ABM Global Solutions, Roxas Holdings Partner for Operations Enhancement

Wazzup Pilipinas!

ePLDT subsidiary ABM Global Solutions (AGS) has been tapped by Roxas Holdings, Inc. to support its business process enhancement initiatives.

Roxas Holdings, the largest integrated sugar business and the biggest ethanol producer in the Philippines, wanted to further strengthen its capabilities and support its operations.

With this in mind, Roxas Holdings partnered with AGS to implement for the company and its subsidiaries Microsoft Dynamics AX, the most advanced Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. The new system is envisioned to handle the financial and procurement processes for Roxas Holdings which operates two sugar mills, a refinery, and two bioethanol plants. The ERP solution will also provide business intelligence, enabling accurate business insights and efficient decision-making.

A business solutions provider of choice for a growing number of enterprises in the country, AGS has established a strong track record in delivering quality consulting services and premier software applications.

“We are pleased to have ePLDT/AGS as our partner in enhancing our ICT systems,” said Roxas Holdings President & CEO Hubert Tubio. “Having expert support for our ICT initiatives will enable us to leverage on technology to boost operational efficiency and service delivery.”

“It has always been our goal to help Philippine businesses level up through ICT,” shared Ernesto Alberto, AGS Chairman and ePLDT President. “With our innovative software solutions and pool of expert personnel, we will continue to support enterprises in their drive to be globally competitive.”

To know more about AGS’ ERP solutions, visit www.abmglobal-solutions.com.

*Photo caption: Shown in photo during the contract signing are from left to right: Luigi Lopa, AGS General Manager; Nerissa Ramos, ePLDT Group COO and AGS President and CEO; Ernesto Alberto, PLDT/Smart EVP for Enterprise and International Carrier Business, ePLDT President, and AGS Chairman; Hubert Tubio, RHI President and CEO; Celso Dimarucut, RHI CFO & EVP for Finance; and Ronnie Villanueva, RHI AVP & Head, ICT. 

Ballet Philippines Opens 47th Season with “Firebird and Other Ballets”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“Wings,” the 47th performance season of Ballet Philippines, kicks off with “Firebird and Other Ballets” from August 19 to 21 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo or CCP Main Theater.

The country’s flagship classical and contemporary dance company revives the timeless tale of love and adventure set to Igor Stravinsky’s enchanting and groundbreaking musical score. The show, which is a mixed bill of contemporary and neo-classical works, features pieces by David Campos, Dwight Rodrigazo, Carlo Pacis and an all-new Firebird by Russian-born choreographer George Birkadze.

Birkadze brings a fresh approach to the mystical Firebird and reimagines the Russian folk tale into a pre-Hispanic Philippine setting. Fashion educator and artist Mark Lewis Higgins designed the ballet’s costumes with the help of students from Slim’s Fashion & Arts School. Higgins takes inspiration from historical documents such as the Boxer Codex, and using elements such as gold, spices, and porcelain.

Meanwhile, renowned Spanish choreographer Campos draws from the company’s unique strengths as he reworks “Ne Neh Ledej” for the cast. The piece, originally performed by Ballet David Campos, is a witty take on neo-classical ballet.

Where Do Broken Hearts Go? And How To Fix Them?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Have a broken heart? These words may be familiar isn’t? Especially for teenagers aged 20 years and above who never established a serious relationship. You feel heartbroken when everything seems to stop, and every second keeps passing by. Every inch of the heart feels so empty, even though I am among a big crowd of people. Loneliness is the only thing you can feel.

In fact, the usual sweet smile that graced the face will be destroyed and taken away as if thousands of dementors in Harry Potter has come and seized all the happiness I have ever felt.


Brain or Heart

Although it is called a broken heart, but keep in mind that a broken heart is a term that describes how sick a person’s heart is, as if the heart had been broken and shattered.

The brain is the main character of their heartbreak.

How is this?

According to Naomi Eisenberger, a professor at the University of California in Los Angeles, the pain comes from our own minds. When a person falls in love, a part of our brain called the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) is flooded with neurochemicals – dopamine and oxytocin. Sounds very scientific? In simple terms, these neurochemicals produced will give a sense of joy and happiness. Referring to science, love is more than opiate drugs.

When someone is feeling broken hearted, all chemical substances produced during in love will evaporate and leaves us the hormones that cause us to feel stress. Hence, the sense of stress eventually makes the heart ache.

The pain can be likened to 1000 times more powerful than a toothache.

Do not let a broken heart master ourselves

I know it feels heartbroken because it cannot be denied that I too had been in that stage. Crying yourself to sleep, no appetite for food and not even in the mood to meet anyone. I also know how difficult it is to repair a broken heart. But remember, the world is not over just because you’re heartbroken, not once, twice or many times.

After all the heartache, you have to rise from adversity.

There is a syndrome called Takotsubu Cardiomyopathy (TC) or more commonly known as broken heart syndrome. According to a cardiologist, Dr. Lawrence Weinstein of Bethesda Memorial Hospital’s Chest Pain / Heart Failure Centre, this syndrome has similarities with a heart attack. The difference is that there isn’t anything that closes the source of blood to the heart in your arteries.

So, what are the best “medicine” for treating a broken heart?

1. Eat chocolate and listen to music
Forced to eat when you were not hungry at all? When experiencing a broken heart, many are forced to perform a routine called meal, only to survive without really enjoying the food that goes into your mouth. It’s good to try eating dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate contains compounds called Andamines which can improve your mood. While eating dark chocolate, you can also listen to music. Quoted from professor Kay Norton, Ph.D. from Arizona State University, music can help you go through emotional times. Even the sad songs you listen are able to help you feel better the next day.

2. Visit cool places

If eating dark chocolate and listening to music is not enough to cure a broken heart, now is the time you start traveling. A study showed that traveling is one of the best medicine for a broken heart.

When traveling, you will be spared from the daily routine and can also see a variety of unique things that you have never seen before.

What are you waiting for? Grab a backpack or briefcase, go places you want to visit and have fun. Who knows “The Right One” is there waiting for you?

3. Retail therapy

Retail therapy is a method to feel better by shopping. Expensive? This is certainly not nonsense and has been proven by research.

According to a study conducted by TNS Global, as much as 64% of women and 40% of men in the United States acknowledges that retail therapy can make them feel better in terms of mood.

4. Conduct “me time”

How long have you not given yourself some “Me Time”? Do not let your broken heart forget about how precious you are. A little “me time” like a cream bath in the salon, doing manicure or pedicure, exercise, having a walk alone in the city park while enjoying the greens can certainly make you feel better.

There is no harm once a month rewarding your accomplishments on how strong you are surviving despite suffering a bad heartbreak.

5. Accept the pain

It is a nightmare to get your heart broken by someone. Some are reluctant or unable to move on with life. According to Paul McKenna and Dr, Hugh Willbourn in his book entitled “How to Mend a Broken Heart”, one way to cure it is to accept the pain. This will make you stronger and certainly be more matured in your next relationship.

In conclusion, any painful heartbreak you feel, do believe that time will heal all wounds in your heart. Continue striving forward with an open heart and believe that someday, someone will wipe your tears away.


Contributed by Davin Chuah

Adam Levine Featured at Proactiv TV Commercial

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Let us share with you Adam Levine’s newest Proactiv TV commercial. Hopefully his life-changing acne story with Proactiv will inspire you to believe that there is always a chance for everybody to shine out even when hope seems to be very slim.

Luckily, I was not among those who suffered from acne during my younger years unlike my other friends whose faces seem to be a favorite hang-out of those dreaded pimples. But later in life we see the same people who are now like swans that were previously called ugly ducklings.

True enough, there are late bloomers who were not attractive during their school years but turned out so glamorously charming when they reached their adult years.

So you're schoolmate may suddenly become a sensational star after a few years thanks to advances in technologies including products created to make our lives easier against acne.

Lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning band Maroon 5, Adam's made a name for himself with a
signature voice woven into the musical fabric of today. His signature voice swept throngs of women off their feet. But despite his hot looks and glowing achievements in his remarkable career, Adam Levine, the “Sexiest Man Alive” for 2013 was, once upon a time, someone who struggled with acne breakouts during his teenage years. This man, the envy of many men because of his undeniable charisma and confidence, also suffered because of acne just like any normal teenager, and grappled with lack of confidence. For someone who looked so natural in front of the camera, Adam was once forced to stay away from the crowd.

SME-UPD Proudly Presents Luntian: Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers will be holding its annual Manufacturing Engineering Conference this August 20 at the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium of De La Salle University in Manila City. The event, entitled “Luntian: Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies”, is designed to raise awareness about the use of engineering and design concepts in eco-friendly applications.

The conference will be a series of talks from distinguished speakers with several years of experience in green technology. They are:

· Engr. Dennis Rosacay, who had a leading role in constructing the 750 MW Kalayaan Phase II Hydro Power Plant as an a project engineer of the National Power Corporation;

· Mr. Edmund Araga, VP for manufacturing of KEA Industrial Corporation, a manufacturer of electric trikes which hopes to revolutionize public transportation in the country, and;

· Mr. Bayani Baylon, VP for communications of Nickel Asia Corporation, a firm advocating responsible mining by improving the lives of communities near its several mines

Engineering students from the five SME student chapters (University of the Philippines Diliman, De La Salle University, Mapua Institute of Technology, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and Bulacan State University), along with other top universities in the country will be participating. Prizes from sponsors will be given away.



For more details please contact Danica Endaya at 0906 280 9099, Jes Buaron at 0917 831 1799, or email us at conference.sme.ph@gmail.com. You can also visit our facebook page facebook.com/smeph.conference

No Hero’s Burial for Enemy of Heroes

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Hindi matatawag na bayani ang taong pumaslang sa marami nating mga bayani."

This was the remark made by Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros as she joined today a multisectoral rally protesting the government's plan to bury the remains of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB).

Braving the rain and mud, Hontiveros joined a broad coalition of Martial Law victims, youth groups and people’s organizations as they converged at the Lapu-lapu Shrine located at the Rizal Park. They jointly appealed to the Duterte administration to listen to the "call of the people and history."

"We cannot consider a hero the very man who caused the incarceration, torture and deaths of those who fought for justice, freedom and democracy. Maraming napatay noong Martial Law, gaya ng mga student leaders, community organizers at journalists na siyang ating mga tunay na bayani," Hontiveros said.

"Marcos went down in history as an unrepentant enemy of our heroes. To honor the man a hero and bury his remains in a place reserved for the brave and martyred is an inimitable political abomination. President Duterte must not commit this atrocious mistake," Hontiveros added.

Hontriveros, who is the author of the lone Senate Resolution opposing the planned hero's burial for Marcos, welcomed Duterte's recent admission that the late strongman was not a hero. This is even as the Chief Executive remained firm in his decision to bury Marcos at the heroes' cemetery claiming that he was a soldier and former president.

"I see this as a small victory in our constructive engagement with the President on this issue. I hope in the coming days President Duterte will continue to listen to undeniable facts disproving Marcos' soldier credentials and highlighting his moral turpitude offenses. These facts ultimately disqualify him from being buried at the LNMB," Hontiveros said.

Last week, Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution No. 86, expressing the sense of the Senate that Marcos is "unfit to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani."The resolution underscored Marcos’ numerous crimes, including being liable to 10,059 plaintiffs for acts of torture, summary execution, and disappearance.

American Ninja Warrior Returns on AXN

Wazzup Pilipinas!

American Ninja Warrior, one of the most watched sports competition series on television, returns on AXN for a sixth season.

As in previous seasons, hundreds of contestants from all over the United States will test each other’s strength, stamina, and endurance as they hurdle the challenging obstacles of the qualifying rounds in the regional competitions to be held in five locations: Venice Beach, California; Dallas, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; Miami, Florida; and Denver, Colorado.

The top 100 competitors will vie in the national finals in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the U. S. version of Mount Midoriyama, the grueling obstacle course in Japan, has been constructed for the finals course of the competition.

Competitors should complete the first three stages consisting of a total of 23 obstacles before advancing to the finals stage where they attempt to climb the 8-story Mount Midoriyama, a 75-foot rope climb in 30 seconds or less. The winner receives US$500,000 and the coveted title “American Ninja Warrior.”

Unlike any other competition on television, American Ninja Warrior was nominated as Favorite Reality Show in the 2015 Kids’ Choice Awards and as Favorite Competition TV Show in the 2016 People’s Choice Awards. This year, as proof of its growing popularity among viewers, American Ninja Warrior has been nominated for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program in the upcoming 68th Emmy Awards.

American Ninja Warrior Season 6 is again hosted by American actor and comedian Matt Iseman, former NFL football player and sports analyst Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, and ESPN sportscaster and model Jenn Brown as the sideline reporter.

American Ninja Warrior Season 6 airs Tuesdays-Thursdays at 7:55pm
First & Exclusive on AXN

AXN is available on Cable Link Channel 38, Cignal Digital TV Channel 61, Global Destiny Cable Channel 61, Dream Channel 20, Gsat Channel 12, SKYCable Channel 49.

‪#‎ORSPUSTAroundTheWorld‬: Are You Ready to Ride and Go On a Journey With Us?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We're all set for the journey! How about you? OR you ready?

Prepare yourselves as the itinerary is set.

You'll not only get to experience a WHOLE YEAR ROUND of DESTINATION events MADE FIT just for you, but you can also get the chance to win exciting PRIZES and FREEBIES!


Become a member of the ORSP-UST Family this Engineering Recruiment Week! Visit us at our booth at the EDUCATION FENCED AREA on AUG 17-20 2016, 8am-5pm

Wander. Explore. Discover.

Let's go Around the World!

Come aboard IE Students and see you there!

‪#‎ORSPUSTAroundTheWorld‬

Young Davaoenos Get a Chance to Join World-Class Football Camps in Malaysia and Europe

Wazzup Pilipinas!

About 300 children aged 10-12 from Davao City and nearby provinces will vie for a chance to join world-class football camps in Malaysia and possibly, Europe this year for free as part of the tie-up between Astro Malaysia and Globe Telecom.

The top eight players from the Davao leg will be competing against talented athletes from Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and Manila for 12 slots in the Astro Kem Bola Advanced Training Programme in Kuala Lumpur next month together with their counterparts from Singapore and Malaysia. The best players from the advanced camp will then fly to Europe for two weeks of professional football training in December 2016.

“The Astro Kem Bola programme aims to provide a comprehensive learning and football development experience. Through it, we have seen talented kids grow into well-rounded athletes playing in the Malaysian national youth team on an international platform. We are privileged to be able to play a role in their development and look forward to do the same for the youth of Philippines and other ASEAN countries,” said Datuk David Michael Yap, Vice President of Community Affairs, Astro. The Malaysian media and entertainment powerhouse network, likewise, introduced recently to Globe customers the latest in live sports such as e-games and the newest Asian shows via over-the-top (OTT) provider Tribe.

“We are proud that Astro has chosen TM Football Para sa Bayan as a venue to discover talented kids who would be given an opportunity to further harness their craft and bring them closer to their dreams. Through our sports advocacy, we hope to forge similar partnerships with other like-minded organizations to help uplift the lives of the youth especially those from the marginalized sector and provide them with a platform to showcase their talents,” said Fernando Esguerra, Globe Director for Citizenship.

Ray Guinoo, TM Portfolio and Brand Head added: “TM, being a brand for the youth, is always after the development of our young people. One of the ways to do this is through TM Football Para sa Bayan. We are using the power of sports to instil in the youth the importance of possessing the right attitude, good values, and a good education. Hopefully, through the sports communities and the tie up with Astro, we can create more opportunities for the kids across the country.

”The TM Football Para sa Bayan clinics are being handled by Green Archers United (GAU), a professional football league which has been Globe Telecom’s implementing partner in developing the football grassroots program in the last three years.

To show that Astro and Globe/TM are looking for more than just exceptional football skills, the kids will also be selected based on teamwork; discipline, behaviour and sportsmanship; communication on and off the pitch; positive attitude towards teammates, volunteers, and coaches; ability to listen to instructions; and good personality.

The football clinics are open to all street football communities, underprivileged kids, varsity players from public and private schools, and private football clubs. Interested participants may register by sending their complete name, birth date, contact number tofootballparasabayan@gmail.com or calling Deeg Rodriguez at +639178843334.

Live, Work, Play: Updates on Some of Metro Manila’s Mixed-Use Projects

Wazzup Pilipinas!

To say that Metro Manila’s real estate landscape is fast evolving is quite an understatement. For instance, no one would have guessed that Ayala Triangle was the site of the Philippines’ main and only airport—Nielsen Field—in the 1930s, before its destruction during World War II and subsequent redevelopment in the 1950s.

To give examples of more recent real estate “rebirths,” many residents of Metro Manila still remember Bonifacio Global City and McKinley Hill before they were, well, Bonifacio Global City and McKinley Hill. The 244-hectare Filinvest Alabang, in addition, was once a vast pastureland before the late 1980s, and Rockwell Center once  housed a thermal power plant operated by MERALCO.

Because the real estate industry’s appetite for new land to develop is insatiable, a growing number of master-planned, mixed-use projects are currently being constructed in many parts of Metro Manila. One can describe this building boom to be quite intense as every project that completes means more shopping malls, office towers, residential condos, and lots and lots of leisure areas add to the capital’s ever evolving real estate landscape.

Mixed-use projects will soon shape Metro Manila’s real estate landscape.

Whether you call them townships, mixed-use estates, or live-work-play developments, these real estate projects have everything people need: master-planned, centrally located, transit-oriented, and are teeming with activities 24/7.

Lamudi Philippines and MyProperty.ph take a look at some of these future self-contained “mini-cities” to see their progress.

South Park District

Developer: Avida Land

Location: Alabang, Muntinlupa

Size: 6.6 hectares

A project by Ayala Land subsidiary Avida Land, South Park District will soon rise on the former site of Nestlé factory along National Road in Alabang, Muntinlupa. According to Avida Land, two high-rise residential condominiums are currently underway in South Park District: Avida Towers Altura Towers 1 and 2, with the first tower scheduled for turnover sometime during the fourth quarter of 2016, and the second during the second quarter of 2018.

Aside from these residential components, Ayala Malls will open South Park Mall during the fourth quarter of 2016, which will boast 49,000 sqm of retail space, while the South Park District Corporate Center, a 12,000-sqm office tower to be built atop the mall, will be completed during the fourth quarter of 2017.

At present, South Park District’s Central Park is now open to public, which features interesting sculptures by artist Greg Yuson, and BAGA Manila, a barbeque held from Thursdays to Sundays. According to Avida Land, prices of condo units in Avida Towers Altura Tower 1 have already increased approximately 6.03 percent since launch, indicating positive interest among property buyers.

Vista City

Developer: Vista Land

Location: Between the cities of Muntinlupa and Las Piñas and the provinces of Cavite and Laguna

Size: Approximately 1,500 hectares

Touted as Vista Land’s most expansive project to date, Vista City, situated on an area shared by the cities of Las Piñas and Muntinlupa and the provinces of Laguna and Cavite in southern Metro Manila, promises to be a complete community comprising vertical and horizontal housing, BPO offices, shopping malls, and even educational institutions.

According to Vista Land, the project’s retail component—Evia Lifestyle Center—is complete, which boasts an air-conditioned courtyard with a sky ceiling, high-end cinemas, and an indoor glass atrium.

Vista City’s residential components are also quite comprehensive, representing the company’s three brands targeting different market segments: Brittany’s Portofino Heights, Portofino South, and Amore by Portofino for upscale property buyers; Crown Asia’s Ponticelli Gardens and Ponticelli Hills for mid-end to high-end homebuyers; and Camella’s Cerritos for starting families.

Furthermore, Vista Land is developing Vista Hub situated along Daang Hari South, which is being earmarked as the south’s foremost business and IT park. Construction of its initial 10-hectare is well underway and will eventually house BPO companies. Another feature of Vista City is Palazzo Verde, one of Metro manila’s most sought after wedding venues.

The mixed-use projects future components include more office spaces, health and medical institutions, schools, sports facilities, and a hotel, while Vista Land’s residential components have already launched new phases of its residential projects.

McKinley West

Developer: Megaworld Corporation

Location: Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

Size: 34.5 hectares

Located just beside Forbes Park and the Manila Polo Club, McKinley West, in keeping with other Megaworld projects, is inspired aesthetic wise by modern and traditional European architecture.

This project, which sits on the former JUSMAG property in Fort Bonifacio, is expected to be fully developed over the next 10 years (Megaworld announced that it has earmarked Php45 billion for the project’s development), which when completed will composed of residential (condos and house and lots), IT parks and BPO offices, retail centers, and schools, among others.

The project’s first condo component—St. Moritz—was launched in 2015 and patterned after London’s One Hyde Park apartments. According to Megaworld, from Php190,000 per square meter, prices of St. Moritz units have already soared to Php215,000 per square meter in just a little over a year since its launch. The company also revealed that residential lots at McKinley West Village are now commanding prices of Php200,000 per square meter in the secondary market. Lots in this upscale project have selling prices of just Php70,000 per square meter when it was launched in 2010.

Arca South

Developer: Ayala Land

Location: Upper Bicutan, Taguig

Size: 74 hectares

At 74 hectares, Arca South is perhaps Ayala Land’s largest project inside Metro Manila since Bonifacio Global City. Soon to rise on the former FTI Complex in Taguig’s Upper Bicutan area, the estate will sit next to where East Service and C5 roads meet and will also feature a transport terminal dubbed “South Integrated Transport System.” According to Ayala Land, this section of Arca South, which is a multi-modal terminal, will facilitate organized transfers of some 4,000 buses and approximately 160,000 passengers expected to pass through the terminal daily.

Arca South’s residential components are doing quite well. In fact, according to information obtained from Ayala Land, the estate’s residential sales have already reached 70 percent, with three of the company’s real estate brands—Ayala Land Premier, Alveo Land, and Avida Land—together have sold over 1,000 units just a year after the projects’ individual launches. These Ayala subsidiaries’ residential projects in Arca South are Arbor Lanes, Veranda, and Avida Tower One Union Place, respectively.

In addition to these projects, excavation and construction have also begun for Ayala Malls, the Arca South Corporate Center, and Seda Hotel Arca South. The projects’ commercial lots are also fully sold, and according to Ayala Land, commercial land appreciated by 39 percent in less than a year since the project was launched in 2013. In addition, the company announced that it will invest Php80 billion for Arca South’s first five years, after which the estate will boast a built area of approximately 870,000 square meters.

Circuit Makati

Developer: Ayala Land

Location: Brgy. Carmona, Makati City

Size: 21 hectares

Dubbed as Makati’s newest entertainment district, Ayala Land’s 21-hectare Circuit Makati sits on the former Santa Ana Racetrack in Barangay Carmona along the southern banks of Pasig River. This mixed-use project will be anchored by the real estate giant’s various brands: Alveo Land for residential, Ayala Malls and Offices, and Ayala Hotels.

Although still under construction, several sections of Circuit Makati are now open to the public, including Circuit Lane and the 400-sqm black box theater Power Mac Center Spotlight; Globe Circuits Event Ground, a two-hectare entertainment venue that can accommodate up to 10,000 spectators; and sports facilities Mountain Dew Skate Park, Gatorade Chelsea FC Blue Pitch, and Urban CityKart Racing.

Ayala’s high-end residential subsidiary Alveo Land has already launched two high-rise condo projects in Circuit Makati: Solstice Towers 1 and 2, which are scheduled for turnover in August 2018 and January 2020, respectively. Aside from Solstice 1 and 2, structures under construction in Circuit Makati include the Stiles Enterprise Plaza, Ayala Malls Circuit, and Seda Hotel Circuit. According to Ayala Land, when completed Circuit Makati will boast approximately 9,000 condo units, 130,000 sqm of office space, and 250 hotel rooms.

Alabang West

Developer: Megaworld Corporation

Location: Brgy. Almanza Dos, Las Piñas

Size: 62 hectares

Currently being developed by Megaworld subsidiary Global Estates Resorts, Inc., Alabang West is a 62-hectare residential and commercial township (the real estate giant’s largest in Metro Manila) that is strategically located close to Alabang’s leisure and commercial districts (although the project itself is within the jurisdiction of Las Piñas City).

Alabang West’s highlight will be its Beverly Hills-themed lifestyle concept, complete with a 1.3-kilometer commercial row inspired by Rodeo Drive. According to Megaworld, almost half of the 788 lots made available during the project’s launch in 2014 were sold between October and December of that year. The company added that land prices in Alabang West rose by 25 to 30 percent in early 2015 from the township’s launch in 2014. Further, Alabang West is just one of several real estate projects in southern Metro Manila that will benefit from infrastructure developments in the area—namely, the Muntinlupa–Cavite Expressway (MCX) and the Cavite–Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

Vertis North

Developer: Ayala Land

Location: North Triangle, Brgy. Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City

Size: 29 hectares

Dubbed as Quezon City’s very first central business district, Vertis North is a 29-hectare prime property located between EDSA, North Avenue, and Mindanao Avenue, just across from Ayala’s TriNoma Mall. Makati Development Corporation is currently undertaking the land development of the estate, as well as construction of Avida Towers Vita, a three-tower high condo scheduled to be turned over in March 2017 (Tower 1), September 2017 (Tower 2), and February 2018 (Tower 3); High Park, a high-end two-tower condo by Alveo Land, which will be turned over in the third quarter of 2019 (Tower 1) and 2020 (Tower 2). Aside from these two residential components, Ayala Hotels is also building Seda Hotel Vertis.

Vertis North is expected to boost the city’s economic development. Ayala Land has announced that it is investing Php65 billion for the project, which when completed will have approximately 45 towers and buildings composed of offices, shopping malls, hotel, and residential condominiums. The project’s first retail component will open in late 2016.