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Iloilo welcomes Ayala’s commitment to city’s growth

By Glenda Tayona

Monday, April 3, 2023

ILOILO City – In a vote of confidence to this southern city’s economic potentials, Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI), the country’s largest land developer, is expanding its investment footprint here with the Atria Technohub – its newest venture at the Atria Gardens, the latest phase of its flagship development at the Atria Park District in the business enclave of Mandurriao.

Atria Gardens is a commercial and lifestyle hub with offices as anchors.

Ayala Land president and chief executive officer Bernard Vincent Dy and city government officials led the groundbreaking on March 30 for two new office buildings totaling 25,500 square meters of gross leasable floor area.

“With the city’s rapidly expanding BPO (business process outsourcing) market, we break ground on Atria Technohub. This is envisioned to be a BPO campus and the business address of choice of top BPO investors in this region,” said Dy.

According to Dy, the strategic cluster of office buildings, supported by sprawling retail and civic spaces, will not only cater to the rising demand for office spaces but will also significantly contribute to the vibrant economy of Iloilo City.

Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, who was represented by his Executive Assistant Francis T. Cruz at the groundbreaking, thanked Ayala Land for its contributions to the city’s vision of inclusive development.

For this particular project, the city mayor cited the company for responding to the call to accelerate the construction of buildings and facilities for Iloilo’s nascent BPO industry.

Iloilo City is projected to become the third largest BPO hub in the country by 2025.

Treñas emphasized that the BPO industry has employed thousands of locals and is proof of the city’s increased competitiveness.

Specifically, the city is currently home to more than 100 BPO companies with around 39,000 full-time employees.

“This is important to us since we are the center of education in the
region. We produce quality graduates on an annual basis, and BPOs provide opportunities for employment, particularly for recent graduates,” he said.

With eight universities and 18 colleges, Iloilo produces the biggest number of graduates in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The launching of Atria Technohub demonstrates the commitment of the business sector to help further grow the city’s economy.

“Because of Ayala Land’s drive to develop centers of growth and opportunity, the Atria Park District has emerged as one of Iloilo City’s major commercial and residential areas,” stressed Treñas.

Meanwhile, apart from the new office towers, Atria Gardens will have shopping and dining components set in a park setting. It will have a high-street experience celebrating the best in local and global retail concepts and first in Western Visayas flagship outlets.

Dy also acknowledged that the quality of education in the region remains high, with institutions producing quality graduates to support the expansion of offices all over the city.

“All these and more make Iloilo City a preferred location for local and foreign BPO investors,” he added.

ALI first ventured in Iloilo City in 2012. Since then, Atria Park District has become one of Iloilo City’s major residential, commercial, business, educational, and medical hubs. It boasts of, among others, Qualimed, Seda, Avida, The Shops at Atria, and Ateneo de Iloilo.

Iloilo City is a rapidly emerging market posting the highest per capita GDP (gross domestic product) of P280,356 among the eight economies in Western Visayas in 2021.

The city has continued to attract investors with its stable economic growth and improved business-investment environment, making it an ideal investment destination in the South.

Treñas also disclosed that he is currently talking to around four major investors who will be coming to Iloilo soon for possible investments within this year.

Today, Iloilo’s economy is driven by a wider range of industries including agribusiness, tourism, BPOs, trading activities and service-driven firms including banks, educational institutions, and hospitals, among others./PN