Source: Cebu Daily News
Date: July 31, 2008

It was both a downtime and a time for doing business.

Inside the clubhouse of this posh development in Liloan town, licensed real estate broker Henry Sta. Teresa was talking and mingling with guests. The 70 potential clients, mostly balikbayan nurses and their family, were either dining indoors or taking advantage of the beautiful view of the infinity pool and the seascape.

"We sponsored this lunch to show them (balikbayans) what Amara is,"said Teresa, owner of Sweetland Realty.

An upscale project of Cebu Holdings, Inc., Amara is an exclusive village with gorgeous views, beautiful landscaped entrance, and a modern Asian clubhouse. From the clubhouse, which faces the sea, residents can see the lighthouse inside the enclave.

"Amara is the perfect place for retirement,"says CHI Marketing Supervisor Dianne Nicolas, explaining that the subdivision has been designed to provide utmost convenience to homeowners.

She revealed that around 40 percent their clients are balikbayans.

One of the guests for the gathering Sweetland hosted is a lot owner at the village. Rolando Brigoli, who brought the property through Sweetland Realty, is based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Through the arrangements made by Sta. Teresa, Brigoli brought along for a tour his classmates from nursing school in Cebu Doctors' University class 1978. The nurses, who are mostly from U.S., New Zealand and Europe, were holding their 30th alumni homecoming.

Sta. Teresa said touring the group is one way of promoting the properties Sweetland sells as a broker, specifically Amara.

Tapping the balikbayans, he added, is a good way of advertising because the OFWs will "eventually retire, "and thus need a relaxing place to go home to.

To know more about Amara, call 231-5355 or log on to www.cebuholdings.com. Sweetland Realty may be reached at 516-4393 or www.sweetlandproperties.net.