01/06/2026
𝗔𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗶 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗮
Did you know that the first building in the Makati Business District, the Monterey Apartments, was built for a little over ₱500,000?
In the late 1950s, DM Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) built the first four buildings in the Makati Business District for Ayala Corporation, beginning with the Monterey Apartments.
These projects formed part of the realization of visionary Joseph McMicking’s plan to transform Makati into a premier business district.
The Monterey Apartments was designed by Architect Leandro Locsin who would become National Artist for Architecture, with former UP College of Engineering Dean Engr. Alfredo Juinio as structural engineer.
It was the first high‑rise building constructed in the Makati Business District and the first building to rise along Ayala Avenue. The seven-storey residential building was intended to house the early investors and pioneers of what would become the Ayala Center, the country’s premier business hub.
DMCI Founder Engr. David M. Consunji said in his memoir, A Passion to Build, that Fernando Zobel, a top executive of Ayala Corporation, was largely responsible for making DMCI part of the development of the Makati Business District.
“With the completion of Ayala Avenue by the end of 1956, the central area of Makati was all set for development.
Fortuitously, we in DMCI had also finished the UP Chapel by then and were ready for new projects. We were fortunate to have met Fernando Zobel during the construction of UP Chapel. He must have been quite impressed by our work at the UP Chapel because immediately after its completion, DMCI was doing business with Ayala. Initially, we did small projects-culverts, small bridges, sidewalks, roads, and other similar jobs. "
"There were still no buildings in the area; this was all preparation for executing the Zobels' long-term plan. Ayala commissioned the young Lindy Locsin to design the first buildings that would serve as the models for the other structures that would be built in the business district. In turn, Lindy brought in Fred Juinio to be the structural engineer for the buildings. I, on the other hand, was asked by Fernando to submit a proposal for the building of what was to be the very first structure in the Makati business district: the Monterey Apartments. In the Philippines at that time, our team-Fred, Lindy, and myself —was probably the best equipped for the job of building a high-rise like the Monterey. After all, we were the first to use 3,000 psi concrete and the first to do a thin shell concrete structure.”
For the Monterey project, Engr. Consunji submitted a proposal directly to Don Alfonso Zobel.
“It was a one‑page proposal that Don Alfonso readily accepted and answered with another one‑page letter. That letter was in effect our contract for a project costing a little over ₱500,000. It specified 3,000 psi concrete.”
He added: “Doing business, even with big corporations, was quite simple then. It had none of the bureaucratic procedures that we have to go through these days.”
Construction began in early 1959.
“We began work on the Monterey Apartments in early 1959 soon after the contracts were signed. It drew a lot of attention not only because it was the first building in the Makati business district but also because it was one of the first modern buildings in the metropolis.”
“In those times, six‑storeys was considered tall. The seven‑storey Monterey was therefore an architectural wonder of sorts.”
The building became a showcase for advanced construction.
“People in the industry were also curious about the 3,000 psi concrete that we were using. Monterey became a showcase for the latest in concrete construction in the Philippines.”
“It was unique for a number of reasons. For one, it was the first building where flat slabs were used, allowing the absence of beams. A 3‑meter cantilever balcony, nowhere found in any other building, was made a part of each apartment unit.”
Its structural elements were notably slender.
“Unlike the other tall buildings in Manila at the time, the Monterey building had thinner columns. In fact, all the concrete elements of the building were smaller than those found in other buildings.”
When inspectors raised concerns, further testing was conducted.
“To their relief, it conformed to their specifications. Our workers were very, very careful about the water content of the concrete so that we could achieve the required strength.”
“When it was finished, the Monterey building became some kind of a spectacle because it stood alone in the proposed entire business district of Makati.”
DMCI would build more projects for the Ayalas including the Elizalde Building, also designed by Locsin with Juinio as structural engineer; the Rizal Theater which is the first building to be constructed in the Makati Commercial Center; and the Filipinas Compañia de Seguros Building, the fourth structure DMCI built for Ayala.
“By the time we did the fourth building for Ayala, I was pretty confident of DMCI's place in the local construction industry," Engr. Consunji said.
These first four buildings demonstrated a key advantage of Makati over the Philippine Capital, Manila.
These projects demonstrated a major advantage of Makati over Manila, its stable adobe ground foundation, which eliminated the need for piles and resulted in significant cost savings for building owners.
DMCI was eventually entrusted with building Ayala family homes and even Don Alfonso’s vacation house in Calatagan, Batangas. It was a collaboration marked by mutual respect and gratitude.
Engr. Consunji expressed deep appreciation for this trust, noting that the relationship went beyond business.
“We were quite happy to have worked with the Ayalas and they seemed happy with us too. We were able to deliver all our projects on time, sometimes even ahead of schedule, and always according to specifications. I could feel that they trusted us very much.”
Three decades later, in 1988, DMCI was awarded the contract to construct Pacific Plaza, a 43-storey residential condominium to be built on the very site where Monterey Apartments once stood.
From a lone seven‑storey residential building to a globally recognized business district, Makati’s transformation was shaped by vision, engineering excellence, and partnerships grounded in trust.
Happy Araw ng Makati!
A fitting moment to remember the humble beginnings and the people and institutions that helped lay the foundations of the city we know today.
Source: A Passion to Build: A Memoir of David M. Consunji
(Photo lifted from Engr. David M. Consunji’s memoir, “A Passion to Build.”)
