ABOUT THE COMPANY

Jesus S. Avila Enterprises started in the mid 1950's as a single proprietorship, when Atty. Jesus Emilio Suico Avila rented Oriente Theater from his father, Don Jose Avila. Having pioneered the theater business in the 1930's, the older Avila, weary through the war years, was no longer interested in going back to the theater business. However, the younger son was full of energy and optimism to step into his father's old business.

As the years passed and with his father's blessings, the business flourished. When Mr. Felix Barba's lease expired, Jesus took control of the old Majestic Theater beside the Oriente Theater. He renamed it into Ideal Theater. By 1967, Jesus began the construction of his first totally brand new moviehouse, the Rizal Theater which was situated behind the Oriente Theater. With three moviehouses operating, Jesus became the number one movie operator in Cebu City. In 1969, Atty. Avila embarked on the renovation of the Ideal Theater but a mysterious fire totally destroyed both the Oriente and Ideal Theaters. This limited the business operations to one theater. With the cost of rebuilding the burnt theaters beyond the reach of a single proprietor, Atty. Avila created a new corporation, Heirs of Jose Avila, Inc., together with his sisters.

Jesus S. Avila Enterprises was incorporated into Jesus S. Avila Theatrical, Inc. on December 17, 1973, operating only the Rizal Theater. The new corporation branched out into the real estate business in 1975 with the construction of Adela Bldg. in Mango Avenue. With the transformation of Mango Avenue into a commercial thoroughfare, another building was constructed in 1978 in the old Avila residence and a new theater was added to the back of this building which is currently Century 21 Cinema. With the creation of a new corporation to run the theaters, and having given up control of Rizal Theater to the downtown corporation, Jesus S. Avila Theatrical, Inc. began specializing in the commercial real estate business. After his death in 1979, the building he built in the old Avila residence was named Jesus S. Avila Bldg. The corporation was renamed JESA Management Corporation in 1988 which is the initials of Atty. Jesus Emilio Suico Avila. Construction of Century Plaza Commercial Complex started in 1988 in various Phases and was finally completed in 1998 with Century Plaza Hotel, a hotel catering to the businessmen in Cebu City. In 1997, The Avila Foundation was created to help the underprivileged children of Cebu City.

The company plans to reconstruct Jesus S. Avila Bldg. into a 15 storey building, complete with all the facilities of a modern high rise office building.