Empire East Reports P524M Net Profit for 2020

June 10, 2021 (QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES) - Empire East Land Holdings Inc., one of the country's pioneering real estate developers, reports P524.9 million net profit for 2020.

The developer also reports close to 9% increase in booked sales, P300 million more than it delivered in 2019.

TRANSMUTATION RESPONSE TO CRISIS

Empire East responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with proactive measures to ensure the safety of its stakeholders. Thorough understanding of the fast-paced demands of the new normal, requiring 100% safety protocol and zero-contact transactions, directed the company in pursuing immediate transmutation of resources.

Led by President and CEO Atty. Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu, the company, anchored on its values of trust, service, and adaptability, highlighted the needs of its stakeholders first, resulting in more secure payment portals, safe and live, virtual property walkthroughs, and easier partner-accreditation processes.

The skeleton workforce also opened work-from-home opportunities for employees - diversifying offices and assuring proper social distancing.Employees that report to the office received safety and sanitation kits for their all-day use and protection. Each personnel actively observed safety rules through consistent daily visual queues posted on the floors and walls, and reminders within the premises.

Strict adherence to health declaration policies also monitors daily health symptoms and minimizes contagion risks. And to be on the safer side, isolation rooms with PPEs and oxygen tanks were readied should any need for use arise.

Through the transmutation of processes and operations, Empire East trained both employees and the sales team to leverage pre-existing digital tools like websites, emails, social media, and inter-department communication platforms.

PROTECTIVE PROTOCOLS

Empire East and its communities are one with the nation in curtailing the virus's spread and keeping every family healthy. On top of strict adherence to health and safety protocols, Empire East homeowners and property management administrators immediately responded to the pandemic by launching initiatives that first sought to provide basic necessities for their community frontliners such as security guards, maintenance personnel and administration staff who stayed in the property for weeks and months at the onset of strict lockdowns.

Through such efforts, we have seen the Bayanihan spirit in every community, which was made possible by innovating connected space structures within micro-cities and developments that naturally nurture crisis response and communication effectiveness among neighbors while maintaining social distance.

A few stories of kindness left a mark among Empire East communities. One example was when residents in San Lorenzo Place, Pioneer Woodlands, California Garden Square, and Cambridge Village initiated donation drives and relief goods distributions that gave birth to the #CommUNITYinACTION series of stories.

Among the measures that helped our properties withstand the challenging times was the rollout of strict rules on safety protocols and quarantine guidelines. Curfew hours were set and followed, and the Property Management Office mandated the wearing of face masks and face shields when going out of the unit.

Regular cleaning and sanitation are also constantly being done by well-equipped professional staff across common areas of various developments that help stop the spread of the virus in a big way.

FUTURE-PROOFING HOMES

The current pandemic allowed Empire East to strategize the features of its upcoming developments further. Strengthened by the new commitment to sustainability, Empire East aims for a greener, more mindful construction of its latest development in Pasig-Cainta, the Empire East Highland City.

Its 24-hectare terrain offers enough space for an ergonomic design that is friendlier to nature and the community it hosts. The development prides itself in its on-stilts architecture and a masterplan that follows the area's natural landscape. Energy and water-efficient construction will also be made possible through partnering with green-accredited contractors.

The company shall also carefully adhere to proper rainwater management, efficient waste management, and green transportation options, and shall provide more walkable and bikeable lanes. Solar-powered street lamps will also help attain the vision of an eco-friendlier community.

Empire East Highland City will have four distinct phases: an open green space called the Highland Park, a world-class mall named the Highland Mall, an exclusive recreational zone called The Chartered Club, and a 37-tower residential phase named the Highland Residences.

DISCOVERING TRUST AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE

The company is turning 27 years this 2021. And the path to the future remains clear - crisis-resilient homes, better leadership, and more proactive employees that contribute to turning every challenge into opportunities for growth.

"The challenges of 2020 may have affected the ability of people to invest. But we have proven that while the country struggled, our homebuyers trusted us more. The demand for homes did not stop; instead, it became greater. An 8.38% increase in booked sales totaling P4.26B proves that your company is as resilient as it has always been and that more of our buyers realized the essence of securing their future, especially in these days," says Empire East President and CEO Atty. Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu.

Empire East has been vocal about how every crisis opens up opportunities for change. The opportunity for innovation in lifestyle concepts such as loft-type homes and micro-cities, and the introduction of game-changing payment terms with Zero Down Payment, all happened during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. This pandemic is no different. The company foresees that this health crisis will only pave the way for a better, faster, more automated business for everyone and better communities for its end-users and investors.

CEMENTING THE COMMITMENT TO A BETTER FUTURE

In 2020, Empire East cemented its resilient performance as one of Asia's best performing companies recognized by the MORS Group in the Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) Awards. This recognition is given to companies with year-on-year financial growth that includes its sustainability impact on the community it serves and its continuous product innovation.