CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is growing more upbeat as manifested by the growing number of IT buildings mushrooming in the metropolitan area, with more IT firms indicating interest in locating here.

Recently, Asian i-Office Properties Inc. (AiO) led the topping off of eBloc Tower 2 at the Asiatown IT Park. AiO is a collaboration between Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corporation (CPVDC) and Ayala Land Inc. (ALI).

“Cebu’s booming BPO sector is ripe for the expansion of new and existing IT locators,” said CPVDC President Francis Monera, who added that “the opening of an eBloc Tower 2 will open the door to more investments and job opportunities in the area.”

EBloc Tower 2 is a 16-level office building located in Phase 2 of the Asiatown IT Park. The building sits on a 4,383-square meter lot with an aggregate floor area totaling 34,762 square meters.

The project is a sequel to the eBloc Tower completed in 2009. It is envisioned to become a premier location for BPO, IT and IT-enabled services (ITES) business locators.

Upon completion, eBloc Tower 2 will bring in over 26,500 square meters of additional leasable space within Asiatown IT Park.

Completion of the building is scheduled in the third quarter of this year.

Monera disclosed that the company is already in talks with BPO companies who have expressed strong interest to locate at the building.

Based on initial negotiations he said that 65 percent of the total occupancy of eBloc 2 is now being reserved.

Monera also revealed that AiO is now on the planning stage for a third IT tower and construction will begin “once occupancy rate of eBloc 2 reaches 70 percent.”

“As a developer, we want to contribute to Cebu’s growth by maximizing the potential of the booming BPO industry. To address the continuing demand for office space, we have shifted our strategy to increasing our leasing portfolio, particularly within Asiatown IT Park,” Monera said.

Emilio Tumbocon, ALI senior vice president and Visayas-Mindanao group head, said eBloc Tower 2 is only one of the many investments in the leasing business that Ayala will be launching this year.

He said the company will launch 13 new projects across the country with a total gross leasable area of 200,000 sqm this year.

“With these strategic directions, we will take on new ventures and maximize the potential of the BPO industry, particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao areas,” he said.

Based on the 2010 Annual Stockholders report of CPVDC, AiO contributed R11.8 million to the company’s revenues.

AiO derives income primarily from the leasing of eBloc Tower, which was fully leased-out to NCR Cebu Development Center, Inc. and JP Morgan Chase and Co.

CPVDC’s total revenues last year reached R263 million, 21 percent higher than the previous year’s performance. Its net income stood at R164.4 million.