Written by : Amy R. Remo
On its 35th year, Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) celebrates a rich legacy, a forward-thinking vision, and a steadfast commitment to shape a more vibrant, sustainable and inclusive future for the nation.
Its remarkable journey from being a real estate division of Ayala Corp. to becoming the largest full-line developer in the Philippines today resonates meaningfully with its anniversary theme, Emerald and Evergreen: A Legacy That’s Future Forward.
After all, emerald, a precious gemstone known for its striking green hue and durability, aptly symbolizes Ayala Land’s valuable and enduring legacy, while evergreen signifies its continuing thrust to create communities that are environment-friendly, smart, resilient, and built to last.
While this pioneering property leader takes pride in its past accomplishments, it also continues to push the boundaries of innovation, sustainability, and nation-building to further enhance landscapes and enrich lives for generations to come.
Reshaping landscapes
Case in point would be the first estate that Ayala Land built—the iconic Makati central business district, touted as the most established financial and lifestyle district in the Philippines.
AYALA LAND’S CEBU BUSINESS AND I.T. PARK: This 27-hectare business park in Cebu City is the pioneer PEZA-accredited I.T. zone outside Metro Manila.
This CBD is a showcase not only of Ayala Land’s infrastructure and masterplanning expertise but also of its ingenuity, foresight and capacity to create safe, healthy communities that can be constantly reinvented and redeveloped to remain responsive to the changing times.
With this flagship estate, Ayala Land took its first steps in reshaping the Philippine landscape, marking the beginning of a rich legacy that continues to flourish today.
Spurring growth
Currently, Ayala Land’s expansive portfolio of estates has grown to 50 integrated, self-sustaining developments that offer secure, prime residential neighborhoods, world-class offices and industrial parks, upscale lifestyle and entertainment centers, verdant pocket gardens and lush open spaces, as well as safe pedestrian and bike lanes, among other community features.
TOWER ONE & EXCHANGE PLAZA: Ayala’s Tower One & Exchange Plaza stands tall in the bustling heart of the Makati central business district. The iconic skyscraper, constructed in 1993, has become an icon with its architectural brilliance and engineering excellence.
Beyond providing a sustainable ecosystem for residents, locators and guests to thrive, these estates have also helped spur economic activities within their respective locales.
Essentially, Ayala Land’s estates have helped generate quality jobs that improve the purchasing power of families, boost land values, open up more opportunities to create wealth, and contribute to the success and prosperity of residents and enterprises within the community.
Expansive offerings
What makes Ayala Land different, however, is its approach to creating communities. It ensures that the multitude of benefits offered by an estate can be enjoyed by a wide market amid their varying preferences.
Five residential brands namely Ayala Land Premier, Alveo, Avida, Amaia, and Bellavita cater to different market segments, who may opt to invest in a lot, a house and lot, or a condominium unit located either in cities, suburbs or in the more laidback provincial setting. Such expansive offerings, from ultra-luxury to mass housing, help ensure quality living is accessible to all.
AYALA MALLS: In a country where shopping malls are a way of life, Ayala Malls stands out as a true pioneer. With 32 locations spread across the nation, Ayala Malls has become synonymous with a refreshing retail experience in fashion, dining, and entertainment.
Its 32 malls meanwhile serve more than just mere shopping centers as these have become vibrant lifestyle destinations and community hubs that foster convergence. Offering welcoming and inclusive environments, Ayala Land malls have become social centers that do not only offer a diverse array of retail, dining, and recreational experiences, but also nurture communities.
Businesses and entrepreneurs have also found conducive environments in the strategically located offices of Ayala Land, totaling some 1.4 million sqm. Seen as dynamic hubs of innovation, productivity, and economic vitality, these offices have enabled Ayala Land to drive expansions, attract investments and foster economic growth.
Diversified ventures
Apart from residences, offices and malls, Ayala Land has also expanded its footprint in other sectors, where it continues to make a lasting impact and significant contribution.
AYALA LAND’S EL NIDO RESORTS: Escape to the ultimate paradise, El Nido Resorts, where the beauty of nature meets the luxurious comfort of a world-class resort.
For instance, Ayala Land is helping boost Philippine travel and tourism with its foray in the hospitality sector. With over 4,000 key rooms that include homegrown hotel brand Seda and premium resorts in some of the most beautiful island destinations in the country, Ayala is helping fuel the tourism industry, a significant economic growth driver that has a large multiplier effect.
It also ventured into new and innovative businesses that presented numerous opportunities not only for the company, but for the country as well. Its subsidiary AyalaLand Logistics Holdings Corp. (ALLHC) is a developer and operator of industrial parks, cold storage and logistics facilities, while its real estate investment trust company, AREIT, raised the curtain for this new asset class even in the midst of the pandemic. Ayala Land further ventured beyond national borders with Avaland in Malaysia.
On top of these, Ayala Land created new spaces and added new amenities to further foster connected communities. The Vermosa Sports Hub in Cavite is a new feature that offers a platform for triathletes, sports enthusiasts, and fitness buffs, while the Samsung Performing Arts Theatre in Circuit Makati stands as a beacon for arts and culture.
Other notable additions include electric vehicle charging stations in malls and offices, and One Ayala, located at the corner of Edsa and Ayala Avenue. This intermodal transport hub has covered, elevated walkways and three terminal floors that serve buses, Asian utility vehicles, and jeepneys that can cater to almost one million daily commuters in the Makati CBD.
To support these different segments, Ayala Land offers services that demonstrate the company’s holistic approach in developing its businesses. These include Makati Development Corp., a Quadruple A Platinum contractor; Ayala Property Management Corp., which maintains more than 200 properties (more than 100 million sqm) under Ayala Land; and the company’s boutique airline, Airswift Airlines.
Sustainable approach
With all these ventures, Ayala Land ensures that its operations will remain sustainable across all fronts. In fact, it has taken on an ambitious goal of becoming net zero by 2050, which means it will be cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible.
For a company like Ayala Land to achieve this will indeed be significant given its massive footprint: 50 estates nationwide with horizontal and vertical residences, 1.4 million sqm of office spaces, 2.1 million sqm of retail spaces and close to 1,000 hectares of industrial parks.
This sustainable approach, being staunchly implemented by Ayala Land’s leaders since the last decade, is geared towards achieving that collective dream of a healthy environment, a prosperous economy, and a more sustainable future for the next generations.
Driver of progress
All these serve as a testament to Ayala Land’s role as a driver of sustainable progress.
By strategically locating its developments, this property giant has no doubt become a catalyst for economic prosperity-generating jobs, stimulating local economies, attracting investments and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. Its estates have a far-reaching, lasting ripple effect that enriches lives even those within surrounding towns and cities.
Even employees can attest as to how Ayala Land makes a difference in their lives as they, too, benefit from the company’s culture of malasakit and people-centric programs. Through skill equipping programs and various initiatives, Ayala Land invests in its people, empowering them to grow both personally and professionally.
And on its 35th year, Ayala Land likewise pays tribute to these hardworking people behind such a dynamic organization.
Vision and commitment
Ayala Land continued to focus on innovation and on elevating service levels as well as engaging communities, resulting in over 300 recognitions received from global and Philippine award-giving bodies last year. This surpassed ALI’s 209 awards and recognitions in 2021 and is the company’s highest awards tally to date.
Amid all these achievements and its rich legacy, Ayala Land continues to be driven, with its unwavering vision of ìenhancing land and enriching lives for more Filipino’s being the guiding force behind its remarkable journey.
Innovation after innovation, Ayala Land’s commitment remains clear: that it will just be as steadfast as it was 35 years ago to create safe, healthy and sustainable communities, to uplift the lives of Filipinos, and to contribute to nation-building-indeed making this property leader a true beacon of progress in the Philippines.
ADVT.