Affordable Natural Stones: Mangima Stones

In my wife’s barrio in Maluko, Bukidnon, Mindanao – natural stones are abundant. These beautiful stones reach Cebu as Mangima stones thru a prominent supplier, but we can supply this material at a much cheaper price and you can save a lot if you order in bulk – 20 footer vans.

Natural decorative mangima stones

These beautiful natural stones are literally harvested in the cliff walls and hill sides. We cut them in manageable sizes and group them according to color. There are three color shades available – green, greenish, and woodstone (brownish).

By supporting this product, you also support the workers – indigenous people working in their barrio. This little known industry has already provided jobs for the barrio folks for over 10 years now. These stones are not only beautiful and natural but are also very affordable compared to other natural decorative stones…

Jairos Tower: Mabolo Cebu’s new landmark

Jairos tower of Aseniero familyThis high tech glass tower is the new head turner in Mabolo Cebu and it doesn’t even cost as high as it looks.

With efficient construction methodologies and systems, your budget can be stretched to accommodate your dream home or dream building.

This building is planned as a full technology office except that the penthouse is the owner’s zen place.

No space is gonna be rented out here.

All floors will be used by the owner.

Skooteo Office renovations at Crown Regency Towers Cebu City

mounting the acrylic display after paintingSkooteo is the next big thing in advertising. You will want to advertise with them. How would you like to display your business in boats, fast crafts, buses, trains, and taxis at a specific time you set for your target audience? That’s what the company is all about. Reach your target audience as they commute to and from their work.

Skooteo team just started and they just recently moved to a formal office after months of product development from their individual homes. This new office they acquired needed some improvements – bathroom upgrades, wall fine finishes, furniture repairs, ceiling repairs, and door fixes.

Asiniero commercial building Mabolo Cebu City

Asiniero project perspectiveAsiniero building had a bad start with a misunderstanding with the first builder that could no longer be revived.

The owner is a classmate thus it was not very difficult for us to help them with their troubles with the permits.

As we have friends of friends at the permits division, it was not very difficult to find help and leeway in their deficient requirements.

Soon enough the construction resumed and is handled by the very experienced Engineer Agnes who also saw the need to help the owners make their pet project finally a reality.

This commercial building will house the Cebu operations of the software business of the owners and the rest of the areas will be rented out.

As it is so required by the City, the building will have an elevator, parking, handicaps’ access, and other amenities required by the building code.

The good thing in building a commercial structure is that it is relatively easy compared to a residential structure as most of the areas are typically designed or cloned from the other areas.

Pole barn (warehouse style) structure in Oslob Cebu

Sanborn pole barn front and side view

Pole barn warehouse design by Brian Sanborn

Brian Sanborn’s pole barn project is meant to house vehicles, heavy equipment, barracks style dwellings for the workers, makeshift office, and army style classrooms.

All doors are the widest possible with deadbolts. Roofs are solar panel ready. The structure has four air conditioning units.

Windows are double paned and with metal clad doors throughout. The energy savings of insulated windows are good, and metal doors are stronger than wood.

Toilets are commercial flushers with a manual lever to activate, not the toilet tank bowl design.  There’s a water holding tank with a water pump to obtain good water pressure for strong flushing, shower flow and irrigation.  The terrain elevation is 2400 ft, just 100 ft less than the highest nearby so there won’t be much water pressure from the Barangay source.

There’s a classroom and air conditioned storage for audio visual equipment, so the space is modified furthest from the garage door to extend completely across the buildings width. The structure makes 42 ft long and 15 ft wide. There’s a closet storage space with a wooden combination door from the classroom. The closet storage is 15 ft x 9ft.  The classroom is 15ft x 33ft. There’s a wooden door from the classroom to the interior of the garage. Doors are made the widest possible.

All air conditioners are larger and more capable than the dimensions of each room requires. This is meant to make the AC easily cools a room in minimal time.

There’s a closet space for the remaining 3 air conditioned spaces. Sliding closet doors are industrial grade closet doors to prevent eventual slipping off of their runners.

There’s a counter top and deep sink along the interior wall of the garage, a sink drain, and a nearby electrical connection. Shelves and table tops are outsourced as ready to install modules.

The dimensions of the enclosed building are 42 W’ x 60’L x 12’H. The height of the ceiling at the apex is the contractor’s discretion but living quarters and office spaces are 12’ high.

The carport is 60’ x 12’.  The carport covers a concrete slab. One garage door is 8’ high x 16’ wide and is mounted on the side of the building that is 42’ wide.

There are three-prong 220 V electrical connections on all wall pillars of the interior. There is one exterior-waterproof electrical connection mounted five-feet high near the center of the carport.

A laundry drain is located next to an electrical connection for a washer and dryer in the corner closest to the dormitories.

Solar panels are mounted on the carport roof sufficient to supply 4000 watts. The solar panel installation includes batteries and an inverter for night use.

There are four LED lights mounted on the ceiling of the carport operated through a motion sensor and on/off switch.  The motion sensor is pointed from the far side of the carport ceiling towards the driveway.

A 1600 square ft septic tank is located downhill from the building, away from a path taken by vehicles. The septic tank service spout is accessible to a truck.

Chua Residence near Mr. A’s in Busay Cebu City

chua perspective with variance

Chua residential project

Chua residence near Mr. A’s in Busay Cebu City is a meticulously space maximized residential design that is meant as a quick and simple residence with two bedrooms and a roof deck for parties and gatherings.

Because of the size of the lot, every space is functional thus it looks more of a box. 

The garden on the side is a future apartment meant to give the owner a decent source of steady income.

The car port is American inspired that locks the car in and the occupants can get straight to the interior.

Structure has two stories, and with a roof deck. The design will be ready for a basement expansion. There is no bathroom in the ground floor to make way for a bigger service area. Ceiling clearance is 3.5 meters.The overall design is bare minimalist. There is a simple shed for the roof deck stair. The ground is a drive-in parking style which will also have kitchen and laundry at the rear area. The second floor has 1 bathroom and 2 rooms, one of which is the master’s bedroom.The roof deck has a spiral staircase access from the second floor and has electrical outlets for roof deck parties and such.

Gamutan Residence in Villa Lucita Cansojong Talisay City

Gamutan residence at Villa Lucita Uldog Cansojong Talisay CityGamutan residence is a mediterranean inspired modern home that features wide glass doors and wide glass windows to maximise natural lighting. 

Materials and prices are standard priced making the house highly marketable since the original idea is for a build and sell project.

As of writing, the house is selling at p5M and is slightly negotiable.

Pocong Wellness Hut in Basdiot Moalboal Cebu

Pocong wellness front viewMeljoe Pocong’s wellness hut is a native styled wooden structure with amakan walls to create a cooler temperature and polycarbonate roofing to maximise natural lighting. 

This nature inspired structure also serves as jump off point for boating services to their resort in Basdako.

This wellness hut is located just 20 steps away from the baranggay road leading to basdako and is situated within the spa strip in Moalboal thus competing with the standard spa services in the resort municipality.

The all wood design makes the structure relatively low cost but natural.

Low cost commercial building in Banilad Cebu City

julie commercial distant perspectiveHere’s a super low cost commercial complex set on a prime location.

There are no structural columns, just round metal posts, wrapped by fiber cement boards, meant to support the roof. The walls are made of dry walls (fiber cement boards).

Since it is on a prime location, this project is expected to return investment by leaps and bounds.

Tulod Residence by RenBacs: Low Cost but high end looking residence in Soong Lapu-lapu City

2 masters bedroom window view from the groundLow costing doesn’t necessarily mean low-cost looking.

Tulod’s residence in Soong Mactan is a low costed residential project but the budget was maximized by RenBacs’ long experience in efficient construction methodology thus resulting in a middle-end-looking output.

If good workers are well motivated and well supervised, the result is high quality output.

Looking around this house, you will not notice that only the ground floor walls are concrete. The second floor walls are actually dry walls (fiber cement boards). Fiber cement boards can be used in a variety of ways – not just for ceilings or eaves but even walls or floors for thick fiber cement boards.

Even the tiles and fixtures look high-end but these are actually middle-priced fixtures from one of the large popular construction shops in the city – Cebu Home Builders.

Despite the sudden increase in the construction materials today, you can still maximize your budget on your construction project through well experienced project management techniques coupled with good efficient workers.