Megaworld launches office leasing unit, taps ex-ALI executive as head

TAN-LED property developer Megaworld Corp. has launched a new leasing group as it seeks to aggressively grow its office portfolio across the country.

The new unit, Megaworld Global Offices, will operate alongside the company’s existing Megaworld Premier Offices to help reach its target of two million square meters of leasable office space, the company said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.

The two teams will focus their office expansions in key growth areas, including the Ilocos Region, Pampanga, Cavite, Bacolod, and Cagayan de Oro.

Megaworld Global Offices will be headed by Francisco Ma. D. Roxas, a former executive of Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI), who brings 30 years of experience in real estate development and property management.

He previously served as the chief operating officer of ALI’s unit Ayala Land Offices, and was instrumental in the growth of the company’s portfolio amid the demand for hybrid-friendly and sustainability-led office spaces.

“We continue to see strong demand for office spaces in the country, even with the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and other new technologies,” Megaworld President and Chief Executive Officer Lourdes T. Gutierrez-Alfonso said.

“These digital advancements continue to fuel growth across many industries and create opportunities for finance, IT, and healthcare professionals,” she added.

The company is also targeting more Fortune 500 multinational firms, including startups, to expand its tenant base of nearly 200 companies.

Most tenants are located in major townships that have evolved into cyberparks, such as Eastwood City in Quezon City; Uptown Bonifacio, McKinley Hill, and McKinley West in Taguig City; and Iloilo Business Park.

Megaworld currently operates about 1.6 million square meters of office space across 90 towers nationwide, hosting around 200,000 employees, primarily from the business process outsourcing and corporate sectors.

Its tenants include global companies such as Google LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, Wells Fargo & Company, IBM, Accenture plc, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. 

The company has also been incorporating sustainability features in its properties, with 32 office buildings nationwide certified or registered under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

In the first nine months of 2025, Megaworld’s attributable net income surged by 16% P15.93 billion, driven by high rental income and sales.

At the Philippine Stock Exchange, Megaworld’s shares closed flat at P2.21 each on Wednesday. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz