Santorini is one of the best places on earth to visit and that’s probably what inspired businessman and former politician Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson to build his own version of it in Narvacan.
Sulvec Greece is Chavit’s seven-hectare property in Sulvec, Narvacan, a quaint town in Ilocos Sur where he became a mayor and a councilor.
I first visited the property in April last year when he hosted former Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu and the Miss Universe Organization during their official visit to the country.
I didn’t get the chance to ask the former governor about his stunning mansion that mirrors the famous landscape of the majestic island in the Hellenic Republic. But I thought one day, it would be great to have a sit-down interview with him to talk about the stunning mansion.
Sulvec Greece has five bedrooms, all opulently furnished and powered by Alexa. There are other equally sophisticated villas on the property for guests and staff.
Last month, we flew to Laoag City via Chavit’s private jet. It was a quick overnight trip since the former governor would also be back in Manila the next day for a business meeting. But for the next 12 hours, he spoiled us with food served by his amiable staff who would give us everything we requested for.
Our quick trip started off with a tour and a merienda cena at Baluarte – a zoological park in Vigan. We had dinner at BarTech before heading to the Narvacan dancing fountain for a 30-minute show. And just when we thought the night was over, we had a nightcap – a beer and karaoke session at Sulvec Greece.
“This is my happiness,” Chavit said, to which I asked, “What’s the cost of this happiness then, Gov.?”
The 81-year-old Chavit retorted, “It doesn’t matter. You don’t own your money until you spend it.” Then he bursted out in a hearty laugh.
He said that it took seven months and 300 hundred workers working round the clock to complete his “passion project.”
The mansion, adorned by contemporary and classic art pieces, is very Chavit, I would say. You see, in the morning, deer walk around the garden. Just like in his house in Corinthian in Quezon City, Sulvec Greece is also home to animals that you would only see on safaris. It’s just like his Golden Tower in Baluarte only more sophisticated and attuned to the taste of the former politician. It has its own helipad, gym, infinity pool with jacuzzi, entertainment area, and a stunning garden facing the West Philippine Sea.
The room I stayed in for a night was furnished by Bentley Home. Now you could imagine how much this property cost if it were for rent, but Chavit said he hosts people for free. He even allowed Coco Martin and the cast and crew of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano to stay and shoot at the property for three months free of charge.
“I love hosting people. To be honest, I can no longer remember all the names of celebrities that I have welcomed here,” he said saying that a lot of A-list celebrities have already visited the mansion including Pops Fernandez and Small Laude. Korean superstar Lee Seung-gi was his guest a few weeks ago.
“This property was constructed during the height of the pandemic. I was so bored and while in lockdown and playing mahjong, I thought of building this mansion. We first had a quarantine facility so if workers would get sick, we have a place for them to stay,” Chavit recounted.
As someone who had a background in Architecture, he was very hands-on in building the entire property, inspecting the detail of the construction, from the floors to the ceilings, and from the material to the furnishings.
“I monitored it every day. If not in person, I would ask for videos for me to see the progress of the construction. And this property isn’t finished yet, within one month, we’ll complete constructing the helipad,” he shared.
Going through the printed-out photos of the property, Chavit showed us his other plans for the Santorini Sulvec.
“We’ll soon have an events and entertainment venue here,” pointing to the sanded area of the property near the seawall.
“We also built a chapel here. I’ll get married at that altar one day,” he added in jest.
Chavit Singson has been generous in sharing this of Greece with his visitors, allowing them to experience the kind of happiness that he has built for himself.
“I can no longer ask for more, I’m content with my life. I don’t even think of going into politics again. I just want to have fun, build businesses, and help people in their livelihood. That’s the happiness I’m talking about,” he ended.
