PropertyGuru recently unveiled the PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards 2024 during a media presentation on March 7 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taguig City. The 12th annual awards, scheduled for September 6 at Shangri-La The Fort, Manila, is poised to once again spotlight the best of Philippine developers and projects, acknowledging their efforts in raising industry standards for over a decade.
Headed by Jules Kay, general manager of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, the speakers during the media launch included Cyndy Tan Jarabata, chairperson of the independent panel of judges and president of TAJARA Leisure and Hospitality Group Inc.; Lloyd T. Tan, partner at Diaz Murillo Dalupan and Company - HLB Philippines as the official supervisor; Kamille Abapo, senior marketing manager at Kohler Kitchen and Bath Philippines as the platinum sponsor; and John Richard Sotelo, chief marketing officer at Robinsons Land, named the Best Developer of 2023.
"Last year was truly remarkable; it marked the biggest PropertyGuru awards event in our 11 years in the Philippines," Kay remarked. "Our awards aim to recognize the best. While the gala is about celebrations and glamor, reaching that stage is not easy. Over the years in the Philippines, we've added expertise and professionalism to our judging panel to ensure that when we award these developers and properties, they truly deserve that recognition."
With the most Philippine international winners at the PropertyGuru Asia Awards 2023, the country's real estate industry is also positioned for significant progress in 2024, propelled by the Philippine economy's 5.6 percent annual GDP growth in 2023.
Starting with acknowledging Philippine developers' accomplishments in real estate, PropertyGuru transitioned from a mere recognition phase to establishing gold standards in property awards within the country and the broader Asia Pacific region. Over time, there has been an enhancement in the quality of entries, emphasizing design, innovation, sustainability, and the overall excellence of developments across diverse regions in the country, according to Jarabata.
"In 2024, we look forward to informing investors, developers, and consumers, especially Filipinos worldwide, about the rising quality of real estate in the Philippines, including its luxury and affordable residences; world-class hotels and resorts; experiential retail and F&B hubs; well-equipped industrial spaces; and master-planned estates," Jarabata said.
"Along with the return of tourists, expatriates, and foreign enterprises to the country, the domestic Philippine market has demonstrated readiness to live, work, thrive, and build wealth in these impressive built spaces. The Philippines' finest real estate clearly has the best interests of the people in mind and deserves the widely respected, trusted platform provided by the awards," she explained.
For the second consecutive year, Robinsons Land secured the Best Developer award, alongside other esteemed distinctions, at the 11th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Award. "2023 was a stellar year for the company. It's very rare for us to have all cylinders firing for every business that has been performing really well," Sotelo said.
"Taking a step back, what we love about participating in PropertyGuru is that we get inspired by the examples," Sotelo added. "I particularly like the examples and the winners we saw at the sustainability front. Seeing the sustainability entries and winners last year was really inspiring for us to take a step back and see how else can we bring a sustainability promise to life not just in residential, but in all of the developments that we have. We hope to make the cut this year because it is a chance for us to learn from others and learn from the best."
The dates for the 2024 edition of the PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards are as follows: entries will be accepted until June 14 via asiapropertyawards.com/nominations, site inspections from July 1 to August 9, final judging on August 12, grand gala dinner, and awards ceremony on September 2. The culmination of the regional recognition unfolds with the regional grand final gala presentation slated for December 13 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 12th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards is in partnership with the following sponsors: Kohler (platinum), Boysen Paints (gold), and Dongpeng Ceramic (silver). They are joined by Property Report by PropertyGuru (official magazine), Ripple8 (official publicity partner), and HLB (official supervisor).
For more information, visit their website: asiapropertyawards.com.