Recently, I came across the latest analysis from Colliers on the South Luzon property market, and it affirmed something I have long observed: the region is no longer just a spillover from Metro Manila. It has emerged as one of the country’s most resilient growth corridors, supported by real demand and long-term fundamentals.
Colliers, one of the world’s leading real estate consultancy and market intelligence firms, highlights several drivers behind this momentum. Improved connectivity, from the North–South Commuter Railway to the NLEx–SLEx Connector and CALAX, is reshaping mobility and strengthening residential demand. These are operational projects already influencing how families and businesses choose where to locate.
Another factor cited by Colliers is the region’s strong consumer base. According to government data, nearly one‑fifth of Filipinos deployed for overseas work in 2024 came from South Luzon, creating a steady inflow of remittances that fuels end‑user housing demand. This is why national developers continue to expand aggressively in the CALABARZON area.
What struck me most in the property report is the shift toward differentiation. Developers are integrating parks, open spaces, sports hubs, and institutional components into their communities. This reflects a deeper understanding of how people want to live today in environments that offer balance, access, and a sense of belonging. Beneath these trends lies a simple truth: South Luzon’s fundamentals are solid, allowing it to remain vibrant even amid global uncertainty.
It is within this broader context that we recently marked the launch of Miramonti Green Residences in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. The event was meaningful for our team, but more importantly, it highlighted how much the area has evolved over the past decade. Sto. Tomas has quietly become a major industrial and employment hub, supported by several PEZA zones and a workforce of more than 100,000.
Miramonti reflects the kind of development now taking shape in the region: projects that combine residential living with sustainability features and modern amenities. I am happy to share that the tower has earned international recognition, including an EDGE green certification. But what matters most is that the market has responded positively. The strong demand for available units simply confirms that people are looking for well‑designed, environmentally responsible homes in emerging locations where long-term value is clear.
In a moment when Metro Manila offers fewer opportunities due to oversupply, the stronger position for investors could be to invest in emerging cities ahead of the curve, as IDC does. This can harness greater potential growth of real estate values and leasing income due to there being relatively less competition.
This approach of identifying growth corridors early and building responsibly is something we have practiced for many years at Italpinas—and in Mindanao, which is also experiencing its own transformation. While Davao remains the region’s top economic center, Cagayan de Oro (CDO) has quietly become its second-highest revenue-generating city.
It is safe to say that CDO’s rise is rooted in these fundamentals: a strategic logistics network anchored by the Mindanao Container Terminal and the Laguindingan Airport, a strong services sector, a growing middle class, and an expanding uptown corridor that continues to attract residential and commercial developments. These are the same signals we saw years ago when we decided to build Primavera City there.
Just this April, Department of Development Planning, Budgeting, and Management (DepDev) Region 10 Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño noted that Northern Mindanao remains on a growth path despite global pressures, with economic activities in CDO continuing uninterrupted. The PSA also reported that the region expanded by 4.9 percent in 2025, sustaining over PHP 1 trillion in total output—a performance that outpaced the national average. These indicators reinforce what many of us have long observed on the ground: CDO’s rise is not just a hype but one that is anchored on fundamentals.
As the Philippines continues to transform, I believe we will see more of these rising nodes: cities and regions that grow not because they are loudly promoted, but because they are genuinely ready. Mindanao and South Luzon are showing us that progress can be distributed, resilient, and inclusive. As I have always believed, the future of real estate in this country is not confined to one metropolis; it is becoming a constellation of opportunities across the archipelago. And it is full of places where the future is quietly taking shape, often before the spotlight arrives.
For developers like us, the challenge is to read the signals early and to build with care, foresight, and optimism. And for me, that has always been the most fulfilling part of this work: creating spaces that support the life a city is growing into.
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