Mantlewood Town Center along S.B. Cabahug Street in Mandaue City is the newest project of Oakridge Realty Development Corp., the real estate arm of the Cebu-based LH Paragon Group.
The diversified holding company has expanded from its roots in the lumber business into fashion retail, wood distribution, real estate, food, healthcare, and automotive investments.
According to ORDC president Anne K. Liu, the name Mantlewood was coined to bring honor to their founders – Leo Lim Liu and his wife, Norma Liu.
Mantle, which refers to an outer garment, pays tribute to their roots in the fashion industry through their sister company, Golden ABC, the business started by Norma Liu.
Wood is in reference to Matimco , one of the country’s largest and oldest wood processing and distribution companies.
In 1964, Lim Liu established the Mandaue Timber Company in Cebu as a supplier of wooden crates to San Miguel Corp. It was renamed Matimco Incorporated in 1970 as it expanded into wood processing and manufacturing.
The property where Mantlewood Town Center now stands used to be Matimco’s warehouse for its Visayas operations.
“Together, these two words represent more than our history. They remind us of the values passed down through generations—the values of integrity, service, and stewardship—as well as our commitment to creating something meaningful and lasting,” said Anne Liu in her speech during the formal opening of Mantlewood Town Center last July 30.
She later told reporters that Mantlewood was built on what was once an underutilized open space, prompting the company to fully develop its potential.
Initial phase
Occupying 1.2 hectares of the four-hectare property, the first phase represents a P1-billion investment and features a mix of retail tenants.
Among them is fast-food chain Wendy's, which is returning to Cebu about 26 years after closing its first and only branch in the province in 2000.
Asked how the company managed to bring Wendy's back to Cebu, Liu said Oakridge Realty worked with the same group behind Conti's Bakeshop, which is also opening a branch at Mantlewood Town Center.
She said the group signed on even before construction began in 2025 because it believed in Mantlewood's concept as the neighborhood's everyday destination where people can shop, dine, work, access essential services, and connect with their community.
“All I had to show was a piece of paper. Because we're also in the retail industry, they know the family and they've seen Oakridge. They've been wanting to open in Oakridge Business Park but I'm fully occupied. I'm fully leased out so I couldn't offer them a space. So they said okay where's your next development? So, when they saw this, they said ‘okay this is it’,” said Liu.
Flagship
She was referring to Oakridge Business Park along AS Fortuna in Mandaue, the flagship mixed-use development of ORDC about 20 years ago that integrates office, retail, hospitality, dining, and event spaces within a four-hectare property.
In 2023, Oakridge Business Park became the first commercial business park in Cebu to be powered entirely by 100 percent renewable energy through a partnership with First Gen.
Unlike Oakridge Business Park, which has a larger office component than retail, the first phase of Mantlewood is dedicated entirely to retail. Liu said the company is still evaluating concepts and the mix of businesses for the succeeding phases.
Demonstrating its commitment to creating spaces that go beyond commercial development, ORDC has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Mandaue City government to develop the Mandaue Agri-Eco Park, a 4,000-square-meter city-owned property located across Mantlewood.
Public park
Under the agreement, the park will be designed, developed, and managed by ORDC at no cost to the Mandaue City government.
The concept features a public park with a playground, a garden area, and a greenhouse where hydroponic crops, among others, can be grown.
“We really need a place for people to gather, for people to just unwind. So, right now there's not much public space ,” said Liu.
Part of the plan was to carve out a portion and make a proper drop off bay for public utilities to help ease the traffic.
Liu said the joint project reflects Oakridge's broader vision of creating sustainable spaces where communities can thrive—not only through well-planned developments, but also through partnerships that enrich everyday life and create lasting value. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
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