Behind every accomplishment is a story to tell

One of the things that define us essentially as humans is our capability to dream. Each one of us has aspired, and is aspiring, to achieve something in our lives — a goal that somehow makes us feel fulfilled, and bask in a glowing sense of accomplishment.

Now, ask yourselves, what is it that you currently want to achieve? What are your dreams, your goals, your aspirations? Who are you doing it for? It can be a little challenging to fulfill these at times, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if there are people who can help you reach them?

These are some of the stories of those who worked hard to reach their goals in life. Be it having their own business, helping their families, or rising above their status, Ayala Land does their part in helping build a better nation.

Beauty columnist and entrepreneur, Rissa Trillo, with her friend Jacqe Gutierrez, envisioned having women who are not afraid to wear makeup. They created a skincare business that cares for the Filipina skin and believed that caring for women’s beauty makes them feel better. And if a woman feels happy, she can be a better person and can become the best she can be. That’s how Happy Skin came about. They started by sharing a small space with other beauty stores. At first, they were afraid that people will perceive the quality as inferior because they are a local brand. But Ayala Land believes and supports home-grown brands, so they were given their own store in Glorietta, a high-traffic Ayala mall in Makati. Their business flourished and is continuously growing today.

Jen Dacuno was a simple college girl with simple dreams: graduate, help her family, get gadgets, a car, and go places. Not unlike what most of us have. After graduating, she tried her luck at a job fair and got hired as a real estate agent. She didn’t have any idea on how to be an Alveo property specialist; but instead of saying no or making excuses, she said, “I’ll try.” With that, she was able to make her first sale, and hasn’t stopped since then. Needless to say, she checked off her goals one by one through hard work and the fortuitous opportunity offered to her by Ayala Land.

Mama Lou’s started out as a family-run French-Italian restaurant in BF Homes, Parañaque. They converted their old house and seated 15 people when they first opened. They won the hearts and stomachs of Filipinos with their fresh and organic ingredients, and sumptuous brick oven pizza (arguably, a Filipino favorite!) Crystal Tremblay-Sison and David Sison now run the family business. Ayala Land saw their potential and proposed to open a Mama Lou’s branch in Solenad 2 (an Ayala Mall in Nuvali) after sampling their delicious food and excellent service. David and Crystal treat each person who walks in as more than just a customer; they treat them as guests in their own home. This is a value they share with Ayala Land; they treat their clients as more than just tenants but as business partners. And so far, this relationship allowed them to grow their business even further, with newly opened branches in U.P. Town Center and Ayala Malls the 30th.

MDC is the construction arm of Ayala Land and this is where Erik Villasan established his career. From his humble beginnings as a newspaper vendor, he started work in construction as a painter and eventually branched into other fields of construction such as carpentry, masonry, tile setting, and steel works. He was given the opportunity to develop his skills further in MDC’s development project, a partnership with TESDA that allowed skilled workers to apply for certification even without the required college diploma. This allowed Erik to learn the correct way of doing things. Through his hard work and determination, he was promoted to construction foreman. With his TESDA accreditation, he now trains and enables the next generation of skilled MDC workers. Aside from that, he was able to build his own home for his family.

These stories show us how Ayala Land, Inc. is more than just a real estate developer. They build sustainable communities that are platforms on which people can achieve a personal sense of fulfillment — whether it’s gainful employment, or a flourishing business. Ayala Land sees the potential in land and shares this potential by driving economic growth in local communities through enhancing land.

We’d like to ask our readers — what are your personal and professional goals, and how do you see yourself achieving them within Ayala Land’s sustainable estates, malls, or residential developments?

INQUIRER.net/Bern Abraham