Barangay Ayala Alabang - The New Alabang Village

The New Alabang Village

Alabang originated in 1972, when the Madrigal family offered its 4.2 km2 (1.6 sq mi) of land for sale to the Ayala Corporation. Instead of making the purchase, the Ayala Corporation went into a joint real estate development venture with the Madrigal family.

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

Ayala Corporation developed the village phase by phase. Phase 1 of the New Alabang Village was offered for sale to the public in 1977. Buyers have to abide strictly to Ayala’s standards and restriction. The first three residents of the village were Mr. & Mrs. Joselito Santos, Mr. & Mrs. Jose Escalante, and Mr. Howard Newhard.

Alabang Village now stands on 6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi) of land about 18 kilometers (11 mi) south of Makati and about 20 minutes drive on the South Luzon Expressway. 30% is alloted to parks, schools, roads, playgrounds, churches. The village is an integrated community, bounded by two bodies of water, Manila Bay and Laguna Bay.

In the midst of the village is the 0.74 km2 (0.29 sq mi) Alabang Country Club. It is the first in the country to combine the features of a golf club, a polo club, a riding school, and a sports club.

The village also features the Alabang Commercial Center (now renamed Alabang Town Center), which is managed by the Alabang Commercial Corporation. It occupies an area of 178,500 square meters. Its first phase was opened to the public on May 30, 1982. It consists of a supermarket/department store, two movie theaters (which are popularly called the Alabang Twin Cinema), and the Casa Filipina Arcade, which includes a drugstore, beauty salon, optical clinic, bookstore, bakery, laundry and dry cleaning, 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.

The village also features 56 New Alabang Townhouses, designed for condominium ownership.

The development houses the St. Susana and St. Jerome Chapels under the Somascan Order. St. Jerome was inaugurated on February 4, 1983. Its architectural style is Filipino Baroque, similar to the San Antonio Church in Forbes Park, Makati.

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.

Educational institutions such as De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, Woodrose School, and the Institute for Child Advancement (ICA) are housed in Ayala Alabang Village. There are also schools in the surrounding areas.