AMID the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on industries, Robinsons’ Cybergate Galleria Cebu remains bullish on the strong demand for office space after it obtained accreditation from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) as a special economic zone on April 8, 2021.
With the trend showing that outsourcing locators are still likely to register with Peza-accredited buildings, Cybergate Galleria Cebu is an ideal expansion pad for information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) firms that are on the lookout for viable sites in the province of Cebu.
“We anticipate that locating in Peza ecozones will still be a top consideration for the IT-BPM sector due to the agency’s professionalism and one-stop-shop nature,” Jericho Go, Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) senior vice president and Office Buildings general manager, said in a statement.
IT-BPM companies that are looking for new and Peza-registered office spaces in Cebu may now sign up to lease spaces in Cybergate Galleria. The building is now ready to be turned over to tenants for their fit-out activities.
“Locating in a new building like Cybergate Galleria in Cebu ensures that huge investments made by tenants on fit-out and IT infrastructure may be recovered. Companies could sign long-term leases and/or have multiple lease renewals in newer buildings,” Go said.
Outsourcing a growth driver
The outsourcing sector has consistently remained a driver for growth for the Philippine office market, occupying an annual average of 450,000 square meters between 2016 and 2019.
Despite the economic slowdown due to the pandemic, the IT-BPM industry has been a stable driver for the office market with a 37 percent share of the total office transactions across the Philippines (515,000 square meters) since March 2020.
Colliers recorded a 38 percent (28,000 square meters) growth in the IT-BPM office transactions across the Philippines from the second half of 2020 to the first half of 2021. According to its report, the trend will become stronger as vaccination picks up and confidence in returning to the office increases.
During the first half of this year, Colliers observed that 85 percent (87,600 square meters) of the total IT-BPM office transactions across the Philippines were in Peza ecozones.
The 13-story Cybergate Galleria Cebu has nine office floors, which are now ready for occupancy. It is located inside Robinsons Galleria Cebu’s mixed-use complex that features retail, hotel and residential components.
“We envision that the good paying jobs coming from IT-BPM companies will help keep families together as job opportunities are created in their cities. Cebuanos will no longer have to leave their families behind to look for jobs in Metro Manila or in another country. They now have a viable employment alternative here,” said Go.
Features
Cybergate Galleria Cebu has a total gross leasable area of 19,500 square meters. The building has large and efficient floor plates of about 2,100 square meters, which will provide tenants with increased flexibility in designing their workspaces.
The building is designed to operate 24/7 and is equipped with 100 percent back-up power and has multiple telecom providers. It likewise features four high-speed elevators for ease of vertical transport, and a Variable Refrigerant Flow air-conditioning system that allows tenants to save on electricity costs.
As part of the sustainability thrust of Robinsons Land, Cybergate Galleria Cebu is designed with green and sustainable building features, such as LED lighting and water-efficient fixtures. (KOC)