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“We find a perfect partnership
with Alphaland, who demands
the same high-calibre work for
its top-of-the-line properties.
We are challenged by its
stringent standards, and find
fulfilment that together we
deliver the best for our clients.”- Gerry Morales, General
Manager, Phil Conch 999
Enterprise Company
“We’re very selective in the projects we
undertake. It can’t just be, ‘Well, this is a
project that will appeal to the top end of
town.’ That’s not good enough. Our projects
must be unique and compelling,” she
explains. “Our chairman [Roberto Ongpin]
is himself unique in that his ideas and vision
are very unusual. He always thinks outside
the box. He wanted projects that he himself
would want to live, work or hang out in.”
Asked about the range of projects under
Alphaland’s purview, Anna’s passion
immediately shines through, citing
developments like Baguio Mountain Lodges
log home development, Balesin Island Club,
City Club, Makati Place, Southgate Tower
and Mall, and Aegle Wellness Center. Her
favourite projects are the ones that conjure
the greatest childhood memories. “Balesin’s
easily my favourite,” says Anna, adding that
she spends at least a couple of weekends
every month there. “I’m a beach person,
and it has a personal connection for me
because my family used to go there in the
70s when it was still a very rustic resort. We
used to have a house there and I just loved
wandering off for the entire day.”
Regarding the Baguio Mountain Lodges,
Anna’s excitement and passion is unwavering,
saying, “There’s nothing really like it here.”
“ Hire the best people and enjoy the
people you work with. If you don’t
like the people you work with, they
won’t like you and the company’s
not going to go anywhere.”
The property has an elevation of 5,300 feet
above sea level and is a 15-minute drive up
from the city proper, already at a high
altitude of 4,300 feet. Again, memories shape
Anna’s impression of the project. “When I
was growing up, Baguio was a quaint, rustic,
charming place with not much traffic. Now
it’s polluted and there’s tonnes of traffic. It’s
all built up, with buildings on top of eachother. The city has kind of lost the charm
of those summer vacations. Our property
draws on notions of the way the city used to
be,” she says. “It’s quiet, serene. The air is cold
and still smells like pines. We have fireplaces
that you actually need, and the logs are
imported from Scandinavia. It’s like being
transported to another world.”
Despite the niche market the firm
occupies, Alphaland achieved profitability
in 2016 with PHP7.7 billion net income, »INSPIRE | Interview