Iloilo City—The SM Group will start construction for its hotel and a tower for business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in this city.

Hans Sy, board chairman of SM Prime Holding Inc., said the two projects could start as early as the first quarter of 2017.

Sy said the Park Inn Hotel will be built next to SM City Iloilo.

Speaking at the recent opening of Southpoint at SM City Iloilo, Sy also revealed that a BPO tower is also in the works.

The tower will be built on a 5,480-square-meter property and will have a total floor area of 45,000 square meters.

Sy is optimistic of the country’s BPO industry will thrive despite pronouncements by the US President-elect Donald Trump that he will adopt a protectionist policy that would discourage American businesses from relocating to other countries.

“That’s why we have not stopped any of our BPO buildings that we are putting up,” Sy said.

Southpoint, SM City Iloilo’s latest expansion project, has an area of 7,541.96 square meters, with 24 restaurants and cafes. It also features an outdoor mini-park.

That gives SM City Iloilo, the biggest mall in Western Visayas, a total land area of 174,000 square meters.