Ayala Land Bets Big on Davao with Largest Mindanao Estate Yet

Ayala Land is going big in Mindanao. The developer has officially broken ground on Ascenda, a 204-hectare master-planned estate in Davao’s Toril District, its largest mixed-use development in the region and its 54th estate nationwide.

The project represents Ayala Land’s P10.3-billion investment, the company’s biggest in Mindanao to date. Developed in partnership with the Anflo Group’s real estate arm, Anflocor, Ascenda is envisioned to become “Davao’s Nature-Inspired Southern Gateway,” placing nature at the top of its value proposition.

Ascenda's aerial masterplan

According to Ayala Land President and CEO Meann Dy, Davao City is “truly a city on the rise.” She noted that major infrastructure projects such as the Samal-Davao Bridge, the Coastal Road, and the Davao Bypass Road are unlocking new connectivity and opportunities, positioning Ascenda to benefit from the city’s continued growth and momentum.

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The estate’s master plan, developed with international design firm Henning Larsen, known for redeveloping Singapore’s Bishan Park, integrates open green corridors, waterways, and sustainable water systems.

Ascenda’s tree-lined greenways are central to its master plan.

Located 16 kilometers south of Davao’s city center, Ascenda is directly connected to major infrastructure arteries including the newly opened Coastal Road and the upcoming Bypass Road, cutting travel time from downtown to just 25 minutes.

The estate’s layout reflects Ayala Land’s signature approach to integrated urbanism: 65 hectares will be devoted to a Town Center featuring commercial lots, shopping streets, and an Eco Park—a landscaped, functional water feature designed to preserve Toril’s ecosystem. The remaining 139 hectares will form a residential district anchored by Virendo, the first Ayala Land Premier village in Mindanao.

A rendering of Ascenda’s shopping street.

While Ascenda is its most ambitious project in the region, Ayala Land’s ties to Davao date back to the 1970s. The company launched Insular Village in 1976, followed by Abreeza in 2007 and Azuela Cove in 2017. Ascenda, Dy said, is the culmination of nearly five decades of sustained investment in the city’s urban growth.