Clubhouse Blessed, Model Houses Unveiled, and Partners Awarded: Akina Villas Celebrates Its Grand Launching

BACOLOD CITY — On May 9, 2026, the 20‑hectare Akina Villas in Barangay Tangub was transformed into a stage for not one but three converging milestones. A clubhouse received its blessing. Seven model houses opened their doors. And before the afternoon concluded, the hardworking sellers, unit managers, realty partners, and top‑producing agents who had driven the project's pre‑selling success were called forward in a ceremony designed to honor not only results but the relationships behind them. The event, hosted by homegrown developer ML&D Development Corporation, drew a crowd that included first‑time homebuyers, returning overseas Filipino workers, and the brokers who had matched them to their future addresses.

The celebration was structured as a unified narrative—part ribbon‑cutting, part gratitude, part forward motion. The newly completed Mediterranean‑inspired clubhouse, with its wide eaves and open lounge engineered to capture the cross‑breezes of the Circumferential Road corridor, was blessed by clergy from the Bacolod diocese. Adjacent to it, the model houses—spanning seven floor plans from compact bungalows to spacious two‑storey homes—received a steady stream of visitors who could walk through a finished kitchen, sit on a living room sofa, and stand on a bedroom balcony. Several reservations were signed on the spot. The community's swimming pool, 24‑hour security, concrete roads, and landscaped gardens are now operational, transforming a pre‑selling proposition into a tangible neighborhood.

Top Sellers and Realty Partners Take the Stage

Midway through the program, ML&D President Mario V. Luzuriaga and VP‑Operations Imelda S. Luzuriaga led the awarding ceremony, recognizing the top‑producing individual agents, unit managers, and partner realty firms whose combined efforts had propelled Akina Villas from its launch into one of Bacolod City's most closely watched residential projects. The developer publicly acknowledged the pivotal role played by its sales network in moving a substantial portion of the project's initial phases, with citations distributed across multiple performance categories.

Several sales professionals were called to the stage to receive plaques for outstanding individual performance, their names met with applause from colleagues and clients alike. Multiple accredited realty firms were also honored for their contributions, reflecting a sales ecosystem in which ML&D had deliberately cultivated partnerships with brokerages of varying sizes and specializations. "Professional agency partnerships are essential to sustaining momentum in a market where project inventory continues to expand," Luzuriaga noted, framing the awards as both recognition and reinforcement of the collaborative model that has defined Akina Villas' early success.

Top 1 Realty: Filipinohomes Claims the Crown

The event's highest honor went to Filipinohomes, which was named Top 1 Realty for accumulated sales spanning November 2024 to February 2026. The 15‑month window captures both the pre‑selling and early construction phases of Akina Villas, a period during which the brokerage outperformed multiple agency partners selling the project. The plaque, signed by ML&D President Mario V. Luzuriaga and VP‑Operations Imelda S. Luzuriaga, was handed to representatives of the brokerage during the ceremony.

The recognition adds to a growing list of industry endorsements for the firm, led by founder and CEO Anthony "Boss Ton" Leuterio. Licensed and operating since 2008, Filipinohomes has consistently been a top seller for developer partners across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with recent expansions into Dubai. The brokerage's nationwide agent network and its integration with the FilipinoHomes multi‑listing platform provided the reach and buyer‑matching efficiency that distinguished it from other firms selling the project. Agents representing Filipinohomes at the event noted that the Top 1 Realty citation reinforces buyer confidence in both the project and the brokerage facilitating the transaction.

A City Primed for Growth

The grand launching coincided with a surge of activity across Bacolod City's real estate and tourism landscape. From May 9 to 16, the PRISAA Games drew more than 12,000 delegates from 17 regions to 24 venues across the City of Smiles, driving occupancy rates and rental demand. Looking ahead, Bacolod will host the Batang Pinoy National Championships from December 12 to 18, an event the Philippine Sports Commission estimates could draw about 15,000 delegates and potentially triple to 45,000 arrivals including family members. Property values in Barangay Tangub have been appreciating at an estimated 5 to 8 percent annually, driven by upcoming government infrastructure projects including the New Bacolod Auditorium and the MassKara Coliseum. The Bacolod Government Center's weekly Pasalidahon weekend market, launched on May 3, continues every Sunday, adding to the livability of residential zones within a 15‑minute radius. For the families who reserved units on May 9, and for the agents and realty partners recognized on stage, the afternoon was both a celebration and a confirmation: Akina Villas is no longer a rendering. It is an address.