BPOs expand to next wave cities

MANILA, Philippines - With BPO companies expanding out to next wave cities and other key urban areas, Robinsons Land Corporation announced that it has completed mall-based BPO spaces in Luzon and Mindanao that are ready to receive tenants.

RLC’s Arlene Magtibay, Business Unit General Manager of Commercial Centers Division said the firm has already completed office spaces for lease, ideal for BPOs, in its malls in Paco in Manila, Tarlac City, and Davao City.

She added that RLC’s mall complexes in Tacloban and Dumaguete also have available spaces for the construction of an office building if there is demand from the market.

Magtibay said the three malls have a total of over 21,000 square meters of available office area for lease while the size of the Tacloban and Dumaguete BPO buildings will depend on the prospective tenants’ specifications.

Construction is also underway for two more RLC BPO buildings in Ortigas Business Center which will add a total of 80,000 square meters to its office leasing portfolio, making it one of the top BPO lessors in the country, according to Henry Yap, Business Unit-General Manager for Office Buildings Division.

Recent industry reports indicate that rents of office buildings are rising as strong corporate expansionary demand drives up leasing requirements for both BPO and traditional offices. Because of this, vacancy rates in Metro Manila’s business districts have remained at low levels despite the upward trend in rates.

It said this is just the start of the projected up-cycle for the Philippine property market as determined by real demand and strong macroeconomic fundamentals.

Magtibay said the BPO spaces in the three Robinsons malls, aside from enjoying the convenience of shopping and dining outlets in the same building, are also accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, equipped with 100 percent back-up power, and support facilities to operate 24X7.Robinsons Otis in Paco, Manila has three levels of office spaces above the mall with a total leasable area of around 11,000 sqm. Aside from the convenience of the mall below, the area is also near the University Belt area with over 40 colleges that will make it easy to recruit personnel. The City of Manila still has a large untapped labor pool that can service BPO requirements.

On the other hand, Robinsons Luisita in Tarlac City has over 5000 sqm of available space in two levels which are ideal for the business process outsourcing sector—whether it is for the voice or non-voice segment.Robinsons Luisita is strategically located between northern and southern Luzon and is accessible via the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and McArthur Highway. It is the only commercial center with BPO space in Tarlac.

Meanwhile Robinsons Cybergate Davao has 2,700 sqm of leasable office space located at the second level of the mall. Other than Metro Manila, Davao City is the only city in the country with a population of over a million. Davao also scored the highest among the top 10 Next Wave Cities, according to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines.