Alabel, the capital of the province of Sarangani, may not be on top of the list of home seekers, even those who hail from—or want to settle in—Mindanao. Sarangani, for one, is more known for its natural resources, abundant seafood courtesy of its bay, and long coastline for leisure, plus its location being at the southernmost tip of the country. Aside from that, Sarangani is also associated with the Pacquiao family, most prominent of which is the boxing champ turned senator.
Whatever we think, or assume, about the province is about to change as Alsons Development and Investment Corp. (Alsons Dev), a subsidiary of the Alcantara Group (a Filipino-owned conglomerate) is leading the way to massively transform the municipality of Alabel into a “city of the future” via a project that has never been undertaken in this coastal town. It is called Avia Estate.
Artist’s perspective of Avia Estate.
Avia Estate is Alsons Dev’s first foray into Sarangani. Through the years, the company is known for its projects in Southern Mindanao, most of which are located in Davao City. Its residential and commercial properties have elevated the standards of living of Dabawenyos and improved the city’s overall landscape. Now, it is bringing its expertise in property development to Alabel, which is also intended to further benefit the entire SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos) region in terms of economic and employment opportunities.
“(Our) heritage is built on a strong track record of building and nurturing residential communities and commercial properties that Dabawenyos have enjoyed. We are excited to bring our experience to Sarangani and continue this tradition of growth," said Rosie Dominguez, Alsons Dev's EVP. "We will help redefine the standard of living in Sarangani by providing high-quality living and commercial spaces where Mindanaoans can flourish.”
At the launch of Avia Estate, from left: Paul Dominguez, member of Alsons Dev’s board of directors; Alabel Mayor Vic Paul Salarda; Rosie Dominguez, Alsons Dev EVP; Nicasio Alcantara, Alcantara Group chairman; Miguel Dominguez, Alsons Dev director; Ann Barrameda and Joseph Christopher Barrameda, The Abba’s Orchard founding directors; and Sarangani Lone District Representative Steve Chiongbian Solon.
Miguel Dominguez, director of Alsons Dev, emphasized the value of Sarangani to the Alcantara family since “they believe in its potential for growth and development." “We want to be part of that growth, and we are committed to helping lead Mindanao's progress by creating a new lifestyle destination that will serve as a growth hub and create more opportunities for the people residing here.”
The formal launch of Avia Estate was led by company executives, with guests Alabel Mayor Vic Paul Salarda and Sarangani Lone District Representative Steve Chiongbian Solon.
Anticipation for Avia
Avia Estate is a 121-hectare mixed-use township that offers master-planned development, whether for residential or commercial. It will be a complete community which will nurture an ideal live-work-play environment, featuring prime residential communities, first-class leisure amenities, retail and commercial offerings, educational institutions, and government support facilities.
Parks and green areas will be part of the township.
The first development within the new township is the Narra Park Residences Avia. It is designed to provide the best of countryside living with modern conveniences. Future residents will appreciate its lush, secure environment conducive for starting a family or for settling down after decades of work.
With its doors set to open to the public in 2025, Alsons Dev recently unveiled the Narra Park Residences Avia model village, which allows interested parties to take a look at the potential of the community. Model homes include a bungalow (45.31-square meter floor area, 120-150 square meter lot), and a two-story house (63.22-square meter floor area, 120-150 square meter lot). Narra Avia also offers open lots for families who want to build their own dream homes.
Two-story home model
Bungalow home model at Narra Park Residences Avia.
Accessibility of Avia
Avia Estate is located at Brgy. Maribulan. GenSan proper is nine kilometers away or an 18-minute drive.
Other landmarks near the township are the Sarangani Provincial Capitol and Hospital, which are both 1.3 and 1.4 kilometers away, respectively. There’s also the Alabel National Science High School, and UST GenSan that can easily be reached. However, one doesn’t need to even venture outside the township for education. In fact, the developer has forged a partnership with The Abba’s Orchard to house the first Montessori school of the region inside the township.
For safety and security, Alsons Dev has partnered with the local government unit of Sarangani to build a “Public Safety and Security Complex” in Avia Estate, which will house police and fire stations.
Artist's perspective of the Public Safety and Security Complex inside Avia Estate.
With Avia Estate, living in the southernmost part of the country is shaping up as a good proposition—a trusted developer with experience, an area in the cusp of progress, accessibility to transportation hubs such as an airport and seaport, plus the chance to live an elevated lifestyle in a vibrant and secure community. Alabel is ready to rumble! (With report from Rodmill Lopez)