It’s not always you meet a company that’s more than 180 years old, or one so embedded in the social history of its country. The Ayala Group was founded back in 1834, when the Philippines was still a Spanish colony. Today, it is the country’s oldest and largest conglomerate, with a diverse business portfolio that includes retail, education, real estate, banking, telecommunications, water infrastructure, renewable energy, electronics, information technology, automotive, healthcare, and management and business process outsourcing.
Its property arm, Ayala Land, is also the leading developer in the Philippines and, in the capital itself, is responsible for the development of two of Manila’s most recognisable districts – Makati and Bonifacio Global City. Ayala Land also manages the group’s business and shopping centres, as well as leisure properties. Earlier this year, it made its first foray into Malaysia after purchasing a minority stake in property developer MCT Bhd. Although it has also made similar investments in China and Myanmar, the company is content to concentrate on the domestic market. With the Philippines being one of the fastest growing economies in Asia – its GDP growth rates were the region’s highest in 2012 and 2013 – the country is experiencing unprecedented demand in the luxury real estate market, with the company’s subsidiary, Ayala Land Premier, at the forefront of this expansion.
Bonifacio Global City
The development of Bonifacio Global City on what was formerly a military fort, began in earnest in 2003, gradually turning the area into the world-class business and residential centre it is today. Located 11km south-west of central Manila, Bonifacio Global City is already home to residential condominiums, corporate office buildings and trendy retail and F&B outlets. The Shangri-La Hotel Group is opening the 60-storey Shangri-La at the Fort here, while a number of embassies have already moved into the city centre. The new headquarters building and unified bourse of the Philippine Stock Exchange is scheduled to open next year in Bonifacio Global City, which has also attracted Filipino and multinational corporations, including the Philippines National Oil Company and HSBC.
Ayala Land Premier has overseen the development of a number of upscale residential properties in Bonifacio Global City, including One Serendra, The Suites at One Bonifacio High Street and East Gallery Place, all of which had been quickly sold out. Its latest project, West Gallery Place, located in the High Street South Block, a hip district of offices, restaurants, boutiques and landscaped spaces regarded as the area’s cultural heart, looks set to replicate that success. The 49-storey tower will feature 420 units, ranging from 52 sq m one-bedroom apartments to 259-291 sq m two-level, three-bedroom villas, and 701 sq m four-level villas with dedicated elevators. The four-level villas come with private elevators, wrap-around balconies on all levels, pool and outdoor decks. On top of them all is The Skyrise 49, a 1,368 sq m penthouse with 4m high ceilings, private pool and expansive outdoor deck.
All units will feature European-grade kitchens and bathrooms, with built-in appliances, such as cooktop and range hood for gourmet kitchens, air-conditioning units, water heaters and branded bathroom fixtures, and luxurious finishes that are trademarks of Ayala Land Premier. There are plans for a range of upmarket retail and dining options at ground level, while an amenity deck on the seventh floor will consist of a function room and social hall, boardroom, lap pool, gym with shower and locker rooms, and an indoor children’s play area.
Anvaya Cove
Residential properties, rightly, take the spotlight at Ayala Land Premier but the company’s foray into leisure development also worthy of attention. Its parent company, of course, manages a wide range of hotels, including the Raffles Suites and Residences and Fairmont Hotel in Makati, El Nido Resorts in Palawan and Cebu City Marriott Hotel.
The 470ha Anvaya Cove in Bataan, a leisurely three-hour drive from Manila, however, is Ayala Land Premier’s first venture into the leisure segment. A unique ‘mountains meet the sea’ topography gives the property, just half an hour from the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the features of both a mountain retreat and a seaside resort, with a 3.5km coastline. Its 18-hole, 6,400m award-winning course is a stunning one. The par-72 layout takes advantage of the gorgeous landscape to set up a challenging game that will inspire even non-golfers to grab the nearest club for an impromptu tee off. The settings of some of its holes are such that they draw out the chancer in you: can you really drop a shot without the ball ending in the West Philippine Sea or that particularly daunting hollow?
The course is the centrepiece of the Anvaya Cove Golf & Sports Club, which also includes a clubhouse and sports centre. A little further away, next to the sea, is Anvaya Cove Beach & Nature Club, filled with dining and leisure activities for the entire family, and the Veda Spa, one the best in the Philippines, complemented by a number of casitas (‘small houses’ in Spanish) that can be rented. If you wish to maintain a more permanent presence in Anvaya Cove, there are a number of completed and ongoing residential developments through the resort, all varied enough to suit your requirements and preferences.
Seascape Ridge, for example, is a 4.6ha masterplanned community of 56 townhouses, set on a prime elevated location with commanding views. Consisting of two- and three-bedroom units that are 167 sq m and 187 sq m in size, respectively, Seascape Ridge is ready-to-move-in and completed with quality finishings and fittings. Sea Breeze Verandas, on the other hand, are low-rise apartments, located on the highest ridge of Anvaya Cove. At 120m above sea level, you’re afforded stunning views of the West Philippine Sea, Mount Natib and the Bataan and Zambales Mountain Ranges. Consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, Sea Breeze Verandas boasts its own swimming pool, as well as landscaped gardens and greenery.
If you’re looking for more flexibility or choice, however, you also have the option of purchasing residential plots to build your vision of a tropical getaway. With lots measuring from 400 sq m to 1,500 sq m each, you can, within certain guidelines on built-up areas and building materials, design the bungalow of your dreams in any of Anvaya Cove’s 10 neighbourhoods that are scattered throughout the resort.
One of the most impressive characteristic of Anvaya Cove is the painstaking effort that Ayala Land Premier has taken to ensure development here is never at the expanse of the environment. Great swathes of forests still dominate the landscape, while an early decision to work with the natural lay of the land has preserved its native and inviting beauty. The impact of change has been low enough that the wetlands still teem with wildlife. Indeed, this commitment to maintaining the area’s ecology has ensured the continuity of its status as a nature sanctuary, one that draws migratory birds and annual visits by the pawikan, or Olive Ridley sea turtles, to nest on its shore. There is also a conscious desire to maximise open spaces and greenery within the residential areas, which will ensure that Anvaya Cove remains verdant in the long-term.
‘Anvaya’ is Sanskrit for ‘family’ and is an ideal that Ayala Land Premier endeavours for. Anvaya Cove is emblematic of this, with its emphasis on community and activities that encourage bonding across generations. One of the most important things a family needs is a home, and this is what drives Ayala Land Premier, as well as its parent, Ayala Land – creating homes that promote a nurturing quality of life, both here in Anvaya Cove and elsewhere across the Philippines.
For more information on Ayala Land Premier and its developments, visit ayalalandpremier.com
