Ayala Land targets BPO industry in P65-B North Triangle devt

(Updated 5:41 p.m.) Property developer Ayala Land Inc. on Thursday said it would build a business process outsourcing (BPO) hub in its P65-billion mixed-use development in Quezon City.   The project Vertis North would be built on a 29-hectare property in North Triangle near the North Avenue  and GMA MRT stations along EDSA, and would take 10 to 15 years to complete.   The BPO industry would take up the bulk of 24 buildings reserved for office spaces, Ayala CEO Antonino Aquino told reporters in a press conference at the TriNoMa Mall.   During its first phase of development, Vertis North will generate 35,000 jobs, composed mainly of BPO workers, said Aquino.   “The office buildings will initially cater to the BPO market which we see as very important in this occasion,” Aquino said.   Aquino noted the North Triangle location would enable agents from Bulacan and Pampanga to easily commute to the BPO hub, saying Quezon City is the “gateway to the north.”   Ayala would spend P12 billion for the first phase of development, covering a 7-hectare lot in North Triangle which will be completed in the next three to four years.   Via EDSA, North Triangle is roughly 4 kms from the North Luzon Expressway leading directly to Bulacan and Pampanga.   Aquino said Quezon City is a strategic location for a BPO hub, citing the ranks of BPO agents working in Metro Manila’s largest city. The entire Vertis North is slated to generate 200,000 jobs when it is fully developed, said Aquino.   Vertis North is a joint-venture development with the National Housing Authority. — VS, GMA News