The country’s business process outsourcing industry is growing exponentially, and the Aboitiz Group and its infrastructure arm Aboitiz InfraCapital want the province of Batangas to have a slice of this $26 billion space.

During his conversation with reporters on Thursday, Rafael Fernandez de Mesa, head of Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates and president of LIMA Estates, said the LIMA Tower One, inside its state-of-the-art LIMA Central Business District, will be ready for 2024.

He said, “The 11-story LIMA Tower One is now 35 percent complete and soon will serve BPO companies and provide jobs for about 3,000 CALABARZON and MIMAROPA residents.”

LIMA Tower One and LIMA Central Business District are in prime positions to provide IT-BPO companies with infrastructures tailor-fitted to their specific needs.

Aside from its world-class power and water utilities owned and operated by Aboitiz affiliates, LIMA CBD houses multiple telecommunication networks to ensure its readiness to cater to a rapidly growing population.

The master-planned CBD promotes a convenient urban lifestyle outside the Metro through its commercial, residential, and institutional features.

The CBD is home to 167 global and local retail brands and restaurants, a 136-room four-star hotel, a seven-tower Office Park, commercial lots, four residential villages, a dormitory, inter-LIMA electric shuttles, and a transportation hub.

Through its next-generation, smart and sustainable Economic Estates, Aboitiz InfraCapital plays a crucial role in strengthening the Philippines’ position as a preferred investment destination in the region and supporting the steady growth of the BPO industry that continuously drives economic and social progress in the country.

Currently, LIMA Estate spans nearly 1,000 hectares and is home to over 140 world-class companies and leaders in the industry that employ over 65,000 people.

It is quickly emerging as more than just a leading industrial estate; it has also become a center for commerce in the Batangas province and a part of the everyday lives of Batanguenos through its 30-hectare Central Business District.

LIMA Central Business District was recently recognized as the best up-and-coming Central Business District at the 2022 Philippine Property Awards, a sought-after recognition by real estate leader PropertyGuru.

As the first and only five-star BERDE-District Certified industrial-anchored Estate, LIMA Estate and Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates are committed to developing and operating smart and sustainable infrastructures.

Broadening Cebu estate

Besides its Batangas site, Aboitiz InfraCapital has also announced broadening its West Cebu Estate portfolio with ongoing industrial expansions and upcoming commercial developments — driving more vital investor interests to Balamban, a fast-growing municipality west of highly urbanized Metro Cebu.

Hailed as the “Shipbuilding Capital of the Philippines,” West Cebu Estate is a 540-hectare industrial-anchored development in the coastal municipality of Balamban Cebu that currently employs 14,000 employees. It hosts 11 world-class companies, some of which are the largest shipbuilding firms in the world.

“With our internationally recognized market leadership and 30-year track record of developing and transforming the countryside into thriving centers of commerce, Aboitiz InfraCapital envisions West Cebu Estate to play a key role in elevating the profile of Industrial Estates in the Philippines. Through the smart and sustainable transformations that are currently underway, West Cebu Estate will not just rival the best in the country. Still, more importantly, it will serve as a benchmark in the Asia Pacific region,” De Mesa said.

In March 2022, the company broke ground on a 39-hectare industrial expansion to cater to the growing demands from a broader range of industries beyond maritime businesses, such as automotive, manufacturing, and logistics. Recent contract signings with foreign manufacturing companies, as well as the numerous visits, shows a strong interest in the area.

The expansion is six percent ahead of its construction progress versus initial forecasts, allowing the new locators to begin constructing their respective facilities by April 2023. Set for completion by 2024, the industrial expansion is expected to generate an additional 14,000 job opportunities for residents of Balamban and the province of Cebu.

Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates develops and operates Industrial-anchored Estates complemented by a mix of commercial, residential, and institutional uses. Its Economic Estates include the 800-hectare LIMA Estate in Lipa-Malvar, Batangas, the 540-hectare West Cebu Estate in Balamban, Cebu, and the 63-hectare Mactan Economic Zone 2 Estate in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

Spanning over 1,400 hectares and home to 200 world-class companies — the multi-awarded Economic Estates are supported by a complete ecosystem of infrastructure facilities and services operated by Aboitiz affiliates, including Aboitiz InfraCapital, Aboitiz Power, and Aboitiz Construction.