Long-time Parañaque City resident Tess Fojas (center) bought a condo unit at Tribeca Condominiums in Muntinlupa. Now her eight grandchildren can visit her every weekend and enjoy its amenities. (Photo by WILLY SAW)

I grew up right smack in the Cubao area of Quezon City. It was literally a few steps away from EDSA, a stone’s throw from Camp Crame and the Araneta Center. It was a nice place to grow up in at the time, because eons ago, EDSA was not as busy as it is today. In fact, we were still able to cross the highway safely, as long as we walked on the pedestrian lane, and if we waited for the stoplight to turn red.

Of course, my parents and siblings who still reside there now have to take an overpass, lest they be squashed like bugs by whooshing vehicles. The noise from the busy highway can really get to you too, especially since the MRT trains rumble past every few minutes, from five in the morning until about  nine in the evening. And since we live near a camp, videoke hotspots have sprung up in our vicinity, and residents are serenaded to various renditions of "My Way, " especially on payday. 

Calm and quiet

So, when I first moved to my in-laws’ suburban enclave about 10 years ago, after living in the heart of the metro for the first two decades (and then some) of my life, I was bowled over by the silence. I was amazed at the fact that I could actually hear chirping crickets. And in the morning, my shell-shocked ears were greeted by chirping birds. I even thought it very odd that my husband was annoyed at the morning tweeting, because he was so used to it; while I was savoring it along with the sunrise, which I could actually catch, because no big buildings were blocking my view. When it rains, we hear croaking frogs! In fact, more than a few have inexplicably found their way into the kitchen, which we take care to return to the outside world.    

And oh, the air here is much sweeter. Noxious fumes from vehicles cast gray smog over my old abode. So much so that my small nephews and nieces suffer from a gamut of respiratory ills, which rarely affect my own boys.

Towering trees abound in our village, offering shade and further protection from pollution. The city smog also settles down as dust, and my mom always complains that no matter how much elbow grease they use, a filmy layer of dust still finds its way to mantle the furniture.   

My sons now get to romp around the streets of our village without much fear of being run over by a speeding car. My eldest can ride his bike to the store, while his cousins have to wait to be brought to the Camp Crame bandstand or to the Quezon City Circle.           

Getting around

Of course, there are some drawbacks to living here too. I was used to stepping out of my house with a choice to ride a bus, jeepney, tricycle, taxi, or metro train to wherever I need to be. Here, the choices ar much more limited. If you think flagging down a taxicab during shopping season at SM Megamall is difficult, try looking for one cruising down the East Service Road at any time of the day. Life for a commuter can be quite challenging, and it is only recently that I have learned the jeepney routes that help me get around.

And it is good too, that there are more malls in the area. My husband tells me of a time when they had to go to Makati to buy their needs and wants. But then again, after I am done shopping.

I am still hard-pressed to find a taxi that can help me bring my heavy grocery bags home. I believe that when living in the “southlands,” a rule of thumb is learn to drive, own a car. But still, I think that this is the ideal space for bringing up my kids, and I am grateful to my in-laws who have graciously let me keep house, as they are abroad.

And I am not the only one who finds the South an ideal location. I have recently met some people who put location in the South area as a priority when they went home hunting. They are among the first residents of the Landco Pacific’s latest development, the Tribeca Condominiums, which is located along the East Service Road in Muntinlupa.

Jeffrey Cabuay and his wife, Mireille, met in France, where they were both involved with a lay formation. When it was time for Jeffrey to go home,  Mireille, a French national, followed him here. When the couple started looking for a home where they could start their family, they both knew that it had to be situated at the South.   “We both like the fact that it is not too crowded,” Mireille says. “We saw many of their other Landco developments, and we liked them, so even if the condominium was still under construction, and all we saw were the plans, we got a unit already. We like the fact that it is near Makati, Tagaytay, and Batangas,” Jeffrey adds. 

Tess V. Fojas, a dynamic grandmother of eight, is a long-time resident of the United Parañaque subdivision who has bought a second home at Tribeca. When asked why she stuck to the South, she says that convenience is a factor. “At first, it was just an investment, because the promo offer was good. We like the facilities here -- my grandkids discovered the pool, and we celebrate birthdays in the clubhouse. I’ve been living in Parañaque for almost 35 years, and I only have good things to say about it.”

She enumerates reasons why it is her place of choice. “Walang baha! There are only a few isolated places here that were affected by the flood last year. It is close to Makati, close to Alabang, the Fort, and SM Bicutan. If I want to go malling at any of these places, I can get there in a few minutes. Tribeca, especially, is very near where I play tennis. There are good schools that are near too, my children went to school in Makati, while my grandkids study in a good school near our home.  Tahimik sa area namin. Nung araw, hindi ganun ka-crowded, now it is still not as bad as in other areas.”

This is indeed a place where you can still breathe. So, if you are looking for a nice place to live, you may want to look to the South. 

For more information about Tribeca, call 842-8000.