Ayala Alabang

Barangay Ayala Alabang is a village in the Philippines. It was created in 1981. Its total land area of 6.94 square kilometers includes Ayala Alabang Village, the Ayala Commercial Center, and the Alabang Country Club. Alabang's population is currently approximately 40,000. The Barangay office, formerly located at the Multi-Purpose Hall along Palawan Street, is now located at the AAVA Community Center (back of AAVA office) on Narra Street.

First to hold the post of Barangay Chairman was Don Enrique Zobel, who was appointed in 1981. He was followed by Mr. Danilo Tolentino and Mr. Anthony Abaya, who held the post from 1984-1987 and from 1987-1989, respectively. Mr. Vicente Chua assumed the post in 1989, together with Kagawads Oscar W. Antiquera (now the Barangay Chairman), Alfred Xerez-Burgos Jr., Ramon S. Fernandez, Wilma V. Palafox, Rolando P. Pineda, and Francisco A. Umali. Mr. Vicente Chua was the first duly elected Barangay Chairman of Ayala Alabang, being the topnotcher among the Kagawads of the Barangay election held in 1989. He was also elected President of the Association of Barangay Council of Muntinlupa, and a sectoral representative in the then Sangguniang Bayan of Muntinlupa, representing the Barangay sector from 1989 to 1997. Mr. Vic Chua resigned in 1998 to run for Vice-Mayor of the City of Muntinlupa. By virtue of succession covered in the Local Government Code of the Philippines and being the number one Kagawad Chairman vacated by Mr. Vicente Chua (formerly Vice-Mayor of the City of Muntinlupa). The Barangay Council meets monthly and holds sessions every third Monday of each month.

The New Alabang Village

It was in 1972, when the Madrigal family offered for sale to Ayala Corporation its 4.2 square kilometres of land in Alabang. Studies were made in the latter; instead of buying the land offered it expertise in real estate development.

The Madrigal family agreed in principle to Ayala’s proposal in 1975 and actual work on the area started in 1976. Buyers of land started pouring in. Number of buyers exceeded the number of lots for sale that more parcels of land had to be bought from various owners in the adjacent areas. The rest is history.

The New Alabang Village was thus born. It now stands on 6.7 square kilometres of gently rolling land. It is about 18 kilometers south of Makati and about 20 minutes drive on the South Superhighway. The village is a totally integrated community, a “suburban miracle”, a satellite city. It offers the conveniences of modern living outside the busy streets of the city. Bounded by two bodies of water, Manila Bay and Laguna Bay, the village is blessed by gentle breezes year round. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafts from a factory somewhere.

The village has all the conveniences it can offer. One does not have to go elsewhere for one’s needs and even the areas surrounding the village benefit from Ayala’s endeavors. Ayala Corporation taking full advantage of its many years of experience developed the village phase by phase. Phase 1 of the New Alabang Village was offered for sale to the public in 1977. Regardless of lot size, buyers have to abide strictly to Ayala’s standards and restriction. The first three residents of the village were: Mr. & Mr. Joselito Santos, Mr. & Mrs. Jose Escalante and Mr. Howard Newhard.

In the midst of the village is the 0.74 square kilometres Alabang Country Club. It is the most ambitious of all Ayala – developed sports clubs as it is the first in the country to combine the features of a golf club, a polo club and a sports club. It is said that it is the biggest and most complete sports complex in Southeast Asia.

The Alabang Riding School is open for people who wish to avail of its equestrian facilities. It is one of handful of schools of its kind in the country and was inaugurated and blessed on December 11, 1980.

The village has the Alabang Commercial Center, which is managed by Alabang Commercial Corporation. It occupies an area of 178,500 square metres and is the biggest planned commercial center complex in the southernmost reaches of Metro Manila. Its first phase was opened to the public on May 30, 1982 to cater to the shopping needs of the residents in and around the village. It consists of a supermarket/department store, two theaters which are popularly called the Alabang Twin Cinema. And the Casa Filipina Arcade which has a variety of shops such as a drugstore, beauty salon, an optical clinic, a bookstore, a bakeshop, a laundry and dry cleaning shop and various food outlets. Undergoing construction is the Casa Nueva Arcade owned by Ayala Corporation and the Casa Madrigal building which is owned by the Madrigals.

Meeting the spiritual needs of the community is the St. Susana and St. Jerome Chapel under the Somascan Order which was inaugurated on February 04, 1983. Its architectural style is Filipino baroque similar to the San Antonio Church in Forbes Park, Makati.

The village has the New Alabang Townhouses, which consist of 56 elegant untis. These units are designed for the condominium type of ownership.

The employee housing project for the Ayala Group of companies is Ayala’ s social experiment in an attempt to create an egalitarian community where people of both high and low income levels share the same facilities and services. The architecture is similar to those of the west Mediterranean villages where houses are covered with red brick-tile Tegula roofs and white walls. Phases I & II are already completed.

The Barangay Hall and the community/neighborhood centers fill the need of residents for an assembly place to plan and discuss matters that are of interest to the community.

If residents want to go to Makati and back without using their cars, the New Alabang Village Association (NAVA) shuttle bus is available. It is an air-conditioned luxury coach with several trips to and from Makati daily.

Most important of all, the residents enjoy the facilities of educational institutions such as the Santiago Zobel School of De La Salle, Woodrose School, and Institute for Child Advancement (ICA). There are also schools in the surrounding areas.

Under the Ayala townplaners’ guiding hands, the New Alabang Village can aptly be called the “Name-It We-Have-It” Village.

References: http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Ayala_Alabang_Village