Ayala Land: Building for generations

MANILA, Philippines - Before there was the two-kilometer Ayala Avenue filled with high-rise buildings, banks, corporate headquarters, offices and residential condominiums, there was the Ayala Avenue that had a small mall, a theater, an apartment building and not much else.

After many evolutions and generations, Ayala Avenue — and indeed the entire Makati Central Business District as we know it today — has become the country’s premier CBD and Metro Manila’s main hub for entertainment, leisure and the most sought-after residential address. This is mainly due to the foresight of Ayala Land, which was spun off from Ayala Corporation by Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Chairman Emeritus,  25 years ago.

Ayala Land’s stewardship of Makati CBD goes back to seven generations and, one might say, has had as many evolutions. Thanks to ALI’s strategic master planning, changes in both the business and lifestyle needs of the people have been met at every turn.

Master-planning CBDS: Makati, BGC, Nuvali

Ayala Land executive vice president and chief operating officer Bobby Dy says, “When you want to know what Ayala Land is all about, look at our timeline. For the past 25 years, it’s basically about enriching lives, improving the quality of life of as many Filipinos as possible. How have we done this? We’ve been building large-scale, integrated mixed-use communities like Makati, Bonifacio Global City and NUVALI. We’re building communities where you have residential, retail and institutional uses to complete the whole offering. Ayala Land, in partnership with the local government, has done its share  in the development of the Philippines, particularly in Makati as the showcase CBD.”

So, from what Bobby calls “bedroom community,” Makati has today become a place where people can practically do everything. Bobby says that back in the ‘60s, when they were starting to build Ayala Avenue and its environs, the kind of infrastructure and road network they planned was unheard of but still they built it.

”We look at particular parcels of land and identify its potential uses. We provide some flexibility to be able to adapt to the needs of the community in the future.”

Ayala Land vice president and head of Strategic Landbank Management Group Meean Dy, on whose shoulders falls the task of making sure they have large parcels of land on which to build, says, “Makati is a good representation of how we define our own success as a company. There was a time when a person’s success was how he did in his career. It was all about work. Maybe in the ‘80s, everyone had to have that big car and big outfit, but people now want to have a complete life, we want to have entertainment, we want to be healthy and fit, to have the ability to socialize with friends, to lessen the carbon footprint we leave behind. So Makati is evolving with the times.”

With Ayala Avenue flanked by offices, and shopping leisure hubs Greenbelt and Glorietta a mere walking distance away, and surrounded by residential condominiums, Makati CBD today is nothing short of a study in how companies with a vision can change any city.

And this is how Bonifacio Global City and NUVALI have come to be — two more “Makatis” if you will, but this time, the starting point is today and they are designed — as Makati was decades ago — to grow with the future. 

Bobby says Ayala Land can do it because “we can master plan a new township to have a variety of uses, with residential, commercial, institutional and recreational components, and to be self-sustaining. “

NUVALI, for example, which started out with 1,700 hectares and now with 2,290 hectares, is Ayala Land’s first eco-city development, its flagship sustainable township spanning Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao and Calamba. It was founded on the principles of sustainability. NUVALI is designed to develop only 50 percent of the total land area, leaving the other half for open space, parks and its own Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, a 17-kilometer buffer zone along a river and stream system where 100,000 trees are being planted.

On community building, NUVALI provides training programs such as paper-basket weaving to nearby communities to provide additional sources of livelihood, increased local hiring from 70 to 90 percent and provides scholarships to local students (Xavier School will have 25 percent of scholars from nearby communities).

Just next to Makati is another self-sustaining township that makes it easy for residents to live a balanced life. Known as the “Home of Passionate Minds,” Bonifacio Global City has a formal art program led by the Bonifacio Art Foundation, ensuring the presence of public art throughout the city, and the Mind Museum, the Philippines’ first world-class science museum.

BGC’s public art has earned raves from both those who work and live there, and from its daytime and nighttime population of families, shoppers and friends.  

At Bonifacio High Street, retail and art mix with several sculptures on the green grass by Reg Yuson (“Specific Gravity, “the fountain sculpture that kids love playing around and under it, and his “Concierto” sculptures of giant chimes) and Conrado Velasco (“There is No Such Thing as Endless Joy,” a favorite background for pictures).

Perhaps it is the wide space and less-than-dense atmosphere of BGC that have made it a favorite place for runners. Whether it’s a Sunday race or a practice run on an early morning or late afternoon, people are running around BGC. No wonder a number of sporting brands have located their flagship stores at Bonifacio High Street.

For other fitness and outdoor activities, there are Terra 28th children’s playground, Track 30th fitness park and Turf BGC football pitch.

The new breed of growth centers

Bobby Dy says that through its 25 years of developing new communities and townships, Ayala Land never loses sight of its commitment to grow them. “We are committed to managing these developments for the long term. We never leave these developments. In effect, we continue to be part of the governance of the community. We make sure the original vision is not lost, that whatever is done is not just for the immediate benefit but also for the continuing vitality and vibrancy of the community. So there’s a governance component, a management component and flexibility that we build in.”

This flexibility can be seen in how Makati goes with the changing needs and lifestyles of people. “We are starting our entertainment district in the Circuit Makati because people want to watch a good show after work. We did the Ayala Triangle Gardens because people want an oasis, a place where they can jog. We are starting different nodes in Makati because we believe there should be activity all around, you don’t all have to walk to the same place at the same time for entertainment. That’s how we define a good or fulfilling life.”

The same commitment can be seen in the new growth centers that they are master-planning — and on a large scale: Porac in Pampanga, Vertis North in Quezon City, Altaraza in Bulacan, and Arca South in Taguig.

“The number of business districts in the country will need to increase because of increased economic activities,” says Bobby. “For example, central Luzon will need a CBD and we envision a concentration of businesses locating in Porac, so it will be the equivalent of Makati or NUVALI in the north. A lot of the growth will be coming now from areas outside of Metro Manila and infrastructure is a big part of it.”

Meean says that before NUVALI, “People were not to so open about locating their businesses there, it seems far, but with the improved infrastructure people have embraced living and working there. We foresee the same thing with Porac, where we’re building a business park.”

“We’re going into Pampanga in a big way,” says Bobby. “We’re building a township on about a thousand hectares of raw land. It’s going to be a new city.”

Porac is centrally located between a seaport (Subic) and an airport  (Clark, which is just minutes away via the SCTEX).

Bobby points out that “60 percent of the country’s GDP is from NCR — Central Luzon and Calabarzon — and we feel it’s the right time to come here.”

North of Manila, Ayala Land is building Vertis North, a 29-hectare integrated development in Quezon City within a 10-year timeframe. This will be QC’s first large-scale, mixed-use, sustainable city center.

Located beside TriNoma Mall, it will be a convergence point for a broad range of office, retail, hotel, and residential developments that will offer functionality, convenience, and accessibility and showcase urban sustainability.

“Quezon City is Metro Manila’s biggest city and you can imagine how big its economy is but business establishments are located in many areas. Vertis North will provide a city center that is transit-oriented. It is close to the MRT and Mindanao Avenue, which brings you to NLEX, so it is the gateway to the northern part of Luzon.”

Vertis North has launched its Avida residential buildings and within the year will break ground for its hotel, mall and office buildings.

Meean says, “Primarily because of SLEX, the focus of Ayala Land was the south for many years, but now there are so many things happening in the north and east, and ALI tries to capture the value of improved infrastructure. In the east, where the MRT 7 is expected to happen, we have our development in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan called Altaraza.”

Altaraza’s first phase is 30 hectares and the whole development is expected to run in the hundreds when completed. “It’s bringing our township to a broader base. It is not just a geographic expansion but also a market expansion to serve the broad C market. San Jose Del Monte is one of the most alive and vibrant areas in the country.”

Ayala Land has launched its Altaraza town center and will have Avida and Amaia residences, the community-based Arvo Mall and a hospital. “We have partnered with UPMC in the hospital business so we can provide all the conveniences that they would otherwise have to go to the big cities for,” says Meean.

Another development that promises to be inclusive is Arca South, a 74-hectare property located in Taguig, formerly FTI, which will have ALI’s residential developments. It will be developed into an integrated, mixed-use and efficiently built business, retail and residential districts with new infrastructure envisioned to spur economic activity in the area.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is planning an Intermodal Transport System (ITS) adjacent to the property,  linking the various types of transit options to facilitate commuting from  various points.

“Imagine the centrality of that location when the planned north-south connection is completed. Arca South will be a highly networked business and lifestyle district with an unparalleled location that has direct access to two leading commercial business districts (Makati and BGC) that serves as a convergence point and gateway to the south.”

Meean adds, “It will have a campus-type development of 10 to 12-storey buildings rather than high-rises due to height restrictions due to its being close to the airport. It will have a very different feel. It will have its version of Bonifacio High Street and a canyon park. It will have a refreshing mix of shops, restaurants, galleries, a world-class public market coupled with 24/7 entertainment and convenience-centric stores that will complement the businesses and mass transit commuters. It will be home to technology and service-based new economies and sunrise industries such as IT, telecom, BPOs, healthcare and medical tourism, mass media, culture and creative industries.”

Bobby says these new townships will develop much faster than Makati did. “Fifty years ago, we had a smaller population and the per capita income was about US$300. Now the development of these new areas will be much faster because we have a bigger population base. Our principal shareholders are very conscious of our growth in terms of nation building. We are a generational business. We are building developments that people will be proud of for generations.”