CEO Insights Magazine

In today’s world, the real estate industry is very competitive and to stand out of the crowd the developers have to bring something to the table that is not only unique but also in demand. Landco Pacific Corporation, a real estate development company widely known for its luxury development, is creating distinctive landscapes with its creativity in leisure and lifestyle. Under the leadership of Erickson Manzano, the company is indulging in a lifestyle experience that reflects the aspirations of customers. Landco Pacific is continually evolving living by providing projects like Leisure Communities, Resort-inspired Condominiums, and Luxury Home Communities.

An expert in his domain, Erickson Manzano has completed his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of the Philippines and a graduate degree in Civil Engineering from De La Salle University. He has also completed his MBA in Finance from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). He started his career as a Technical Supervisor at Ayala Property Management Corporation. Serving there for over a decade working with Ayala Land as the Operations Head of Nuvali which is 2000+ hectares of development and the first eco-city in the country, he went on to become Chief Executive Officer at Landco Pacific Corporation. Today, he is an experienced CEO with over three decades of experience and a proven track record in the real estate industry. Erickson Manzano also holds the positions of President and CEO at Millennial Resorts Corporation, which is the hospitality division of Landco. Millennial Resorts provide unique leisure facilities and amenities at Landco Beach Towns, making the Resort Estates an ideal beach home and hub for business in the tourist destination of Batangas and Davao. Millennial Resorts feature unconventional resort accommodations: Crusoe Cabins at CaSoBe and Costa Azalea, Cocoons at CaSoBe and Club Laiya, and Camperisti at Club Laiya. It also operates leisure attractions: Laiya Beach Club at Club Laiya and Aquaria Water Park with a three-story giant slide at CaSoBe. There are the Captain Barbozza restaurants at both the Batangas Beach Towns and the 300-capacity event space Canopy at CaSoBe.

Erickson Manzano engages in an exclusive interaction with CEO Insights, let’s read.

What are the vitals you acquired from the institute? Tell us about a few instances of how they proved beneficial in your career.
I completed my MBA in Finance from AIM and before that I had no knowledge about accounting and finance but now the financial templates that are being used by my company all came from me. I have completed my degree in Civil Engineering but as the CEO of Landco I believe that I only use 20 percent of my learning when it comes to Civil Engineering, and I estimate that I use 80 percent of what I learned in the AIM. At AIM, the great thing was the teaching which was based on the case study method. We used to deal with the real problem of a real company and that is how we got real-world experience during our college days. Today, I deal with the number of executives who were my batchmates in AIM, and the trust established on campus 20+ years ago still plays a significant role in my career. Honestly, I owe most of my success to AIM and am very thankful for this great Institute.

  

Define Landco Pacific Corporation as an organization and its position in the market.
Landco is a boutique developer renowned for the Punta Fuego developments in Batangas. A lean organization with 150 people, we primarily focus on niche luxury leisure developments. Wherever our projects are located, it is one of the most, if not the most prestigious development in that area which gives us visibility in the real estate industry. We do not compete with other developers because what we provide is our specialty in leisure development and the uniqueness of our designs. Landco Pacific Corporation has developed projects from Cabanatuan City which is very near to the northernmost city in the country to Zamboanga City which is closer to the southernmost city in the country.  

What factors do you consider when developing effective corporate growth strategies to ensure the financial health of the company?
The first factor is the location of the development then comes, the market demand for the product including customer’s need, price point, and payment affordability. Next, I look at our competitor's work, and we try to make better products from them. I also consider the trends in other countries that can be embraced by our local market. The next factor is the financial health of the company where I look after the equity we can put into a particular project and how much money we need to borrow. Finally, I consider all the worst-case scenarios and prepare an exit strategy accordingly.

What are the methods you have implemented to foster a learning culture in your team? Tell us about the latest trends that have been adopted so far.
My week is mapped out with team meetings that allow my leaders to learn from their colleagues and me. Every Monday I meet with all my Project Directors to discuss their project so that every Project Director and his/her team learns from the experiences of the others. Every Tuesday I personally inspect ongoing projects by visiting the site and Wednesday is my Mancom meeting where we discuss sales, financials, and anything relevant to Mancom. Thursdays are when I meet our Hotel Group, our customer service, and property management teams, and Fridays, that’s when I meet all other groups that have issues that are too complicated to put into an email. So, I have regular blocked-off schedules where I meet all my department heads every week so I’m always up to speed on what’s happening in the company and these learnings are shared with the other groups. In terms of architecture and construction, I get a lot of insights from my travels abroad which I apply to Landco’s projects. For example, I know that a big slice of the market wants to stay in an Instagrammable facility and location. People today do not want to live in a conventional hotel room therefore, we made our hotel room unconventional to cater to the requirements of people.

How are you planning to contribute towards the company’s growth? What would be your advice to upcoming leaders?
As a corporate strategy, we have decided to strictly stick to our niche which is developing luxury leisure properties along the beach or in the mountains. We’re currently working on what will be the biggest development in our company’s 33-year history which we expect to launch in 2025. As for our hotel business, we ultimately want to expand abroad. Also, my vision for the company is that anybody visiting the Philippines must talk about the leisure properties of Landco Pacific after going back to their native country.

As a leader, you set the bar for the entire team and be on top of the game so that your team will look to you for guidance and inspiration. You must always be ready to pivot and nurture relationships with your former schoolmates because you never know how many ideas you can get from casual talks with experienced professionals. Also, you have to know what’s going on in the market, what are the latest trends being followed in the market and you must understand that what worked for you before may not necessarily work today. So, by keeping yourself and the technology updated, you will always be ahead in the market.

Erickson Manzano, Chief Executive Officer, Landco Pacific Corporation
From a Technical Supervisor to the position of a CEO, Erickson Manzano is currently at the helm of Landco Pacific Corporation and Millennial Resorts Corporation.