Megaworld leads winners of annual property awards

It was another successful year for the 2018 PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards, presented by Kohler, after the exclusive unveiling of winners and highly commended companies during its gala dinner celebration.

Megaworld Corporation, two-time winner of the coveted Best Developer award, defends its title for a third year in a row, becoming the first company in the Philippines to achieve this feat.

Overall, the Dr. Andrew Tan-led conglomerate won six golden trophies and three commendations for Megaworld, and subsidiaries Suntrust Properties, Global-Estates Resorts Inc. (GERI), and Empire East, the last collecting the Special Recognition in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

“Megaworld Corporation continues its winning streak as the country’s best developer for a third consecutive year by launching and developing more quality and smart townships than its peers,” said the independent judging panel.

“To date, the company boasts more than 700 residential, commercial and mixed-use projects, including 22 townships and integrated lifestyle communities throughout the archipelago, which help distribute the wealth not only in the capital, but especially in the provinces, where its pioneering ‘iTownships’ are expected to provide growth and sustainability well into the future.”

Among the company’s haul include two new awards for Township Development and Township Architectural Design, which went to Iloilo Business Park and Uptown Bonifacio, respectively.

Meanwhile, The Podium Complex by SM Keppel Land Inc. swept all the eight categories it was nominated for, including Best Retail Development, Best Office Development (Manila) and Best Mixed Use Development. In addition, the recently revamped The Podium complex took home the prizes for Best Green and Best Universal Design Development for making the entire development accessible to visitors regardless of age, size, ability or disability.

Regional developers also ended the evening with several awards. ArthaLand Corporation won the second highest award for Best Boutique Developer and the Special Recognition in Sustainable Development, while its Cebu Lavana Land Corporation subsidiary earned the Best Office Development (Cebu) crown.

Other notable provincial winners include three-time awardees AppleOne Mactan and Grand Land, while new entrants such as Grand Taipan and the tandem of Canyon Estates Incorporated/ G2 Global Inc. each won an award.

An array of special awards was presented as well, such as the Special Recognition for Public Facility for Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) by GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) consortium. The new special award expands the scope of the program to recognize the role of the government and public entities in the built environment.

Meanwhile, Robbie Antonio, founder and CEO of Revolution Precrafted – the fastest company to reach first unicorn startup status in Southeast Asia – was honored as the 2018 Philippines Real Estate Personality of the Year for changing the concept of prefabricated, luxury homebuilding not only in the Philippines, but also in the biggest markets around the world.

Antonio aims to “democratize design” by creating design-forward, limited edition pre-crafted homes, pavilions and other related structures, and making them more accessible to the masses through more competitive costs.