Property developer SM Prime Holdings is riding on the wave of the growing IT-BPO business.

SM Prime now has 20 business process outsourcing (BPO) facilities, nine of which are in Metro Manila and the rest in its malls in various areas of the country.

A brief prepared by Jones Lang LaSalle said SM now caters to the booming BPO industry through its ongoing and pipeline mixed used developments.

JLL said SM provides these companies a prominent address and facilities that meet the requirements of these BPOs. 

These locations provide total available space spanning 152,256 sqm, half (or 75,888.14 sqm) of which are in nine locations – all malls — in Metro Manila and are under application with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA): SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio, SM City BF in Panaraque,  SM Jazz Residences in Makati City, SM MAAX building near Mall of Asia, SM Muntinlupa, SM Novaliches, SM City Sucat and SM Sun Residences in Quezon City.

In the provinces, the biggest available space is in Davao – 19,514.19 sqm in SM City Davao and 3,596.4 sqm in SM Lanang Premier. 

The others are in SM City Clark, SM City Rosario, SM City Bacoor, SM Center San Pablo, SM City Baliwag, SM City Consolacion, SM City Bcolod, SM City Cagayan de Oro and SM City General Santos. JLL cited the advantages of locating BPOs in SM malls for access to human capital, accesss to transportation, and the availability of support facilities including dining and entertainment since many BPOs operate at night.

JLL said the real estate portfolio of BPOs over the past 10 years had grown to over 100,000 sqm.