Villar Group to launch 64 estates in two years

MANILA, Philippines — The Villar Group, through Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., is launching 64 estates across the country in two years, according to its chairman Manuel Villar Jr.

The move is part of the Villar Group’s shift from the low-cost economic housing segment to the more lucrative estate development business.

As part of its target, the Villar Group is developing an initial three new estates which will rise in Bulacan, Rizal and Cavite.

Aspen, to be developed in San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, is a 38-hectare multi-residential estate, which will have shopping and dining options, and prime spaces for work as well as urban living.

In Antipolo, Rizal, the Villar Group is developing the 152-hectare Vidarte which will introduce retail, dining, and leisure options for homebuyers in the planned vertical residences and tenants in the commercial spaces and office blocks.

The third estate, Stanza, will be located in Tanza, Cavite and will feature interconnected complexes-a 38-hectare lifestyle hub, a 10-hectare leisure hub, and a 62-hectare innovation hub.

The estates will also have vertical villages comprising mid-rise condominiums.

Villar said during the pandemic, the group was able to identify more areas in its land bank that are ripe to be developed into sustainable communities that will nurture even future generations.

In April, Villar announced that Vista Land would develop the Vista Estates, which would be a mix of residential, commercial and office components. Each of the estates will have a size of around 34 hectares with the investment cost estimated at P136 billion per 100 hectares.

“We’re leaving the (lower) economic housing (segment) already,” said Villar, adding that the company would continue to build horizontal developments but at higher price points, targeting the higher economic market.

Socialized housing price points are below P500 million for a house and lot while lower economic housing price points are from P2 million. The higher economic segment, which the Villar Group will continue to be present in, has a price point of roughly P2.5 million to P3 million, Villar said.

In 2015, the group started building mixed-used communities with residential, commercial and office components.

The company is introducing Vista Estates––a collection of cities-within-cities infused with themes and offerings designed to re-create global living and lifestyles.

Vista Estates will offer five core elements: Business Parks and IT Zones complete with designated office blocks that will house banks, entrepreneurial and financial centers, and the headquarters of local and international corporations strengthened by infrastructure and an investment-friendly environment designed to entice the growing market of BPOs and IT business zones.