Construction of a hotel and university at the 21-hectare township called Saludad, which promises to feature the best of Bacolod City, will begin next year.
Phinma Properties launched Saludad, its P12 billion township located at the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road in Barangay Bata, Bacolod City, at an event attended by sellers and buyers at its site Saturday evening, Oct. 19.
“This event is to announce to Bacolod and the country that the project has now kicked off and is into high gear”, Raphael B. Felix, Phinma Properties president and CEO, said.
“Saludad’s location has a unique charm and potential which we want to share with you all. We’re integrating the best of the City of Smiles in this township, embracing both heritage and modernity which both Bacolodnons and people from other places will love,” Felix said.
The event also marked the launch of Likha Estates, a residential community inside Saludad which features modern living spaces, upscale amenities, and green spaces that seamlessly blend.
The launch that was also geared towards showcasing the spirit of Negros through its heritage, culture and food was themed “Aton Ini: Experience the Best of Bacolod in One Integrated Township”.
Felix said construction of a 150-room Tryp hotel operated by Phinma Hospitality, the franchise holder of Microtel and Tryp by Wyndham brands in the Philippines, at Saludad will begin in June 2025.
It is expected to be completed in a year and a half, he said.
Southwestern University’s first branch outside Cebu City will also be constructed at Saludad starting June next year.
Architect Royal Pineda said part of the whole design process was to dig into what is Bacolod and what is Negros.
Tryp is the first building that we will be putting up and we wanted to make sure it sets the standard to everything at Saludad, he said.
“It will somehow show a glimpse of what the future of this development is,” Pineda said, pointing that it will showcase what is authentic to Negros and Bacolod and will be of international standards.
The township will reflect the sophistication Bacolod is known for and at the same time will be inclusive, Pineda said.
Felix said the development Phase 1 of Saludad in the southern section of the property has already started and Phase 2 that will be the northern portion will start in 2026.
The township’s masterplan is designed to reflect Bacolod’s evolving needs and honor its culture and natural beauty, Pineda said.
Saludad will have two residential enclaves – Likha Estates featuring lots for growing families, and PHINMA Maayo featuring mid-rise condominiums.
It will also have a business district and a town center or retail area featuring cafes, restaurants, and shops,
It will be inclusive, curated, open and centered on wellness, Pineda said.
Saludad reflects the guidance of PHINMA Properties’ and PHINMA Corporation’s Chairman Emeritus Oscar J. Hilado, a Bacolodnon, a press statement from the firm said.
PHINMA Properties has partnered with JEPP Real Estate Co. of the Jacinto, Echaus, and Puentevella families of Bacolod for the mixed-use, master-planned development.
This township is not just developing a subdivision, it will have two businesses that will contribute to Bacolod’s economy right away, lawyer Reggie Jacinto-Barrientos of JEPP Property Corp.
“This township is amplified not just by design but by the love and commitment of giving back to Bacolod because this is part of what the community is all about,” Jacinto-Barrientos said.
PHINMA Corporation Chairman and CEO Ramon R. del Rosario Jr. said “Bacolodnon culture immensely values family and community, the basic units of society that we in the PHINMA Group mainly cater to”.*