McKinley Hill Cyberpark goes full blast

Even as the global crisis on both sides of the Atlantic is still unfolding, American and European companies and their affiliates have recently outlined plans to fortify their presence here in Manila. The rapidly growing business process outsourcing (BPO) landscape in the Philippines testifies to the wealth of opportunities the country offers to the multitude of local and international companies. As rapid as this growth is the need for office spaces that offer quality and flexibility, two crucial criteria that can spell failure or success for a business.

No other real estate company meets these requirements more effectively than property giant Megaworld Corporation, the developer that started the wave of BPO projects in the Philippines. From the success of its Eastwood City Cyberpark model, it has been hard at work on its newest venture — the 50-hectare McKinley Hill. Called thus because of its rolling landscapes, McKinley Hill is in the process of completing the first phase of its 14-hectare cyberpark and embarks on the second phase with great confidence and ease.

The initial construction of five BPO buildings within McKinley Hill includes the One, Two and Three World Square towers plus 8 Park Avenue. The office towers feature varying floor plates to adjust to the demands of hypergrowth BPO firms. Both start-up and established companies have the option to expand their offices within the same premises once their clients and business boom, thus translating to savings and efficiency.

The McKinley Hill Cyberpark is also accredited with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) board as an economic zone, therefore all tenants are entitled to various fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, including income tax holidays for up to five years.

Another new development responds to the growing problem of climate change. 8 Park Avenue is a landmark building because it is the first environment-friendly BPO facility in the country. Dozens of solar panels on its rooftop harness the power of the sun for electricity. Half a million gallons of water will be saved annually because of the self-enclosing automatic top closets attached to the male washroom’s urinals. An underground cistern collects and filters rainwater for watering plants. A zoning system for air conditioning gives tenants the flexibility to cool only specific areas at specified times, especially when staffing requirements are low. This signifies Megaworld’s strong commitment to a cleaner environment and businesses built around careful regard for mother nature.

Topnotch companies have already located or are in the process of locating their operations to McKinley Hill Cyberpark, including Accenture and 3M.

Megaworld hopes to build two more BPO buildings every year within McKinley Hill. As it begins construction for the second phase of McKinley Hill Cyberpark, Megaworld is seriously considering even more “green” buildings with more energy saving features to promote an environment-conscious philosophy to its BPO tenants.