Ayala Land to focus on middle-income segment

Ayala Land Inc. plans to intensify this year a “transformational” growth strategy that will further expand the geographical footprint of the previously Makati-centered property developer and shed a predominantly upscale orientation.

The strategy will see ALI relying less on its high-end residential brand Ayala Land Premier (ALP) and growing more the middle-income brands Alveo and Avida and newly launched economic housing units this year. ALP’s contribution is seen declining to 40 percent this year from 50 percent last year.

ALI will focus about 95 percent of its business in the Philippines, targeting new areas not just in Luzon but also in Visayas and Mindanao, company president Antonino Aquino said in a briefing Wednesday.

But ALI is always seeking pockets of overseas investment opportunities, such as its ongoing foray in an eco-city development in Tianjin, China, and the recently launched Seasons Marketplace in Milpitas, California, a new community retail complex catering to the Filipino-American community, Aquino said.

Company chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala said during ALI’s stockholders’ meeting Wednesday that 2010 was a truly “transformational” and “landmark” year as it launched more than 10,000 residential units and doubled its sales take-up to more than P33 billion as it moved to new products, segments and geographic markets.

“Historically, we had been Makati-centric but now you’re seeing us all over the place and before, we were focused on high-end but now, we’re in all product brands and we’re trying to be aggressive in all the product segments,” Aquino said.

While about 90 percent of ALI’s business was currently focused on Luzon, Aquino said the company would scale up projects in the Visayas and Mindanao not just for the residential business but also for other business segments like retail and business process outsourcing office property development.

Outside Luzon, he said ALI would focus on key growth areas in Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Davao.

For more details on Ayala subdivision and condo projects, you may contact Reby Ramirez @ +63 919.699.3572 / +63 922.883.9308 / +63 916.4044.555 / +632 404-4534 or e-mail her @ reby_ramirez@yahoo.com.

Lastly, FYI for related information on the new real estate law, RA 9646, please proceed to www.RA9646.com, the online repository of updated information on Real Estate Service Act of 2009 (RESA).

source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 13 2011

BOI incentivizes Avida Towers Cebu

The Board of Investments has granted various fiscal and non-fiscal perks to four projects—three in housing and one in dessicated coconut production—worth more than P2.4 billion.

The largest project to get the BoI’s nod was that of SM Development Corp. for the P1.7-billion Mezza II Residences vertical housing project.

It involves the construction of a 40-story tower with 1,344 housing units. The condominium building will be built on a 2,592-square-meter property in Quezon City.

The P444.9-million Avida Towers Cebu housing project of the Ayalas’ Avida Land Corp. was also approved by the BoI.

The residential building, to be built on a 3,131-sqm piece of land within the Asiatown IT Park in Lahug, will have 22 stories and three podium parking floors.

The third housing project approved was that of Asiatic Development Corp. in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. The P280-million Townsville-Sto. Tomas Phase 2 entails the construction of 558 housing units.

Scheduled to start commercial operations in July, the project is seen generating 240 new jobs.

The BoI also granted incentives to Celebes Coconut Corp. for the expansion of its dessicated coconut manufacturing business in Butuan City.

The P38.6-million expansion project will allow the company to produce an additional 6,912 metric tons (MT) of dessicated coconut a year via a new production line that can churn out eight MT every eight-hour shift.

For more details on SM, Ayala and Asiatic Development Corporation, you may contact Reby Ramirez @ +63 919.699.3572 / +63 922.883.9308 / +63 916.4044.555 / +632 404-4534 or e-mail her @ reby_ramirez@yahoo.com.

Lastly, FYI for related information on the new real estate law, RA 9646, please proceed to www.RA9646.com, the online repository of updated information on Real Estate Service Act of 2009 (RESA).

source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 13 2011