Amy R. Remo
Jul 10, 2021
Creating thriving growth centers has always been its trademark.
In every city or town where Ayala Land establishes its presence, it is known to go beyond simply building homes, towering structures, offices, and communities. Over the decades, many have witnessed the transformation of these developments into Ayala Land’s fully integrated sustainable estates, offering a conducive environment where prospects for employment and growth are rife, and where progress always follows.
One needs to simply take a look at Ayala Land’s 30 estates across the country to see how these have become centers of dynamic communities, efficiently masterplanned to afford one the luxury of being able to live, work, unwind, and enjoy within the same district. And as historical data would show, the seamless integration of residences, workspaces, shopping centers, leisure hubs, and other institutions resulted in capital gains and long-term benefits for the whole community.
Favored destination
In Quezon City alone, for example, Ayala Land already has a number of thriving residential and retail developments, but it also brought its signature estates to four locations here—the 45-ha Vertis North, the 11-ha Cloverleaf, 11-ha The Junction Place, and the 35-ha Parklinks.
A big draw for Ayala Land is the huge population of Quezon City, along with its proximity to areas like Bulacan which will allow the company to capture a much bigger market, explained Charlotte Cailao, head of the business development team of Ayala Land Estates. And it’s a right move, indeed as Quezon City, the most populous city in the country, seems to be a favored destination among homebuyers and businesses.
According to Lamudi Philippines, Quezon City—which has a population of 2.9 million as of 2015 based on government data—remains to be the most searched city in the country, receiving leads by a wide margin. Based on data from the Lamudi platform, the city attracted almost the same number of leads from Pasig, Parañaque and Taguig combined during the first quarter.
Most of the leads are for houses, Lamudi said, but “commercial properties showed the most potential for growth based on its performance in Q1 2021. Commercial properties to buy or rent showed the highest quarter-on-quarter increase with almost 13 percent.”
In terms of prime and grade A offices, Quezon City accounted for 15.6 percent of the existing gross leasable areas of 9.8 million sqm as of the first quarter, next to the cities of Taguig and Makati, data from JLL Philippines showed.
JLL Philippines pointed out that the presence of major business districts made cities of Taguig and Makati the dominant areas for accumulated prime to grade A office space. However, Quezon City is seen to outpace Makati City in terms of three-year supply pipeline as the former is estimated to account for 22 percent of upcoming supply from 2021 to 2024. That more offices are being built here should only signal the growing preference of companies to locate to this city.
Similarly, Ayala Land also has expansive presence in these cities (Taguig, Makati and Quezon City) where it continues to create dynamic growth centers.
Big-ticket infra
Apart from having a huge market that can be tapped, Quezon City is also set to benefit from a number of big-ticket infrastructure projects.
“All the four estates are strategically located in populated parts of Quezon City, and strongly linked to existing and future infrastructure plans. For Cloverleaf, we saw it as the gateway to Metro Manila from the north being at the corner of A. Bonifacio and Edsa. It also benefits from Skyway Stage 3 making the site now more accessible from the south. In addition, the project is also adjacent to the LRT station,” Cailao explained.
“For Vertis North, it is the most strategically located business district in the whole of Quezon City. It is bounded by four major roads, close to the Common Station and future subway station. It’s the same for Parklinks as it is along C-5 Road, whereas The Junction Place is located right in the middle of two major avenues namely Quirino Avenue and Tandang Sora,” she added.
Significant contribution
But while there are clear advantages in locating in Quezon City, Ayala Land is also bringing its own significant contribution to the residents and businesses in this area.
“With these developments, we are providing a lifestyle with a diverse mix of offerings for residents—for those who want to live in a mixed-use environment,” Cailao said.
“We are able to offer condo living in a mixed-use setting where everything is walkable. Residents can walk to their office, easily go grocery shopping or go to their exercise studio after work. On the weekends, you can walk to the mall, run your errands, or spend time at the park—all without leaving the estate and avoiding sitting in traffic. For me, that’s the attraction of living in a mixed-use development,” she added.
Cailao pointed out that this kind of lifestyle they are espousing in Ayala Land estates also promotes a healthy, sustainable way of living in which there is less car dependence. Also, the location of these estates are along public transport routes—you can easily get around without owning a car.
And it’s not only the quality of life that residents get to benefit from. Ayala Land estates are also sound investments, which have shown value appreciation over time.
Planning for the long term
“Our goal is to develop estates that are strategically located with current and future infrastructure connections, offering a diverse mix of uses that makes life convenient for all its users. They are thoughtfully designed, giving importance to the pedestrian experience. In all our estate developments, we are always cognizant of designing and allocating convergence spaces for the community,” she said.
“To fulfill our brand promise, we ensure that after construction is completed, the estate is properly managed. I believe all these elements contribute to Ayala Land estates’ long term value appreciation,” Cailao concluded.
Source: https://business.inquirer.net/326803/ayala-land-cements-footprint-in-thriving-quezon-city