Amaia Land celebrates 5th year of providing quality homes to more Filipinos

Aiming to help hardworking Filipino families have a house they can call their own, Amaia Land continues making those dreams come true as the company celebrates its 5th year in the industry.

Amaia was borne out of the vision of its mother company, Ayala Land (ALI), to broaden its residential product line to cater to the wider Philippine population. In 2010, this came into fruition with the incorporation of Amaia Land and its subsequent launch of the first Amaia Scapes economic housing project, thereby reinforcing ALI’s thrust of “enhancing land, enriching lives for more people.”

The company’s maiden project, Amaia Scapes Laguna established Amaia as a competitive brand in the real estate industry. Amaia’s “Scapes” house-and-lot product line, which now consists of 16 communities, has revolutionized the economic housing segment. Some features that homeowners love about the community are its cluster type development, patio greens and full complement of shared amenities. Meanwhile, housing units are sought after for their attractive facades, modern design and efficient space planning.

In 2011, Amaia launched its condominium product lines: the mid-rise Amaia “Steps” and high-rise Amaia “Skies”. Amaia Steps now boasts a total of nine communities. These homes are ideal for those who aspire for bigger living spaces within city limits. Meanwhile, there are now four Amaia Skies developments, which offer private abodes for urban dwellers and on-the-go working individuals desiring a balanced work-play lifestyle.

Last year, Amaia introduced Amaia “Series”, a pure townhouse development designed for families with growing need for space, and Amaia “Square”, shop houses made for entrepreneurs who want their home and store in one convenient address.

So far, Amaia has served over 12,000 families across the country. The brand is present in key locations in North Luzon (Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Urdaneta), Metro Manila (Quezon City, Paranaque, Manila, Caloocan, Pasig, Mandaluyong and soon Las Pinas), South Luzon (Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Quezon and soon Bicol) and the Visayas (Bacolod, Cebu and soon Iloilo). This year, it will venture to CDO, Mindanao. Homes are made affordable by easy-on-the-pocket paying options such as cash, deferred, bank financing, Pag-ibig and in-house financing.

The company opened a significant numer of jobs for Filipinos including a 17,000-man sales force in 18 growth centers and sales offices nationwide. Its online followers has soared and includes over 500,000 facebook fans, propelling the brand’s dominance in the digital platform.

“Our fifth year anniversary marks Amaia’s success over the years and the company’s mission in the years to come,” says Amaia Land president Ricky Celis. “We will continue to contribute to nation building by serving thousands of families with quality yet affordable homes in more locations nationwide.”

Housing developers eye 1M new homes by 2016

The Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) is working to meet the first milestone of the Housing Industry Roadmap, prioritizing the development of one million new homes by 2016.

SHDA, the country’s largest housing development association , said the past year had seen awareness rise on housing problems especially in the face of national calamities.

SHDA is focused on the national housing backlog currently estimated at 3.9 million units. Without intervention, developers see the country overwhelmed with a 6.5 million housing backlog by 2030.

Newly inducted SHDA president Ricky Celis said the group remained committed to the thrusts of the Housing Industry Roadmap, prioritizing production, policy framework, affordability, financing and the legislative agenda.

“Increased housing production with government support will see us moving closer to our goals. We’re looking forward to a year of increasing our multi-sectoral partnerships with other government offices, key shelter agencies, real estate groups and other corporate enterprises,” he said.

Under its production priorities, SHDA aims to increase and sustain production capacity to 12 percent growth per year. This will mean moving to standardize costs of common items and supplier agreements. SHDA will also look into using new building technology and systems to reduce construction time and cost.

In terms of improving housing affordability, SHDA is working closely with government to gain comprehensive and targeted government housing subsidy. Its efforts include pushing for the accreditation of socialized low-rise buildings for informal settler families and supporting the inclusion of mass housing in this year’s Investment Priorities Plan.

Celis said SHDA would also seek nationwide engagement of its 200-strong members and chapters, and organize more chapters across the country. “There are housing developers everywhere who share our vision of every Filipino family living with dignity in their own home, regardless of their economic status. We provide the housing industry an opportunity to speak with one voice, to learn from each other and to work together towards that vision,” he added.

Another priority for the group has been the establishment of a databank of industry statistics and figures. Government agencies and local government units have traditionally been the only resource for reliable housing industry figures. SHDA aims to build an accurate and up-to-date databank from which housing developers can refer to in planning and developing areas.

Among its first reports to be released is on housing starts, or the estimated number of construction projects based on building permits. SHDA is set to release its 2013 report on housing starts this quarter.