The nearer, the better

Corporations that put a high premium on accessibility and quality of development are driving up the demand for office space at Bonifacio Global City.

In fact, private developers are finalizing blueprints for new office buildings in Bonifacio Global City’s E-Square district that will house the headquarters of a major bank. Construction of an office building at the Bonifacio Triangle area is also expected to begin this year.

In contrast to many other business districts within Metro Manila, ingress and egress are easy to and from Bonifacio Global City given its various access points, note executives of firms that have set up their headquarters in the areathe former military camp.

In addition, Bonifacio Global City is close to Makati, the Ortigas Center and the South Luzon Expressway, observes Joselito Yanga of First Balfour, Inc. which has set up shop at Bonifacio Technology Center. First Balfour is one of the largest engineering and construction firm in the Philippines. It is a fully-owned subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings.

Bonifacio Global City’s greenery and well-maintained parks, where employees can jog or stroll, likewise offer a stark contrast to the concrete jungle found in most urban areas, Yanga adds.

For its part, NEC Telecom Software Philippines, Inc. selected Bonifacio Global City from among five potential sites. It operates within Bonifacio Global City’s E-Square, a 25-hectare PEZA-accredited zone.

NEC is a software development company engaged in research, design development, export and open management of software for communication equipment, transmission systems and systems engineering.

At the top of NEC’s list of reasons for choosing Bonifacio Global City was its proximity to the Makati Commercial Central Business District and the airport, says NEC’s Zoilo Gonzales. Other major considerations for the company were the city’s multiple access points, safety for the visitors and expatriates from NEC’s mother company in Japan, expected future business and commercial developments, available and safe parking, good telecom and power facilities, low traffic density within the area, and less pollution versus other congested business districts.

Digital Media Exchange, Inc. opted to put up its office in Bonifacio Global City because it has wide streets, provisions for good circulation even when it gets built up, presence of quality housing, better air quality and, greenery. "And all this is available without being too far from other business partners whose offices are in the Makati area," says Scott Countryman of Digital Media Exchange which operates within the Net One building. Digital Media is the first company in the Philippines to integrate leading digital content, technology, operational expertise and youth marketing savvy that provides a socially-interactive entertainment experience.

Another technology firm, Cypress Semiconductor, located to Bonifacio Global City because of the available high-tech communication facilities, a must for the US-based company.

Bonifacio Global City’s E-Square district is particularly attractive for PEZA-accredited firms that may avail of various incentives including income tax holiday for three to six years (afterwhich, a lower tax rate applies); exemption from local taxes, fees and duties on imported equipment and materials; and employment of foreign nationals.

A company may be PEZA-accredited if its activities are deemed as "export" in natureexport-related. This includesThe exemption applies to service exporters such as IT and computer-related services and call centers, as well as manufacturers of non-traditional export products/services with capability to export at least 50% per cent (if Filipino-owned) or 70% per cent (if foreign-owned) of its output.