With these two technologies, the IHC units can rightfully bear the title of its recently launched marketing campaign, Tough Homes. The benefits of the Connovate panels are instantly appreciated by the market but solar technology always needs a bit of explanation, according to Imperial. “So, I tell them that 500 watts of [free] solar power can run a six cubic metre refrigerator for seven hours, an electric fan for five and the television for four,” she explains.

She entered the real-estate business well-equipped. She carries a business economics degree from the University of the Philippines as well as from the Harvard Business School’s Owner Management Program. While working for three years in the United States, she became the first Filipino broker licensee in California. Her skill in sales, on the other hand, was both natural and acquired. From her businessman father, Epifanio Marcha, came her discipline for hard work. From her late husband, Legazpi City Mayor Gregorio S Imperial, she imbibed idealism and acquired a heart for public service. 

The May-December marriage (he was 48, she was 24 when they met) brought the Manileña to Bicol, as wife of Goyito (as she called him) and a mother to their two sons. Here, too, she began to build. Some of her first projects included a Montessori school, a poultry farm and housing communities for teachers; then the establishment of IHC in 1983. To date, Imperial has built 20,000 homes, with 2,000 of them solar-powered, in several development communities all over Luzon.

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With this vision of sustainable housing, pursued by her with the stubbornness of a mule, IHC became the first Property Technology Developer in the country. As such, it stands as a model for other developers to think and act green. Towards this end, Imperial founded PropTech Consortium of the Philippines to “gather stakeholders from both the industry and civil society to see how we can innovate the future of real estate”.

Imperial believes that integrating green building technology, through her Connovate panels, and renewable energy through her solar power system, will yield both savings for the homeowner and sales for the developer. The sales growth of IHC, even in the pandemic, has continued to prove the adamant builder right.

There were quite a few naysayers and nonbelievers to her vision in the beginning, mainly because solar is generally considered an expensive technology. “When I got sold on solar, the technology was enjoying improvements and revisions, bringing down its cost. Today it’s cheaper than before,” she relates. There were believers too, of course, including one institution that mattered: PAG-IBIG Fund with its green initiative to finance solar solutions for all its members, reaching the low-income market.

Today, the believers are more than what Imperial perhaps imagined. This March, the Balai Berde programme of the government was launched to gather banking and financing institutions to support developers that will use solar in their homes. Already, the IFC-World Bank and the National Homes Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC ) have signed up.

Awards and recognitions, both for her projects as well as her performance, have also been pouring— again, despite the pandemic. Topping off all these achievements is the announcement that IHC is now part-owner of Connovate Denmark, transforming IHC into a global company.

Each award is a testament to her strong management and inspiring leadership. “I used to be a hands-on manager, and I got stressed out,” she reveals. “But in Harvard, I was advised to get all the important reports on your table on a weekly basis for a clear overview of the status of the business.” She has followed this advice by requiring the reports from her companies’ different departments to be placed on her desk every Monday morning. As such, her management actions and decisions come easily throughout the week.

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One can also describe Imperial as a nurturing manager. With the onset of the pandemic, she combed her wide network for a swab test for her 380 employees. When she learnt that Metro Manila would be placed on lockdown, she shifted to innovative digital solutions to help run her companies—Imperial Homes Corp, Enfinity Imperial Solar Solutions Inc and Connovate Philippines—enabling everyone to keep their jobs.

“If there is one thing the pandemic has underscored, it would be that real estate should find ways to build more sustainable, resilient and healthy homes. We can convert virtually all housing architectural plans into Connovate panels while we can also customise the solar solution based on roof size and energy consumption. The opportunity to apply these technologies in the whole country and even abroad is just too huge,” she looks to the future. “My business is highly scalable. What excites me are the new applications and markets for our products.”

With a passion in her vision, her savviness and innovativeness, Imperial has elevated the concept of affordable housing. But her vision for the future continues, as she reveals, “My dream is for my company to go on and on, managed and owned by my employees.” Just watch her make this dream come true.

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This story was originally published in the May 2021 issue of Tatler Philippines. Download it on your digital device via Zinio, Magzter, and Pressreader.