The quest towards raising even higher the bar of excellence for Philippine real estate transactions took a monumental turn with the holding of the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) course in Manila for the first time from February 20-24, 2012 with no less than Steven Brown, 2014 President of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), acknowledging the Philippines’ unique and strategic position as the global body’s “premier partner” in fulfilling its role as the “voice for real estate.”
The global property course hosted by the Chamber of Real Estate & Builders’ Associations, Inc. (CREBA) brought together the leaders of Philippine real estate, both public and private, as more than 80 leading property professionals and heads of national industry associations converged putting local properties into the global investment spotlight.
The CIPS is licensed by the NAR. Graduates of the 5-day program are deemed official candidates to the prestigious CIPS designation – a unique brand that represents advanced expertise of a global perspective with a distinct understanding of the ‘global buyer’. The elite network of CIPS designees composed of only 2,500 around the globe ‘stays one step ahead of the competition’ through NAR’s intensive connection where they can gain network, market information, customized research, cross-country referral activities, and member-to-member business opportunities.
Among the first batch of CIPS graduates from the Philippines are Tomasito Academia, national president of the Philippine Association of Real Estate Boards (PAREB); Alejandro Manalac, chairman of the National Real Estate Association (NREA); Margaret D. Gaw and Eden Dela Cruz, national president and chairman, respectively, of the Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines (REBAP); Emily Q. Duterte and Pilar T. Banaag, executive-vice president and national chairman, respectively of the Philippine Institute of Real Estate Service Practitioners (PhilRES); and Florentino S. Dulalia, Jr., national president of the Philippine Federation of Real Estate Service Professionals (PFRESPI).
Regional heads Abundio Gultiano, Jr. of NREA-Cebu; Efren Tormes of PAREB-Manila Board; Crisanto Chua of PAREB-Quezon City Board; and Josefina Alagao of PAREB-Paranaque, Las Pinas and Alabang (PLAREB) likewise completed the course.
Hon. Eduardo G. Ong, chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board for Real Estate Service (PRB-RES) which spearheads the implementation of the Real Estate Service Act, was also a graduate. Dr. Ong delivered the message on behalf of all graduates during the grand commencement rites held last February 27, 2012.
The NAR-CREBA pact strongly conveys absolute and esteemed commitment to make Philippine practitioners globally competitive. Today, a huge amount of foreign investments in US real estate, a third of which comes from a combination of Asian countries. The Philippines ranks in the top 10 foreign countries investing in properties in the US.
In November 2011, NAR recognized IRM membership in the Philippines as the largest in Asia, and the second largest in the world, next to Mexico, among non-US countries. By far, the online property listing facility developed by the CREBA-NAR Council is the only one of its kind in Asia linked to NAR’s global listing service. NAR President’s Liaison to the Philippines Shonee M. A. Henry, who led the NAR delegation in last month’s events, was awarded most outstanding in 2011.
CREBA extends its gratitude to the prime movers of the CIPS and the NAR-CREBA partnership for a fantastic week that will reap millions of benefits for Philippine real estate: the CREBA-NAR Global Real Estate Council headed by Julius G. Topacio, CREBA vice-president for global real estate alliances and Evangeline A. Yia, council chairman, which organized the course; Council members Avelina P. Acuna, Josephine A. Cortez, Grace Anne Christine A. Torres, Daniel R. Dela Cruz, Robert Marie C. Sy, Domingo D. De Vera, Dr. Mary Gaw-So, as well as Myrna P. Badiola, Mary Rose G. Simeon, and Rufino L. Vallente for a successful graduation and growing membership; to the NAR leadership who visited the Philippines headed by Shonee Henry, Steve Brown and Jeffrey Hornberger; to Vice-President and Housing Czar Jejomar C. Binay for receiving the NAR delegation at the Coconut Palace; and to Aida Turbow of Florida, who, as lead instructor, tirelessly shared the dream and realization of a CIPS in Manila.
Published in the Manila Bulletin March 2012
