CORPORATE OCCUPIERS FLOCKING TO ALABANG’S NEW BUILDINGS
IT and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) firms are not the only ones taking up space in key Metro Manila business districts today. Traditional corporate occupiers engaged in manufacturing, construction, finance, retail, and the like also take credit for 55 percent of the live requirements or transactions in various stages of the leasing process as of Q2 2022, according to a recent study by Leechiu
Property Consultants (LPC).
In fact, 235,000 sqm of the 451,000 sqm of current live requirements are actively being sought out by traditional occupiers. This is in comparison to the 212,000 sqm or 44 percent of live requirements from ITBPM firms.
In business districts like Alabang, for instance, traditional occupiers are filling up recently completed buildings like the 12-story 1210 Acacia at the Madrigal Business Park in Alabang, a preferred location for medium and large corporations seeking a strategic address in southern Metro Manila and a gateway to Calabarzon.
Phillip Añonuevo, LPC executive director for commercial leasing, pointed out that the Alabang area is particularly preferred by companies that have manufacturing facilities or business activities in Laguna and Batangas because of a number of new and upgraded expressways in the region have made these sites even more accessible.
Midway between Calabarzon and the larger business districts of Metro Manila, Alabang offers upgraded telecommunications and other infrastructure, hotels, and a wide range of food, entertainment, and lifestyle options. Masterplanned with corporates in mind, Alabang’s buildings like 1210 Acacia offer lower densities than the office towers of Makati and BGC.
“This means more exclusivity for its occupants, shorter waiting times in elevators, more personalized building management services, and other benefits,” said Miguel Manipol, LPC director for commercial leasing.
The self-contained Alabang community and surrounding cities also offer a range of residen
tial options for corporate executives as well as mid-managers and rank-and-file. Moreover, corporations are realizing that Alabang’s proximity to the rich labor pools of Cavite, Laguna, Las Piñas and Parañaque makes it an attractive work destination for its employees.
Amaia Land, the Ayala Land subsidiary focused on developing quality, yet affordable housing, has taken up 70 percent of 1210 Acacia.
Manipol pointed out that because Alabang occupiers have global clients, a number of them have also begun using their offices to showcase their vibrant work environments. “It matters to global clients that a supplier’s employees are cared for and have loyalty to the firm. Seeing well-designed work areas in suppliers’ offices drives home a firm’s concern for its workforce.”
The penthouse floors of 1210 Acacia with typical floor plates of 1092 sqm. are particularly suitable for “showcase offices.” The building also offers four passenger elevators, VRF air-conditioning, and telco services from PLDT, Globe, and Converge.
Better yet, 1210 Acacia, like other developments in the area, is perceived to offer a better quality of life in this modern, self-sufficient but contained business district, said Manipol.