(This speech was delivered by Banzon, president of SM Development Corp., during the official launch of Gem Residences in Pasig City on July 31).
I am very pleased to welcome you all, most especially our energetic and enthusiastic sales teams, brokers, investors, business partners and friends. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the SMDC team of consultants who worked hard together to make this occasion possible.
Today marks a very momentous occasion as we are launching SMDC’s newest project, Gem Residences. This, amid a backdrop of an unprecedented event that has profoundly changed the way we live and work. As the world faces tremendous challenges, this situation also presents us with several opportunities.
We have before us the opportunity to give support to the restoration of the economy; to provide jobs and incomes and to attract business into the country. Real estate development is a powerful tool, not only economically, but also socially, as this pandemic has shown.
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
We are in the business that fulfills a basic human need, namely, shelter. A need that remains severely unfulfilled. In fact, there remains a backlog of six million homes in the country.
We belong to a resilient industry. A home does not just provide shelter, but as an asset, it is real, tangible, and permanent. And in times of uncertainty, it represents stability evidenced by the fact that it is an asset that is least affected by deflationary forces.