Ayala begins work on ICT park in QC

Property giant Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) broke ground yesterday on its multi-billion peso science and technology park in a property owned by the University of the Philippines along Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City.

The project, sitting on a 37.5-hectare property, is expected to replicate the famous Silicon Valley in California and the MIT’s Route 128 in Massachusetts.

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte, who was present during the groundbreaking, expressed optimism that the project would further strengthen the thrust of the city government toward becoming the country’s information and communication technology (ICT) capital.

ALI director Mercedita S. Nolledo said the project, dubbed UP North Science and Technology Park, will feature all the business lines of the company which include low-rise office buildings to be complemented by supporting components such as retail, residential and hotel developments. The office building component alone is estimated to cost about P6 billion.

Nolledo said the S&T Park will pioneer business process outsourcing (BPO) campus developments in the country and set the standard for future IT parks.

Marivic Anonuevo, head of ALI’s corporate business group, said the company together with partners Goldman Sachs and Capmark, will build a total of 10 office buildings within the ICT park with the first building slated for completion in November this year.

Anonuevo said a multinational firm has expressed interest in leasing the first BPO building, which shall make available 7,000 square meters of office space. The first office building is expected to cost P1 billion.

The second building, which shall be due in February 2008, will make available a total of 20,000 square meters of office space.

Anonuevo said ALI will put up a six-storey residential building and a retail strip as soon as the S&T park achieves critical mass.

The retail component shall consist of dining places, bookstore and other establishments to support the S&T park.

Belmonte said this project signals the start of what is yet to come and the growth of more communities in Quezon City with complete amenities. UP president Emerlinda Roman said the S&T Park would be an important step in strengthening the state university’s position as the leading research and development school in the country and in the region.

Companies that are expected to set-up offices at the S&T Park include those in high-technology fields like telecommunications, telematics and biotechnology, and high-value business process outsourcing such as accounting, animation, software development, design and engineering services.

To date, Quezon City enjoys the highest concentration of ICT buildings and special economic zones in the country. It is home to more than 60 BPO companies, including Convergys, eTelecare International, Teletech, Sykes Philippines, Accenture and Globalstride, Sitel Corp., Call Asia, Epixtar International, among others.