S AT U R D AY : O C T O B E R 17 : 2 0 1 5
PROPERTY
JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR
jdlacsamana@gmail.com
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BRE Group, Inc. recently acquired Global Workspace Solutions, a provider of enterprise facilities management solutions for global corporations and other large occupiers of commercial real estate. The move strengthens CBRE’s position in the region to deliver globally integrated services to major occupier, and enhances relationships with many of the world’s most prominent corporations. The business process outsourcing (BPO) sector of the Philippines remains the top driver for investment in the country, with demand being sustained by its cost-effectiveness and demographic dividend. Its strong macroeconomic growth with a 5.6% GDP and high foreign direct investments, contribute to the ap-
peal of the Philippines to investors. CBRE Philippines was founded by Rick M. Santos in 1995 just when the local BPO sector began. CBRE Philippines helped ease the entry of international BPO companies to the country by providing them with workspace locations, as well as property and facilities management services. It also brought in a number of international BPO companies since the 1990s. In 2005, the local BPO sector contributed 2.4% of the GDP that grew to $8.9 billion in revenues in 2010. In 2011, the Philippines outshone India globally as the leading voice services center in a study done by Everest Research. This year, the Philippines was included in Tholon’s top 100 Outsourcing Destinations, ranking Manila and
Cebu in the top 10, with Manila as Top 2 and Cebu City as 8th. “The Philippine BPO sector will continue to thrive in the next years,” said Rick M. Santos, CEO of CBRE Philippines. “The country provides a conducive environment for foreign investors—an excellent pool and low cost of skilled labor, outstanding customer service, a quality destination, and one of the cheapest rental rates and highest yields in Asia. Santos also announced the launch of its specialist “CBREBPO services” to support the needs of this business sector that is expected to bring in over $25 billion in revenues by 2016. These include transactional services, project management, facilities management and technical services.
greening the grey. Specserv is drumbeating its pro-environment initiative, the DAKU roof garden engineering system, a leakproof, lightweight and low-maintenance roof garden system in the country. It uses the insulated technology of a Nuraplan PVC sheet membrane, and the efficient water storage and drainage system of FSD 20, which can be installed in any high rise. Some buildings which use Daku include the Rockwell Center, Greenbelt 5 in Makati (Shown in photo), the Medical City in Pasig, and the Mind Museum in Taguig. Specserv recenty modified DAKU and dubbed it BUNGKAL. Short for “Bubong Kalikasan”, or “Nature’s Roof,” the recalibrated technology now offers affordable lightroof garden systems to residences without sparing any of DAKU’s original materials.
Sprucing up Sta. MeSa. Amaia Land recently held a top-
bpo ecoSySteMS. The growth of the BPO industry has changed the landscape of the real estate business. It has transformed the Commercial Business District (CBD) areas of Makati and Taguig (Bonifacio Global City) into BPO Hubs that have evolved into new ecosystems: the establishment of one BPO center has resulted in the birth of new commercial and residential developments in the same area to support the needs of BPO workers.
can’t be too Safe. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of recently attended the groundbreaking event of the Cabantian Public Safety Complex, which was donated by Alsons Development and Investment Corporation (Alsons Dev) to the city. The 2,000 square meters project is the first component of a proposed 10-hectare commercial, institutional, and educational town center just outside of Northtown, Alsons Dev’s 116-hectare residential township development. Joining Duterte at the ceremony were Alsons Dev EVP Rosie Dominguez; director Alex I. Alcantara, PNP Sr. Supt. Vicente Danao; Central 911 chief Emmanuel Jaldon, and BFP city director Carlos T. Dueñas.
ping-off ceremony of the South Tower of Amaia Skies Sta. Mesa “Amaia Skies Sta. Mesa is just one of our two highrise condominium projects here in Manila,” said Joel C Punzalan, project strategic management group head for North Luzon. With 26 residential floors, Amaia Skies Sta. Mesa will have studio and one-bedroom units with sizes ranging from 18.6 to 52 square meters. At the ceremony were Francis Mallari, HR head; Ruperto B. Gamboa, IDG studio head; Joel N. Luna, ALI IDG head; Ricky M. Celis, President; Richard T. Yap, MDC BuildPlus CMG director; Ma. Lorena B. Sales, AVP for sales; and Joel C. Punzalan,
ORE building wins bEst gREEn dEv’t awaRd
Make Mine anala. SOC land recently turned over Anala, the first tandem building at Anuva Residences located between Sucat and Alabang in Muntinlupa. Featuring 515 units (studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units in every floor) Anuva Residences has ample space inside and out of the development, with 80 percent of the land area dedicated to amenities including swimming pools, clubhouse, a basketball and tennis court, and an amphitheater, among others. SOC Land also teamed up with the PLDT HOME for the installation of PLDT HOME Fibr in all of Anala’s new units. In the photo are (from left): Felimon G. Yee Jr., SOC Land General Manager; Justine Anne Mercado, SOC Land Director; Rufina Goh, One of first unit buyers of Anala; Farah Denise Castro, SOC Land Director and; John Paul G. Reyes, President of SOC Land.
Oriental Peninsula Resources Group, Inc. (ORE) bagged the “Best Green Development” award at the recent 2015 Philippine Property Award for Monte de Tesoro, ORE’s 40-storey headquarters located at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City. The building was also among the three shortlisted with high commendation for “Best Office Development” and “Best Architectural Design” categories in the same award-giving body. The Philippines Property Awards 2015 is part of the Asia Property Awards. It features 25 award categories covering the best developer,
feather in ore’S cap. Caroline Tanchay, president of Oriental Peninsula Resources Group, Inc. (ORE), receives the “Best Green Development” award Also in photo is engineer Sammy Lazo.
developments and designs in the local real estate sector, covering residential, commercial, office, retail, hospitality, villa and green developments in Manila, Cebu and Davao. ORE collaborated with Gensler Design, an integrated architecture, design, planning and consulting firm which serves 40 of the 50 top-ranked Fortune companies, on the design of the building.