DHSUD, SHDA Lead Call to Recalibrate Housing Strategies at the 33rd National Developers Convention

September 8, 2025, PHILIPPINES – As the Philippines marks National Shelter Month this October, housing developers, policymakers, and industry leaders are set to gather on October 9–10, 2025, at the Rizal Ballroom, Makati Shangri-La, Manila, Makati City, Metro Manila for the 33rd National Developers Convention to recalibrate strategies for delivering affordable, inclusive, and sustainable homes for Filipino families.

Organized by the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc. (SHDA) in partnership with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), the event carries the theme ‘ReCalibrate: Upgrading Housing Strategies for a Better Tomorrow’ The event will spotlight urgent housing challenges and sector commitments, including SHDA’s pledge to deliver part of the 250,000 housing units committed by private developers in support of the government’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH). This contribution forms part of the administration’s target of building one million housing units annually.

“By working hand in hand with DHSUD, we aim to align the industry’s efforts with the government’s housing priorities, especially in expanding affordable housing and building sustainable communities,” said SHDA National Chairman, Ar. Leonardo Dayao Jr. “This convention is not only a celebration of National Shelter Month but also a call to action for all stakeholders to shape a better housing future for Filipinos.”

The gathering is expected to draw around 200 stakeholders, including top developers, policymakers, investors, and allied partners. Keynote speeches and panel discussions will cover innovative financing models, resilient and sustainable housing design, digital transformation in real estate, and regulatory reforms to accelerate the 4PH rollout.

“This convention is a testament to the strength of collaboration between the public and private sectors,” said SHDA National President, Engr. Francis Richmond Villegas. “Our shared goal is not just to build houses, but to build communities that uplift the lives of Filipino families.”

Through the National Developers Convention, SHDA reaffirms its role as the unified voice of the housing industry, bridging public and private sector efforts for inclusive growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability.

Alsons Dev Marks Milestone in Avia Estate with Opening of The Abba’s Orchard School

Alsons Development and Investment Corporation (Alsons Dev) marked a key milestone in the development of its flagship township, Avia Estate in Alabel, Sarangani, with the opening of The Abba’s Orchard School last August 11, 2025. Bringing authentic Montessori education to SOCCSKSARGEN, The Abba’s Orchard strengthens Avia Estate’s vision of becoming a well-rounded and future-ready community.

Nurturing young minds with true Montessori

The Abba’s Orchard is a high-fidelity Montessori school system offering programs from infancy through adolescence. Known for its authentic Montessori approach, the school offers the Erdkinder program (German for "children of the earth”), a unique adolescent curriculum that integrates classroom learning with hands-on experience through an on-site farm environment. Adolescents experience “production and exchange” in a micro-economy that addresses their evolving sense of self-worth (or dignity) in their maturing journey to adulthood.

With its opening at Avia Estate, The Abba’s Orchard becomes the first true Montessori school in the SOCCSKSARGEN region. The new campus will initially offer programs for preschool up to Grade 3, with plans to expand in the future to Upper Elementary and High School levels.

“We’re proud to bring our unique approach to families in Alabel and the wider region. We envision this campus as more than just a school; it is a space where children grow through meaningful and authentic experiences. We’re excited to begin this journey in Avia Estate, helping shape a new generation of independent, purpose-driven learners,” said Chris Barrameda, President and Founding Director of The Abba’s Orchard. He added, “Through our partnership with Alsons Dev, we can further our mission of making quality Montessori education more accessible across SOCCSKSARGEN.”

A month before the school's opening, a ceremonial tree planting took place, symbolizing The Abba's Orchard School's and Alsons Dev’s shared commitment to creating a nurturing and sustainable environment for the region's young learners and their families. 

A partnership rooted in community building

The school’s presence in Avia Estate was made possible through a two-hectare land donation by Alsons Dev, solidifying a shared vision of enabling families to experience authentic Montessori learning in the region.

“At Alsons Dev, we believe quality educational institutions are essential pillars of master-planned communities,” said Miguel Rene A. Dominguez, President and CEO of Alsons Dev. “The Abba’s Orchard reflects Alsons Dev's efforts of making education an integral part of daily life for families in the township.”

This collaboration reflects Alsons Dev’s ongoing efforts to integrate key institutions and lifestyle drivers into its communities, strengthening its developments not just as residential enclaves but as hubs of growth and opportunity.

Advancing Avia Estate’s growth

Avia Estate continues to make steady progress in its transformation into a future-ready township. One of the community’s key facilities, the Alabel Public Safety & Security Complex, was formally turned over last January 2025, reinforcing Alsons Dev’s commitment to ensuring safety and well-being within the estate. The Avia Estate football field is also opening this September 2025, further enriching the township’s recreational amenities.

As part of ongoing efforts to support growth and enhance estate-wide connectivity, construction of the estate's main spine road is in progress. Land development for commercial areas is also set to begin this year, strengthening Avia Estate’s position as a growing economic hub in the region.

By the end of the year, the first batch of house units in Narra Park Residences Avia will be completed, with turnovers scheduled to begin in Q1 2026. Key community features, such as gates and guardhouses, parks, and shared amenities, will also be completed, ensuring a livable and welcoming environment from day one.

Shaping the future in Alabel

With quality education now embedded within the estate and essential features nearing completion, Avia Estate is steadily taking shape as a dynamic, master-planned development where families can thrive. These milestones underscore Alsons Dev’s broader vision of creating inclusive, purpose-driven communities that uplift lives across Mindanao.

To explore Avia Estate’s evolving landscape and learn more about its master-planned features, visit www.aviaestate.ph.

Alsons Dev Offers Fun Activities For Families at Northtown Center

DAVAO CITY, Philippines, 1 April 2024 – This summer, fun-filled venues and ventures await in Northtown Center, an up-and-coming lifestyle hub by Alsons Development and Investment Corporation (Alsons Dev) in Cabantian, Davao City.

Sprawling spaces for outdoor fitness, play, and sports

Engaging in outdoor activities promotes physical health, mental well-being, social interaction, and overall vitality. At Northtown Center, two hectares of open space currently offer the public areas for jogging, walking, biking, and organized sports.

Over 50 kids and teens participated in the Dayaw OCR Junior held at Northtown Center.

Just recently, Alsons Dev partnered with a local sports event organizer, Team Kwago, to hold two obstacle course races or OCR events in Northtown Center. The first race held on March 17 was the Dayaw OCR Junior, a 800-meter race for kids and teens with 15 obstacles to invigorate the young athletes. The following Sunday, the main event was held for seasoned adult athletes and sports enthusiasts. Dayaw OCR highlighted a four-kilometer course with 20 obstacles designed to challenge participants of various skill levels. The race attracted over a hundred attendees, including athletes from General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, and Manila, competing in the team, elite, and open divisions. 

The Dayaw OCR is a qualifier event recognized by the Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation (POSF), with the top contenders from the race being considered for the National Team for Obstacle Sports. 

Pop-up park for events

Nothing brings people better than food. Festive food bazaars are slated on April 24 to 30 and May 23 to 31 in Northtown Center to encourage community interaction and provide more recreational opportunities.

Davao Kalsada’s Summer Bazaar is expected to gather several budding foodpreneurs who will showcase their culinary creations for everyone to enjoy. The bazaar will also feature family-friendly activities and attractions like a giant inflatable playground, live bands, and open mic events. 

Davao City’s first CityMall branch at Northtown offers shopping, dining and leisure options to residents of Cabantian and neighboring communities. 

A community mall for convenience and leisure

Skip the traffic! Neighborhood shopping centers like CityMall Northtown offer nearby residents a walkable haven for essentials, local finds, and neighborly connections.

Find joy in daily conveniences such as grocery shopping at MerryMart or a quick meal at FoodWorld. In this one-stop food court, one can mix and match fast food favorites from Jollibee, Mang Inasal, and Greenwich. Child-friendly establishments like Fun Nation and Playville are also now open to offer a safe and engaging environment for youngsters to play and interact with others.

Northtown Center is a component of Northtown, a 150-hectare township project by Davao’s premier homegrown real estate developer, Alsons Dev. Northtown Center grounds are open to the public from 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily while CityMall Northtown operates from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day. For more updates on Davao’s newest lifestyle hub, visit Northtown’s Office Facebook Page Northtown Davao.

KMV Asia offers a Vive unit for the next home office of American Association of the Philippines

The generous Architect and CEO of KMV Asia Development Corporation, Kaydee Marie Velasco offers one unit of her Vive Montojo, Makati to one of the oldest American organisation in the Philippines to become its next home for all the transactions.

VIVE Montojo, the residence of choice for start-up families, is almost completely occupied, announced its developer, KMV Asia Development, Inc. The property officially broke ground only in the middle of 2019, but has already exceeded expectations with around 35 units of its 40-unit capacity being sold to interested unit owners. Architect Kaydee Marie O. Velasco (KMV), founder and chief executive officer of KMV Asia, says that this signifies a shift in what families want for their homes.

Part of the building is commercial and will be where the unit for American Association of the Philippines (AAP) will be settled.

AAP is composed of Americans, Filipino Americans, Filipinos and other nationalities and celebrates the partnership of its members--the American community, the US Embassy, and the American corporations--which in 1949, helped the struggling local Americans displaced by World War II in the Philippines. AAP is also the owner-in-trust of the American Historical Collection, with approximately 60,000 volumes about the American colonial period and post-war events that were once housed in the U.S. Embassy. With the support of its different partnerships and members, AAP is able to conduct its social welfare projects.

For more details; https://kmv-asia.com

Shopee Supports the Development of Tech Talent with Shopee Code League, the First-Ever Regional Virtual Coding Competition

MANILA, JUNE 18, 2020 - Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, has launched Shopee Code League, a first of its kind 'Code from Home' challenge made available across the region. This initiative offers tech enthusiasts an opportunity to learn and upgrade their skills as the demand for tech talents continues to rise.

A two-month-long program, Shopee Code League is an online coding challenge that includes weekly competitions and digital training workshops open to all students and professionals. Through this initiative, all tech enthusiasts will get equal access to learning opportunities, including the chance to work on real data sets and challenges in the tech industry. Registered participants will also have the opportunity to attend numerous free online training workshops touching on topics including data analytics and data science. Participants will also gain access to talks by industry leaders, including Andrei D. Coronel Ph.D., Chair in the Department of Information Systems & Computer Science. He will be sharing his views on the importance of technology and nurturing the next generation of tech talent.

Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines, said, "We are excited to help tech enthusiasts learn and upgrade their skills from home through the Shopee Code League. Shopee has successfully organized past coding challenges, and we are taking it a step further by bringing tech communities from across the region together for the first time virtually. Shopee Code League aims to help potential tech talents to make a difference in the tech community. We will continue to empower the growth of tech talents and develop a tech ecosystem that will drive the Philippine digital economy forward."

Registration is open until June 30. For more information about the Shopee Code League, please visit https://careers.shopee.sg/codeleague/.

Microsoft Azure Virtual Hackathon to Create Innovative Solutions using Artificial Intelligence

While avoiding crowded places like schools and workplaces and staying-at-home to avoid coronavirus infection, making innovative projects and solutions can be a unique opportunity at the comfort of your own home.

Technology allows people to connect with each other despite physical distancing and can make lives more comfortable and productive by exactly knowing when the next ride arrives or minimize crop losses in urban farms. Artificial intelligence mimics human behavior and thinking, while cloud computing allows access to system resources and data storage without owning and managing expensive servers. Combining AI with the cloud enables developers and engineers to use and access cutting-edge technologies and resources to solve complex problems affecting people and society.

Microsoft, ride-hailing app Grab, and the United Nations Development Programme partner with AngelHack to bring together talented developers, engineers, designers, technologists, and entrepreneurs to solve real-world business challenges from the Asia-Pacific region. This free "virtual" hackathon enables teams to collaborate online and use Azure technologies like computer vision and natural language processing to create innovative and transformative solutions.
 
"We are teaming up with Microsoft to organize this virtual hackathon to engage our talented developers community across APAC to code for a meaningful cause. We are excited about what our community will innovate," according to Asia-Pacific regional manager Jasmine Nguyen of AngelHack.

Surface tablets, job opportunities, visit to Singapore, and $ 3,000 are waiting for those who will create best applications and solutions.

This virtual hackathon is open for residents in Singapore, Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, or Brunei. Age should be 18 years or older and part of a team up to five participants.

The first phase starts on April 17 until May 17 where ideas has to be formed and, solution design and architecture has to be submitted. Prototypes must be submitted on the second phase on May 25 to June 14 addressing the challenges presented.

Register for free at https://www.msazurevirtualhack.com/ to join the virtual hackathon.

Deadline of registration is on May 17.

This competition is powered by AngelHack. Visit the website at https://angelhack.com/

About AngelHack

AngelHack is an organization founded with the desire to connect the tech-loving community to make new ideas come true. Within 7 years, AngelHack has been a pioneer in innovative promotion programs, co-organized and helped organize hackathons, digital-based competitions, accelerators, meetups, and ideas developed in more than 20 cities worldwide.

With a diverse community of more than 160,000 programmers, designers and entrepreneurs, AngelHack is a trusted bridge for individuals and groups who want to find innovative solutions. Arriving in Vietnam from January 2019, AngelHack Vietnam has successfully organized two Hackathons in Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City and opened many new and effective ideas and solutions for sponsors and businesses. The goal of 2019-2020 is to focus on building the community, improving the quality of human resources, and working with other businesses to find new solutions.

Impact Hub Manila and Philippines' Largest Hackathon

MAKATI CITY, Philippines. (November 19, 2019) Startup founders, representatives from government agencies and private corporations, top executives and consultants, and hackathon participating teams hailing from 13 cities across the Philippines came together as Impact Hub Manila concludes the Impact Hackathon at the 2050fest - the ultimate pitching event held at The Eye, Green Sun Hotel in Makati City on November 19, 2019.

Mounting the biggest hackathon in the Philippines is no small feat for Impact Hub Manila, even during this era of coding marathons. Not only was it successfully executed, but Impact Hub Manila has welcomed and embraced the best team of coders and IT professionals from various industries to its community as they push forward a common goal: to utilize the untapped potential of the country and create new solutions to the existing social problems of the world. In the same event, the leadership of Impact Hub Manila also announced Impact Hackathon 2020, this time, spanning beyond the Philippines and extending throughout Asia Pacific.

The event featured talks from industry experts, gave what Asec. Kristian Ablan of the Presidential Communications and Operations Office as the "budding innovators" an insight to the public-private department relations in the startup landscape, along with the existing initiatives and programs they could benefit from. Several talks followed which pre-empted the actual pitching were concluded with a session about community building moderated by 18-year-old technologist Audrey Pe of WiTech (Women in Technology) who said that "community-building is not easy." Experts in the field, including the likes of Andrew Wong of E3 Entrepreneur Hub, Robert Reyes of Mozilla Philippines, and Eah Antonio of YFPH all likened it to child-bearing, birthing, and raising - from the labor pains to remembering the why while looking at your child, and just powering through. Wong had said that once the why (mission and vision for startups) is clear, "Nothing is impossible, impossible is nothing."

One of the main highlights of the event were the actual pitching, where 15 of the MVP projects were chosen from the Impact Hackathon and presented before an esteemed panel of jurors.

The finalists included Herbal Plant (Vigan), Kugel Tech (Baguio), Dashwerq (Iligan), Crimera (Bacolod), UPark (Iloilo), MedFind(Batangas), NutriScan(Manila), Help Aid(Davao), iServe (Catbalogan), Hemria (Catbalogan), Agua Meter (Bacolod), Transfarm (Manila), Ayamica (Iloilo), Asboc (Batangas), and Transcash (Metro Manila). The pitching which lasted for approximately two hours, had presenters, ranging from age 9 to beyond 30, showing the judges the workings of their conceptualized solutions in a bid for support. The pitching was shortly followed by deliberations which lasted for some time, and eventually concluded with the announcement of Transfarm as the National Impact Hackathon winner.

Transfarm walked away with 170,000 php (70,000 of which was from winning the Manila leg of the hackathon) in cash prize and a full year incubation program that includes a global membership access to the Impact Hub network, intensive training, access to vast pool of expert mentors, network, and coworking. The year long incubation program is valued at over 1,500,000 pesos.

The top 15 apart from receiving the prizes from winning the student (15,000 php) and professional category (20,000 php) will also be receiving a full year of incubation support from Impact Hub Manila.

The winning IT-based solution, Transfarm, is an end-to-end ecommerce and marketing solution, created in a bid to bridge the gap between the local producers and the large scale business consumers with the goal of enabling farmers to appropriately market their harvest and avoid wastage from oversupply.

The team who made the winning pitch said that they were from different backgrounds, but "from the Hackathon, [we] really did our best to collaborate, deliberate, and build the idea."

Some of the mentors and judges also offered support, starting with PLDT who said that they "don't just provide support" but are also "ready to co-incubate." Jhaze Asuncion of Upscale Innovations Lab and Department of Science and Technology Tech-Business Incubators (DOST-TBI) lauded Impact Hub for the "great opportunity for startups from the regions" and said, "We will be more than happy to support these startups if they will apply to us incubators."

“This is how startups are born. You change everything on the fly." says Rondario of Impact Hub and added, "This event is not the end. This is the beginning. It is Day 0 and the real work starts tomorrow."

After acknowledging the support and presence of this year's event sponsors including Quezon City Government under the leadership of Mayor Joy Belmonte, the Araneta Group, Asian Development Bank, PLDT, Smart, NutriAsia, Unilab, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Science and Technology PCIEERD, Department of Information and Communication Technology, the Tourism Promotion Board of the DOT, Freidrich Neuman Foundation, Dentsu Aegis Network, The PhilStar Group, Businessworld SparkUp, Microsoft Philippines, ClinkIT, Green Sun Hotel, KMC Solutions, ASEANHR, GIZ Philippines, Forest Foundation Philippines,Mozilla Philippines Community, DevCon Philippines, 2030 Youth Force Philippines, Edukasyon, Canva, Manila Wordpress, Women In Technology, Women Who Code, When In Manila, Alfox Printing Services, Google Developers Philippines, Girls Who Code, Deskera, Pantheon, Manila Angel Investors Network, JobStream Philippines, Global Entrepreneurship Network, Veer Philippines, PhilRobotics, PCI Tech Innovation Center and many more, Rondario also extended an invitation for partnerships for the Impact Hackathon 2020, as they prepare to launch a regional hackathon next year.

10,000 Attendees All Over Southeast Asia to Join and Celebrate the Best that Philippine Innovation and Startups have to Offer!

Techtonic Summit is back - bigger and better this 2019 as they stage the largest tech conference in the country. This year’s theme, Festival of Innovation, celebrates Philippine innovation and ever-growing startup culture. Featuring 10,000 attendees, 200+ partners, and exhibitors, and over 50 startups, every- one is invited to take part in the 2-day event on November 15-16,2019 at SMX Convention Center Aura.

Since 2017, this summit has cultivated an inclusive venue where startups, stakeholders, and key figures come together to share ideas, technology, and expertise from all over Southeast Asia. In the past two years since, they’ve had almost 15,000 attendees - a testament to the burning flame of the Philippine startup ecosystem.

“Techtonic is really meant to be an inclusive platform to celebrate how far we’ve come in championing tech startups and innovation in the country. The event is made to make noise and shine the spotlight on the PH and our talents vis-a-vis the rest of Southeast Asia. Our successful 2-year run is a testament of that,” explains Techtonic Summit 2019 Managing Director, Alea Ladaga.

Aside from startup pitches and exhibits showcasing the newest advancements in the business world, guests can also anticipate panels composed of the most accomplished professionals in Asia. The summit aims to provide its guests countless avenues to grow their networks, establish their business presence, and learn from both fellow guests and veritable giants from the corporate, academic, media, and government industries.

This year is an even bigger event featuring two stages: the Main Summit Stage, and the Startup Stage. These two stages give attendees more opportunities to learn a variety of topics about the innovation and startup community.

The main event of Techtonic Summit is the Ring of Fire Pitching Competition, where budding startups throughout Southeast Asia get a chance to pitch to a curated group of local and global investors and potential partners for a chance to win a cash prize of $10,000, a slot in CNN’s The Final Pitch, and more prizes in store!

With the theme Festival of Innovation, Techtonic Summit celebrates not just the advancements of the industry, but the passion, drive, and joy that continues to move communities of technology and business onward.
Organized by:
PMCM Events Management, Social Light Inc, DevCon Philippines, Launchgarage Innovation Hub, The Final Pitch, Podcast Network Asia, ASEAN HR, GoStyle Studio, and Dezynspace

Co-presenter:
Angkas

Major Sponsors:
Microsoft, EventXtra, Toasty, Soldoutt, Acceler8 by UNIONSPACE, MAIN PH

Minor Sponsors:
Pinoy IP Works, Alfox Printing Services, SkullCandy, Industree TV, Zohomail, Cashalo, HoloTech

Exhibitors:
Breeze, Enter PH, Govtech SEA, Jobstream, Talino Labs, Saphron, Ambidextr, Bossjobs, Felnor Unionbank, Felnor Citibank, Felnor Metrobank, FitsLanguage.PH, SNT MFG CORP, Secuna, Alveo Land, PAGCOR, Entrego, OOT Cars, WSP Philippines, BDI Inc., Barkero, JLabs, Team Wellross Realty, ABM Inc, Resellee, Salarium, Richest Blend Cafe, Yoshinoya, Sodexo, Posible, JW Prime, Urban Greens, The Island Bar, FWD,

Media Partners:
Admov, Astig.ph, Jumpstart Media, Transitflix, Asian Journal, Balikbayan PH, Brownbox Media, Business Mirror, Chinese Journal, GoLoly, HomeRadio 97.9 FM,Crossover 105.1 FM Radio, Leapreneur , Malaya Business Insight, Business World Spark Up, Tech Update Asia, Techbeat, The Lifestyle Portal, TV Series Craze, TV 5, WhatsHappening, When in Manila.Com, Net 25 TV, Daily Tribune, Manila Times, Industree.TV, Negosentro.com, World Executive Digest.Com, Executive Chronicles.com, BravoFilipino.com, YoManila.com, EXPAT Travel & Lifestyle Philippines, Asian Journal Publications, Balikbayan, Boy Raket and many more.

Community Partners:
Tourism Promotions Board, Connected Women, Brokerspaces, QBO Innovation Hub, Phildev, Ideaspace, Rotaract Club of Manila, Global South Tech, Recruitday, Angelhub, Whub, Mox Accelerator, Startup Jobs Asia, Penbrothers, Animo Labs, MINT College, NASA Space Apps, Phil IT Org, De La Salle University, DOST-PCIEERD, Accelerating Asia, BNI Philippines, BNI Star Chapter QC Region,

Night Summit Partners:
BAD, The Palace, Revel, Xylo, Yes Please in BGC

Here are the TOP 20 RING OF FIRE Pitching Competition Finalists:

1. Agrabah
2. Autoserved
3. Burket
4. ECFULFILL
5. Experience Philippines
6. Gasmee
7. Jungle
8. Last Mile
9. MedHyve
10. Olivia
11. Omnirio
12. Pandalivery
13. Raven
14. RentalBee
15. Secuna
16. Transitflix
17. Urban Greens
18. Veer
19. Washub
20. Wizher


For more details, visit the website at www.techtonicsummit.com or call 0917 8344978.