The nine industry leaders polled by Inquirer Property waxed optimistic not because risks have entirely disappeared, but because the industry now knows how to better manage amid persistent headwinds. That confidence comes from stronger balance sheets, more resilient supply chains, recalibrated timelines, and leadership proven across repeated cycles of disruptions.

Building resilience

Such optimism is also rooted in the fact that industry players have long been building resilience into their business models. There is now a much better understanding of inclusive and sustainable growth, with developers now speaking less about how quickly they can build and more of what they can finish and manage over time, across varied market conditions.

Developers are likewise taking a more active role in addressing critical relevant issues such as the housing backlog, sustainability, infrastructure readiness, climate resilience, and long-term urban livability. Responsibility has increasingly become a business imperative, guiding their efforts to deliver projects that are built to standard and priced for real demand.

Growing confidence

At the same time, there is also growing confidence in the Filipino buyer.

Developers speak now of a more discerning market–investors and homebuyers who know the real value of real estate, ask harder questions, and expect follow through. This, in turn, raises standards in design, governance, sustainability, and long-term stewardship.

Optimism, in this context, is reciprocal because as Filipinos become more engaged, developers are compelled to build and govern better.

Long-term prospects

Perhaps most telling is the developers’ willingness to invest beyond Metro Manila, which reflects their optimism in the sector’s long-term prospects.

Growth is increasingly sourced from regional and diversified markets rather than a single urban core. The sustained momentum in Visayas and Mindanao and the expanding presence of homegrown brands even abroad point to a market that is indeed broadening.

Indeed, there are many reasons why Philippine real estate remains cautiously optimistic and industry leaders themselves are clear on what they are. Here are their thoughts.

The road to 2035

Edgar ‘Injap’ Sia II

Chairman and CEO, DoubleDragon Corp.

QUOTE: I can confidently say that DoubleDragon is fully prepared to pursue its next phase of growth, moving forward to 2035

The many years before 2025 were truly important years of preparation and learnings.

The consecutive recurring economic shocks and series of crisis in both the global and domestic fronts—starting from the pandemic in 2020 to the economic and geopolitical shocks that came since then—presented an opportunity for the whole DoubleDragon team to learn to navigate a prolonged turbulent weather. DoubleDragon thrived and became a far stronger, deeply prepared company, now consisting of battle-tested team members.

Next phase of growth

At this point, I can confidently say that DoubleDragon is fully prepared to pursue its next phase of growth, moving forward to 2035.

As revealed a year ago, our 10-year grand vision up to 2035 is for DoubleDragon to exceed P500 billion in global consolidated annual revenue and P50 billion in net income level by 2035; to have fully nurtured to optimal level its existing hard asset portfolio and to complete its footprint in all 82 provinces in the Philippines; to have planted its footprint in 100 countries via Hotel101 Global; to become a totally debt-free company; and to generate annual cash dividends exceeding P12 billion annually by 2035.

These goals will make the company a major source of recurring dollar inflows for the Philippine economy.

Fully committed

Rest assured that the entire DoubleDragon team is fully committed to put in the hard work, entrepreneurial grit, and perseverance needed to move forward and make DoubleDragon’s grand 2035 vision a reality.

As a natural positive consequence, this will eventually help position DoubleDragon as a major pillar of the Philippine economy and elevate Hotel101 into a truly global brand, bringing pride and honor to Filipinos at home and abroad.

This ambition will soon become more tangible. Starting March 2026, you can stay at the 680-room Hotel101 in Madrid, Spain. We invite you to experience, for the first time in our history, a truly homegrown Filipino hotel brand in a foreign land. This formally marks the beginning of a Filipino brand and a novel asset-light business model expanding globally.

Momentum grounded on strong fundamentals

Mike Jugo

Head of Premium Residential Business, Ayala Land Inc.

President and CEO, Ayala Land Premier

QUOTE: We are optimistic because the fundamentals that matter most remain intact

Across Ayala Land Premier, Alveo, and Avida, our biggest win was staying focused in bringing thoughtfully planned communities to the market, sustaining healthy take-up across segments, refining our products, and elevating the customer experience.

A key highlight was the strong market reception for Laurean Residences. Set within Dela Rosa Gardens, Laurean Residences is conceived as an urban sanctuary, where design, heritage, and hospitality intersect to shape a more inspired way of city living.

Continuity with purpose

For our company, our wish for 2026 is continuity with purpose: to deliver projects that age well, deepen the long-term value of our estates, and reinforce the confidence and trust that buyers place in the Ayala Land name, across market cycles.

For the industry, our broader wish is a continued shift toward value creation over volume, wherein developments are measured not just by the pace of launches and sales, but also by the quality of their contribution to cities, communities, and long-term economic resilience. We also hope for an environment that supports investor confidence through consistency and sustained economic growth.

Sustained momentum

We are optimistic because the fundamentals that matter most remain intact.

Demographics continue to support housing demand; buyers are becoming more discerning; and there is growing appreciation for developments that are well-located, well-planned, and well-managed over the long term—qualities that align closely with our portfolio.

We are also encouraged by the continued momentum in our key estates, including Arca South, Parklinks, Circuit, and Vertis North, as well as in the South—Nuvali, Aéra, Southmont, and Ayala Greenfield Estates. Beyond Metro Manila, we see meaningful opportunities with our upcoming projects in Bacolod and Davao.

Our optimism is also grounded in experience. Having navigated multiple market cycles, we remain confident in a strategy anchored on prudence and permanence. In a more selective environment, quality and track record tend to stand out and these give us confidence heading into 2026.

Building forward with purpose

Jessica Bianca T. Sy

Vice president and head of Design, Innovation, and Strategy, SM Development Corp.

QUOTE: I look forward to what this next chapter will bring for our developments, our communities, and the people we serve

In 2025, we went through a period of meaningful change that has positioned us for stronger and more sustainable growth in the years ahead.

Throughout this transition, what stood out most was the willingness of our teams to adapt, collaborate, and stay aligned with the vision of our chairman and leadership. That collective mindset, choosing the greater good over individual ego, is to me our greatest win for the year.

For 2026, my wish is for us not only to meet our goals, but to exceed them in ways that truly matter. I hope we continue building communities that our residents are proud to call home; partnerships that our clients and collaborators value; and a workplace where our team members feel supported, inspired, and genuinely glad to be part of SMDC and the broader SM family.

Without fear of change

Like many sectors, the Philippine property industry has faced a mix of anticipated and unforeseen challenges.

My hope is that we move forward without fear of change by focusing on what we can control, adapting thoughtfully to what we cannot, and approaching the future with optimism and responsibility. Progress requires collaboration.

As an industry and as a society, we do better when we support one another, share best practices, and collectively raise the standard for what we build and how we build it.

Sense of optimism

Many of the initiatives we are looking forward to in 2026 have been years in the making.

Seeing these plans come to life, across projects both large and small, gives me a strong sense of optimism. I am excited to witness the results of the careful planning, discipline, and long-term thinking our teams have invested, and I look forward to what this next chapter will bring for our developments, our communities, and the people we serve.

Keeping pace with the Filipino dream

Kyle Ellis C. Tan

President and CEO, Eton Properties

QUOTE: I hope we become more intentional about how developments connect to everyday life. When a place works well, it improves quality of life

This year was about proving, again, what Eton stands for: building places that keep pace with Filipino ambition and going beyond surface growth to focus on what sustains it.

We stayed anchored on fundamentals that earn trust over the long term, leading to developments that have earned meaningful third-party recognitions, including major wins at the 2025 FIABCI Philippines Property and Real Estate Excellence Awards. We were also recognized as among the Top Ten Developers in the Philippines at the 2025 Hubexo Asia Awards.

Strengthening footprint

On ground, we continued strengthening our footprint in key districts. The launch of Blakes Tower expanded our high-rise residential portfolio to 9,000 units. Eton being cited as seventh in Metro Manila office leasing reinforces the importance of reliability and long-term stewardship in the places where people work and build their livelihoods.

This 2026, my wish is to make Eton’s next chapter unmistakable. With major redevelopment plans for key commercial properties in Quezon City and Sta. Rosa, Laguna, our focus is to create places that feel more connected, more livable, and more supportive of everyday progress.

If 2025 was about momentum and credibility, 2026 is about scale, not only in projects, but also in the consistency and depth of how we deliver the Eton experience.

Next wave of growth

For the industry, I hope it continues moving toward a more trust-centered way of building and selling, because for most Filipinos, property is not a lifestyle purchase. It’s a life decision. It represents family security, future planning, and pride of place.

I also hope we become more intentional about how developments connect to everyday life. The next wave of growth should reward people with time—easier commutes, walkable environments, better mixed-use planning, and stronger coordination with public infrastructure. When a place works well, it doesn’t only raise property value—it also improves quality of life.

Optimism for 2026

I’m optimistic because the market is becoming more honest. Filipinos today are more discerning. They look beyond the brochure and ask the questions that matter.

This pushes the entire industry to raise standards in design, service, follow-through, and long-term stewardship of the places we build.

I’m also optimistic because more Filipinos, especially overseas, continue to see real estate as a way to secure a future back home. As financing access improves and buying journeys become clearer, what’s unlocked is the ability to come home to something stable.

For Eton, 2026 is when our momentum becomes more visible. We are entering a year of meaningful development and redevelopment work, focused on creating places that are connected, livable, and aligned with how Filipinos are actually living and working today. It’s about building with intention and delivering consistently on what people trust us to do.

When growth serves communities

Jose R. Soberano III

Chairman and CEO, Cebu Landmasters Inc.

QUOTE: It is incumbent upon us, developers, to deliver above and beyond for the hardworking Filipinos who invest with us

Our biggest win this year is outperforming and growing in a historically challenging year.

While there continues to be strong demand in Visayas and Mindanao, there is also a lack of quality supply and value-for-money offerings. This is where Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) is able to capitalize, compete, and lead with our wide array of offerings and acquire-to-develop speed.

Record performance

We are on track to record the highest reservation sales figure in our company’s history at over P24 billion. Our recurring income portfolio is also growing significantly with the opening of our fifth hotel, Radisson Red Cebu, and three major retail developments: Mall, Patria de Cebu, and the Davao Global Township retail pads.

The year, however, also brought significant challenges. Cebu experienced a major earthquake and Typhoon Tino. CLI led relief operations by deploying heavy equipment and manpower to affected municipalities. CLI not only aspires to deliver utmost fulfillment to our customers, but also embraces the call to bring support and progress to communities.

For 2026, we are gearing for another banner year. Carrying over the strong momentum from 2025, we are targeting to launch over P45 billion worth of new projects, including our first development in Metro Manila—a record for CLI in terms of launches.

Civic responsibility

My overall wish for the industry is to embrace optimism and remain steadfast.

In the Philippines, real estate should be viewed as a civic responsibility. The country is depending on us to bridge the housing gap, but the industry is not producing the supply needed to close the gap.

At CLI, we always try to be resourceful and fast. We’ve gone from our first project to now approaching our 140th project in the last 22 years—with 80 percent of these projects being launched only in the last 10 years. This means we have launched about 10 to 12 projects annually over the past decade. Our optimism is grounded in the fact that across the 45,000 units we’ve launched, we are 94 percent sold out across the board.

This means there are opportunities to help our countrymen. It is incumbent upon us, developers, to match our products correctly to the needs of the market and to deliver above and beyond for the hardworking Filipinos who invest with us.

Nation-building efforts

There are welcome developments in the socialized and affordable housing space. We thank the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development for enacting new price ceilings and supporting the push for more socialized housing and socialized condominium projects.

At CLI, we are urgently working on a few 4PH projects in the pipeline so that our developments also reach the socialized sectors where the bulk of the backlog persists. This is our contribution to nation-building.

Our optimism for 2026 is grounded on our results from the past year and our appreciation of improving external market dynamics. We are looking inwards with a deep appreciation for the CLI family and outwards with a lot of excitement for our industry.

From plans to the pipeline

Sherwin Uy

CEO, Primeworld Land

QUOTE: We remain optimistic, driven by the sustained demand for affordable housing and our strong position to deliver what the market needs

Among our key wins this year include the launch of Primeworld Suburb in Santiago City, Isabela province, and Primeworld Greenlands model unit in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya. We also marked major milestones at Primeworld Enclave in San Rafael, Bulacan, with the Phase 2 turnover and Phase 3 groundbreaking, which represents our final phase under the original masterplan.

In addition, we successfully carried out the launch of Primeworld Capital, offering lots in a development in Polomolok, South Cotabato, and started turning over for Primeworld Pointe.

On the hospitality front, we signed landmark partnerships with global brands, including the signing with Hilton for Hilton Garden Inn Cebu Mactan, the first of its kind in the Philippines, and the signing with Accor for Ibis Manila Caloocan, also the first in the country.

We hope to deliver the projects we launched on time or ahead of schedule. We are also looking to launch new projects including Primeworld Pinnacle, Primeworld Meadows, Primeworld Grovelanes, and Primeworld Centrale—the details of which we will disclose, hopefully soon.

Launching more homes

This 2026, we remain optimistic, driven by the sustained demand for affordable housing and our strong position to deliver what the market needs. We are targeting the launch of approximately 2,000 economic housing units in 2006.

We also hope to see the tourism sector rebound, with renewed investor confidence—particularly in Cebu following recent calamities. We currently have two developments underway and we look forward to expanding further in the coming years.

Progress that serves the whole

Louie B. Ferrer

Vice chairman of the board, Megawide Construction Corp.

PULL QUOTE: What makes me optimistic for 2026 is the growing involvement of the general public in national and public issues

Our biggest wins in 2025 were the Pag-IBIG housing development project, transportation terminals, and stronger relationships with key stakeholders, all of which laid a strong foundation for long-term impact and growth.

Sustainable, inclusive growth

Our wish for 2026 is faster and more disciplined execution. We want to see these plans fully come to life—projects completed and operating, communities benefiting, and our people growing into stronger leaders. More than expansion, our focus is consistency: delivering first-world standards in our projects.

We hope to see more and better housing options for the underserved sector—particularly socialized and affordable housing—with true first-world quality. Addressing the housing backlog in the Philippines requires scale, speed, and standards working together.

Our broader wish for the industry is higher standards, stronger accountability, and a genuine commitment to nation-building—not just selling units. When profit is aligned with purpose, the property sector can become one of the strongest drivers of inclusive and sustainable growth in the country.

Better governance

What makes me optimistic for 2026 is the growing involvement of the general public in national and public issues. This rising awareness and engagement create pressure for better governance, higher standards, and more responsible leadership—conditions that enable meaningful, long-term progress for the country.

A year of milestones and momentum

Thomas F. Mirasol

Vice chairman, Federal Land Inc.

QUOTE: We will continue to push forward—working smarter, strengthening partnerships, and building with people in mind.

The year was defined by meaningful launches, stronger-than-ever partnerships, steady growth amid a challenging market, and industry recognitions. These milestones affirm our direction and inspire us to do even more.

Building momentum

At Federal Land NRE Global (FNG), we continued to build momentum as a new but fast moving developer.

Our residential projects—Yume at Riverpark and The Observatory—are now in full swing. This year, we advanced the development of Yume at Riverpark’s house-and-lot offerings, which we look forward to unveiling in early 2026.

We also achieved a 100 percent sell-out of Riverpark North commercial lots, marking the successful completion of the township’s first commercial phase. In September, we opened The Observatory Sales Pavilion, reinforcing our commitment to bringing Japan-inspired living to the Philippine market.

Federal Land likewise marked several significant achievements in 2025. MITSUKOSHI BGC celebrated its second year with an expanded retail lineup, including the entry of ABC Mart. We topped off The Estate Makati, a major milestone for what is set to become a new icon on the Makati skyline, and formally inaugurated The Grand Midori Ortigas’ first tower.

Throughout the year, we were also honored with industry awards—testaments to the discipline, craftsmanship, and purpose behind our developments.

Shared expertise

None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the strength of our partnerships. We are deeply grateful for the close collaboration and shared expertise of our partners—Isetan Mitsukoshi, Nomura Real Estate, ORIX, SM Development Corp. and Ayala Land—whose collective commitment to quality and long-term value continues to elevate what we deliver to our customers.

While we recognize that challenges remain, we enter 2026 with cautious optimism. We will continue to push forward—working smarter, strengthening partnerships, and building with people in mind. This remains our focus as we shape developments that are purposeful, enduring, and relevant for the communities we serve.

Bouncing back, building ahead

Rosemarie Bosch-Ong

SEVP and COO, Wilcon Depot

QUOTE: Looking ahead, we are excited about upcoming store renovations, system upgrades, and new product line-ups that emphasize sustainability and innovation.

Despite everything we have faced, it was still a solid year, during which we experienced tremendous growth that helped us bounce back. We successfully opened six stores this year, ending with the first ever Wilcon Premier Outlet Depot in Subic Bay—an inspiring finale that welcomes a new beginning.

Early this year, Wilcon expanded its loyalty program through MyWilcon ABCDE+, which rewards many building and construction professionals on their purchases and allows them to redeem rewards for discounts. The company also launched the MyWilcon OWWA+ Loyalty program, which empowers overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and employees of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to build their dream home.

Wilcon meanwhile continued to actively engage in philanthropic initiatives, including educational assistance programs, disaster relief operations, and community outreach.

Supporting growth

Our wish for Wilcon this 2026 is that it continues to be the preferred company in the home improvement industry.

Wilcon also continues to support the growth of residential and building development, encouraging more families and business owners to invest in building their own properties. As more homeowners choose to build locally, Wilcon remains ready to support them through reliable in-store services, quality and innovative building solutions, and a wide range of finishing materials available across all its stores nationwide.

We hope to help homeowners renovate, strengthen, and enhance their living spaces, ultimately raising overall living standards.

Optimistic for 2026

There are many reasons to be optimistic about 2026, but one thing that remains the same is our core values, which have stood for nearly 50 years.

We continually strive to evolve and adapt to customer needs by listening closely. In fact, we are working to further enhance our customer service to provide more timely solutions and offers. I believe this dedication is one of the reasons Wilcon has become the leading home improvement and retail store in the Philippines.

Looking ahead, we are excited about upcoming store renovations, system upgrades, and new product lineups that emphasize sustainability and innovation.