Last Updated on March 4, 2019 by
Although the Philippine capital is the country’s center for business, education, and government, there are reasons why moving development outside Metro Manila makes perfect sense
Life in Metro Manila is one to never lack in interest. As the nation’s major center for commerce, services, leisure, and entertainment, there is always something to do, see, or go to in the Philippine capital. Top it off with it being the main seat of government, and it is understandable why many choose to live in the metro.
However, there are two sides to the coin. As much benefit there is in living in Metro Manila, there are as many reasons why residing in the region is not for everyone, and why at this point, development should begin being considered more for places outside the national capital region.
1. Metro Manila Is Very Populated
While this fact should not be too surprising, it still a cause for concern given that based on the most recent census conducted in 2010, Metro Manila’s then-count of 11,855,975 residents comprises almost 12 percent of the entire nation’s population.
It cannot be helped, however, as a significant amount of employment, educational, and investment opportunities continue to center around Metro Manila, leading to more and more people flocking to the capital. This in itself is already a big reason for moving more development out of it, as more investment and improvements outside also leads to more taking opportunities and residing in those areas.
2. Hence, It Has Begun Lacking Developable Land
Even the least keen of observers can attest to the scarcity of developable land in Metro Manila. While it is not completely gone, local real estate is barely keeping up with the region’s continued increase in population, which has been the highest in the entire in seemingly forever. While the National Capital Region is home to 12 percent of the Philippine population, it occupies only a mere 0.21 percent of the country’s total land area.
This has resulted in the current trend where vertical developments are mostly what is built in the metro, as high-rises do not require copious amounts of land. While seemingly effective, this trend will not cater to everyone, as Filipinos still prefer to own houses than condo units.
3. This Causes Available Living Space to Also Shrink in Metro Manila
With a great deal of business, commerce, education, and national government operations centered in Metro Manila, it cannot be helped that people tend to flock to the region despite its already being densely populated.
Even with the aforementioned vertical developments, the supply of real estate in Metro Manila is not enough to meet the continued increase in demand. Apart from developments leaning more toward the vertical variety, their units have become comparably smaller than their predecessors.
In a data gathered by Lamudi Philippines earlier this year, it was found that 42 percent of Metro Manila’s for-sale and 41 percent of for-rent condo inventories have floor sizes measuring 50 sqm or smaller, apartment sizes that many would consider “shoebox.”
4. Prices Have Not Been Reduced along with Shrinking Condo Sizes
While properties in Metro Manila offer significantly less space when compared to most of the Philippines, majority of the National Capital Region’s cities still command the highest prices both in properties for sale and for rent.
In the same analysis conducted by Lamudi, Makati turned out to have the highest average asking price of small condos at Php132,073 per sqm, slightly lower than the city’s overall average of Php139,503. The averages for smaller condos in Quezon City and Taguig, on the other hand, were determined to be Php123,431 and Php118,634 per sqm, respectively.
In terms of rent, monthly per-sqm rents of small apartments in Quezon City, Makati, and Taguig were seen to stand at averages Php601, Php892, and Php769. Comparatively, the smaller space did not really do much to lower rated from the cities’ respective overall averages of Php571, Php832, and Php835.
5. Traffic Has Become Unbearable
Traffic is expected of any highly urban region with a vast population. However, when also taking into account the inefficient services of rail transportation, and the ineffective traffic control management in the National Capital Region, then traffic becomes more than a daily inconvenience.
While the lack of solid planning and infrastructure is a real cause for concern, public transport is also of equal importance, as the increasing population also continues to opt for private transport due to the lack of efficiency and safety that the public variant provides.
In 2013, the Land Transportation Office listed a total of 2.1 million motor vehicles registered in Metro Manila, roughly 27 percent of the country’s total registered motor vehicles. In 2015, the total motor vehicles in the metro peaked at 2.5 million.
Expectedly, moving development outside of Metro Manila is easier said than done, particularly since majority of the nation’s government and financial operations are still centered on the area.
With continued progress of access points like the North and South Luzon Expressways, and the Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway, areas neighboring Metro Manila have begun receiving serious consideration for development.
Hausland Development Corporation, a real estate developer based in Pampanga, is one such developer making such efforts. With ventures in areas like its base province as well as Tarlac and Pangasinan, and backed by experience as a former brokerage firm, Hausland is taking well-thought-out development beyond Metro Manila. To learn more about their projects/properties, visit Hausland.com.
Main photo via Shutterstock
This article was sponsored by Hausland Development Corp.
Hausland Development Corporation started as a single-proprietorship company named Haus-Land Assets and Realty in 1986, and is now a full-fledged corporation committed to building affordable housing in Central Luzon. The company has successfully pursued real estate projects with the assistance of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) on its business ventures in Tarlac and Pangasinan, and in 2003, it was recognized as the First Kabalikat sa Pabahay Developer of the Year. A mere decade after its birth Hausland successfully built more than 3,500 housing units in 10 fully developed subdivisions.
