Ayala Group partners with City of Manila for public convenience project

True to its commitment towards community-building initiatives and enhancing the quality of life in urban cities, the Ayala group of companies partnered with the City of Manila for the Kartilya ng Katipunan Public Convenience Facilities Project.

As part of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso’s vision to promote the rich culture and heritage of the nation’s capital, the local government aims to rehabilitate and rebuild this historic landmark to bring back the city’s old glory days.

Mayor Domagoso explains, “This lot has been abandoned for a long time and it’s been one of our objectives to develop this site and provide a safe space for our constituents while also preserving the historic value of this place. We’re proud that this project exceeded our expectations. This serves as proof that private sectors and the government can work hand in hand to develop our country, our city, and to confront this pandemic.”

To address a critical component in the holistic development of the compound especially during this time of pandemic, the Ayala Land group and its subsidiaries – Tutuban Center, Alveo Land, Avida Land, and Amaia Land; in cooperation with the Ayala Foundation, along with R.M. Salas Construction, and aided by the Rotary Club of Manila South – all came together with the city government for the Kartilya ng Katipunan Public Convenience Facilities Project. This is to ensure that visitors to the Kartilya ng Katipunan Shrine will have clean and standardized facilities to use.

The project saw the building of convenience facilities for men, women, and persons with disabilities, providing free public wash rooms for park-goers and future patrons of the KapeTolyo coffee shop. The City of Manila will ensure the maintenance of the facilities, aided by partners like the Rotary Club of Manila South.

Ayala Land President and CEO Bobby Dy shares, “We are very happy to support this vision for the Kartilya ng Katipunan Shrine. We know that this will promote the city’s tourism initiatives and that ancillary developments such as this public convenience facility will complete the area, further promote cleanliness, and serve the community well. Hopefully, as we continue to work together, we will be able to create not only economic opportunities for Manileños but also socially relevant projects that celebrate our common aspirations as a people.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto also lauded the private-public sector partnership to build better facilities in Manila.

Also present during this event were Ayala Foundation President Ruel Maranan, Tutuban Properties President and CEO Rowena Tomeldan, Ayala Land External Affairs Head Dindo Fernando, Rotary Club of Manila South President Marilyn Daliva, Rotary Club of Manila South Former President James Jimenez, R.M. Salas Construction General Manager Rogel M. Salas, Ayala Foundation Senior Director for Corporate Communications Celerina Amores, Tutuban Properties Deputy General Manager Jayson Ngo, Tutuban Properties Operations Manager Ines Guevara, Ayala Land Logistics Holdings Engineering Manager Joel M. Villanueva and Ayala Land External Affairs Manager Jowell Velvez.

Ayala Land believes that the Kartilya ng Katipunan will be another invaluable landmark for the residents and visitors to the City of Manila, where it has established several residential developments starting with Avida Towers San Lazaro in2009, followed by Avida Towers Intima and Prime Taft, Celadon Park by Alveo, and Amaia Skies Avenida and Sta. Mesa. It also operates Tutuban Center, which is a central economic hub in the city’s historic urban area.

Through community projects, Ayala Land and its subsidiaries hope to foster communities, as well as arts and culture initiatives. This is something that Ayala Land tries to promote in all its developments. Tutuban Center, for example, is a development rooted in history with the Andres Bonifacio Shrine located in front of the Tutuban Main Station building, the original main railway central terminal. Tutuban Center has been active in preservation and promotion efforts for the historic train station, which has been dedicated as a heritage site by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP). The group has also ongoing community initiatives for education, health and livelihood.

Aside from the Kartilya ng Katipunan Public Convenience Facilities Project, the Ayala Group also partnered with City of Manila in constructing the Manila Molecular Testing Laboratory. Envisioned to modernize one of Manila’s district hospitals and improve healthcare services for the city’s constituents, it is seen to support the city’s ongoing efforts against the pandemic and is expected to benefit the residents for years to come.

Prior to this, the Ayala Foundation has been very active in various other civic undertakings. Programs include <code/it>, an educational technology program that trains public elementary school students in coding to prepare them for more advanced workplaces; and Sari-Saring Aralan, which uses the sari-sari store as a hub for learning for out-of-school youth in Tondo. The foundation’s CENTEX program has also been in place in Manila since 1998, and continues to provide holistic and quality education for students in the CENTEX School.

Other companies under the Ayala Group have also poured in their support.

Globe Telecom Inc.’s GoWiFi team deployed WiFi services at the Sta. Ana Hospital so healthcare workers, patients, and visitors can easily connect with loved ones through the internet. Manila Water Company Inc. continues to provide round-the-clock water supply to the Sta. Ana and San Andres districts, which forms part of the Manila side of its concession. Currently, the company is also assisting in the de-clogging of Sta. Ana Hospital’s internal sewer pipe.

The partnership with the City of Manila aligns with the Ayala Group’s unwavering resolve to assist in mitigating the impacts of the pandemic. The group is an active participant in Task Force T3, which stands for Test, Trace, and Treat, convened by the Inter-Agency Task Force–National Task Force (IATF-NTF) and the Department of Health (DOH).

The group’s other efforts against the pandemic include allotting more than P10.2 billion for COVID-19 related initiatives; helping convert Qualimed Sta. Rosa into a COVID-19 Referral Hospital; providing swabbing booths for the government’s four mega swabbing centers and NAIA terminals; as well as monetary and in-kind donations for testing kits, RPT machines, personal protective equipment, among others. Employees of the Ayala Group also contributed through Project Pananagutan, which distributed food packs or vouchers to several families in Manila and other cities.