MANILA, Philippines - Which cities in the Philippines do Filipinos check out when they are searching for houses and properties online? To answer this question,
Lamudi Philippines looked into its third quarter 2015 data, crunched search data from 171 cities and municipalities, and ranked the 10 most popular among the bunch. The top 10 cities feature some of the expected ones, like Quezon and Makati, but also a number of surprises. Here’s what Lamudi has found.
1. Quezon City
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| Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City. Photo by Patrickroque01 via Wikimedia Commons |
The “City of Stars” is undeniably the most popular city among homebuyers, having more than a quarter share of all searches for for-sale properties. Not only Metro Manila’s largest city, it also has the most number of property listings, from
condos in Eastwood City, houses in the South Triangle area, and pricey townhouses in Loyola Heights and New Manila.
2. Makati
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| Ayala Avenue in Makati City. Photo via Flickr |
Although a very expensive housing market (where else can you find condos with asking prices of more than Php300,000 per sqm?), the country’s financial capital remains a popular city among Filipinos searching for properties online. Most popular property types, as expected, are condos in Salcedo and Legaspi Villages, Rockwell Center, and Century City, but hundred-million-peso houses in Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village get plenty of clicks as well. For those with somewhat limited budget, they’ll be delighted to know that there are somewhat affordable options (townhouses and apartments, mainly) in the city’s barangay Poblacion, San Antonio, and Bangkal, to name just a few.
3. Parañaque
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| City of Dreams. Photo by Rio Hondo via Wikimedia Commons |
The “City of Subdivisions” (where else can you find subdivisions within subdivisions?) has long been a preferred residential area of choice among Metro Manila residents, and among its popular areas include BF Homes, Multinational Village, Better Living, Merville Park, and many, many more. In recent years, condos have begun to sprout all over the city, most notable of which is Century Properties’ Azure Urban Resort Residences. Over the next few years many condo projects in the Bay City, which is shared by Parañaque with Pasay, will also be completed.
4. Tagaytay
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| Taal Volcano Tagaytay view. Photo by Rio Hondo via Wikimedia Commons |
Since Tagaytay is a favorite weekend getaway of many Metro Manila residents, it is not surprising that many Filipino homebuyers are considering buying houses here. Its cool weather, spectacular views, and overall touristy atmosphere are its major draws, and although houses have traditionally been very pricey in Tagaytay, many developers are now building condos that are much more affordable.
5. Las Piñas
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| Saint Joseph Church in Las Pinas. Photo by Cealwyn via Flickr |
Quite similar to Parañaque, Las Piñas is a city of subdivisions or gated communities. Some are quite expensive, such as BF Resorts and BF International, but many are quite affordable, which are found just about anywhere in the city. In recent years, Las Piñas has also seen development of many condos, mainly from mid-end developers like DMCI.
6. Cebu
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| Cebu City. Photo via IngImage |
Cebu is not just the Philippines’ shipping capital, it is also the center of the country’s second most important metropolitan area and many homebuyers are also looking into relocating in the city, at least based on Lamudi’s onsite search data. This is hardly surprising as Cebu boasts everything Metro Manila has—and more, such exciting business centers, tourist areas, proximity to diving sites and white sand beaches, and top-notch schools and universities.
7. Davao
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| People's Park in Davao City. Photo by Kamalayan via Flickr |
The only Mindanao city in this list, Davao hosts the country’s tallest mountain peak. It’s also quite a melting pot, and the country’s main producer of tropical fruits. It is also the country’s fourth most populous city (after Quezon City, Manila, and Caloocan), and many property developers have been pouring investment to Davao in recent years, building shopping malls, residential condos, and mixed-use townships.
8. Pasig
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| Ortigas Business District, Pasig. Photo via Shutterstock |
Pasig occupies the eastern portion and, thus, has its fair share of condos. In recent years, however, the city’s other areas, such as the C5 Corridor and Barangay Kapitolyo, have seen new developments. These include Capitol Commons, Portico, and The Grove. However, Pasig’s major draw is still its subdivisions or gated communities, which boast for-sale houses that are almost as expensive as those found in Makati.
9. Baguio
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| Baguio City. Photo by Jason Cordis via Flickr |
Baguio is not the country’s summer capital for nothing. This cool, mountainous city has been popular summer getaway since the 1950s and homes (lodges and vacation villas) have been as popular ever since. Also a popular college town (it is estimated that half of the city’s population is students), in recent years, however, the city has become a BPO destination.
10. Taguig
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| Bonifacio Global City in Pasig. Photo via IngImage |
Taguig is one of Metro Manila’s most popular cities thanks to Bonifacio Global City (BGC), touted as the Philippine capital’s next “it” central business district; and McKinley Hill, a Megaworld township boasting malls, office towers, high-end condo towers, an upscale subdivision, and international schools. There are also many condo estates already built outside BGC, most of them catering to mid-end buyers, while Megaworld and Ayala Land are both developing two massive townships in Taguig (McKinley West and Arca South, respectively), which will considerably improve the city’s popularity in the coming years.
- Lamudi Philippines/TheSummitExpress
