There’s no shortage of office-based jobs in Metro Manila, but most of them can be found in business hubs like Ortigas, Makati, and Bonifacio Global City (BGC). Many employees may want to take up residence near their workplace, so they look for apartments in or around these areas. While that could be good in some cases, finding condos in Mandaluyong like Flair Towers offers plenty of advantages for the average office worker in Metro Manila.
Sure, minimizing stress should be a priority, but there are plenty of other ways to do that aside from minimizing commute time. Dansalan Gardens and other Mandaluyong properties may not be so close, but such locations offer plenty of other benefits.
Real-Estate Realities
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You don’t need a degree in economics to know that the more demand there is for something, the more it’ll cost. Central business hubs have a lot of premium office space, so a lot of companies, especially foreign ones, put in bids to set up shop there. Naturally, that pushes office rents up, but residential rates are affected as well. According to Numbeo, an online cost-of-living comparison site, a one-bedroom apartment rent costs Php 23,750 per month on average in Taguig’s business district; in Makati’s central business district (CBD), it’s around Php 32,301 monthly. In Mandaluyong, monthly rent for a one-bedroom unit averages at a more reasonable Php 18,166. What about the average monthly rent for three-bedroom units? It’s Php 47,500 in Taguig’s business district, Php 117,500 in Makati CBD, and Php 30,666 in Mandaluyong. So living close to offices in Makati and Taguig can save you time, but ask yourself – can you afford it?
A Good Middle Ground
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You never know what life can bring. The job you have today may not be the one you have tomorrow. Maybe you’ll find later on that you’re meant to be doing something else, or you just find a better opportunity somewhere else. That’s not to mention new friendships and other relationships that you’ll build and want to sustain outside of work. So while planning around your current office situation isn’t necessarily bad, you may want to look at the big picture and leave yourself open to new possibilities. That’s what makes living in Mandaluyong so ideal; it’s just a few minutes’ commute from office districts such as BGC, Makati, and Ortigas. If you look at Dansalan Gardens, for example, you’ll find it is just 4.8 kilometers from Makati CBD (and just a little further from BGC), meaning that the commute shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. From Ortigas Center, it’s just 3.6 kilometers away – an even shorter trip. Flair Towers, another DMCI Homes development, is similarly close to all those areas.
Dress Better for Success
What can you get when you have a short commute and more affordable rent? A better look. Sure, a lot of offices are easing up on their dress codes; a lot of employees can now go to work with just jeans, t-shirts, hoodies, and sneakers. Going for a more professional style certainly takes more work, but it has clear career benefits. By making an effort to put on a formal dress shirt or blouse, business slacks, and leather shoes, you signal that you know how to take things seriously. Of course, you can also go for something more comfortable; the point is to groom and style yourself so that you feel relaxed while still considering what’s appropriate for the situation. With more time in your day and more disposable income going into your pocket, you can invest a little more in the details.
Shop Till You Drop
Of course, good fashion sense isn’t just a career edge. It can also be a gateway to personal growth and social connections. People with a keen sense of style tend to be more confident, more sophisticated and socially aware, and are noticed more (in a good way). Expanding your fashion vocabulary beyond “looks good” will also help you strike up conversations with officemates, which is more important than you think. Plus, there’s nothing like a good round of retail therapy to relieve stress. Figures from Numbeo show that jeans, dresses, running shoes, and leather business shoes in Makati and Taguig on average are more expensive than they are in Mandaluyong. So having an affordable condo for rent in Mandaluyong lets people cut back on costs while still occasionally indulging their inner fashionista.
Less Stress over Overtime
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A harsh reality of working is that you don’t always have control over your work hours. While more employers are offering flexi-time and work-from-home arrangements, it’s more common to have jobs where people have to change shifts or do overtime. Excessive overtime on its own can be very harmful. When you have a long commute to and from the office, and the money you earn from overtime is not enough to compensate the things you give up, it makes you more stressed and less productive. On the flip side, you may want to accept additional work to earn more, but long travel time limits the number of extra hours you can take on. Renting in Mandaluyong gives you more time to either rest or work more, and any overtime pay you get will be much more worthwhile.
Get Recharged and Rejuvenated
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Getting an affordable condo for rent is good, but scoring one with stress-busting amenities would be a huge bonus. Sleep and shopping sprees aren’t always enough to relieve the pressure that you get from your hectic 9-to-5 job. In Dansalan, garden paths let people shift into a slow, serene pace; they can also take a dip in the leisure pool, or gaze out over the city from the building’s high-rise views. Flair Towers also has jogging paths, gyms, and a lap pool for people to sweat their stress out, along with the same greenery and above-it-all vistas that are a hallmark of DMCI Homes developments. Having all those amenities to help you rest and relax is perfect to recharge your batteries and prepare you for the daily grind.
Eat, Play, Love
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Should you get bored with the facilities in the condo, there are plenty of other leisure options in the Tiger City. For one thing, Mandaluyong has its fair share of restaurants. Aside from the ones in Megamall and Shangri-La Mall, there are plenty of hole-in-the-wall eating places for to try out. If food trips aren’t your idea of a good time, you can always get together with friends or colleagues to enjoy fun activities. Movie tickets are decently priced in Mandaluyong’s malls, some of which also offer more active options like skating and bowling. Kids-at-heart can have a heart-thumping time at Trampoline Park or Jump Yard, and those looking for a unique bonding experience can take a shot at getting out of Breakout’s famous escape rooms.
Whether you’re starting your first job or are already an established working professional, your living conditions will have a huge impact on your ability to do your job. However, that doesn’t mean you should decide where you’ll live just based on your current occupation. Living in or around premium office districts can be great for your career. But with the right DMCI Homes properties, you can strike a better work-life balance.
