The onset of economic reforms and foreign investment in the 1980s spurred commercial and residential property development in the country, marked by increased competition and diversification of the property sector. Single-use property developments have evolved to mix-use properties since the 1990s in response to the demand for housing facilities that came with the steady growth of urbanization.
As observed by the Manila Bulletin, the multifaceted properties demonstrate development concepts that provide not just housing options, but tech-backed conveniences and comfort, sustainable living, and forward-ready communities.
Estate
The 1940s saw the rise of the Makati Central Business District (MCBD). Over the decades, it became the nation’s premier business district, the preferred location of multinational companies and local corporate giants.
As Ayala Land’s pioneer master-planned development, MCBD features iconic landmarks, and areas for work, living, leisure, and entertainment. Ayala Land then expanded its flagship estates—Bonifacio Global City, Ayala Alabang, Cebu Park District—where quality residences and commercial properties create sustainable communities and stimulate the local economy.
In addition to established estates in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and Metro Manila, the country’s largest property developer also ventured into tourism estates and industrial parks. In particular, Nuvali is Ayala Land’s flagship and largest eco-city created with the “live-work-play” development concept. Fostering sustainable lifestyles, Nuvali provides residential communities, business centers, recreational venues, and nature amenities.
Township
The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry boom in the late 1990s brought an increasing demand for office spaces and eventually the establishment of Eastwood City in 1999 in Quezon City. This landmark development is the first township project with a “live-work-play-learn” concept developed by Megaworld Corporation as well as the country’s first “cyberpark” that was granted a Special Economic Zone for Information Technology status by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).
The 18.5-hectare property has integrated business with lifestyle and entertainment with residential condominium towers, corporate office buildings, a lifestyle mall, educational institutions, medical clinics, fitness centers, al fresco retail parks, open leisure parks, a church, a police station, and a fire station.
Following the blueprint of Eastwood City, Megaworld township developments expanded in Taguig (Forbes Town, McKinley Hill, McKinley West, Uptown Bonifacio), Las Pinas (Alabang West), Pasig (Arcovia City), Binondo (Lucky Chinatown), Pasay City (Newport City), and Paranaque City (Westside).
Concurrently, there was a growing interest from the market, composed mostly of young professionals, in convenient living arrangements that were close to their workplaces, while the overseas Filipino workers brought in increasing remittances into the economy. These factors prompted developers to invest and construct high-rise or condominium buildings that
catered specifically to this demographic’s lifestyle preferences and further changed the landscape of the property sector.
15-minute city
Internationally renowned researcher Carlos Moreno introduced the 15-minute city concept in 2016 after the COP21 in Paris. According to his perspective, this urban model is “a multi-service city oriented toward satisfying essential needs for inhabitants, reconciling the quality of life and sustainability.”
After the COVID-19 lockdown, C40 Cities, an international coalition of urban leaders, proposed this concept as part of the post-pandemic recovery, wherein essential stores, services, key establishments, and institutions are in proximity.
In the Philippines, SM Development Corp. is one of the developers that has long adopted this concept by creating master-planned integrated lifestyle communities even before the pandemic. By bringing key components within a safe, self-sustaining community, SMDC residents experienced convenience and accessibility during the lockdowns. The same principles apply to the 11.6-hectare Gold City in Parañaque City. The development features seamless clusters of living and working spaces reachable by foot within 15 minutes in a micro city.
The 15-minute city model is also evident in SM Investments Corporation’s (SMIC) vision of integrated lifestyle cities that shaped developments such as Mall of Asia, SM Clark, and the MICE facilities around SM Malls. Owned by Philippines Urban Living Solutions (PULS) with SMIC as the majority shareholder, MyTown’s 14 co-living dormitories are strategically located near major offices, malls, and entertainment hubs, following the same model.
Communities
As one of the leaders in the real estate industry for more than 50 years, Federal Land breaks new ground with its newest endeavor – the Federal Land Communities (FLC), a collection of master-planned, multi-use developments that feature versatile and purposeful designs.
Going beyond the mixed-use concept, FLC reimagines communities with multi-functional spaces that support different uses, a departure from developments with specific zones intended for residential, commercial, or industrial structures.
In Metro Manila, FLC developments include the Met Park in the Bay Area, Pasay City; Grand Central Park in BGC, Taguig City; and a master-planned community in Marikina City. In greater Luzon, there’s Riverpark, and Florida in General Trias, Cavite; and Meadowcrest in Laguna. In Visayas, the Cebu community is situated in Nivel Hills in Cebu.
The launch of Riverpark marks FLC’s first major development in 2023. This multi-use and self-sufficient community offers several residential options such as lots, houses and lots, vertical developments with commercial lots, and institutional facilities. As part of its master plan, rivers, streams, and natural waterways are retained, complemented with multi-functional corridors, pathways, parks, and open space settings.
Destination estate
The Robinsons Land Corporation’s (RLC) master-planned destination estates endorse the “live-work-play-inspire” lifestyle in sustainable, self-contained communities that feature centers of progress, smart connectivity, and eco-efficiency. With conveniences within reach, the destination estates include residences, retail centers, office buildings, hotels, public art installations, institutional centers, and socio-civic areas.
Rebranded as Bridgetowne in 2019, Bridgetowne is its first destination estate–a mixed township, and business park in a 31-hectare site in Quezon and Pasig cities. The complex integrates business and lifestyle developments, sets the standard in sustainable urban living, and promotes the works of local artists by providing space for interactive public art installations. The estate will also host office and residential condominiums, shopping centers, a 5-star hotel, a one-hectare park, a school, a hospital, and a transport terminal.
Similarly, the 18-hectare Sierra Valley Destination Estate in the municipalities of Cainta and Taytay started its first phase in 2020 and has a good combination of commercial, residential, and office developments. The 216-hectare Montclair Destination Estate in Porac and Angeles, Pampanga, with its site development completed in 2023, offers parks, recreation centers, and green open spaces combined with business and commercial areas.
Economic estate
Down south, Aboitiz InfraCapital raises the bar by building industrial estates that bring much-needed development to the countryside, stimulating economic growth, and pushing social progress in the country.
As its flagship project, Lima Estate is the conglomerate’s economic estate located in the 1000-hectare PEZA registered zone in Lipa and Malvar, Batangas. Established in 1993, this mixed-use estate was primarily built for industrial locators combined with commercial, residential, and institutional uses.
As Asia’s leading developer and operator of smart and sustainable industrial-anchored developments, Aboitiz InfraCapital boasts three decades of experience in economic estates that operate fully integrated industrial communities complete with built-in water and power utilities, and on-site construction services.
These economic estates span over 2,000 hectares of land, including MEZ2 Estate in a PEZA registered zone in Lapu-Lapu City; West Cebu Estate, in PEZA registered zone in Balamban, also known as the Shipbuilding Capital of the Philippines; and Lima estate–the very first, largest, and the only industrial estate in the country garnering the 5-Star BERDE-District Certification from the Philippine Green Building Council (PhilGBC).
Smart city
In 1995, Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC) began the development of a fully integrated and self-contained township in Muntinlupa. Filinvest City was envisioned to provide modern conveniences in harmony with nature. It hosts residences, a business center, a leisure destination, a learning and education zone, and a medical and wellness hub amid lush, green landscapes in modern urban development.
After three decades of development, Filinvest City’s continued improvements and innovations evolved as the country’s prime example of a sustainable and smart city. Certified with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold in Neighborhood Development by the US Green Building Council, as well as a BERDE-Certification with a 3-star rating under the Philippine Green Building Council, Filinvest becomes the first and only green-certified central business district in the country.
With a balanced mix of developments, FDC adopted tech-based solutions to upgrade the city’s security, connectivity, and accessibility.
Through the years, these development concepts have transformed the landscape of Philippine real estate, redefining urban living by integrating residential, commercial, and leisure spaces in a single destination. The Manila Bulletin looks forward to the property sector’s vibrant future on the local and global stage, where developers will be more strategic, innovative, and customer-focused in their developments.