HOW do you decongest a city of 10 million people? Ayala Land has come up with a very dynamic answer: Build another one!

When you travel along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, it would be hard to miss the UP Ayala Techno Hub. The sprawling 37.5-hectare site, which is part of the property of the University of the Philippines, is destined to be a new landmark in the metropolis.

The total project cost is estimated at P6 billion, encompassing the construction of 10 low-rise office buildings, the UP Science & Technology office, and areas for residential buildings for university employees, faculty and students, a hotel and various commercial spaces.

A hub for IT-related businesses

Ayala Land Inc., which is in the forefront of the project, will likewise ensure the establishment and maintenance of a central park and many open green areas. It promises to create a walker-friendly environment, where the feel of a tree-lined campus will be replicated. This brings to mind the refinement and serenity of a western university town.

According to architect Edwin Yabut of the Integrated Design Group of ALI, the proponents aim to create a technology center that will serve as a hub for IT-related businesses operating in the country. He also stressed the fact that this was not conceptualized merely to serve business process outsourcing ventures (BPOs), but to host the operations of actual local and international hardware and software firms.

The undertaking was planned and developed under the aegis of the University of the Philippines. It is a tangible and long-lasting tribute to mark the university's centennial.

The venture supports the creativity and know-how of the Filipino, who they believe can successfully operate more than call centers. In a big sense, the hub is foreseen as a real-world laboratory for small startup IT firms.

On one hand, it can draw from the research and consultancy strengths of the state university, as well employ the bright young minds of its new graduates. From another perspective, the academe can witness firsthand and analyze the needs of the IT market, so that it can gear its studies and syllabus to the actual needs and requirements of the industry. It also serves as a venue for technological fairs and exhibits.

The project will attract other business proponents to establish their offices here. It is a good alternative to the Makati Central Business District and the Ortigas Commercial Center, or even the Alabang Business District. If you come to think about it, Quezon City does not have its own central business district so this techno hub may very well serve as a catalyst for Quezon City?s version.

Satellite office

It addresses the needs of Quezon City residents and draws neighboring communities, like Bulacan and San Mateo, due to its proximity and accessibility. It may even serve as a satellite office for those businesses based in Makati with operations in the north side of town.

Having the business headquarters closer to the people patronizing and operating it will save a lot of time and energy, which translates to higher productivity and, for the employees, more quality family time since they can get to and from home earlier. This would also mean less traffic congestion on main highways, lower transportation costs, and many other filter-down benefits, not to mention the increase in jobs generated.

The area is very ripe for development. It is a blessing for the community that the UP-ALI partnership has spearheaded such a project to benefit so many people from all walks of life, from the big businessman to the smallest lunch caterer. The alliance between the idealism of academe and the acumen of big business can only mean a positive synergy.

The establishment of a techno hub is not just a prize project in the commercial sense, generating income for the university, business and the city. It is likewise a psychological indicator of an upbeat and forward-looking people, ready and able to take on the demands of the future.

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