FTI offers new investment opportunities

MANILA, Philippines - With the recent acquisition of Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) by Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) in late 2012, it is expected that the 120-hectare property will soon grow to become one of the brightest and busiest commercial business districts in Southern Metro Manila.

In a signing ceremony witnessed by President Aquino at the Malacañang Palace, ALI executives led by chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala expressed their plans to develop the sprawling 74-hectare complex into a commercial district featuring dining, retail and entertainment for residents and employees in the area as well as travelers from various parts of the country. The complex already features various services and amenities such as banks, fast-food restaurants, food markets and the Sunshine Plaza Mall.

FTI began as the Greater Manila Terminal Food Market in 1968 through a Presidential directive meant to ensure price stability and productivity of the country’s agricultural economy. In the 80s, FTI became involved in retailing various products at government subsidized prices, trading, food processing and cold storage.

Today, FTI operates as a provider of prime lots for industrial, commercial and residential use. Many of its industrial buildings offer leasable facilities for various manufacturers, exporters and food producers.

Conveniently located near the country’s major local and international airports such as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, South Luzon Expressway, C-5 and C-6 roads, as well as surrounded by various communities, FTI is a promising hub for economic activity and a key pivotal convergence point for the south.

The planned development features an impressive transport system that will provide transit options facilitating easy commute from various points in Metro Manila and southern provinces. This transport system will be set up near the FTI property and linked to the Philippine National Railway station nearby — an advantage to employees of a number of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies located inside the complex.

With the ALI acquisition and the development of the complex underway, new and exciting opportunities can only be found at FTI, especially at Sunshine Plaza Mall, which will align itself with the developments initiated by ALI at the FTI Complex, now called ARCA South.

Sunshine Plaza Mall is owned and operated by Shoppers Paradise FTI Corp. (SPFTIC), a subsidiary of Shoppers Paradise Realty and Development Corp. (SPRDC), which owns 100 percent of the only mall in Novaliches Plaza, the Novaliches Plaza Mall.

The mall is a popular retail and dining center for nearby communities via a selection of well-known Filipino fast-food restaurants such as Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Tropical Hut, and a host of food carts.

The mall also prides itself as a bargain center for the Filipino shopaholic where great finds abound at low prices. Travelers coming from the provinces either through the South Luzon Expressway or the airport are not exempt from this great dining and retail experience.