Villar City: A rising educational hub
Educational institutions play an increasingly crucial role in the development of new cities.
Beyond ensuring intellectual growth and helping build a skilled workforce, schools and universities can also become engines of economic and social progress.
Particularly in emerging centers like Golden MV Holdings’ Villar City, these institutions bring substantial and far-reaching benefits that can have a ripple effect. Their presence, after all, are said to create a steady demand for housing, transportation, retail, leisure spaces, and essential services. In turn, this demand would help transform neighborhoods, attract investments, drive infrastructure development, and create a dynamic, thriving environment.
Hub for learning
Recognizing the importance of educational institutions, the 3,500-ha Villar City—Golden MV Holdings’ most ambitious urban development to date—is positioning itself as a new hub for learning, out to cement its reputation as a prime destination for academic excellence.
A key milestone in this journey is the recent groundbreaking ceremony held for the University of the Philippines (UP) Dasmariñas Technology Innovation Campus. Gracing this event held on Sept. 6 were Dasmariñas City Mayor Jenny Barzaga, Sen. Cynthia Villar, Sen. Mark Villar, Villar Group chairman Manny Villar, UP president Angelo Jimenez, UP executive vice president Jose Fernando Alcantara, UP vice president for Development Daniel C. Peckley Jr., and Public Works and Highways Regional Director Jovel Mendoza.
Having a UP campus within its grounds, alongside other esteemed schools and universities in nearby locales, will not only attract students and professionals but will also support businesses and residents, eventually driving long term progress for the region.
University towns
This new UP campus dovetails with Golden MV Holdings’ vision of integrating education, business, commercial, and residential spaces in a cohesive, self-sustaining environment filled with lush forests, some 10 million trees, and over a hundred cafes.
This lofty vision actually reflects a continuing global trend of integrating schools and universities as central anchors within urban developments.
One of the best examples of university towns is Oxford, home to the world’s second oldest university. This historic city in central southern England revolves around the prestigious Oxford University, founded in the 12th century.
With a third of its population under the age of 30, Oxford thrives on youthful energy, its Victorian streets lined with restaurants, small shopping malls, markets, pubs, and theaters. This vibrant mix of old world charm and modern amenities creates a lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere, reflecting the city’s dynamic blend of academic tradition and contemporary culture.
Other examples would be Princeton in New Jersey, and Berkeley in California, both in the United States.
Cultural, intellectual anchor
Much like Oxford, Princeton and Berkeley, Villar City envisions a similar environment in which education is also woven into daily living, making it an integral part of the urban fabric rather than isolated enclaves.
In fact, Villar City, touted as Metro Manila’s new center of gravity, has been masterplanned to have its own university town. Golden MV Holdings, founded by tycoon Manny Villar, believes that the presence of academic institutions like UP will act as the city’s cultural and intellectual anchor, nurturing a new generation of scholars, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
This planned university town will rise alongside spaces dedicated to health and wellness, commercial complexes, leisure and entertainment hubs, a central business district (CBD), a Tech Valley, and luxurious residential enclaves. All these will be connected via thoughtfully planned road networks that have links to major thoroughfares such as Daang Hari Road and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX), among others.
This means that homes, workplaces, institutions and community amenities are all within convenient distance, enabling people to live, work, play, and study within a safe, conducive, and accessible environment such as Villar City.
City of tomorrow
Villar City’s thrust for education undeniably positions it as a true city of tomorrow, embodying the ideals of innovation, inclusivity, and holistic growth. Clearly, Golden MV Holdings is not just planning for today but is rather investing in what could be a progressive, dynamic future.
