business. She wasn't an architect or engineer herself anyway when she built Loreland so it's ok. If there were any difference in our styles in giving instructions to the foreman, she uses the tip of her umbrella on the soil as if its her actual drawing board. Her style worked all these years they thought Loreland was some kind of membership only club. I, on the other hand, use my handy meter tape in giving instructions and do a bit of planning ahead. I make measurements myself and identify where each furniture should be located, the distance between the door and the bed, how many tiles should be used, lighting design, accessories, etc.

Just do what you love best then it will all follow, she said. Why did I say that it takes a village to build a house or do renovations? Because it entails a team of skilled workers to make it possible. From carpenters, masons, electricians, plumbers, painters, laborers, welders, roof installers to gardeners, housekeepers, sales and marketing people and to all those working in the admin. All of them make up a team who build something from scratch to finish. From ground, up. From floor to ceiling. From bare to bright. It entails alot of close coordination and supervision just to make sure that materials are delivered, workers are present, bills are paid, etc. 

And now to share with you some of the rooms that my team made at Loreland:

Loreland Villa Room 1

Loreland Villa Room 2

Superior Room

Superior Room

Twin Sharing Room

Twin Sharing Room

Quad Sharing

Lobby

Verde Restaurante

Veranda

Welcome Area

Loreland is still a work in progress. As I said to some friends, it took 15 years to build unlike condos or supermalls that mushroomed in the urban jungle. As long as funds are available, many areas can still be improved. It's a cycle. When it earns, you bring it back to property so that next time guests woud visit, they would have something new to experience.