Providing affordable shelter to Filipino families for a decade

Ovialand President and Chief Executive Officer Pammy Olivares-Vital’s journey in real estate began in a time of crises. Although she initially did not want to join the family business, her father persuaded her to help out during difficult times. The family had been providing houses through government relocation long before Ovialand was created, and in this way the family gained a lot of experience in the housing construction segment.

“That was the start of my career in the real estate sector, or as part of our story. It was not the first and only crisis we experienced,” she recalled in an interview, referring to the 2008 financial crisis and other hardships that shaped her early years in the industry.

Ovialand was the result of her experiences, born from a desire to be proactive and resilient in an industry that was rapidly changing. “We didn’t give up. What we wanted to do was be better and prevent all these things by being proactive,” she said.

The proactive approach became a cornerstone of Ovialand’s philosophy. “We realized that even if we were in the affordable housing sector, we had to offer our customers the best value for money,” said Ms. Olivares-Vital. This commitment to quality and value has guided the company through external and internal challenges, making it ‘weatherproof’ by putting the homebuyer at the center of its operations.

Part of this includes providing home buyers with all the support they need to successfully complete their home buying experience. The company’s commitment to customer service is paramount.

“We want to make the transition from renting to home ownership seamless. Our proactive customer service strives to resolve all issues within 48 hours,” she explains.

And if this proactive approach to service delivery was a cornerstone for Ovialand, then the commitment to “Premier Family Living” is at its core. For Ms. Olivares-Vital, Ovialand’s mission goes far beyond financial success.

“It’s a family business. I can say that I grew up in a happy family. We were seven brothers and sisters. Times were not always good, but our home was a place of safety and security. And now that I am a mother, with my husband and four children, every time I come home, I always feel a sense of peace and security. And I say to myself, ‘I hope all our homebuyers have this sense of security.’ Because that’s what this all means,” she said.

“We like to imagine that the developments we make are a kind of mini-suburbia, where you can let your children play in the street, where you can meet your neighbors. This is how we embody ‘Premier Family Living’. So it doesn’t stop at buying a house. It is the lifestyle you and your family will have afterwards.”

While Ovialand celebrates its 10th anniversary^e anniversary, it is a testament to the resilience, innovation and dedication of Ms. Olivares-Vital and her team to providing top quality affordable housing. Under her leadership, Ovialand has overcome countless crises and emerged stronger, continuously redefining the standards in the affordable housing sector.

During that journey, Ovialand endured even more intense storms. The pandemic, a period of global uncertainty, was another pivotal point where the company proved the strength of the company’s purpose.

Throughout the journey, the company has achieved important milestones, such as their partnership with JJ Atencio, a mentor and partner who has been instrumental in Ovialand’s growth. “We have grown almost tenfold since we met JJ,” Ms. Olivares-Vital said.

This growth was further boosted by the partnership with Japanese firm Takara Leben earlier this year, which came at a critical time when Ovialand had to postpone its IPO. “It was very good; it was a better alternative. That was the best thing for the company,” she says.

Embracing the future

To celebrate its anniversary, the company has re-emphasized its focus on nation building by giving back to its communities through education initiatives and the environment. Some of these initiatives include supporting the education of children of construction workers who have been at Ovialand over the years, donating brand new classrooms to San Pablo Elementary School in Barangay Soledad in Laguna, and planting 10,000 trees in South -Luzon and Central Luzon. .

“Education and healthcare are crucial needs of society. We want to do our work to make the future better for the future generation,” she said.

This is also a reflection of their overall strategy and approach towards the Philippine market. Ms Olivares-Vital described the Ovialand market as “well-educated, hardworking and ambitious”, recognizing the evolving expectations of homebuyers and their growing understanding of the real estate sector.

“There is a misconception that because it is affordable it can be substandard. But Filipinos are smart. They want to be wiser with their investments. They want to make informed decisions and plan better for the future,” she noted.

As she looks forward to the country’s future, she hopes developers will take this into account and “up their game.”

“Customers are very critical. And it will raise the quality of businesses in the country, not just in terms of our sector, but everyone else as well. It will force us to be better at the services we provide, and it will force us to be better employers and have smarter organizations.”

As Ovialand prepares for the future, its regional growth strategy will expand beyond Southern and Central Luzon, with a plan to become a nationwide developer in the next decade.

Hopefully, in that time, Ms. Olivares-Vital noted, at least part of her vision for the company would become a reality. “I hope that – and I really mean this from the bottom of my heart – that all of our communities will provide an environment where children can thrive,” she said. “I hope families will feel safe and happy in their homes – children will be able to play outside more, climb trees, make friends and have lasting friendships in their community.”

“To me that would be proof of a job well done.”