How a city took shape ahead of its era
In Muntinlupa’s Alabang district, the pioneering force was Filinvest Alabang Inc., whose decades-long commitment transformed an underutilized stock farm into what is now Filinvest City—a 244‑hectare modern garden city and one of Metro Manila’s most dynamic business and lifestyle hubs.
Today, Filinvest City stands as the country’s only dual green-certified business district anchored by local and multinational firms, premium workplaces, residential communities, and lifestyle centers.
A STRATEGIC BET MADE AHEAD
When the development of this quarter began decades ago, Alabang was then not viewed as a primary business address.
Corporate expansion at the time was heavily concentrated in the Makati central business district (CBD) and Ortigas Center.
Filinvest, however, opted to move ahead. Instead of waiting for demand to migrate south of the metro, it invested ahead of the market.
Early on, it already began building internal road networks, developing large scale office inventory, and allocating space for retail, housing, and public areas. Filinvest City’s masterplan was different from most CBDs as it designed hyperlocal districts to create a 15-minute city.
And this was quite crucial. It shows that Filinvest already had a full picture in mind, long before such thinking became standard in Philippine urban development. Over time, this laid the groundwork for what Filinvest City is today: A competitive CBD that can readily stand alongside Metro Manila’s traditional city centers.
PICTURE OF PROGRESS
Today, Filinvest City is a picture of sustained progress.
“Our long-term view has always been clear: build a city that anticipates needs before they emerge. Filinvest City’s progress today is the direct result of disciplined investment, sustainable planning, and a masterplan designed to endure. The South’s growth story continues, and we are committed to leading it,” shares Catherine A. Ilagan, President and CEO of Filinvest Alabang, Inc.
Premium grade offices show steady take-up and consistent corporate presence, owing to the conducive climate that Filinvest City has created for businesses and investors. It also has Northgate Cyberzone, a Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) registered IT park that continues to attract outsourcing and multinational firms seeking a strategic location and operational efficiencies.
Even to this day, it continues to attract firms wanting to be part of this city’s continuing growth story.
Last year, the SONAK Group, one of the region’s most notable distributors of sports and active lifestyle brands, chose to set up its headquarters within Filinvest City. In the same year, PLDT Inc. announced the development of the Philippines’ first tech campus in the Southgate District—a nearly five-hectare development—underscoring its confidence in Filinvest City’s world-class infrastructure and future-ready masterplan.
Such a continued wave of business activity is able to generate high-value jobs that attract a skilled workforce even from surrounding locales like Las Pinas and Paranaque and CALABARZON.
This, in turn, fuels demand for residential developments. Among them would be Botanika Nature Residences, 1001 Parkway Residences, The Levels, and Studio City. These cover a broad spectrum of buyers, ensuring that Filinvest City is inclusive and caters to diverse lifestyles and investment profiles. Residents here also get to enjoy expansive open spaces as Filinvest City is home to six integrated parks.
The growing presence of lifestyle hubs, retail centers, and essential services, meanwhile, ensures that all the needs and whims of locators, residents and guests can be readily met. Festival Mall, for example, offers an extensive mix of retail and dining options, while FEU Hospital and Asian Hospital provide immediate access to comprehensive healthcare services.
All these comprise a complete, fully integrated urban setting where everything is practically within reach.
A RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE CITY
What’s notable is that Filinvest City has taken steps to be future-proof. It’s the first and only CBD in the country to have secured a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and a BERDE 3-Star rating from the Philippine Green Building Council.
These certifications ensure that Filinvest City has made strategic investments in infrastructure, technology, and sustainable initiatives.
With all these in place, land values continue to appreciate, providing more room for growth while reflecting sustained investor confidence in this quarter in Metro South.
THE CATALYST OF THE METRO SOUTH’S RISE
It’s thus unsurprising that Alabang is currently drawing renewed attention, with other major players placing their confidence in the South’s long-term prospects.
Clearly, it’s a result of the strong foundation laid decades earlier by one pioneering developer like Filinvest Alabang Inc. Long before Alabang became attractive to multiple players, Filinvest had already done the hardest work—absorbing early risk, shaping land use, attracting anchor locators, and building a community that could sustain itself across economic cycles.
There is no doubt that Filinvest City remains to be the prime catalyst of Alabang’s growth, having built its foundations, sustained its momentum, and shaped its identity to the competitive and resilient CBD that it is today.
