Filinvest Alabang, Inc. - 2016 BCI Asia Awardee

As the Philippine real estate industry continues surging forward to a future where market preferences constantly evolve, Filinvest Alabang, Inc. (FAI), one of 2016 BCI Asia Awards’ Top Ten Developers in the Philippines, finds itself in an enviable position where its various developments were borne of concepts that have not only held up well against the trends, but may have actually helped define them.

Townships
In just a little over two decades, FAI managed to develop a 244-hectare Alabang Stock Farm into an expansive world-class metropolis now known as Filinvest City, with a full spectrum of offerings from premium lifestyle and retail facilities to intelligent, future-ready corporate spaces, and unique residential concepts. All this, most importantly, without compromising its primary vision of having its residents and visitors maintain communion with a refreshingly green habitat, and thus becoming the recipient of The 2016 Asia Pacific Awards for Best Mixed-Use Development in the Philippines. 

"Our objective was always to lay Filinvest City out as something very urban, a bustling central business district (CBD) placed in a lush green landscape," says Catherine Ilagan, Executive Vice President of FAI. "The way that Filinvest City has become known as the 'Garden City of the South' is as organic as it was deliberate," she adds.

As a subsidiary of Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC), FAI specializes in mixed-use townships and estates, as well as high-end residences and office developments. In addition to Filinvest City, FAI also spearheads the planning and development of City di Mare in South Road Properties, Cebu. These two townships anchor most of FAI’s residential and corporate space developments which include (South Metro Manila): Botanika Nature Residences, Bristol at Parkway Place, Parkway Corporate Center, The Enclave Alabang in Daang Hari, The Beaufort in Bonifacio Global City; (Cebu) Umi Garden Suites in City di Mare and Serulyan Seascapes Mactan.

"As the biggest township project in Cebu, FAI aims to bring to Metropolitan Cebu, through City di Mare, our vision of a self-contained township with its own dynamic lifestyle mix of life+work+play, with plenty of green space as its backdrop," shares Ilagan.

Situated at an expansive sea-facing property, the aptly named City di Mare is a cosmopolitan development that boasts an array of distinctive architectural features and facilities. From mid to high-end residences to office and retail complexes, and so much more in a property where 60% has been allocated to open space, which itself is now a premium in any major metropolis.

Designer Residences
As more and more people move to the cities, the need for quality living space also grows exponentially. To address this market, FAI stepped up its efforts in its high-concept residential developments.

"More than simply creating cookie-cutter condominiums and subdivisions," conveys Ilagan. "Our projects aim to explore the possibilities of different premium residential concepts to create the ideal lifestyles of each and every prospective resident."

An example of a fresh new concept realized is Botanika Nature Residences. A verdant, low-density complex in Filinvest City, Botanika is one of the first offerings of The Filinvest Group's Exclusive Collection, as well as its most premium. Designed like a vertical landscaped suburban village, its 15,500 square meters is reserved for only an approximated 400 units, and large sweeping atriums along with comprehensive facilities and amenities designed to evoke the flowing shapes of nature.

Another project under Filinvest Premiere is The Enclave Alabang. As one of the few remaining masterplanned subdivision in Metro Manila, The Enclave Alabang will embody its namesake as an exclusive village where residents enjoy the safety and comfort of a cozy home in a development of modern elegant architecture.  

Corporate Spaces and Developments
"The people in the BPO industry are a defined market segment. They comprise almost 90 to 95 percent of the new office inventories," shares Ilagan. "Our residential, retail, and entertainment offerings provide comprehensive developments that allow them to enjoy the different aspects that are conveniently accessible," she adds.

Already a bustling hub of corporate activity is Filinvest City's Northgate Cyberzone, while the strategically located Parkway Corporate Center aims to cater to more traditional needs in terms of office space.

In addition to Vector 3 and the Filinvest aXis, two upcoming office projects, which are gunning to become LEED-certified, FAI is also currently looking into a possible LEED Certification for Neighborhood Development by the US Green Building Council for Filinvest City. "Corporate life need not be cold and hard-edged," pronounces Ilagan. "That's why Filinvest City, despite being a business center, has carefully integrated greens into its master plan to offer an experience that is as close to nature as possible in a corporate setting," she maintains.  

Inspiring Lifetsyles
The rate of migration to de-centralize Metro Manila continues at a dizzying pace. This places Filinvest City as the gateway to the south in the enviable position of being one of the major regional pioneers.

"With Filinvest City, the long-term potential is definitely there, which will also benefit future generations," declares Ilagan. "We're not just out to serve market demands. At FAI, our goal is to transform the lives of people who use our developments by inspiring them with the possibilities of more inspiring lifestyles."