Ayala Land, Inc. is allotting P18 billion for the development of a 209-hectare property in Tarlac into an integrated mixed-use estate, as it banks on the province’s young demographic to fuel local economic growth.

The project, dubbed Cresendo, is envisioned as a sustainable estate equipped with residential dwellings, commercial districts, an industrial park, educational institutions as well as civic spaces, which will occupy 31 percent of the whole development.

Cresendo will be built in three phases. ALI is investing P5.5 billion for the five-year construction of the project’s first phase, which will feature a 1.5-hectare civic plaza, church, school, retail strip, residences, transport terminal and a 32-hectare industrial park.

“Our vision is to encourage more homegrown entrepreneurs and new businesses at Cresendo. The property is strategically located and has a young and growing population that makes it one of the promising areas in the region,” Alviera general manager and Cresendo estate head John Estacio said.

He noted that Tarlac serves as a “demographic sweet spot” as its current working population account for 70 percent of the province’s total population. The area is also accessible via the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, the MacArthur Highway, the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, SCTEX and the Central Luzon Link Expressway.

ALI has broken ground for the industrial park earlier in the month as per its timeline, while an Avida residential building will be constructed by 2020, followed by commercial establishments in 2021.

ALI’s partner institution, Don Bosco Technical Institute, is slated to start operations for a senior high school by 2022 while another Technical Vocational Education and Training Center will start operations by 2025.