New data center to rise in Batangas

MANILA, Philippines — Local firm YCO Cloud Centers (YCC) will put up a world-class data center in Batangas to take advantage of growing demand for cloud computing services and solutions.

Monica Gonzalez, manager for occupier solutions and services and data centers lead at Santos Knight Frank (SKF), said in a press conference yesterday YCO Cloud Centers is building YCO Manila Digital 1, a data center in Batangas, to serve the Greater Manila area.

YCO Cloud Centers, an affiliate of JJYnchausti Ventures Inc. which aims to advance strategic investments to improve digital infrastructure in the country, has tapped US-based data center advisor and developer Cloud Centers LLC to guide the project.

Real estate services firm SKF, meanwhile, has been appointed as regional leasing and marketing agent for the project.

“The Philippines is a leading, dynamic technology and digital hub in Asia-Pacific but underserved in terms of state-of-the-art data center and digital infrastructure,” YCO Cloud Centers CEO Nik de Ynchausti said in a statement.

Amid growing demand for co-location, 5G, internet and cloud services, he said the data center would address interest from enterprises seeking to scale their mission critical workload in the region.

“Special consideration has been placed on delivering greater connectivity, compute capacity and coverage in the areas along with sustainable sources of electrical power. We’re excited to partner with the US-based CloudCenters and the world class design team to deliver this important facility and provide our customers with the critical infrastructure they seek,” he said.

Data centers are buildings that house servers and equipment, providing data storage and information technology (IT) services to businesses.

To be located within a master-planned industrial park in Malvar, Batangas, YCO Cloud Centers’ data center will feature 12 megawatts of critical information technology capacity.

The development will begin with the construction of the site, a 10,000 square meter, two-story shell, as well as baseline interior improvements, along with the first of four data halls.

The project team plans to break ground on the project in early June this year, with delivery of the first data hall targeted by the middle of the second quarter next year.

YCO Manila Digital 1’s amnities will accommodate the demand for cloud computing services and solutions in the region, and will be sourcing its power requirements from renewable energy sources.

SKF chairman and CEO Rick Santos said data centers are seen as the next growth sector for the country’s real estate, given rising demand for data and increasing use of technology.

“As we move past the pandemic, we expect to see significant interest in the country as an emerging data center hub in Southeast Asia, one which will soon feature a robust supply of sophisticated facilities to serve customers,” he said.