FTI continues to sponsor "Friendship Games" for its locators

There are 17 companies participating in the 3rd Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) Friendship Games that started on March 17. The participating companies include AFI International Trading Corporation; Archinet International, Inc.; Asian Fuels; Cape East Philippines, Inc.; Continental TEMIC; ESRQ Traders, Inc.; Godiva, Inc.; Food Terminal, Inc.; JED Marketing; Majestic; MFT International, Inc.; New Shinjin Nudogu Corporation; T.L./MSTBTODA; Triumph (Phils), Inc.; PSI Technologies, Inc.; Siwon International; and Vishay (Phils) Incorporated.

Seven events are being contested such as badminton, basketball, billiards, chess, darts, table tennis, and volleyball. The 9-week sports festivities hosted by FTI aims to establish camaraderie and foster closer relationship among the members of the FTI community.

With the FTI President Mr. Bueno B. Castillo in attendance, it started with the parade of colors followed by a face-off in basketball between Godiva, Inc.; and Cape East Philippines, Inc.; with the former dominating the first game.

The annual event is the brainchild of the Marketing and Estate Management Department being at the forefront of FTI's customer service and tenant relations and a prelude to FTI's 38th founding anniversary on May 3, 2006.

---

FTI OUT TO TAP INFOTECH BOOM (Excerpt from Business World)

After repeated privatization attempts ended in failure, efforts are now under way to convert the 120-hectare Food Terminal, Inc. (FTI) complex in Taguig City into an Information Technology (IT) Park.

A subsidiary of the National Food Authority, FTI is an agro-industrial and commercial estate set up by the Marcos administration in 1968 to serve as direct trading hub for agricultural commodities, storage and food processing.

Over the years, FTI - which is often regarded as one of the Marcos regime's "White elephants" - has branched out to accomodate other locators. In 2004, some 243,961 square meters were declared a special economic zone

With the boom in outsourcing, the next step for FTI is to position the entire site as an extention to Makati City and Fort Bonifacio Global City, city manager for upper Bicutan April Al-Raschid told Business World.

FTI is primarily counting on the spillover of locators from already congested office areas in Metro Manila. This early, five call center firms have already expressed interest in locating, Ms. Al-Raschid said.

The city government of Taguig, along with the Trade Department and the NFA, are targetting to get IT Park approval by the third quarter of 2006.

Included in the plan is the setting-up of an integrated transport system to FTI from Makati City and Fort Bonifacio as FTI is only 15 minutes away by car. FTI is also near the South Luzon Expressway and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

FTI is also open to partnering with property developers as most of its facilities are warehouses.

Monthly office space rental is currently cheaper at P150 per square meter, while land rental is at P73.50 per square meter. In comparison, Makati rents starts at P350 per square meter. - Maricel E. Estavillo

---

SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE IN FTI

On May 1, 2004, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 626, creating and designating parcels of land situated at FTI complex, Taguig, Metro Manila as Special Economic Zone (SEZ) pursuant to RA No. 7916 as amended by RA No. 8748.

The SEZ consists of aggregate area of 243,961 square meters. As a result of the proclamation, locators inside the zone will enjoy tax incentives and faster processing of their papers for both the import and export requirements.

Most of the existing locators are into electronics business that have been with FTI for decades. Since the President signed Proclamation No. 626, there have been many inquiries on available spaces both for lot and buildings. It is expected that more investors will choose FTI as their business haven in the future because of the SEZ's locational advantage and the paradigm shift that focused on improved customer services.

For more details on the Special Economic Zone, click here.