Ayala Land was named the Best Developer as it received the most prestigious award during the second annual Philippines Property Awards held recently at the Fairmont and Raffles Makati.
During the awards night, one of the top honors was given to property tycoon Dr. Andrew L. Tan. He was chosen by the editors of Ensign Media’s Property Report magazine as the Philippines’ Real Estate Personality of the Year.
Ayala Land beat Filinvest Land Inc., which received the highly commended honor. It also received highly commended citations in the Best Housing Development (Manila) and Best Affordable Condo Development (Manila) awards.
Tan, who is the chair and chief executive officer of Megaworld Corp., was selected for leading one of the country’s biggest real estate conglomerates. The urban developer is celebrating its 25th year in the industry.
The property industry leaders and top real estate executives in the country gathered to recognize the best developers, developments and design firms at the exclusive gala dinner and awards presentation ceremony.
Guest of honor Tourism Secretary Ramon Reyes Jimenez Jr. gave an enlivening speech at the country’s biggest real estate event of the year.
High level of innovation
Terry Blackburn, CEO of Ensign Media, organizer of the Awards, said: “Secretary Jimenez called for the developers present to create iconic buildings for the world to associate with the Philippines. I am sure that call will be heeded and the quality of the developments recognized at the awards shows a high level of innovation already in the sector.”
He added that although the majority of development activity is still focused on Manila, it was great to see an even stronger presence from Cebu this year and high quality entries from Davao.
During the black-tie event handed out were 18 awards across three categories, namely: Developers, Developments and Design. More than 130 guests from all over the country came to cheer on the best companies, projects and properties in Manila, Cebu and Davao.
More competitive
“I do not think that many would argue with their Best Developer award this year and I am sure that the category will be even more competitive next year,” Blackburn said.
Anchor Land Holdings Inc.’s mixed-use residential development Admiral Baysuites, which faces the world-famous Manila Bay, was named Best Luxury Condo Development (Manila), while Azure Urban Resort Residences from Century Properties Group was recognized as the Best Mid-Range Condo Development (Manila).
Federal Land Inc.’s Marco Polo Residences Towers 1 and 2 received the Best Condo Development (Cebu) award while Abreeza Residences, another Ayala Land property, was named Best Residential Development (Davao).
Arya Residences, a flagship project of ArthaLand Corp. in Bonifacio Global City, was a double winner in the Design category. It took home the Best Residential Architectural Design and Best Residential Interior Design awards.
SM Aura Premier, owned by SM Prime Holdings, also received two awards: Best Commercial Development (Retail) and Best Commercial Architectural Design (Retail).
Meanwhile, SM Prime affiliate SM Development Corp. (SMDC) bagged the Special Recognition in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) award for its positive impact on the Philippine’s burgeoning real estate sector.
This year’s winners at this year’s event are now eligible to compete for the region’s most coveted industry awards. The fourth annual Southeast Asia Property Awards will be held at The Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on Oct. 16.
Panel of judges
This year’s highly respected panel of judges was once again led by Tajara Leisure & Hospitality Group Inc. president Cyndy Tan Jarabata, who ensured that all the eligible entries were comprehensively assessed.
Jarabata said: “The winners Ayala Land has a very comprehensive portfolio and deservedly won the evening’s top honor. They have everything from affordable to luxury, vertical to horizontal, hotels, retail, and they’re not just present in Metro Manila but in other cities in the Philippines as well. More important to note is that in almost all these categories, they’ve been successful as well.”
Other members of the central judges panel were: celebrated architect William V. Coscolluela; Lindsay J. Orr, chief operating officer of Jones Lang LaSalle Philippines; Rommel M. Leuterio, group president of Property Management & Development Group, Investment and Capital Corp. of the Philippines (ICCP); Jaime A. Cura, PhD, vice chair of the RGV Group of Companies; and Jose Oscar O. Salvacion, president of Design Coordinates Inc./Construction Project Managers.