October 6, 2007 | 12:00am
Century Development Corp. of Taiwan is finalizing its deal with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) for the construction of a software park in the Freeport area, a move that is expected to spur the information technology industry in the country.
“We are finalizing the agreement with Century Development Corporation to build a software park in Subic,” SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said in an interview.
Arreza said he is already in serious talks with the company’s chairman, Theodore Huang.
According to him, the software park will house companies that provide research and development and programming services.
Initially, he said the park will host call centers but eventually, Arreza said business process outsourcing (BPO) companies will also locate in the area.
“We will get the high tech industries from Taiwan to use our IT (information technology) talents,” Arreza said.
Arreza said Subic will host next month a Taiwan Philippines joint economic conference wherein several investors from Taiwan will visit the country.
“This development is similar to Eastwood in Quezon City,” Arreza explained. The administrator said the development in Subic will be an integrated development wherein commercial spaces and education and training facilities will be built.
The government agency will contribute the 20-hectare land for the project while the Taiwan-based firm will develop the area.
This forms part of the phase two of Subic Bay’s Industrial Park.
“The focus has shifted from low cost manufacturing to the production of high technology supplies with high value added,” Arreza said.
The government official said it is too difficult to go head to head with China in the manufacturing sector because the other country has economies of scale. Meanwhile, he said the IT park can take advantage of the numerous qualified graduates the Philippines is producing.
Century Development Corp. developed Taipei’s own industrial park the Nanking Software Park. The purpose behind developing the Nankang Software Park is to create an excellent investment environment, stimulate the development and creativity of software products and services, elevate the R&D and quality control of software, and establish a strong image of Taiwan’s software industry and knowledge-centered industry throughout the world.
