Gotianun-Yap named Property Woman of the Year

MANILA, Philippines — Josephine Gotianun-Yap has been named the first Property Woman of the Year by the Philippine chapter of Paris-based International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI).

The Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) head received the award during the recently concluded Property and Real Estate Excellence Awards, on top of the three golds and a silver award given to FLI.

It was a historic win for Gotianun-Yap who last year also became the first woman to receive the Real Estate Personality of the Year award at the Philippines Property Awards by PropertyGuru.

Gotianun-Yap is CEO of holding company Filinvest Development Corp. and its property unit FLI.

“In our industry, collaboration is crucial to the success of any project. I thank FIABCI and share this award with the Filinvest team and the many industry practitioners we work closely with. Today, sustainability is at the forefront of our developments, and we are grateful that Filinvest excelled in the Sustainable Development category. Being the first Property Woman of the Year is also an honor and highlights the importance of inclusivity, another hallmark of our company mission,” she said in her acceptance speech during the awarding ceremony last week.

FLI, meanwhile, won gold in the Residential Mid-Rise category for Botanika Nature Residences and in the Sustainable Development category for Filinvest City.

Filinvest REIT Corp. (FILRT), the company’s real estate investment trust (REIT) and the first sustainability-themed REIT in the Philippines, also won gold in the Office Development category and silver in the Sustainable Development category.

Axis Tower One, which won silver in the Sustainable Development category, is one of 17 world-class, Grade A office buildings in FILRT’s portfolio.

It is one of two FILRT buildings that are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified. These buildings are in Filinvest City, which itself won Gold in the Sustainable Development category.

FILRT president and CEO Maricel Brion-Lirio said the company is proud to have been awarded the gold title for the Office Development category and the silver title for the Sustainable Development category for Axis Tower One.

“These awards underscore our unwavering passion for creating sustainable office buildings that champion future-forward initiatives,” she said.

FILRT is working on increasing the percentage of renewables in its electric supply.

At present, its buildings are served by the Philippines’ largest district cooling system (DCS), which supplies chilled water to the air-conditioning system. This saves up to 40 percent on power consumption, 20 percent on water consumption, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.