Globe data center readies PHL as regional technology hub
With the flood of data across the globe from the ever-growing demands of a thriving digital landscape, data has become the new gold. The more data you have, the more gold you will get, according to Ivan Uy, the Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology. At the launch of the ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (Philippines), a joint venture between Globe, Ayala Corporation, and Singapore-based ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, Uy underscored the significance of harnessing the potential of data centers to catapult the Philippines’ hypergrowth and position the country as regional hub for information technology and digital innovations.
“The Philippines is in a good position to take the front seat in the digital space,” Uy said, “we have the talent, the skillset, and the right motivation. Digitalization is one of the primary thrusts of the Marcos administration.”
He added, “Traditional areas like Singapore and Japan are getting crowded. So the Philippines is an open field where they can see almost unlimited growth not just because of the untouched potential of our land but even our human resources.”
Carlo Malana, STT GDC Philippines president, added the Philippines benefited from the geopolitical tensions in Europe and parts of the Indo-Pacific being at the heart of the ASEAN region.
“Singapore has no available land and there is tension in the Taiwan Straits. But the Philippines has real estate space and power requirements to host data centers,” Malana said.
The new data center campus, STT Fairview, will comprise over 83,000 square meters of gross floor area across four buildings. Once fully built, it offers a development potential of 124 megawatts of IT load capacity. It is strategically positioned within Quezon City with access to nearby substations and critical telecommunications, transportation links, and logistics, business, and industrial hubs.
This data center is expected to store and manage various digital data of customers of nearly all types of businesses now operating in the digital age.
Connected Filipinos with faster internet and high-technology smartphones, people now consume as much as they share data — texts, photos, audio, and videos online.
According to a 2021 report by social media management firms Hootsuite and We Are Social, Filipinos have been the heaviest internet users in Southeast Asia and the world, surfing the web for an average of 10 hours each day, longer than that of Colombia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
“Data is the fuel that will drive everything we do, from social to e-commerce. Data centers are growing at a phenomenal pace in the region. Still, the Philippines will be the center of growth in Southeast Asia,” Bruno Lopez, president and CEO of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres-International, said.
In addition, Uy said the Philippines has the labor force, land area, and regulations to build the country as an efficient data center location.
Uy said the government had launched programs to upskill Filipinos in data management, tapping the youth’s higher interest and knowledge absorption in technology.
“Other countries’ aging population cannot cope with the future demand.”
Half of the Philippine population is aged 25, while that of Japan is 48.
Level of expertise Manala added, “There’s a different level required for running a critical facility. For example, a mechanic fixing your car and the other a Formula One are different mechanics.”
For data protection and cybersecurity regulations, Uy said authorities would strictly implement data privacy laws and anti-cybercrime measures.
“The DICT will provide companies guidelines for compliance and training to build their capacities. We will put these as our priorities for reliable data interoperability.”
With these critical elements for operating an efficient data center, Lopez believes there will be at least 28,000 jobs for Filipinos and $5 billion more in national income for every 20-megawatt data center.
“Data now is the new gold, and the data center is your vault. The bigger the data center, the more gold you have,” Manala explained.
In the next three years, Lopez said there could be ten other data center providers in the Philippines as the digitalization of activities is accelerated by hyper scalers, which are companies engaged in various businesses like e-commerce, entertainment, and research.
“I’ve worked with Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Before, each of them wanted just five megawatts. With data centers and mobile applications growing phenomenally, 124 megawatts is a drop in the bucket.”
Aside from a significant land area, hyper scalers are looking for high power capacity to run their data-centric computers 24/7.
Uy said the demand for more data centers and the interest in electric vehicles or EVs would rise.
“I’m also initiating programs to retool our mechanics to become EV mechanics because our automobile industry will have a profound transformation in the next ten years because computers will power these EVs.”
Located along Regalado Avenue in West Fairview, Quezon City, the data center’s first phase is expected to rise in 2025, while the rest in eight years or less.
“We’ll scale the growth of the rest of the facility as the demand comes in. As the customers come in, we’re prepared to give them a strategic highway for their development and growth in their countries,” Manala said.