Saturday, December 30, 2017

Villar group sets P175-B capex for next 3 years

THE VILLAR GROUP of companies is accelerating its capital spending to P175 billion in the next three years, targeting to boost the growth of its businesses in real estate, leasing, retail, hospitality, and education.

The massive capital expenditure budget will support tycoon Manuel B. Villar, Jr.’s vision of establishing his property business as one of the major players by 2020, in addition to building his retail brands.

Companies under the Villar group include Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. (VLL), Starmalls, Inc., Golden Haven, Inc., all three of which are listed at the Philippine Stock Exchange, and All Value Holdings, Corp., which serves as the holding firm for his retail businesses.

“We are very bullish in the coming year as we take advantage of the various collaborations among our companies in addition to the sustained sound Philippine macroeconomic fundamentals,” Mr. Villar told reporters in Las Piñas last Dec. 19.

Around 60% of the capex will fund the company’s real estate expansion, while the rest will go to the leasing and retail businesses. Of the P175 billion capex, Mr. Villar said P50 billion will be spent in 2018.

For VLL, Mr. Villar said the company will push expansion to the provinces as he expects a “reverse migration” phenomenon given the government’s plans to develop areas outside Metro Manila. This expansion will help boost profit and revenues grow by 12-15% annually.

To date, VLL is present in 132 cities and municipalities and 46 provinces around the Philippines.

To complement VLL’s residential business, the listed firm has committed to expand the Villar-led Georgia Academy, now with three branches, to 13 next year.

The property company will also be developing six hotels in the next three years, five of which will carry the Hotel Mella brand. Mr. Villar identified Boracay, Tagaytay, Bataan, and Cebu as the locations for the hotel. A branded hotel to be developed with a partner is also set to rise in Evia, VLL’s property in Las Piñas.

For Golden Haven, the company plans to acquire more land for memorial parks. At present, it has 14 memorial parks — a figure which it hopes to double in the next three years.

“We are going big in memorial parks. We aim to have one in every city where we have Camella Homes,” Mr. Villar said, referring to one of the residential brands under VLL.

Recently, Golden Haven diversified into the mass housing sector by taking over the operations of another Villar-led company, Bria Homes, Inc. The P3.01-billion acquisition will mark the company’s entry into housing development.

Meanwhile, Starmalls will be increasing its number of malls to 60 in the next three years, from the current 22.

Mr. Villar is bullish on his retail business, which comprises home improvement chain AllHome, All Day Supermarket, All Day Convenience Store, Coffee Project, and bakery Bake My Day.

The Villar group will be increasing the number of All Day Supermarket branches to 26 in 2018, from the current count of 13. The public will also see a total of 100 branches of All Day Convenience stores next year, from just 72 in 2017. Around 10 to 12 AllHome depot stores will likewise be added in 2018, for a total of 26 to 28.

Coffee Project, meanwhile, will be present in around 45 to 50 locations by next year.

“There are now 22 branches of Coffee Project. Next year, we hope to make it to 45 to 50. So we will add 23 to 28 more. We now have 15 to 20 identified locations, including Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and Naga,” Mr. Villar said. — Arra B. Francia

#BuildBuildBuild: Infra projects to look forward to this 2018

By Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo

In the next six years, the Duterte administration will implement the most ambitious infrastructure plan in Philippine history, which includes the Luzon Spine Expressway Network, the Metro Manila Logistics Network, the Metro Cebu Expressway, and the Davao City Coastal Road.

This 2018, the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, an elevated expressway linking MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City and C3 Road in Caloocan City will be opened. When completed, travel time from Manila to Quezon City will be reduced from 1 hour and 30 mins to only 20 minutes.



The Harbor Link Project is a key component of the Luzon Spine Expressway Network, a 1,040-km expressway network which would connect the northern and southernmost parts of Luzon. By constructing 18 new expressways with a total road length of 655 km, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar aims to compliment the existing expressway network spanning 385 km. Once completed, the travel time from Metro Manila to San Fernando, La Union, will be reduced from six hours and 55 minutes to three hours and 10 minutes. Travel time from La Union to Bicol will be reduced from 19 hours and 40 minutes to eight hours and 15 minutes.

Also part of the Luzon Spine is the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, a 14.8-km  6-lane elevated expressway which will connect Buendia, Makati City, to Balintawak, Quezon City. This 2018, the present Metro Manila Skyway system from South Luzon Expressway will be accessible up to President Quirino Avenue in Manila.



Upon completion of the entire alignment which would have eight strategically located interchanges in Buendia Avenue, President Quirino Avenue, Plaza Dilao and Nagtahan, Aurora Boulevard, E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon Avenue, Sgt. Rivera and Balintawak, travel time from Makati to Quezon City will be reduced from 2 hours to only 15 to 20 minutes.

Another decongestion master plan is the Metro Manila Logistics Network, which will build an additional 12-bridge network across Pasig River, Marikina River, and Manggahan Floodway to complement the 26 existing bridges, which cater to about 1.3 million vehicles daily.

Included in the network is the 961-meter Bonifacio Global City – Ortigas Center Link Road Project, a 4-lane bridge across Pasig River connecting Lawton Avenue in Makati City and Sta. Monica Street in Pasig City and a viaduct structure traversing Lawton Avenue onwards to the entrance of Bonifacio Global City. When completed, traveling between the central business districts of Taguig and Pasig Cities will only take 12 minutes and traffic congestion at EDSA and C-5 Road particularly along Guadalupe Bridge and Bagong Ilog Bridge will be alleviated by about 25 percent.

Another big-ticket project is the Metro Cebu Expressway, a 73.75-km highway with a 2-km tunnel, which will reduce travel time from Danao City to Naga City by over 50% percent.

Also in the pipeline is the Davao City Coastal Road, an 18.50-km coastal road project from Bago to Sta. Ana Wharf Road, which is expected to reduce travel time from Toril to Poblacion from 45 minutes to 15 minutes.

North Molino Development

Vista Land has a big project lined up for the North Molino Area of Bacoor.

The development will include residential condos, BPO buildings, and a mall.

This area is also where the Niyog Station will be constructed for the LRT Extension Project.

Also where the newly constructed Bacoor Government Center (BGC Cavite) is located, likely the biggest and most modern LGU center in Cavite Province.







Pwede pa ata ma-extend ang Vista City area hanggang diyan

Parang kalahati ng Bacoor ay pagaari ng Vista Land Which is okay kasi dinidevelop naman ang siyudad, magiging Makati ng Cavite ang Bacoor

Celeste wins second Entertainer of the Year Award

Congratulations to Celeste Legaspi, who won her second Entertainer of the Year Award at The 30th Aliw Awards held recently at the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel. She won first Entertainer of the Year Award in 1979. The singer-actress, by the way, stars together with Rachel Alejandro in the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry “Larawan” which she also produces under Culturtain Musicat Productions.

Celeste took home a total of three trophies at the 30th Aliw Awards, including the Aliw’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The 30th Annual Aliw Awards on the Foundation’s 40th anniversary was supported by the Department of Tourism, the Quezon City Government under Mayor Herbert M. Bautista and PCSO, San Miguel Corporation, Salu Restaurant, Jade Vine Restaurant, Absolute, PAGCOR, and SSS.

• • •

‘Belen’ returns to Star City

Circus D’Ballet – a unique extravaganza combining circus acts and ballet – brings back the Christmas tale “Belen” to regale Star City visitors this holiday season.

Presented by Star City, Ballet Manila, and Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), “Belen” is a free show offered to Star City guests. Admission is on a first-come-first-served basis.

Choreographed and directed by Ballet Manila co-artistic director Osias Barroso, “Belen” re-imagines the fabled journey of the three Kings in search of the Child Jesus.

“Belen,” which was staged last Dec. 23, will also be presented tonight at 7, on Jan. 1 (7 and 9 p.m.) and Jan. 2 (7 p.m.)

Circus D’Ballet, a creative collaboration between circus artists and ballet dancers, was the brainchild of MBC chairman Fred J. Elizalde. It was launched in 2001 featuring “Belen” at the theme park’s then newly inaugurated Star Theater.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Dec. 30, go to Rep. Lito Atienza, Alegria Sibal, Bobby Tating, Toots Tolentino, Roseanne Villegas, Liza Moya, Joanne Matschuck, Baby de Guzman, Rizalina Cardenas, Che Singson, Ronald Constantino, Eugene Santos, Mary Charmaine Musngi, Pablo Tariman, and Jake CuencaDec. 31: Deborah Sun, Abel de Leon, Ester Gacutan, Fely Bautista, Dr. Joven Cuanang, Clarissa Villalba, Jun Regalado, Alice Balangue, Arnel Serato, and Globe’s Joyce CrisanoJan. 1: Cristina Ponce Enrile, Buddy Medina, Licerna Abunda, Lourdes Tolosa, Sony Magundayao, Aida dela Cruz, Violeta Villanueva, Dr. Rosalinda Ante, Marietta Ejercito, Arlino Mark Belen, Arlene de Guzman, Cora Grippo, Janiz Navida, and Gemma Fritzgerald