From local success to global distinction: LIXIL celebrates Philippine real estate excellence at the exclusive IPA Thanksgiving Dinner

Global water technology pioneer LIXIL, the headline sponsor of the prestigious International Property Awards (IPA), successfully hosted an exclusive local thanksgiving dinner and awarding ceremony at Electric Garden this month. Anchored on the theme “Building Tomorrow: Honoring Excellence in Philippine Development,” the high-profile, in-person gathering brought together the country’s top property developers to honor the outstanding Philippine entries that triumphed on the regional stage.

Celebrating the highest achievements in architecture, development, and interior design, the highly anticipated Asia Pacific Property & Hotel Awards 2026–2027, which is the regional branch of the IPA, was held in Bangkok, Thailand last month. For developers who could not attend the main regional gathering in Bangkok, the Manila event allowed local industry leaders to connect, exchange strategic insights, and celebrate their collective victories. Through the accolades that were brought home, the event highlighted a powerful truth: world-class real estate developments are not limited by geography, and Filipino developers possess the capabilities to firmly position themselves within the broader international property community.

Elevating Industry Standards Through Innovation and Design

Beyond a night of celebration, the program sought to actively elevate industry standards by spotlighting innovation, sustainability, design quality, and best practices across the property sector. As the headline sponsor of the IPA, LIXIL utilized the evening to demonstrate its commitment to partnering with the country’s builder community, further showcasing how its brands, American Standard and GROHE, enable developers to deliver premium, sustainable, and highly sought-after properties.

The evening featured specialized showcases of cutting-edge water technologies of LIXIL, including global sustainability initiatives of GROHE, and Wizflo and Supasleek collections from American Standard, illustrating how smart, eco-efficient fixtures seamlessly integrate into luxury and modern urban structures.

A Night of Culture, Recognition, and Competition

The event kicked off with networking opportunities, followed by a cultural performance by the acclaimed Anak Bale Balayan group.

The Awarding Proper was led by LIXIL executives Audrey Yeo, Jorim Sampayan, Hermie Limbo. Top-tier Philippine developers stepped up to receive their official local recognition, boosting confidence across the sector to aim even higher for next year’s awards. Adding an extra element of innovation and healthy competition to the evening, the event also featured the mechanics and winner announcement for the highly anticipated INAX Saras Light E prize.

Landco Pacific Corporation President and CEO Erickson Manzano, who received several awards under the Architecture and Development categories for their Nautilus at CaSoBe project in Calatagan, Batangas, shared that the award is very important to them as their company is very selective with the awards that they join. “It’s such a big deal for us to be able to win in the Asia Pacific Property Awards and we’re very proud to be representing the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region. [For our company] we do not just build boxes, they are architecturally iconic. I really think that it’s really the architecture that caught the judges’ attention [as] the Nautilus is shaped like a cruise ship, and was inspired by Captain Nemo’s ship in Jules Verne’s 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Aside from that, it’s a highly sustainable building. We have rainwater harvesting;  double piping, where we use recycled water to flush the toilets. There are a lot of sustainable features inside. We’re very proud of the developments we’ve made.” When asked about how the GROHE fulfills their brand promise to their clients, Manzano shared, “We are constructing resident condominium units, [and] when people live in a place what is the most important? What you see, smell, and feel. Those are the very most important things. Now GROHE fits very much into that mold, it is of the best quality.”

Another big winner that night was Arthaland for its Una Apartments in Binan, Laguna. Representing the company that night was Architect Samantha Pobre who shared, “For us, the most prestigious award that we’ve ever received is anything for sustainability and this particular award from IPA is very special to us is because it’s for Una Apartments, which we built for the mid-market, meaning its more affordable, so having an award in sustainability really goes to show that sustainability is for all, not just for the select few. We have several certifications for the project, setting it apart from many others as very few get it. For Arthaland, we’ve never positioned ourselves to be the biggest developer in the country or anywhere in the world but we are proud to be the best, so getting American Standard for Una Apartments shows that it is aligned with our vision in sustainability.”

Other big winners were Avida Land, Federal Land NRE Global, Inc., Filinvest Land Inc., Italpinas, LPPA Design Group/Taft Properties, REMAX Philippines, Shang Properties, Inc., SM Development Corporation, White Jacket Pte Ltd.

Empowering a Vision for Tomorrow

In her congratulatory message, Audrey Yeo emphasized that recognizing these exceptional projects at the local level provides a clear pathway from local success to global distinction, inspiring continuous improvement and fostering a collaborative spirit among stakeholders. By proving that Philippine structures can stand tall in the international landscape, the event successfully injected fresh momentum into the local property sector.

Through initiatives like the IPA Thanksgiving Dinner, LIXIL continues to solidify its role not just as a product supplier, but as an essential collaborator in Building Tomorrow, empowering Filipino developers to design future-ready, sustainable, and globally competitive communities.

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