AS infrastructure projects reshape Metro Cebu and tourism activity continues to rebound, Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is deepening its presence in one of the country’s fastest-growing regional economies through three large-scale mixed-use estates designed to capture different segments of Cebu’s evolving urban landscape.
Building on the success of Cebu Business Park and Cebu I.T. Park, the property giant is accelerating development across Seagrove in Lapu-Lapu City, Gatewalk Central in Mandaue City, and South Coast City along Cebu City’s South Road Properties corridor.
The projects signal ALI’s broader strategy of expanding beyond traditional central business districts and creating new growth centers tied to tourism, entertainment, retail, and lifestyle-driven developments.
“We are expanding our footprint strategically across Cebu City, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu. This is our next wave of growth centers,” said Jay Teodoro, head of VisMin Estates for Ayala Land Estates, during a recent sales summit with brokers and sellers.
The three estates span more than 50 hectares combined and are positioned to benefit from Cebu’s rising importance as a regional investment destination, supported by increasing business process outsourcing activity, improving infrastructure connectivity, and sustained tourism demand.
Three estates
Among the three developments, Seagrove stands out as ALI’s first leisure estate in Cebu, located within Mactan Island’s tourism corridor near resorts and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. The 13.5-hectare development is envisioned as a coastal eco-leisure destination anchored by a boardwalk, town center, and sustainability-oriented features that integrate mangrove preservation into the estate’s master plan.
ALI is positioning the project to capitalize on Cebu’s growing tourism sector while responding to increasing demand for experiential and nature-oriented destinations outside Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, Gatewalk in Mandaue City is being developed as a pedestrian-oriented commercial and lifestyle district that blends office, retail, and transport components within a walkable urban environment.
The 17.5-hectare estate will feature an Ayala Malls scheduled to open by the fourth quarter of 2026, an office tower targeted for completion in 2027, greenways, and a transport terminal designed to improve mobility within the area.
The project reflects the continuing transformation of Mandaue into a more integrated urban center as mixed-use developments increasingly reshape the city’s commercial landscape.
South Coast City, a joint venture between ALI and SM Prime Holdings, Inc., represents the company’s largest push into Cebu’s emerging South Road Properties growth corridor.
The 26-hectare estate is envisioned as a new entertainment and commercial hub anchored by large-scale attractions such as the SM Arena, SMX Convention Center, retail spaces, offices, hotels, and a central park expected to open within the year.
For ALI these estates firms are part of a broader strategy to support Cebu’s long-term growth.
“Each estate has a clear identity. Each powers a different economic engine,” Teodoro said.
The strategy mirrors the company’s long-running approach in Metro Manila and other regional centers: create master-planned districts that combine commercial, residential, retail, and lifestyle components while benefiting from long-term land value appreciation.
In Cebu, however, the approach is being adapted to match the province’s increasingly diverse growth drivers—from tourism and leisure in Mactan, to lifestyle and commerce in Mandaue, to entertainment and large-scale urban expansion in the SRP corridor.
As new infrastructure projects continue to improve connectivity across Metro Cebu, ALI is positioning these estates not only as real estate developments, but as future urban anchors for the region’s next phase of economic growth.
