An Icon Reinvented - The Insular Life Makati Building reopens its doors for Business

The Insular Life Open House presented to the upbeat streets of Makati CBD the return of an iconic structure - the Insular Life Building. June 8, 2017 marked another historical milestone for industry leaders Insular Life, KMC Savills, and Colliers International as they unveiled the newly-renovated building and opened the space to clients.

A pioneer in the Life Insurance Industry, Insular Life has served the Filipino for 106 years and has become a signature brand in its industry. The Insular Life Makati Building has been one of the company's first headquarters ever since it was established. The building has witnessed history, becoming a regal landmark in the streets of Ayala corner Paseo.

With the hopes of restoring the building to its original grandeur and prominence while attracting a new wave of businesses and professionals, Insular Life has partnered with two of the country's leading Real Estate Service Providers - KMC Savills and Colliers International - in a co-landlord arrangement. This pioneering partnership, the first of its kind in the real estate industry, presents fresh opportunities for businesses seeking to establish their brands and offices in the most vibrant intersection of Makati. 

The building, which went through major renovations starting December 2015, now features brand new building systems and equipment, a five-storey parking building offering additional 139 parking slots apart from the Valero parking space which is also owned by Insular Life, new elevators/escalators, new generators, new air-con systems, new fire alarm & detection systems, new mechanical and electrical systems, and a 260-seater multipurpose ballroom/function hall. The whole project covering 20,210 sq m of premium leasable area is also certified by LEED aiming for Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

KMC Savills and Colliers International worked closely together to attract the best clients for this 14-storey office building. As of June 2017, the co-landlords have confirmed over 30% occupancy and are confident to fill up the space by the 3rd Quarter of 2017.

"It is about evolving or losing (in this market). Now that everything is brand new, it makes the property competitive again which allows us to bring in new tenants and revive this building into the Icon that it truly is." says Anna Marco, Director for Landlord Services of KMC Savills.

According to Maricris Sarino-Joson, Associate Director of Client Services for Colliers International, "In terms of reputation and stability of Insular Life as our landlord, there's no doubt that the tenants that we bring into the building will be happy and secure. Insular Life Building has witnessed history and now that we have an icon reinvented, we know that we are a part of history again by bringing back life into this building. Insular life puts a premium in its core values - love for God and country, ethics, integrity, and teamwork. This is what Colliers International and KMC Savills are all about and we also take pride in our values."

Insular Life is "very excited for the relaunch of the new Insular Life Makati Building and make it great again." says Hector Caunan, Vice President and Head of Real Property Division for Insular Life. "We want to welcome clients who share the same values of delivering good service to the Filipinos. As we bring this icon to the next generation, we at Insular Life have also kept in mind the interests of the growing market for Millennials. The general workforce is now composed largely of these young professionals and we're headed towards the direction of serving their needs as our current and future clients. We believe this is a crucial step for us to remain competitive in our industry."Mr Caunan says.

Insular Life, KMC Savills, and Colliers International believe in the values of integrity, teamwork, communication, collaboration and trust. The Insular Life Building stands, once again, tall and proud on the very same values and foundations which have stood the test of time. With such a powerful partnership between the landlord and its co-landlords, the building will surely witness another period of unprecedented growth and provide home to some of the country's leading businesses across industries.