Much and more have been said about the potential opportunities waiting outside the borders of Metro Manila. The government is putting significant effort into infrastructure development, to the tune of committing over P9 trillion worth of projects this year under the “Build Better More” program.
In pursuit of the creation of better jobs for Filipinos, traffic solutions, food security, climate change, digitalization, electricity, and tourism, the country currently has 194 high-impact infrastructure projects underway in various areas across the country.
GETTING AHEAD OF CENTRAL LUZON’S REAL ESTATE GOLD RUSH
Central Luzon, in particular, has been touted as the Philippines’ next big real estate hub as the region is seen to bene t the most from the projects. A report from Colliers International indicated investors are now looking to Pampanga for future activity.
The Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga is getting the PNR North 1 line, perhaps one of the most prominent transportation projects now under construction. Eventually, the mass transit train will link Metro Manila to Clark International Airport and New Clark City, cutting travel times between the three locations in half. There is also the Clark International Airport opening up new access points to the area via new terminals.
Naturally, investors are seizing on this opportunity, with many property developers putting in a considerable amount of investment into areas like Pampanga, Bulacan, Batangas, and even emerging markets outside Luzon like CebuCity.
Rockwell Land Corp., one of the country’s leading premium real estate developers, is among them. The developer has partnered with Juan D. Nepomuceno Realty Group for an upscale mixed-use property in Angeles City in Pampanga.
Rockwell at Nepo Center’s second mid-rise residential building in the development, The BenCab, was launched last year. Meanwhile the first building, The Manansala, is being targeted for turnover by the fourth quarter of 2025, and the succeeding buildings to be launched in the years to come.
The MRT-7 Line, as part of the planned infrastructure projects, will also link Metro Manila to the city of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, reducing travel time to only about 35 minutes from the usual two to three-hour car ride.
Additionally, the North Luzon East Expressway (NLEE) will soon connect Metro Manila to the eastern portion of Central Luzon, from La Mesa Parkway and the junction of the under-construction C-6 in San Jose del Monte all the way to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.
Bulacan has long been known as the “Northern Gateway from Manila,” and the province will get only more developed as more of these projects come to fruition.
Naturally, Rockwell also has plans for a development here, making it more attractive for Filipinos to move into the area with a new horizontal neighborhood in San Jose. The 100-hectare development aims to create a tranquil hillside community where people may get away and focus on their health.
TAKING A CHANCE AT BATANGAS
Meanwhile, the property firm is also taking bets on Lian, Batangas as an upcoming tourist destination as it announced its first “premium horizontal beach community” there, spanning about 100 hectares and including about 700 meters of coastline.
The expansion of infrastructure in the province is also seeing continuous updates, with the Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway (CTBEx) expected to reduce travel time from Manila to 20 minutes.
The addition of Section 1 of the Manila-Batangas Bypass Road in Lipa will also be beneficial for lot owners at Terreno South by Rockwell. Six lanes make up the two-way road construction. When finished, it will help reduce congestion in Lipa City and boost the local economy.
EXPLORING THE CROWN JEWEL OF VISAYAS
When it comes to investment hotspots, however, few areas come close to the potential of Cebu City.
Cebu City has long been a bustling city center as the economic and cultural hub of Visayas. It has been named the world’s number one emerging global outsourcing destination, according to a survey previously made by media platform Global Services and advisory firm Tholons.
This puts Cebu City above 50 other emerging outsourcing cities in the world, including Shanghai and Beijing in China; Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam; Krakow in Poland; Kolkata, India; and Cairo, Egypt.
The Tholons survey recognized Cebu City’s excellence in the six general categories it used to judge contenders, which include scale and quality of workforce (such as education), business catalyst, cost, infrastructure, risk profile, and quality of life.
Cebu City’s qualities have made it an attractive location for top-notch global service providers such as Accenture, ACS, Cognizant, HP, IBM, Infosys, Wipro, among others are continually increasing their global presence.
This is not even mentioning its reputation as a popular tourist destination for people all over the world because of its Sinulog Festival and its other attractions.
Moving forward, Cebu City is expected to become one of the best places to live in the Philippines and the most sought-after investment region because of its forward-thinking leadership, advantageous location, friendly locals, delectable cuisine, and thriving economy.
Capitalizing on this opportunity, Rockwell Land has announced an upcoming project in the region: a 2.8-hectare IPI Center by Rockwell in Cebu City in partnership with International Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Rockwell Land has already established a foothold in the province with 32 Sanson, an exclusive garden enclave in Lahug, Cebu City, and the private Aruga Resort and Residences-Mactan along the Punta Engaño strip in Mactan Island. To date, Rockwell is in progress to complete the first residential tower here while construction for the villas is ongoing and is targeted for turnover by 2024. Further investment opportunities will soon be made available to the public.
In the current global economic landscape, such opportunities are difficult to find. With Metro Manila already bursting at the seams, wise investors can do much worse than venturing outside its borders to look for new possibilities.
For more information, please visit e-rockwell.com.
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