The search for the Philippines’ best in real estate continues as nominations pour into the annual Philippines Property Awards.
The country’s biggest annual real estate awards, and an acclaimed international event organized by the PropertyGuru Group, is celebrating its fifth year of finding the best property developers and developments in Mega Manila, Metro Cebu, and Davao.
“We are grateful for the support from developers, sponsors, media partners, and business associations over the years,” said Terry Blackburn, founder and managing director of the Asia Property Awards, during a press conference held last week in Makati City.
March deadline for submissions
Presented by Kohler in 2017, the international event is organised by PropertyGuru Group, Asia’s leading online property group. The organisers are calling on Philippine developers as well as real estate agents, architects, interior designers, construction companies, suppliers and the general public to continue sending in their nominations online via AsiaPropertyAwards.com/nominations/.
Deadline for submissions is on Friday, 3 March.
IN SEARCH FOR THE “BEST OF THE BEST”. At the press conference were organizers of the PH Property Awards (Left to right): Jericho P. Go, senior vice president, Megaworld Corporation; Terry Blackburn, founder, managing director, Asia Property Awards; Raymond Rufino, executive vice president, ThTerre Net Group; and Linday J. Orr, COO of Jones Lang LaSalle Philippines.
BDO, one of the world’s largest accounting and auditing firms, has been appointed once again as official judging supervisor.
The Philippines Property Awards 2017 is the search for the Philippines’ best property developers and developments located in the established and emerging property markets of Mega Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, in addition to popular and emerging resort destinations and BPO office locations across the country.
Last year a total of 17 shortlisted developers walked away with 26 awards following a rigorous, six-month nomination and judging process.
Megaworld Corporation collected a record-breaking 17 awards and Highly Commended honours, including the 2016 Best Developer (Philippines) gong, while SM Prime Holdings Inc and Vista Land Group received multiple accolades, including one for Vista Land chairman Manny Villar for Real Estate Personality of the Year.
Expanded awards scheme
The 2017 edition presents an expanded awards scheme. New categories have been added, including a Special Recognition in Sustainable Development, which will reward the sustainable initiatives of outstanding developers from Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao.
THE PERILS OF SUCCESS. The National Housing Authority (NHA) recently confirmed that it was incorrect in citing James Hardie’s “HardieFlex®” in an episode of a local TV program as the fiber cement board used in the construction of substandard houses built for victims of Yolanda. The episode focused on the various issues surrounding rehabilitation projects being undertaken in Tacloban, Leyte, and in other areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda three years ago. Interviewees cited HardieFlex® fiber cement as a construction material used in a housing project. James Hardie regards the incident as a reaffirmation of the durability of the HardieFlex® fiber cement board. “Because HardieFlex® fiber cement is a high-quality product, it has become a household name,” explained Liza Alde, marketing manager of James Hardie. “Though we are gratified that the brand name has become top-of-mind among homeowners, it is incorrect to refer to fiber cement boards in general as the James Hardie brand.” Shown in photo is a Suntrust Properties’ Verona housing project in Silang, Cavite, which used HardieFlex® construction materials.
There will also be new awards for Best Mixed-Use Development and Best BPO Office Development reflecting the growth of those sectors.
Chairman of the judging panel Lindsay J. Orr, chairman of JLL Philippines, said : “The panel had quite a task last year simply because there were a lot more entries across various categories and regions, up by around 50 percent, and the numbers of categories increased as well.”
The official shortlist of nominees, comprising one Winner and up to four Highly Commended in each category, will be revealed by the independent judging panel led by Orr in early April 2017.
The ‘Best of the Best’ winners from the Philippines will compete for regional accolades in grand finals of the Asia Property Awards to be held in Singapore in November, opening up their businesses to new audiences around the region.
Philippine developers that have won at the grand finals include Ayala Land Inc, which was named Best Developer (South East Asia) in 2014, and SM Prime Holdings Inc and ArthaLand Corporation, which collected the Best Hotel Architectural Design (South East Asia) and Special Recognition in Sustainable Design (South East Asia) gongs, respectively, in 2016. — Manila Standard
