Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is one of the first Philippine companies and the first real estate company in the world to receive the EDGE Assess Certification in recognition of gender equality in its workplace. EDGE, or Economic Dividends for Gender Equality, is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equity.
By achieving the Assess level of certification, ALI was recognized for its public commitment to maintaining strong gender balance across its talent pipeline and fostering an inclusive workplace culture with high engagement levels of both the male and female employees. At the same time, the company continues to identify concrete action plans for further progress.
“Ayala Land has set high goals for itself in terms of attaining global standards in corporate governance,” said ALI Human Resources and Public Affairs Group Head Atty. Elis Tanlapco. “The EDGE certification is another indicator of how ALI values inclusive growth and gender equality, and how we strive for balance and diversity so that every member of the team equitably benefits from opportunities within the organization,” Tanlapco added.
Monitoring of social indicators such as workforce profile is an integral part of ALI’s overarching commitment to sustainability and inclusive development. For years now, ALI has been benchmarking its sustainability performance against global standards. This includes the monitoring of the company’s carbon emissions among many others. The company is also conscious of its contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, one of which is gender equality.
ALI has been working together with the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE) on the tiered certification system of EDGE. The coalition is made up of large multinational businesses that have taken appropriate steps to improve gender equity in their workplaces and to influence other businesses to become better employers of women.
The EDGE certification is designed to help organizations not only create an optimal workplace for women and men, but also to benefit from it. EDGE is distinguished by its rigor and focus on business impact, as well as its business approach that incorporates benchmarking, metrics and accountability into the process.
The certification program assesses policies, practices and numbers across five different areas of analysis: equal pay for equivalent work, recruitment and promotion, leadership development training and mentoring, flexible working and organization culture.
EDGE is working with more than 170 organizations in over 40 countries and 22 industries. Its assessment methodology was developed by the EDGE Certified Foundation and launched at the World Economic Forum in 2011.
Ayala Land is the Philippines’ leading developer of sustainable estates, offering a diverse mix of properties such as residential, retail, office, hotels, and leisure developments, that support local economic growth and nation-building.
The company has a total of 25 sustainable estates and is present in 55 growth areas nationwide. It has five residential brands, namely Ayala Land Premier, Alveo, Avida, Amaia, and BellaVita, which deliver quality homes to a broad segment of the housing market. Its commercial development and leasing portfolio is comprised of Ayala Malls, Ayala Land Offices, and Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts Corporation.