Profriends At 25: Making That Big Difference
February 23, 2024 marks the 25th founding anniversary of Property Company of Friends, Inc., more known as Profriends. For over two decades, Profriends has embraced its calling to transform the lives of Filipino families through the communities it creates. Choosing to serve the affordable market, Profriends has built and delivered over 64,000 houses across its projects since 1999. This practically translates to the same number of families or close to 300,000 individuals whose lives were made better by living in a Profriends home.
Shaping Community Values
Families coming from different places of residence have gathered to establish their roots in the same location. Considering this, Profriends has thought of providing what’s best for its homeowners--- develop a culture in the community that resonates with the homeowners’ aspirations and mirrors the company’s own values. When one lives in a Profriends community, the values of care and collaboration are most evident among the families. These are realized in various homeowner activities, family events, youth leadership trainings, and many more community-led endeavors. Hearing out the voices of the youth gives them an avenue to be trained as future, strong community leaders: “They let the youth do their job. Parang ang laki ng tiwala nila sa youth, ang laki ng nakikita nilang (potential) sa youth sa community,” says youth core group member Luster Añabieza, also a resident-volunteer of Manchester phase 5 in Lancaster New City. “We are empowered. Sobrang dami ng type of activities na ginagawa namin to be a venue for empowerment. For example, the community-wide leadership sessions, AlabFest concerts and activities happen to hone our various skills, art workshops, dance and many more activities led by the youth,” shares Manchester Phase 8 resident & volunteer Rinoa Lamadrid, also a youth core group member.
Touching The Lives of Many Others
Profriends has nurtured its relationship with its stakeholders. It is a trait which leaves a lasting footprint in the people’s hearts. “Tulad namin, kami bilang contractor. Hindi niya kami itinuring na iba. Ipinagpalagay niya kami na business partner, kasama. Hindi tauhan,” shares Bernardo Berbie, CEO, Triple J Construction and BEB Builders Corporation. For JM Mendiola CEO, Jesus Mendiola, Profriends helped not only his business but more importantly, uplifted the life of his family and employees: “Si Profriends kasi, lumalabas sa kanya--- walang iwanan. Basta nandyan ka, ibibigay nila lahat ng suporta sa ‘yo. Nakapag-paaral din kami ng mga anak namin, pati yung anak ng employees namin. Nakapagtapos sila. Yun yung malalaking tulong na ibinigay sa amin ni Profriends.” For Green Circle Realty Unit Manager Angel Domanico, Profriends’ vision is aligned with her personal values: “dati komisyon lang, ngayon usually ang nagiging mission naming mga agent ay mas lalongmakatulong sa mga kababayan natin na magkaroon ng tahanan na affordable. Mas fulfilling po yung ganun, feeling na nakakatulong ka sa mga tao.”
Family, Not Mere Employee
Profriends is proud to have worked with over 5,900 employees since 1999. Profriends recently awarded this year’s batch of service awardees, some of whom are 20-year and 25-year awardees. Employees attest to how Profriends become not only their work place but regard colleagues as family. “Yung sense of family, hindi man ako nagkaroon ng sarili kong pamilya talaga pero answered prayer na siya, yung dinatnan ko rito sa company ay family,” says Cathy Javier, Operations Department Head, Client Servicing Group. Profriends is her first job after graduating from college and she has been with the company for 20 years already. “Napakamatulungin ng Profriends hindi lamang sa empleyado kundi pati sa pamilya. Noong bagyong Yolanda, naapektuhan ang pamilya ko. Wala naman akong hininging tulong o pinagsabihan pero biglang may dumating na assistance,” recalls Celso Banito, Construction Management Department Head.
Values Created
Banking on its current work force and long-standing partners, Profriends sees more opportunities to continue its mission of creating values where it sets its foot. Adds President Kathleen Choa, “Always looking to change Filipino lives for the better, looking to the future, we will go higher with our condos and deeper into the lives of our buyers. We will ask the same questions: How do we make livable communities? How do we develop projects that are sensitive to nature and to the environment? And how do we design community living so that families are nurtured, are strong, and are happy?” To continue the mission of creating more communities and transforming more lives, Choa believes that Profriends will succeed because everything is anchored on its values, with its mission as its continuing north star. Founder Guillermo Choa expressed hopes that Profriends’ legacy of caring outlives those entrusted to deliver on its commitment to the Filipino families.