Escandor Tower: Davao’s High-Rise Pioneer, Falling Behind the Competition?

Escandor Development Corporation (Esdevco) has completed the first phase of its Matina Enclaves project, blessing Building E, a 230-unit, 12-story mid-rise tower, in April 2026. That milestone marks the end of a five-building mid-rise development that began nearly a decade earlier, but the company is already pivoting to a much taller play — a 27-storey tower under the Enclaves Towers brand. For anyone tracking Davao City’s real estate trajectory, the shift from mid-rise to high-rise signals something worth watching closely.

Esdevco is not a household name outside Mindanao, but within Davao it has quietly built a reputation as a credible mid-range developer. The company was formed in 2012 by Glenn Escandor, and its pilot project — Matina Enclaves — broke ground the following year. That development is unusual for Davao because it combines residential lots, single detached houses, and both mid-rise and high-rise condominium units within one self-contained community. Glenn Escandor himself has described it as the only development in Davao and probably in Mindanao offering that mix. Since 2013, the company has disposed of approximately 2,000 units of liveable space across its residential projects, a figure that places it among the top credible developers in the city by its own assessment.

But the landscape is shifting. Davao’s condo market has seen an influx of major players — from Ayala Land’s Abreeza developments to Megaworld’s The Residences at Azuela Cove and DMCI’s Primavera City. These projects bring brand recognition, deep marketing budgets, and amenities that mid-rise buildings from the early 2010s struggle to match. Esdevco’s move to a 27-storey tower is a direct response to that competition, but whether it can keep pace with the scale and polish of the national giants remains an open question. For a deeper look at how these competing projects are reshaping buyer expectations, comparing high-end and budget options in Davao provides useful context.

What Escandor Tower Brings That Others Don’t

The core differentiator for Esdevco is its deliberate focus on end-users rather than the rental market. Garces noted that the units in the final mid-rise buildings are relatively bigger compared to typical rental-oriented developments. That matters because Davao has seen a surge in studio and one-bedroom units designed primarily for Airbnb and short-term rental yields — a trend that has created tension in some buildings. For buyers who actually want to live in their unit, the extra square footage and the community layout of Matina Enclaves offer something the cookie-cutter investor units often do not.

That said, the end-user focus also means Esdevco has less experience catering to the high-end luxury segment that competitors like Azuela Cove target. The company’s track record is in mid-range, practical housing — not the resort-style living that commands premium per-square-meter prices. The upcoming 27-storey tower will test whether Esdevco can scale up its product without losing the value proposition that made its earlier phases sell out.

The Escandor Business Network Beyond Real Estate

Understanding Esdevco’s position in Davao real estate requires looking beyond the condominium towers. Glenn Escandor also owns Genesis88 Construction Inc., a contractor that the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism has cited as one of the firms that expanded rapidly during the Rodrigo Duterte administration, helped by a surge in public works spending. Public records show Genesis88 stayed busy after Duterte left office as well. Based on the Sumbong sa Pangulo website, Escandor has been linked to 34 flood control and river works projects worth about ₱2.82 billion, mostly in Davao del Sur, from 2022 to 2024. He also owns the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City, near City Hall.

That mix of businesses — real estate development, construction contracting, and hospitality — gives Esdevco a diversified revenue base that many standalone developers do not have. The construction arm alone has been busy with public infrastructure work, which could help fund the company’s real estate ambitions even if condo sales slow. But it also raises questions about how much of the company’s growth is organic versus driven by government connections. For buyers, the practical concern is whether the quality and timeline of a residential tower built by a company whose primary revenue comes from public works will match what pure-play developers deliver.

On the other hand, the Escandor group’s involvement in flood control projects is directly relevant to Davao real estate buyers. Flooding is a persistent concern in parts of the city, and a developer with firsthand experience in drainage and river works may be better positioned to design resilient properties. That is not a guarantee, but it is a factor worth weighing when comparing Esdevco’s projects against those of developers who subcontract all their civil works. For a broader look at how flood risk affects property decisions in Davao, assessing flood preparedness in Davao condos offers a useful framework.

What Gets Overlooked in the Escandor Tower Story

→ Scroll right to see all columns

The PBA Franchise Financial Drain

One of the less-discussed aspects of Glenn Escandor’s business portfolio is his reported takeover of the Phoenix Fuel Masters PBA team from Dennis Uy. Industry chatter puts the annual cost of running a PBA team at more than ₱200 million once player salaries, travel, housing, and operations are counted. Phoenix itself booked an impairment loss of ₱63 million in 2023, and its stock has been suspended since 2024 due to delayed financial reports. For a mid-sized developer, absorbing that kind of recurring expense is not trivial. It does not mean Esdevco is in financial trouble, but it does mean the company’s cash flow is being allocated to a high-cost, low-return asset — one that has already shown signs of financial strain under its previous owner.

Phase 2 Scale-Up Risk

Esdevco’s entire track record is in mid-rise buildings — eight, ten, and twelve storeys. The jump to a 27-storey tower is a different engineering and sales challenge. Taller buildings require more sophisticated structural systems, longer construction timelines, and a different buyer profile. The company has not yet demonstrated it can execute at that scale. Buyers considering a unit in the Enclaves Towers Phase 2 should pay close attention to the developer’s track record with high-rise construction and whether they have partnered with experienced contractors for the vertical expansion.

Market Positioning Against National Players

Davao’s condo market is increasingly dominated by Ayala Land, Megaworld, and DMCI — developers with decades of high-rise experience, established brand trust, and nationwide marketing reach. Esdevco competes primarily on price and community layout, but it lacks the amenities packages and lifestyle branding that drive premium pricing in the upper mid-range segment. The company’s strength is in practical, well-located housing for local buyers, not in attracting out-of-town investors. That is not a weakness per se, but it does limit the addressable market for the new tower. For a comparison of how other Davao projects are positioning themselves, examining whether Northpoint Davao is driving up prices provides relevant market context.

What Buyers and Investors Should Consider

Evaluating the End-User Advantage

If you are buying a unit to live in, Esdevco’s end-user focus is a genuine advantage. The larger floor plans and community-oriented layout of Matina Enclaves mean you are less likely to live next to a revolving door of short-term renters. The development’s mix of housing types — lots, houses, and condos — also creates a more diverse neighborhood feel than a standalone tower. For families or long-term residents, that matters. The trade-off is that the amenities may not be as polished as what you would get from a national developer, and the resale market for larger units in a mid-range development can be slower than for smaller, more liquid units in prime locations.

Assessing the Developer’s Financial Health

Esdevco has multiple revenue streams — real estate sales, construction contracts, and hotel operations — which provides some cushion. But the PBA franchise is a notable cash drain, and the company’s reliance on government contracts introduces political risk. A change in administration or a slowdown in infrastructure spending could affect the construction arm’s revenue. Buyers should ask about the company’s debt levels, the financing structure for Phase 2, and whether the PBA team is being funded from operating cash flow or separate capital. These are reasonable questions for any developer, but they are especially relevant for one taking on a significantly larger project than anything it has built before.

Timing the Purchase

Property prices in Davao have increased by anywhere from a conservative 30 percent to as much as 70 percent over the past three years, according to Glenn Escandor. That rapid appreciation means early-phase buyers in Matina Enclaves have already seen significant equity gains. For Phase 2 of Enclaves Towers, the pricing strategy will determine whether the value proposition holds. If Esdevco prices the new tower at a significant premium over its mid-rise units, it may struggle to replicate the 90 percent pre-sell rate of Building E. If it keeps pricing competitive, early buyers could benefit from the same appreciation pattern — assuming the market continues to absorb new supply at the current pace.

What the Competition Looks Like

For a clearer picture of how Esdevco stacks up against other Davao developments, examining whether Azuela Cove is the next big thing offers a direct comparison point. Azuela Cove targets a higher price segment with resort-style amenities and a waterfront location. Esdevco’s Matina Enclaves competes on community layout and practical pricing. The two projects serve different buyer profiles, but they are competing for the same pool of Davao-based buyers who are deciding between mid-range and premium options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Staying Ahead or Falling Behind?

Esdevco has done something genuinely difficult in Davao real estate: it built a mixed-use community from scratch, sold out multiple mid-rise towers, and established itself as a credible local developer. The 90 percent pre-sell rate on Building E is not a fluke — it reflects real demand for the product the company has been delivering. But the market is changing fast. National developers are pouring resources into Davao, and the bar for amenities, design, and marketing keeps rising. The 27-storey Enclaves Towers will be the clearest test yet of whether Esdevco can compete at that level or whether it will be relegated to a niche player in a city that is rapidly outgrowing its mid-rise roots. If this was useful, you might also want to read whether Primavera City’s eco-friendly promises hold up under scrutiny.

Sources

Azuela Cove: Davao’s next real estate goldmine? — A detailed look at Megaworld’s flagship Davao project and how it compares to local developers.

Esdevco completes Matina Enclaves Phase 1. SunStar Davao, April 2026.

Glenn Escandor: Building a legacy in Davao real estate. The CEO Magazine, 2025.

Glenn Escandor takes over Phoenix PBA team from Dennis Uy. Bilyonaryo, January 2026.