Category Archives: Articles

Pueblo de Oro is developing CDO’s 1st 3 Storey Townhouse and the kagay-anons are excited of the news. To match with the family’s eagerness to move and live in the 3 storey home, Pueblo de Oro opened its door and invited contractors to aid them with the demand and we, Homechoice Planners Construction Corp., is one of the privileged contractors.

Team Homechoice @ Bamboo Lane

Despite all the best wishes and good intentions, in life, we have our own shares of troubles and challenges and Pueblo de Oro is no exemption. For whatever reason, there’s a season when Pueblo de Oro’s payment got delayed and some contractors flared up which caused negatively on workmanship however we, along with a few other contractors, decided to continue the work with integrity regardless of the situation. Who understand contractors better than co-contractors?

When Pueblo de Oro got back on their feet and everything’s back to normal, they can now see who’s with them through thick and thin. They know who believes in them and trust them fully and to whom they could pour their complete trust into — we, Homechoice Planners, along with the few other contractors who aid them to the fullest.

The tough season brought forth great friendships and partnerships and this is beyond what the delayed payments could afford.

Team Homechoice, you’ve done it again.

It has been three months already since R3 Marketing and Builders Supply has opened its business here in Cagayan de Oro City. And in the months that it has started its operation on marketing and selling retail hardware supplies, R3 Marketing has already expanded its business outside Cagayan de Oro City; catering to cities and municipalities such as Tagoloan, Villanueva, El Salvador and Laguindingan.

As part of R3 Marketing’s further expansion, they have reached out to the contractors, builders, local developers, engineers and architects of this city by conducting their very first Aggregation Event last 23rd of July at Mallberry Suites; an event exclusively for the aforementioned individuals. Its theme focuses on the “MODERNIZATION & INNOVATION ON CONSTRUCTION APPROACH”. This event is a collaboration with R3 Marketing’s sister company – HomeChoice Planners and Construction Corporation. Presented by Holcim Philippines, the leading cement manufacturer in the country; also supported by the leading brands in construction industry such as James Hardie Philippines makers of HardieFlex fiber cement boards, Neltex, Magna Prime, Firefly Electric & Lightning Company (FELCO), marketing and sale of various lighting and electrical products in the country, and Asian Coatings manufacturer of Rain or Shine and Welcoat; where in the event, they have highlighted their products, features and benefits to the targeted delegates.

R3 Marketing maybe a newbie in the industry but their baby steps have taken them to being the progressive company they are right now. The company shows commitment to their clients by rendering excellent customer service, providing quality products, and timely delivery with their efficient and competent teams. And to better serve their clients, R3 Marketing supports its staffs through continuous trainings and customer service enhancement.

To R3 Marketing and Builders Supply, kudos! Last Saturday’s event was indeed a successful one. And we’re definitely looking forward to your company’s future events. Until then!

ISO is an independent membership organization and the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards. ISO 9001 is managed by the International Organization for Standardization in Geneva, Switzerland. It is known and commonly used standard for quality management system.

A new version of ISO 9001 appears about every seven years. The first standard was issued in 1987 and at that time you had to describe in detail what your business did. In the 1994 version, it was all about “say what you do and do what you say”. The 2000 version was focused on processes in order to continually improve and thereby increase customer satisfaction. There was nothing added in 2008 but it was more precise about the interpretation of the standard. And then on the 23rd of September 2015, ISO 9001:2015 was published.

With the new edition of ISO 9001, the question is what are its differences from the predecessor? For one, ISO 9001:2015 has ten clauses instead of eight. The first three clauses in ISO 9001:2015 are largely the same as those in ISO 9001:2008, but there are considerable differences from the fourth clause onwards. The last seven clauses are now arranged according to the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. Clauses 4, 5, 6 and 7 of ISO 9001:2015 come under Plan, clause 8 comes under Do, clause 9 comes under check and clause 10 is covered by Act. With this new procedure, the new ISO 9001 edition strives to give additional momentum to the continuous and systematic improvement of processes within organizations.

ISO 9001:2015 has a high level structure as all standardized management systems. It puts more focus on input and output; measuring and properly assessing the input and output of processes. Risk based thinking is at the core of ISO 9001:2015; encouraging organization to use risk analysis for better management of business processes. Context of the organization is also important for ISO 9001:2015. It now requires an organization to construct its quality management system from the specific context within which it is active. There is extended engagement of interested parties such as the suppliers, personnel, shareholders, legislative bodies, society etc. unlike in the ISO 9001:2008 which was only focused with the customers. Also, there is more emphasis on leadership and management commitment; requiring greater involvement by top managers and business leaders in controlling the quality management system. In ISO 9001:2015, obligatory documented procedures or quality manual is no longer required. It is now referred to as “documented information”; there is no longer any mention of “records” neither, but of “retaining documented information”. There’s also a change of terminologies used in ISO 9001:2015.

Knowing the differences between ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9001:2015, the question now is, how can companies transition from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015? There are recommended steps to follow in complying with ISO 9001:2015. Assuming a company is already ISO 9001 certified; first, the organization needs to perform baseline measurement; make a complete overview of the quality management status. Secondly, draw up a plan based on the baseline measurement. Then implement changes in accordance with the plan of approach. Fourth step will be the auditing and process analysis. It is to measure whether the changes have had the desired effect. Then have your organization certified according to ISO 9001:2015. Lastly, communicate with interested parties; show your certificate and results with pride. Let them see how well your company or organization manages its processes and continuously improves them.

ISO 9001 is the world’s most popular and most commonly used standard for quality management system. To keep it current and relevant for the marketplace, its revision was published late last year – ISO 9001:2015. All ISO standards are reviewed every five years to establish if a revision is required to keep it up-to-date and on trend. Thus, the revised version is designed to respond to the latest trends and be compatible with other management systems.

The ISO 9001:2015 revision had undergone different stages before it was officially published last year. It was proposed on May and June 2012 then had its preparation from June to October of the same year. It was forwarded to the committee stage and the process started from June to October of 2013. On the year 2014, it was processed in the enquiry stage from May to October. Then it was approved on July 2015 and finally published on September 2015.

This new version of ISO 9001 follows a higher level structure to make it easier to use in conjunction with other management system standards, with increase importance given to risk. It is less prescriptive than its predecessor, focusing instead on performance. This was achieved by combining the process approach with risk-based thinking, and employing the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle at all levels in the organization.

Before releasing the new edition of ISO 9001, it underwent through many processes because the organization wanted to publish more concrete and polished version of ISO 9001; conforming to the latest trends and modern needs. The ISO 9001:2015 replaces previous editions and certification bodies and organizations are granted a three-year transition period to migrate their certificates to the new version.

As an approach to the modernization and innovation in construction, HomeChoice Planners and Construction Corporation has ventured in the Lightweight Concrete Technology as an alternative to the traditional concrete cement. This technology is also known as the Portafoam System manufactured by DRN Concrete Resources, a company that specializes in Industrialized Building System. For the company to have further insight and knowledge on the said technology, they have invited one of the known consultants of DRN Concrete Resources namely Dr. Norizal Bin MD Noordin.

This invitation of DRN Resources’ consultant has made a way for HPCC to collaborate with other organizations; introducing the new technology to different entities. During Dr. Norizal’s visit, meetings and speaking engagements were part of his itinerary. On his first day, a courtesy call at the Vice Mayor’s office was scheduled. Dr. Norizal was able meet and greet Hon. Ian Acenas last August 17. For the next days, Dr. Norizal visited and had a tour around the leader in advance coal power generation technology, known as Steag State Power Inc. The said company was located at Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. The establishing of rapport at Steag State Power Inc. was a way of HPCC to have future collaboration with the said company thru DRN Resources’ technology.

Aside from scheduled meetings, HPCC also arranged two speaking engagements for Dr. Norizal; seminars for students and local contractors for the same purpose; to disclose the use of Lightweight Concrete Technology. Last August 19 was the International Forum for all 5th year Civil Engineering and Architecture students that was held at Capitol University. This event was collaboration with Capitol University and James Hardie Philippines that served as the major sponsor. The attendees were students from Mindanao University of State and Technology, Central Mindanao University, Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro College-Phinma and Liceo de Cagayan University. The other seminar was held last August 20 at Prawn House Restaurant for all contractors and builders of Cagayan de Oro City. James Hardie Philippines was also a partner of HPCC for this event.

Every event and activity attended by DRN Resources has been a success. Its purpose of imparting knowledge regarding the new technology was fulfilled. And HPCC believes that this partnership will eventually expand to future endeavors. HPCC would like to thank everyone who made every event possible. Looking forward for the continuous support and partnership!

What is ISO? International Organization for Standardization is an independent, non-governmental membership organization that gives world-class specifications for products, services and systems. They also ensure quality, safety and efficiency; an instrument in facilitating international trade. The international standards that they have set make things easily work; ensuring that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. To business, ISO standards are strategic tools that reduce costs by minimizing waste and errors. It also increases productivity. The ISO group has already published over 19 500 International Standards. And it caters to almost every industry; technology, food safety, agriculture and healthcare.

The ISO group has published various International Standards; one of its most popular and widely used standards is the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System. This quality improvement standard has already over one million certified organizations in 180 countries worldwide. This kind of system offers great benefits that will definitely give the company a boost in their management system. With ISO 9001:2008, the company can save money and time through quality management practices that can increase their organizational efficiency, productivity and profitability. They can minimize risk by consistently achieving level of quality defined by standard, thus ensuring that products and services are less likely to fall short of customer expectations. Also, it can increase the company’s competitiveness that will attract investors and lowers trade barriers to the business. And gain market recognition which can help establish the company’s presence as a supplier when entering a new market.

ISO’s Quality Management System is what HomeChoice Planners and Construction Corporation has been using now. They chose this kind of system to be able to consistently meet and exceed their customers’ expectations. The company aims to attain significant improvements in organizational efficiency and product quality by minimizing waste and errors, and increasing productivity. HPCC aims to have an effective management, and with this, the company shows their dedication to optimizing their operations by demonstrating their commitment to quality, safety and security. Having been certified for the Quality Management System gave HPCC the opportunity to have full visibility of their processes and resources. It has also emphasized their commitment to sustainability and dedication to raising employee motivation and customer satisfaction.

ISO Certification process has been a long and winding road for HPCC. It wasn’t an easy process but with the glory of God, guidance of the consultants and auditors, as well as the staffs’ hard work and motivation, HPCC was able to pass the certification process and is now ISO Certified. Kudos!

HomeChoice Planners and Construction Corporation has always been open for new opportunities. Every new undertaking that comes to its way, the company strives hard for its improvement. And because HPCC aims to further improve their services, the company has decided to embark in another venture.

It was May of 2014 when HomeChoice Planners and Construction Corporation has decided to take a step for greater opportunity. This opportunity was applying for an ISO Certification. For this application to work, HPCC has invited a consultant group that would assist them in the certification process. AGF Consulting Group has been HPCC’s consulting buddy when it comes to the steps and processes needed for the certification. It was six months of working hand in hand with the consulting company. Almost every month, the AGF group would come and visit HPCC to conduct assessments and mock audits. And after six months of consultation with AGF, they have finally declared that HPCC is ready for audit with the certifying body. The recommended certifying body by AGF group was the TUV-SUD Company; a German company that specializes in auditing and system certification, testing and product certification, inspection, knowledge services, training. Almost all kinds of certification and training are catered by TUV-SUD Company.

For HPCC’s ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Certification, TUV SUD did the auditing and system certification for the company. The first audit was on December 2, 2014 and the second one was conducted last 28th of January. The certification process was not that easy though. Overtime work, pressures and stress were all part of the process also. But all of those have been paid off when HPCC finally received a recommendation from the certifying body. It was such an overwhelming moment for HPCC when they got the approval for ISO certification from TUV SUD Company. There may be a lot of pressures and stressful works during the process but it was all worth it.

This entire venture is HPCC’s way to further its vision of becoming the leading company in providing quality houses. Because HPCC aims to continually improve its system, the ISO certification is one of the better ways that would help the company in having a quality management system. Congratulations to HomeChoice Planners and Construction Corporation for a job well done! Cheers to you! All glory and praises to God!

Colors play an important part in our lives. Colors can manipulate the way we think, act, and react. It can also affect our mood, whether it can soothe our eyes or irritate it, trigger the raise of blood pressure or calmly cradle us to sleep. Color is one of the most fulfilling elements in our lives.

Color is one of the first things we notice when walking into a room. From floor to ceiling, the color of the room reflects our style and personality. It is also a personal statement about what a home means.

White- White colors are expansive and airy, making rooms seem larger and brighter.

Black- Black colors are sophisticated and warm; they give large rooms a more intimate appearance. Experts suggest that black is best used in small doses

Red- Raises the energy level of the room. Red draws people together and stimulates conversation. Red is a good choice for a dining room or living room, where people tend to gather. It is also been suggested that looking at the color red can increase one’s pulse, heart rate and blood pressure.

Yellow- perfect color for kitchens, dining rooms and bathrooms because it captures the joy of sunshine and stimulates happiness.

Blue- is considered calming, relaxing and serene, and it is often recommended for bedrooms and bathrooms. One must avoid using dark blue because it stimulates sadness and it adds a gloomy effect of the room.

There are different colors around us; it is up to you to decide on what colors is to be painted in your home. Mixing different colors adds different effects. We at Homechoice Planners Construction Corporation can help in making that “effect”.

When it comes to choosing the perfect home, such thing as “one type fits all” does not exist.
One must carefully consider their budget, the location, the neighbors, and the type of house itself.

Bungalows or a one-story house are very convenient for the homeowner because all the rooms are on the same floor and there are no stairs between living areas. A bungalow is well suited to persons with impaired mobility, such as the elderly or those in wheelchairs.

Single-story benefits
+ more options for ceiling heights & skylights
+ more living space since you don’t need to spend square footage on staircase
+ safer for small children & easier for older people or physically challenged individual
+ easier to evacuate in case of a fire
+ no noise from stairs & second story traffic
+ less bathrooms needed since all are on same floor
+ can combine dirty kitchen with laundry area

A two story house is ideal in dividing the entertaining areas of the house which is on the first floor from the bedrooms on the second. A two story house is well-suited in a suburban settings or lots that are located in ridge area to fully appreciate the views.

Two-story benefits
+ more breath taking views than a one-story house
+ smaller foundation and roof area
+ upstairs bedrooms have more privacy
+ upstairs windows are safe to leave open
+ less roof to maintain, less distance for pipes and wires to travel
+ good exercise running up and down stairs every day!

Whether moving in a one-story or a two story house, as long as you and your family are happy and satisfied, then you have successfully added a beautiful chapter in the story of your life.

Turn-over is the term used during the final stages of the construction phase. This is when the client takes control of the finished product. In order to assure smooth turn-over’s, there must be a complete fulfillment of the terms and conditions of the contract.

Ideally, the client or his SPA must finalize a series of activities that include confirming the property, completing the promotional activities and sale agreements. There must be a finalized move-in plan as well as a schedule for the unit inspections. Insurance, mail delivery, and garbage collection must already be in place. Inspecting and testing of the security systems must also be done before the turn over happens.

During the turn-over, Homechoice Planners and Construction Corporation (HPCC) provides the client with all the keys to the completed project. HPCC also hands over the “as-built” drawings to the project. HPCC also hands over any excess building material that was not fully used but in some cases, the client may choose to return the materials back to the contractor. Warranties can vary in different areas or territories. It is best to sit down and discuss warranty with the contractor as well as the developer. Homechoice Planners and Construction Corporation warranty period runs about one year. And before any warranty period expires, our architect together with other appropriate consultants should be able to inspect the building to prepare a warranty report.

Careful understanding as to how the turn-over process needs to be done before any other activity.