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KPOs among locators of Damosa Diamond Tower

DAVAO CITY — Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) companies have signed up to set up shop at Damosa Land Inc.’s (DLI) Damosa Diamond Tower, located within the company’s IT Park accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

“Our new BPO (business process outsourcing) building… is not restricted only to BPOs. We already have commitments from offices to locate there. The moment the building is completed, some of the initial locators are KPOs and not just call centers,” DLI Vice President Ricardo F. Lagdameo told BusinessWorld.

Construction of the 15-storey Diamond Tower is targeted for completion by first quarter next year.

It will be the third high-rise within the Damosa IT Park.

“At Damosa IT Park in our two buildings, the split between BPO and non-BPO is about 50/50. So we want to attract still the non-BPOs such as corporate offices and multinationals to locate,” Mr. Lagdameo said.

He said demand for office space in Davao City is expected to continue to be “robust.”

“There is really a demand for new office buildings in the city. It is still very robust and a lot of the existing BPOs, for instance, are looking at an outstanding operations, and a lot of companies are really looking into Davao for opportunities and these people need office spaces,” he said. — Maya M. Padillo

Five short films on politics and freedom to be shown at MCAD

FIVE short films on about authoritarian regimes, strong central powers, and limited political and individual freedoms, are set to be shown at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) on July 13.

Procesul (The Trial) is a documentary on a former Romanian army officer’s struggle after he was falsely sentenced to 25 years in jail.

Dumping in the Cosmic Trash measures the energies circulating in a physical space of an art establishment and the invisible effects on people.

The Killing of Nadeem Nawara and Mohammed Abu Daher investigates the deaths of two people after the dispersal of a protest in the town of Beitunia, West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Route 2006 follows the fortunes of one ship and its cargo, revealing in the process a truly global story of workers’ solidarity that begins in Liverpool’s docks and ends all the way back in the artist’s homeland in Taiwan.

The Ocean View Resort revolves around a man and his old friend, with whom he had fallen in love as he visits his home on an Okinawan island and remembers his late grandfather as he recalls the events that transpired on the beach during and after the war.

Curated by Kiri Dalena, the film screenings are free and open to the public. For inquiries and reservations, call 230-5100 local 3837 or e-mail mcad@benilde.edu.ph.

MCAD is located at the DLS-CSB School of Design and Arts Campus, Dominga St., Malate, Manila.

Bria Homes ramping up expansion in Mindanao

BRIA Homes is ramping up its expansion in Mindanao, with the development of several communities in Davao, General Santos City, Kidapawan City, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, and Bukidnon.

In a statement, the mass housing developer said it is encouraged by Mindanao’s growing economy which has been buoyed by trade, tourism and agro-industrial businesses, plus the government’s infrastructure push in the region.

In Davao del Norte, Bria Homes will have communities in Tagum, Maco, Panabo and Carmen.

Bria Tagum is a 15-hectare community located at Brgy. La Filipina, near the national high school, regional hospital and shopping mall. The soon-to-be-completed Bria Maco covers 15 hectares of land in Brgy. Pangi.

Bria Panabo and Bria Carmen are both easily accessible via Daang Maharlika National Highway, and close to the University of Mindanao, a hospital and public market.

In Davao del Sur, homeowners can choose from two communities — Bria Digos in Barangay Matti at Upper Matti and Bria Calinan in Brgy. Talomo-River. Bria Digos is an 18-hectare community near the Davao del Sur Coliseum and Remedios Sapala Elementary School, while the 15-hectare Bria Calinan is 1.9 kilometers away from Calinan Proper and 900 meters away from the Favao-Buda Highway.

Bria Homes is also developing the 46-hectare Bria General Santos along Conel Road, Brgy. San Isidro in General Santos City.

In Cotabato, BRIA Kidapawan sits on 17 hectares of land along Magpet-Pangaoan Road, Brgy. Sudapin.

Bria Homes has two projects in Cagayan de Oro. Bria Gran Europa is a 5.1-hectare subdivision located in Brgy. Lumbia, while Bria Condo CDO is a four-storey, low-rise condominium community situated at Brgy. Kauswagan. Both are accessible via Masterson Avenue, and near SM CDO, Xavier University, San Vicente Ferrer Church, and CDO Polymedic Plaza.

Also in Misamis Oriental, Bria Homes is building Bria Balingasag and Bria Gingoog — both accessible via Butuan-Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Road. The 10-hectare Bria Balingasag is located in Brgy. Linggangao, while the 21-hectare Bria Gingoog is situated in Brgy. San Juan.

In Bukidnon, Bria has two projects — Bria Valencia, a 26-hectare community located in Brgy. Mailag, and Bria Manolo Fortich, a 15-hectare community. The developments are easily accessed through the Sayre Highway.

All Bria projects will have amenities such as a basketball court, parks and playgrounds. The communities will also have eight meter-wide roads, 24-hour security and perimeter fences.

“Prospective buyers in Mindanao will find various affordable housing options that range from rowhouses and townhouses to single firewalls with prices starting at P540,000,” Bria Homes said.

There are two rowhouses offered — the Elena and Elyana with floor areas of 22 and 24 sq.m. respectively and a lot area of 36 sq.m. The price of an Elena unit ranges from P500,000 to P520,000, while an Elyana unit ranges from P520,000 to P550,000.

The two-storey Bettina townhouse has a floor area of 44 sq.m. and a lot area of 36 sq.m. It is priced between P800,000 to P1 million.

Alecza, a single firewall unit, has a floor area of 36 sq.m. and a lot area of 81 sq.m. Prices range from P1.2 million to P1.5 million.

BRIA Condo CDO has studio units sized 24 sq.m., with prices up to P1.7 million.

BRIA Homes is a subsidiary of Villar-led Golden Bria Holdings, Inc.

Jollibee forms JV with Panda Express operator

HOMEGROWN food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) has established a joint venture (JV) firm with the owner and operator of Panda Express restaurants, as it prepares for the opening of the brand’s first store in the country.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday, JFC said it has completed the incorporation of JBPX Foods, Inc., its joint venture firm with Panda Restaurant Group, Inc. (Panda). The company received its certificate of incorporation from the Securities and Exchange Commission last Friday.

The JV firm will be equally owned by JFC and Panda, and will have an authorized capital stock of $5 million. It will have its own management team supported by JFC.

JFC earlier said that they plan to develop five Panda Express stores in Metro Manila during the initial phase of their partnership.

Panda describes itself as the largest family-owned and -operated Chinese American restaurant group in the United States. It has expanded to more than 2,100 locations since it was founded in Pasadena, California in 1973, with branches in Puerto Rico, Guam, Guatemala, El Salvador, Aruba, Mexico, Canada, Dubai, Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.

Aside from Panda Express, the company also operates Panda Inn and Hibachi-San.

This will be added to JFC’s existing portfolio of brands, including its own Chinese fastfood chain Chowking. Its other brands include Jollibee, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Burger King, PHO 24, Highlands Coffee, Hard Rock Cafe, and Smashburger.

JFC’s net income attributable to the parent fell 14.7% in the first quarter of 2019 to P1.54 billion, weighed down by the consolidation of its recently acquired US firm Smashburger. This came amid a 14.1% increase in revenues to P40.35 billion, after systemwide sales of P54.28 billion, 18.1% higher year on year.

The company ended the first quarter with 4,543 stores. It will be spending P17.2 billion in capital expenditures to finance its construction of an additional 500 stores globally.

Shares in JFC dropped 1.05% or P3 to close at P282 each at the stock exchange on Monday. — Arra B. Francia

HK’s Harbour City taken over by Toy Story 4

TOY STORY 4’s characters come to life in a new way at Hong Kong’s Harbour City through an interactive exhibit which is ongoing until Aug. 4.

Inspired by the film, Harbour City mall has transformed into a Toy Story-themed carnival with different games and challenges, where visitors can get to meet Woody and the rest of the gang. Figures of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Slinky Dog welcome guests at the seven meter-tall giant arch entrance at Ocean Terminal Forecourt. Visitors can snap photos with other Toy Story characters like Bo Peep, Duke Caboom, Jessie, and the Aliens at the balloon ticket booth, roller coaster, and merry-go-round. Game tokens can be used at different games and challenges.

The carnival continues at the Ocean Terminal Deck, with three installations and two games against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour. Pose and snap a few photos with the six meter-tall Buzz Lightyear Ferris Wheel and Summer Road Trip Camping Van, or step up and help Bo Peep save the Aliens at “Bo Beep: I’m in Charge.” Visitors can also show off their driving skills at the car racing challenge “Duke Caboom: Kart Race.”

Meanwhile, Harbour City is welcoming everyone named Bonnie from around the world to the carnival party. To join a visitor must present a passport, official ID, or any proof showing their name is Bonnie to redeem a set of tokens for free to enjoy the carnival games. Walk through “Bonnie’s Classroom,” and follow along with the giant storybook installation to check out fun facts about the movie with Forky. Visitors can even turn themselves into Forky with the “Kinect Experience.”

In addition to the carnival, fans can experience other immersive activities throughout the mall including The Art of Toy Story 4 exhibit, children’s workshops, an interactive digital game, a Toy Doctor consultation, and a Toy Story pop-up store.

Until Sept. 1, visitors can also enjoy Hong Kong Disneyland’s Toy Story & Pixar Pals Summer Splash, where Toy Story friends and other Pixar characters will be around to party with fans of the films. The Pixar Water Play Street Party brings together the largest array of Pixar characters, complete with new floats, performances, and much more.

Hong Kong Disneyland is bringing some of these activities to Harbour City, including the Summer Splash Sweet Kitchen where guests can choose 11 sweets featuring Woody, Buzz, and Slinky, along with three drink containers featuring Buzz, Woody, and the Alien.

Harbour City is working with The Salvation Army to collect pre-loved toys to share with those in need. It is accepting new or gently-used toys at Bonnie and Forky’s Toy Classroom, where donees will receive a special gift in thanks.

There are also exclusive shopping offers on Toy Story-themed products as well, and exclusive Toy Story-themed ATM cards by Standard Chartered Bank.

To access the Toy Story experience at Harbour City, pre-register for an Our Toy Stories Passport for free at pass.harbourcity.com.hk. Collect the commemorative stamps for a chance to win a limited edition Toy Story 4 Puzzle.

For details visit www.harbourcity.com.hk.

Green buildings can be more cost-efficient — experts

DEVELOPING green buildings may be more cost-efficient in the long run, due to the cost savings from lower energy and water usage, according to experts.

Giovanni Gusella, senior adviser of Italpinas Development Corporation, said building sustainable infrastructure means it will be more efficient in the use of power, water and other utilities.

“In long term, the return in profit, meaning that you have a low maintenance and reducing the expenses in energy and power, so that’s the advantage of green buildings,” he said during the International Built Environment Week’s Philippines Seminar at Makati Shangri-la on July 2.

“There is a really good response to green buildings. Of course now we see that the climate is changing and also the way you build and design is changing. You have to expect that technology assist you, of course,” he added.

Eduardo A. Manahan, chairman of the Building Owners and Managers Association of the Philippines, said nearly all property developers are using green building technology.

“You will say that green building costs a lot, but in the long run you will know that it costs less,” Mr. Manahan said.

Other technologies such as digital building construction could help in reducing the costs of constructing a building.

“This year, we’re hoping to be able to allow our government to utilize these technologies for the infrastructure developments that will be happening in our country,” ProdigyAE Incorporated Principal Architect Gio Carino said. — K.T.Mina

MPTC eyes to submit proposal for spur road to Sangley within the year

METRO PACIFIC Tollways Corp. (MPTC) is targeting to submit a proposal to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) within the year to build a spur road extending the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx) to the Danilo Atienza (Sangley) Air Base.

MPTC President Rodrigo E. Franco told reporters last week the company is reviving its feasibility study for Segment 5 of CAVITEx to include an eight- to nine-kilometer extension going to Sangley Point, Cavite.

“We are looking into that, pero marami pang kailangan [but there are plenty of things to do]… We hope this year meron na [there will be a] proposal that we submit,” he said.

Mr. Franco noted the company still needs to talk to the Philippine Reclamation Authority, its partner in operating CAVITEx, before making a formal submission to the TRB.

He added the initial estimate on the cost of the project is “at least over P10 billion.”

MPTC’s interest in building an extension to Sangley was strengthened by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) efforts to open the Cavite gateway for general aviation flights before the end of the year.

There is also an effort from the provincial government of Cavite to build a $10-billion Sangley airport, which is eyed to be undertaken as a local public-private partnership (PPP) project. If it succeeds, this would open the location to more flights including commercial ones.

Part of MPTC’s concession agreement in operating CAVITEx is the construction of a new segment that will extend the expressway from Kawit to Rosario.

Mr. Franco said this segment, or Segment 5, will be “very close” to Sangley, so the company expects that the planned spur road may be covered by the concession agreement.

CAVITEx is a 14-kilometer expressway linking the tail of Roxas Boulevard to Cavite through exit points in Bacoor City and Kawit.

MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Denise A. Valdez

Actor Kevin Spacey’s alleged sex assault victim drops lawsuit

BOSTON — The man that former House of Cards star Kevin Spacey is accused by prosecutors of sexually assaulting in Massachusetts three years ago has dropped a civil lawsuit he filed against the Oscar-winning actor last week.

Mitchell Garabedian, the alleged victim’s lawyer, on Friday said his client filed papers on Wednesday to voluntarily dismiss a lawsuit in Nantucket County Superior Court that accused Spacey of “explicit sexual behavior and lewd and lascivious conduct.”

Garabedian declined to comment further on the dismissal, citing the pending criminal case prosecutors filed last year against Spacey. The civil lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning his client cannot refile the case later.

Spacey, who won an Academy Award in 2000 for his role in American Beauty, has pleaded not guilty to one count of felony indecent assault and battery at a bar on the Massachusetts beach island of Nantucket. Spacey denies the allegation.

Reuters is not identifying the accuser because he is an alleged victim of sexual assault. Spacey’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.

Spacey first became embroiled in controversy in October 2017 when actor Anthony Rapp accused him of trying to seduce him in 1986 when Rapp was 14. The controversy led to Spacey being dropped from the Netflix television series House of Cards and erased from the film All the Money in the World.

Spacey, 59, apologized for inappropriate conduct with Rapp.

Spacey is one of dozens of men in the entertainment industry, business, and politics who have been accused of sexual misconduct following the emergence in 2017 of the #MeToo movement.

Prosecutors charged Spacey in the Nantucket case in December.

The accuser told police Spacey had bought him several rounds of beer and whiskey at the Club Car Restaurant on Nantucket in July 2016 when he was 18 years old and said at one point, “Let’s get drunk,” according to charging documents.

As they stood next to a piano, Spacey groped him, he told investigators.

Spacey’s lawyers have accused the man of deleting text messages that would support his defense. The judge overseeing his criminal case recently ordered Spacey’s accuser to provide his cellphone to the defense.

But Garabedian on June 19 told the court the accuser cannot find the phone. The judge has ordered the accuser, his parents, and Garabedian to attend a hearing on Monday if it cannot be found. — Reuters

KMC is leasing agency for Manta Corporate Plaza

MANTA Equities, Inc. partnered with real estate services firm KMC Savills, Inc. for the leasing requirements of the company’s new office development, Manta Corporate Plaza.

KMC will be the sole leasing agency for the Grade A building, which is set to become the first corporate office to rise in Ayala Land’s mixed-use project Arca South, Taguig.

KMC Managing Director Michael McCullough and Executive Director for Investor Services Melo Porciuncula and Manta Equities, Inc. President Patricia Riingen signed the contract.

“It is really a great honor for KMC to be granted the opportunity to be the sole-leasing agency of a pioneering office building like Manta Corporate Plaza,” Mr. McCullough said.

Ms. Riingen said the Manta is confident about KMC’s ability to deliver given its impressive track record.

The 14-storey Manta Corporate Plaza will offer a total leasable area of 25,000 square meters (sq.m.). For offices, it offers a typical floor plate of approximately 1,700 sq.m. from the third floor to the penthouse level.

The first and second floor will be dedicated to retail establishments. It also has five-level basement parking.

Manta Corporate Plaza is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2021.

PCC approves GT Capital-Pro Friends deal

GT Capital Holdings, Inc. has secured approval from the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) for its disposal of its 51% stake in Property Company of Friends, Inc. (Pro-Friends).

In a statement issued Monday, the competition body said it has approved the transaction on July 4. This covers Pro-Friends’ buyback of Series A Preferred Shares from GT Capital, in exchange for 702.44 hectares of land valued at about P20 billion.

The property assets are mostly located in Pro-Friends’ Lancaster New City development in Cavite.

Maplecrest Group, Inc. will obtain sole control over Pro-Friends after the transaction, since it already owns 49% of the company prior to GT Capital’s divestment. The PCC noted this will not likely result in substantial lessening of competition.

“The merger review found no horizontal or vertical overlaps between Pro-Friends and Maplecrest’s respective business activities and the transaction will not alter the current structure of the market,” the PCC said.

GT Capital first acquired a 22.7% stake in Pro-Friends back in 2015. It then increased its ownership by purchasing an additional 28.3% of the company in 2016, in a bid to complement the offerings of the conglomerate’s property arm, Federal Land, Inc.

GT Capital President Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista earlier said they decided to divest from Pro-Friends since the rising property prices in Cavite no longer make it suitable for affordable housing projects.

The group plans to transform their land bank in Cavite into a masterplanned community moving forward, and is now on the lookout for local or foreign partners to develop portions of the property.

Meanwhile, the PCC also approved Saudi Arabian Oil Company’s (Saudi Aramco) acquisition of Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), a chemical and industrial polymer manufacturer that is present in the country.

The PCC said the proposed transaction, which involves Saudi Aramco’s purchase of a 70% majority stake in SABIC from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, will not likely result in the substantial lessening of competition since the parties have limited presence in the country.

Saudi Aramco is a joint stock company mainly involved in the exploration, production, and marketing of crude oil and in the production and marketing of refined products and petrochemicals.

Meanwhile, PIF is a fully-owned wealth fund by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which invests in telecoms, aerospace, energy, green technologies, and security.

“Post-transaction, there remains competitive constraint by other market participants in the market for different types of polymers such as high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, homopolymers, polyethylene or polypropylene,” the commission said. — Arra B. Francia

Spotify retreats from artists’ uploads

SPOTIFY TECHNOLOGY SA is shutting down a program that allowed independent artists to upload their music directly to the music streaming service, a win for record labels and smaller distributors.

The online service will stop accepting any new uploads through Spotify for Artists, and artists will need to move their already released content to another provider, the company said Monday last week in a blog post.

Spotify launched the program almost a year ago, acting essentially as a label for artists who didn’t have major backing and offering them a larger share of the royalties that their songs produce. The move was also a way for the service to keep more of its revenue and narrow its losses, which are driven by high content costs.

While Spotify’s growth has buoyed the entire music industry, the push into additional services for artists has complicated its negotiations for continued access to songs from major labels, which viewed the effort as a way to cut their share of sales. — Bloomberg

Amaia offers residential lots, furnished units in Capas

AMAIA Scapes Capas is now offering homebuyers the option to acquire a residential lot or to buy a furnished unit on a residential lot.

In a statement, Amaia Land said it also has a “twin-pod promo,” which allows buyers to combine two units.

“When they buy a combinable twin pod unit, they can also avail of the free ‘punch-through’ and have as much as P300,000 worth of discounts for a limited time period only,” the company said.

For buyers who prefer flexibility in their home design, they can choose the lot-only option. Amaia Scapes Capas now offers 32 lots, ranging from 100-149 square meters (sq.m.).

The developer said units are now available for pre-selling. The price range for residential lots is P1.1 million to P1.6 million or P23,000 a month for 48 months. For house and lots, price starts from P1 million to P3.9 million.

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