ABOITIZ INFRACAPITAL, Inc. (AIC), the infrastructure subsidiary of the Aboitiz group, said over 12,000 square meters (sq.m.) of office space at LIMA Tower One in Batangas have been leased, citing strong demand from foreign companies seeking to expand in the country.
“A lot of interest is coming from companies that are based internationally and are looking for a world-class office building in the province that’s outside the CBDs (central business districts),” Monica L. Trajano, vice-president for Business Development of Economic Estates, said on the sidelines of the Arangkada Forum last week.
LIMA Tower One, an 11-storey premium office building with flexible, high-performance spaces, is the first of seven towers at the heart of LIMA Estate’s Biz Hub in Batangas.
It has secured green building certifications such as WELL and BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence). The office building is 50% occupied.
Over the weekend, electronic commerce fashion brand REVOLVE opened its office in LIMA Tower One, taking up quarter of a floor.
Aboitiz Power Corp. and JERA Co., Inc. (JERA) have also set up a training facility at LIMA Tower One.
“That pretty much is an exchange of talent between Japan and the Philippines in terms of operating the power plants that Aboitiz Power and JERA own and operate,” Ms. Trajano said. “So, they already have had their first set of students come in.”
Ms. Trajano expressed optimism about demand for LIMA’s office towers, citing the growing return to office, as well as nearby residential and commercial developments.
“For anybody that locates within our estates, there’s that connectivity that we’re providing there, we’re developing our infrastructure to be able to support that, and we’re also integrating residential [developments],” she said.
“We build residential communities that are within or pertinent to our estates.”
LIMA Estate is a 1,000-hectare (ha) mixed-use development owned by the Aboitiz group. It hosts about 4,000 households and is registered under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
