ALI, president awarded by Asiamoney

MANILA, Philippines - Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) was awarded the Best Large Cap Corporate in the Philippines for 2009, among companies having a market capitalization of over $2 billion, by Asiamoney magazine. The magazine also named ALI president Antonino T. Aquino as the Best Executive in the Philippines in its recent poll.

“We are honored and very grateful for the recognition given by such a prestigious publication as Asiamoney. We have put great effort into overcoming challenges in 2009 and these awards validate the success of those efforts,” said Aquino.

Asiamoney is a monthly financial magazine that has been an important source of intelligence and information for corporate executives and the investment community in Asia since 1989. It is a division of the Euromoney Institutional Investor Plc, a respected global media group.

In an article published on the magazine’s website, ALI was cited for taking “a strategic change of direction” and expanding into the economic housing segment in order to broaden the company’s market penetration. According to the article: “It is a move that makes sense as the bulk of the country’s real estate demand lies in this segment…”

Asiamoney also recognized Aquino for his work in implementing the strategic changes, after just eight months at the helm, to propel the company’s growth in the coming years. “The president of Ayala Land has wasted no time in changing its strategic focus, making it more effective and sensitive to the market,” said the article.

Aside from venturing into economic housing, the company is entering into new geographies and expanding its base of master-planned and mixed use growth centers. It will complement this with small-format retail developments.

Recent initiatives along these pursuits include its partnership with the National Housing Authority for the development of the 29-hectare North Triangle property in Quezon City. ALI also entered into a letter of agreement with the city government of Olongapo and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to master-plan the seven-hectare Olongapo City Triangle near the Subic Bay Freeport Zone’s main gate.

The company is ramping up its project launches for this year.

Aquino strongly advocates the integration of the company’s social and environmental goals with its business goals. ALI is at the forefront of sustainable development and leads in applying practices to lessen its environmental footprint. For example, it successfully implements solid waste management initiatives in the Makati business district, Bonifacio Global City, Nuvali and in all its malls.

Ayala Land has been recognized for excellence by other award-giving bodies the past year.