(The Philippine Star) | Updated June 7, 2013 -
12:00am
MANILA,
Philippines - With the recent acquisition of Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) by Ayala
Land Inc. (ALI) in late 2012, it is expected that the 120-hectare property will
soon grow to become one of the brightest and busiest commercial business
districts in Southern Metro Manila.
In a signing
ceremony witnessed by President Aquino at the Malacañang Palace, ALI executives
led by chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala expressed their plans to develop the
sprawling 74-hectare complex into a commercial district featuring dining,
retail and entertainment for residents and employees in the area as well as
travelers from various parts of the country. The complex already features
various services and amenities such as banks, fast-food restaurants, food
markets and the Sunshine Plaza Mall.
FTI began as
the Greater Manila Terminal Food Market in 1968 through a Presidential
directive meant to ensure price stability and productivity of the country’s
agricultural economy. In the 80s, FTI became involved in retailing various
products at government subsidized prices, trading, food processing and cold
storage.
Today, FTI
operates as a provider of prime lots for industrial, commercial and residential
use. Many of its industrial buildings offer leasable facilities for various
manufacturers, exporters and food producers.
Conveniently
located near the country’s major local and international airports such as the
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, South Luzon Expressway, C-5 and
C-6 roads, as well as surrounded by various communities, FTI is a promising hub
for economic activity and a key pivotal convergence point for the south.
The planned
development features an impressive transport system that will provide transit
options facilitating easy commute from various points in Metro Manila and
southern provinces. This transport system will be set up near the FTI property
and linked to the Philippine National Railway station nearby — an advantage to
employees of a number of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies located
inside the complex.
With the ALI
acquisition and the development of the complex underway, new and exciting
opportunities can only be found at FTI, especially at Sunshine Plaza Mall,
which will align itself with the developments initiated by ALI at the FTI
Complex, now called ARCA South.
Sunshine
Plaza Mall is owned and operated by Shoppers Paradise FTI Corp. (SPFTIC), a
subsidiary of Shoppers Paradise Realty and Development Corp. (SPRDC), which
owns 100 percent of the only mall in Novaliches Plaza, the Novaliches Plaza
Mall.
The mall is a
popular retail and dining center for nearby communities via a selection of
well-known Filipino fast-food restaurants such as Jollibee, Chowking,
Greenwich, Tropical Hut, and a host of food carts.
The mall also
prides itself as a bargain center for the Filipino shopaholic where great finds
abound at low prices. Travelers coming from the provinces either through the
South Luzon Expressway or the airport are not exempt from this great dining and
retail experience.
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