By JUDITH S. JUNTILLA The recently rebranded Araneta City (popularly known for years as Araneta Center) is positioning itself as a hub for business locators, boasting of a central location, multi-modal transport options, and a callback to its place in many Filipinos’ lives. Rowell Recinto, Chairman of the Management Committee for Araneta Center, Inc. (ACI), said that the rebrand was the product of the regular, biennial study of the business and commercial hub. ACI is the owner, developer and manager of the 35-hectare property located in Cubao, Quezon City, and is part of the five strategic business units of the Araneta Group. Recinto said that while the group has continuously been developing the area, they have never really actively promoted the work that’s been done so far. What became clear, though, was that the market was changing. From the Araneta Center known for its anchor 20,000-seater Araneta Coliseum as well as various retail and leisure attractions, the area has been slowly attracting business locators. Already, the group reports that there are 40,000 people working in Araneta City, 20,000 of whom are in the BPO industry. Companies such as Sterling, Stellar, Genesys, 24/7 In Touch, and Alorica have already taken up office space in its two existing Cyberpark towers 1 and 2. ACI plans to take advantage of further opportunities offered by the outsourcing and offshoring industry, investing a combined P20 billion in the development of Araneta City Cyberpark. Once completed, the planned Cyberpark complex will comprise five towers spread out over eight hectares, with a combined floor area of over 500,000 square meters. This will include business facilities, as well as shopping, dining and leisure outlets. Recinto said the Cyberpark has already been certified by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. ACI also shared that the Cyberpark complex will be a showcase of the Araneta Group’s efforts in green initiatives and renewable energy. It announced that it has partnered with Meralco’s renewable energy subsidiary Spectrum to install a solar plant on the roofdeck of its Cyberpark tower 1. Its success will pave the way for duplication in other places within the property. Already, its Cyberpark tower 2, opened in 2018, is fitted with double-glazed windows for energy efficiency. It also has a rainwater collection system. The 33-story Cyberpark tower 3 will also be similarly fitted. It is targeted for completion in 2020. Araneta Cyberpark locators are also expected to benefit from faster connections resulting from the group’s partnership with InfiniVAN, the telecoms subsidiary of Japan’s IPS. InfiniVAN is deploying an ultra-speed fiber optic network infrastructure in Araneta City to take care of present and future Internet connectivity requirements of the City and its locators up to the 5G era. Locators are expected to benefit from advanced wired/wireless Internet connections with fully redundant systems. Moreover, InfiniVAN will equip Araneta City with a carrier-neutral Internet exchange that will make it possible for locators to use any telecommunications carrier’s facilities. Recinto estimates that the Araneta City project is now about 30 to 40% completed, and that there are more changes to come. In addition to the two Cyberpark towers still to be constructed, there still needs to be developed the Shopwise, Balay, and Ali Mall areas. “It’s a township that’s undergoing change. We are a living, breathing center.