SM EcomCenter rides wave of growth in local BPO sector

MANILA, Philippines - SM Investments Corp.’s property arm, SM Prime Holdings is poised to ride the wave of growth in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector with the expansion of EcomCenters in the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. 

The EcomCenter complex consists of OneEcom, TwoEcom and the FiveEcomCenter which was launched last May 2015.

“The Philippines remains one of the top BPO destinations in the world which has underpinned the growth in office demand. Our offices in the EcomCenters at the MOA complex continue to offer world class facilities, further enhanced by their proximity to major business districts, retail establishments, transport lines and major ports,” David Rafael, senior vice president for SM Prime Commercial Properties, said. 

Industry analysts said the BPO industry is projected to earn $25 billion in revenues and employ  from 1.3 - to 3.2 - million people directly and indirectly by 2016, equivalent to around eight percent of the Philippine economy. 

Data from real estate consultancy KMC Research & Consultancy indicated office take-up in the MOA complex area increased by 11.8 percent in 2014 from last year. Prime rents rose by 8.5 percent to P602.60 per square meter per month while vacancy rates are likely to remain low at two percent.

In 2015, new supply will come from FiveEcomCenter which is already 80% pre-leased. With an investment of almost P3 billion, the new FiveEcom will have a gross floor area (GFA) of 141,706 sqm and an estimated gross leasable area (GLA) of 83,000 sqm. 

BPOs can look forward to large floor plates of up to 7,500 sqm. At the same time, selected floors will cater to smaller office space requirements.  

The air-conditioning system has been designed in the variable refrigerant volume (VRV) format in order to provide tenants with greater flexibility to match their operations, spelling cost savings for them. It will also feature basement parking, a pioneering feature among buildings in the Mall of Asia Complex.  

Designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica, FiveEcom’s innovative architecture is characterized by cantilevered rectilinear designs. Like TwoE-com, it will offer mixed-use areas on its open-air fourth floor podium that will provide nearby Manila Bay views.   

A ground floor arcade will house accessible retail shops and daily conveniences of building occupants. As with the previous two buildings as well, it will be interconnected to One and TwoE-com through covered bridgeways, offering convenience to future tenants. It is served by round-the-clock security, utilities, and power. In fact, FiveEcom is also equipped with enough generator sets to provide for 72 hours of continuous emergency back-up power.  

Aside from FiveEcom, SM Prime Commercial Properties will soon develop ThreeEcomCenter which will feature a semi-circular twin tower structure and FourEcomCenter with a prism-like design. It is set to receive Gold LEED Certification, making ThreeE-comCenter the first LEED Certified building in MOA Complex. 

Apart from their strategic locations, EcomCenters also offer operational efficiencies due to their large floor plates. The fiber optic loop system within the MOA complex provides BPO tenants telco redundancy not only in terms of distribution but also in terms of source.  

The EcomCenters are also structurally reinforced in certain areas to accommodate tenants’ data centers. Another major advantage of locating in the EcomCenters is the available parking space which consist of designated areas in the buildings and the entire MOA complex. The buildings also showcase unique designs that make them a prestigious office address.