Last June 28, 2026, Manila Bulletin Property and Living marked its fifth anniversary with a special print issue, “Cities of Tomorrow: A Blueprint for the Future of Living.” It was more than a milestone celebration. It became an opportunity to look beyond the skylines rising across the country and ask a much bigger question: Where is Philippine real estate headed in the next 25 years?

For the past five years, since its rebranding as Property and Living, the section has documented the industry’s evolution–from landmark developments and luxury residences to emerging design philosophies and sustainability initiatives. Throughout that journey, one thing has become increasingly clear: Real estate is no longer simply about constructing buildings. It is about shaping the way people live, work, move, gather, and ultimately thrive in their everyday life.

As we developed the anniversary issue, I found myself returning to that thought. Rather than looking back at what the industry has accomplished, I became more interested in what lies ahead. As we enter the next quarter century, what kind of cities are we building? What challenges will define them? And what ideas are today’s industry leaders already putting in motion?

To help answer these questions, we invited the country’s foremost innovators to share their vision for the future. Among them were leaders from the luxury residential segment, including Jose Juan Jugo of Signature Series by SM Residences and The Estate Makati, Thomas Mirasol of Federal Land and Federal NRE Global, Mike Jugo of Ayala Land Premier, Manuel Paolo Villar of Vista Land, and Thomas Bernas of Robinsons Land.

The issue also features conversations with leaders shaping communities across the Philippines, including Miguel Dominguez of Alsons Dev, Exequiel Robles of Sta. Lucia Land, Erickson Manzano of Landco, Jenna Belardo of Ortigas Land, Roy Tan of Our Home, and Audrey Go-Liu of Dexterton. Together, they discuss how future-ready cities must evolve to meet changing lifestyles, environmental realities, and aspirations of the next generation.

For a special design forum, we asked a simple but meaningful question: How can design help people live longer and better in the next decade? The responses from Arch. Cathy Saldana of PDP Architects, IDr. Cecil Ravelas of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers, Arch. Barbie del Castillo-Go of Casas Architects, Oliver Chan of Arthaland, Arch. Gilbert Berba of Federal Land, Arch. Nicholai Go of Pino Places, and IDr. Mark Steven Perez reveal how thoughtful design influences health, wellbeing, longevity, and quality of life.

We also have insightful columns from industry experts Sheila Lobien of Lobien Realty Group and Rick Santos of Santos Knight Frank, as well as Property and Living’s resident Property Geek, Jireh Mamaclay.

Collectively, these conversations paint a compelling picture of where Philippine real estate is headed. The cities of tomorrow will no longer be defined solely by iconic towers or ambitious infrastructure projects. Instead, they will be measured by how successfully they improve the lives of the Filipino people.

We invite you to explore “Cities of Tomorrow: A Blueprint for the Future of Living” by picking up a copy of our anniversary print issue—back orders are available—or by visiting the Manila Bulletin website and exploring the Property and Living section online.

Thank you for being part of our first five years. Here’s to the next 25!