Philippine Star
By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Robinsons Land Corp. and Federal Land Inc. — owned by two of Southeast Asia’s 40 wealthiest taipans — have teamed up to develop a two-hectare prime property in Mandaluyong City into a premier five-tower residential condominium complex.

RLC, the property arm of the highly-diversified JG Summit Holdings Inc. of taipan John Gokongwei, announced yesterday its joint venture with FedLand, the realty arm of the country’s biggest lender Metrobank Group of tycoon George Ty.

The project, called The Links, is located at the bustling intersection of EDSA and Pioneer in Mandaluyong City. Set for launch this quarter, the first phase of development consisting of the first two towers is now being drawn-up by top-notch architect Recio+Casas.

The property is adjacent to the six-hectare RLC-owned Cybergate City — a modern 24/7 urban and business community consisting of Robinsons Pioneer Place Mall, prime residential condominiums One Gateway Place, Gateway Garden Ridge and Gateway Garden Heights and BPO/call center office buildings — Robinsons Cybergate Center Towers 1-2-3.

The project is in line with the taipans’ efforts to provide quality condominiums in the middle-income sector in the range of P3 million and up.

The Links aims to tap the growing residential needs of mid-level to senior executives, entrepreneurs, medical professionals, expatriates, young couples and start-up families. Units will be available in flat types of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom models.

Both property developers are well known for delivering projects on time and on specifications.

RLC is a real estate conglomerate with a total of 18 shopping malls located throughout the country, 23 residential subdivisions, 22 residential condominiums, six office buildings and four hotels.

Since it started in 1972, Fedland has completed over 30 projects which include Bayview International Towers and Ocean Tower along Roxas Boulevard; Valencia Hills at the heart of San Juan and Quezon City; Oriental Gardens and Skyland Plaza in Makati City.

Fedland also developed the PSBank Tower and the GT Tower International along the Makati Central Business District, as well as ongoing property development in the Metropolitan Park along the Manila Bay waterfront. Other companies under JG Summit include Digital Telecom, Universal Robina Corp., Cebu Pacific, Robinsons Savings Bank and JG Summit Petrochemicals. Gokongwei also has interests in the power and minerals sector through Oriental Petroleum & Minerals Corp. and Philex Mining Corp.

The Metrobank group, on the other hand, comprises Philippine Savings Bank, First Metro Investment Corp., First Metro Securities Brokerage Corp., and Toyota Motors Philippines. It is also into the power generation and hotel businesses through Global Business Holdings Inc. and Marco Plaza Cebu, respectively.