Ayala Land: No plans for acquisition, development in Sagada

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala-led real estate company Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) on Monday denied reports that it has plans to pursue any development in Sagada, Mountain Province, one of the tourist destinations in the Cordillera central mountain range.

"We would like to inform the public that Ayala Land Inc has no plans for acquisition and development in the town of Sagada," it said in a statement.

The real-estate firm made the statement days after reports surfaced that Sagada Mayor James Pooten supposedly confirmed that the Ayala group of companies is poised to build a development in Sagada.

Reports said the Ayala magnate would develop a 20-hectare private property in Batalaw “for rest and recreation purposes.”

The reports met criticisms from online users who made the hashtag #NoToAyalaSagada trending on Twitter over the weekend.

As of writing, the hashtag is still one of the top trending topics in the country with over 9,700 tweets.

Online users are opposing the supposed “capitalistic agenda” in the small town of Sagada. 

In April, the Department of Tourism said it would transform Sagada into a “walking city" as part of its sustainability campaign.

Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said she and the local government unit of Sagada wanted to avoid the huge trucks and vehicles in its narrow roads. 

RELATED: Sagada to be transformed into 'Walking City,' DOT says