November 3, 2013 9:31 pm [
manilatimes.net ]
by MADELAINE B. MIRAFLOR
REPORTER
Property giant Ayala Land Inc. (ALI)
is planning to build nine healthcare facilities in the next four years in a bid
to complete its offering for its mixed-use developments across the country.
In his presentation in the COL
Corporate Briefing held last week, ALI Chief Financial Officer Jaime Ysmael
mentioned that the company has planned out to build nine healthcare facilities
within its community developments nationwide.
However, Ysmael noted that the plan is
just “preliminary” and no formal actions have yet been taken to pursue the
establishment of the facilities.
“This is part of the expansion plans
of the company just to complete the amenities of our mixed-use developments,”
he added.
According to him, the company has
identified “specific sites” where there will put the nine healthcare
facilities, although he declined to identify the locations.
Asked if ALI plans to become a major
player in the hospital industry, Ysmael indicated that as of now, the firm only
intends to complete its offerings for its mixed-use communities.
“If it becomes profitable, we’ll see,”
he specified.
In August, the listed property
developer made known to the public about its plan to include a healthcare
portfolio into all of its existing mixed-use developments across the country,
as well as into those that the company is just about to develop.
“The first one will probably be in
Iloilo and hopefully in Nuvali [in Laguna], we can also do that, and then in
San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan,” Ysmael said earlier.
“These are just small ones. These are
just to complete the integrated developments that we have, we need medical
facilities. And also the kind of model that we’ve been pursuing, these are not
the large hospital models, usually smaller ones,” he added.
Ysmael also said earlier that
hospitals will not be a major investment for ALI. ALI holds a stake in
Whiteknight Holdings Inc., a company that is wholly owned by the Mercado family
and a 33-percent equity stockholder of Mercado General Hospital Inc.
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