SM DEVELOPMENT CORP. (SMDC), the residential arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., said it plans to launch four new projects next year under its newly introduced Nature segment, which will integrate wellness and sustainability features into affordable housing developments outside Metro Manila.
“We have four projects lined up — in Davao, Angeles (Pampanga), and Bacolod,” SMDC Vice-President and Head of Nature Segment Susan G. Nicdao told reporters after the launch of the Nature brand on Thursday.
Ms. Nicdao said the company will develop mid-rise condominium projects in Davao and Pampanga, while the Bacolod project will feature horizontal housing.
Under the Nature segment, SMDC aims to offer sustainability-driven residential communities targeted at the affordable market.
“That has been the direction for the past three years — to expand outside of Metro Manila,” Ms. Nicdao said.
Jessica Bianca T. Sy, vice-president and head of design, innovation, and strategy at SM Prime and SMDC, said the shift toward sustainable residential projects will not result in higher prices.
“We are trying our best and working with different partners and different groups to keep costs down, so that we can make sure that the sustainable efforts that we put in are acceptable and can be adapted,” she said.
“From the person who wants to buy in our premium lines, all the way down to our economic and social housing, we want to make sure that they have access to affordable, sustainable measures,” Ms. Sy added.
During the launch, SMDC signed a partnership with Buskowitz Energy, Inc. to supply solar energy to its Nature-branded developments.
Earlier this year, SMDC introduced its Heights segment, which focuses on high-rise residential projects in key urban centers such as Quezon City, Makati, the Bay Area, and along EDSA-C5.
SM Prime reported a 10% increase in second-quarter net income to P12.8 billion, bringing its first-half earnings to P24.5 billion. Income from residential projects rose by 2% to P5.1 billion, contributing 21% to total earnings.
At the local bourse on Thursday, shares in SM Prime fell by 1.32% or 30 centavos to close at P22.40 each. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz