For 10 years now, Pro-Friends continuously touch the lives of many Ilonggos through its projects here namely Parc Regency Residences and Monticello Villas.
Pro-Friends is already present in the lives of countless Ilonggos. It did not only help them own their dream home. It also is a witness to their perseverance and hardwork as they survive life’s tough challenges.
Pro-Friends homeowners have their own stories to tell – stories of failure and success, sadness and happiness, and rags to riches which greatly contributed to the good life that they are currently experiencing.
In a way, Pro-Friends have made their stories a tale worthy to be shared. The success they achieved is the reward. The challenges are the obstacles and hardships they hurdled, but the lessons they learned along the way is the best part of their journey.
Here are the Pro-Friends 10 Great Stories:
ZENAIDA PERUCHO
“Motherhood is a choice we mothers have to embrace with. God gave us our children to become our inspiration, our strength to move forward. It was hard raising children on my own but I made it out of determination.”
A mother of three, Zenaida Perucho was still able to raise her kids well despite the struggles she faced as a single mother when she was widowed at an early age.
More than taking full responsibility of her children, motherhood made Zenaida discover the strengths she never thought she had and dealing with fears she didn’t know existed.
While being employed in a government agency, she sold dried fish, homemade tocino and chorizo to sustain the needs of her children.
Now that her children are all professionals and working abroad, Zenaida is reaping the fruits of her labor and enjoying her long-time dream for her family at Parc Regency Residences.
JEROME AND JANET PORNAN
“When we look at them, we can’t help but smile. We think our hard work paid off. Lahat ng sakripisyo worth it. Napakasaya ko at napatapos namin ang aming mga anak.”
Education is the best gift that parents will pass on to their children, they say. It might be a cliché, but it has been already proven by many. One of those is couple Jerome and Janet Pornan who were able to send their six children to school despite the financial trials they have undergone.
Both believers of good education, they worked hard together to send all their children to school. While Jerome works as a government employee, Janet sells goods in order to help support the needs of their family.
After those struggles, the couple is now having a happy and contented life at Parc Regency Residences. Their children became professionals and are giving back the love and support that their parent gave them.
MA. LUZ ORTALIZ
“I just thought my life should not stop here. Yes, I lost my house, all my belongings pero I have to stand up again and move on. As long as there are sunsets and sunrises, there is hope.”
Life can have hundreds of reasons to give you worries and problems but in return, God will give you a thousand reasons to be happy. This is how Ma. Luz Ortaliz looks at the challenges she encountered in life.
Ma. Luz was once a dressmaker living in a small house with her whole family. But when typhoon Frank hit Iloilo in 2008, her dreams shattered just like how the said calamity devastated their home.
Despite the tragic experience, she did not lose hope. She moved on with new hope and pulled through by keeping her faith and working hard.
Ma. Luz completely moved on from that devastation. She and her family are now living a safe and secured life in the dream home they found at Parc Regency Residences.
ELMER AND MARY JOY BILLANO
“Ang pag-aabroad ay hindi biro. Ito ay isang malaking responsibilidad na kailangang bigyan ng dedikasyon at pagsisikap. Hindi naman tayo yayaman in an instant. Kaillangan talaga ng sipag at tiyaga.”
“Sipag at tiyaga” are values common to most Filipinos. It is this value that Filipino workers are set apart and looked up to by other races – how they sacrifice so much for their families and loved ones.
Couple Elmer and Mary Joy Billano has been working abroad to provide the needs of their families and also to achieve their dreams. Elmer is working in Saudi Arabia while his wife Mary Joy is working in Hong Kong.
They first met on Facebook as chatmates. After several months of exchanging messages, they finally decided to meet when they both had their vacation. And on that point, their virtual love story has become a reality.
Aside from the long distance relationship, they endured a lot of sacrifices. But now that they have enough savings, they invested in their dream home which they found at Monticello Villas.
GINA GILONGOS
“Ang pagiging ina ay 24 oras na trabaho. Sa bawat gising ko tuwing umaga, ang mga anak ko agad ang aking inaalala. Bagong araw, bagong pag-asa, bagong simula na naman para sa aming pamilya.” Being a mother is indeed the highest paying job as you are being rewarded with the best treasure in the world – pure love.
Gina Gilongos is a mother of two. While her husband works as a seafarer, she is the one taking care of her children. She chose to become a full time mom over office work as she considers motherhood a noble job.
Despite her struggles in bringing up her children, she would not trade it for any career in this world. Good thing she and her children feel secured all the time at Monticello Villas.
DARLENE VASQUEZ
“At this age and time, being single is not a status, it’s actually a word that describes a person who is strong enough to live and enjoy life without having to depend on others.”
Passion is one strong force that fuels a person to love what he is doing. Darlene Vasquez can testify to this statement as she has been doing the thing she likes the most and finding love and happiness out of her passion.
Darlene is one of the Block Representatives of Monticello Villas. She loves to serve the community by actively participating in various activities and leading her neighbors. She became so busy doing her volunteer works and in taking care of her mother leading her to forget about making her own love story.
Though she is single, she always finds joy in the people around her – her neighbors and her family. And she is very thankful that she found Monticello Villas as the perfect community where she is living happily and where she continues to pursue her passions in life.
FERNAN AND MARIA CHRISTINE PINEDA
“Indeed, God loves a cheerful giver. We are happy to share our blessings to other people. We have proven that with determination and hardwork paired with prayers and a generous heart, there is no goal too big to aim. Our God is bigger than our problems.”
Just like many of those who became successful, Fernan and Maria Christine Pineda have also experienced trials before landing in the spot that they are enjoying at present. Ironically, they both started as bank employees but struggled financially due to bad decisions they made. Yet, life has indeed its own way of teaching every person a lesson.
From their downfall, they stood up, planned out and worked hard to achieve their goals. And yes, they were able to survive and regained success. They are passing on the success that they are experiencing by giving back the blessings to other people.
In fact, they are sending a number of college scholars to school. In all the challenges in their life, Pro-Friends was with them in their roller coaster ride and was the wind beneath their wings that uplifted them to stand up and move on with new perspectives in life.
MHERNETTE MARGALLO
“Now that we have a place to call our own, we see to it that every moment we share here is memorable and cherished. Kahit simpleng stroll lang in our lanai early in the morning, napakasaya na namin.”
Marriage is a serious matter as it is a decision that will impact a person’s life forever. Mhernette Margallo is one of those who got married at an early age. She and her husband experienced failure in their business ventures several times and ended up renting a room in a boarding house due to financial constraints.
Through thick and thin, together they survived. And now, they are living a happy and contented life as a married couple with their son.
They now also have their own online business which is reaping its success with six branches in the different parts of the country and a home that they now call their own at Parc Regency Residences.
BOB AND GRACE LLORICO
“We have always believed in hardwork. Mahirap ang buhay pero kayang malampasan.” “Don’t settle for less. Be the best.” This is what businesswoman and realtor Grace Llorico carries in which drove her to success.
A strong and empowered woman leader, Grace together with her husband Bob didn’t give up on their dreams for their family despite the difficulties they faced before reaching the top.
Grace is an epitome of a person who always strives to be the best in everything that she is doing. With determination paired with faith, Bob and Grace were able to reach their life goals.
Truly, the best things come to those who are not settling for less like Bob and Grace who are now living their dreams with their family in a community where they found love, peace and happiness – Parc Regency Residences.
REINA BELLUGA
“Balancing roles as a mother and family provider is not an easy job. But seeing your child achieve great things is the most rewarding part.”
A working mom who juggles work and motherhood, Reina Belluga always finds time to satisfy the needs of her family, especially of her only son. Despite her busy work schedule, she always sees to it to have quality time with her son. She may be tagged as stage mom to her son who is fond of joining dance contests, she doesn’t mind as it is her way of showing support to him.
She has undergone a lot of trials along the way, but those challenges didn’t hinder her to become successful as a career woman and a mother. She is happy with the things that she achieved for her family especially that they now have a house of their own which she luckily found at Monticello Villas.
Pro-Friends recognized these 10 homeowners in an event held at SM City Iloilo. Brand Manager Prince Celo thanks the “homeowners who shared with us and inspired us with their life stories.”
“The stories you shared reminds us that life’s a gift and a journey, and we have to wake up everyday just to realize that and make the most of that journey,” he added.
This year, Pro-Friends is celebrating 10 fruitful years of continuously fulfilling its commitment to the Ilonggo community. Started in Iloilo way back in 2007, Pro-Friends has remained to be one of the trusted developers of the Ilonggos. To note, Pro-Friends is the name behind two master-planned communities in Iloilo namely, Parc Regency Residences and Monticello Villas which are now home to more than 2,000 families.
