Two new interchanges boost Laguna Technopark attraction

The growing reputation of the Biñan-Sta. Rosa area in Laguna as a superior manufacturing location will further be enhanced in the very near future with the opening of two more access routes from the industrial sites in the area to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

According to Marivic Añonuevo, president of Laguna Technopark, Inc. (LTI), the most well established industrial park in this premier manufacturing center, LTI has been closely monitoring initiatives which will allow locators in the area access to a total of three interchanges on the SLEX.

Local officials have stated that within the year a spine road between Sta. Rosa and Mamplasan is expected to be completed giving LTI manufacturers the option to use the Mamplasan exit in addition to the current Sta. Rosa interchange. Officials are also anticipating that the Malilit interchange which connects to the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road will open at about the same period. "The Biñan-Sta. Rosa area will be the only manufacturing center along the Southern Luzon Expressway to have access to three interchanges," Año-nuevo observed.

In anticipation of these developments, Laguna Technopark, which hosts Honda, Isuzu as well as Henkel and other electronics and IT firms, recently opened a new phase to accommodate other manufacturers seeking a convenient and ideal location. Its facilities include highway-grade concrete roads, digital communication facilities and a centralized sewerage system. In addition, it is conveniently accessible to both the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and two international seaports of Metro Manila and Batangas.

Transport experts have commented that Biñan-Sta. Rosa’s quick access to two other interchanges will reinforce its rapid urbanization and increase the attractions of LTI’s new phase. LTI’s other attractions include its easy access to the Sta. Rosa population of about one million in the area, including a sizable student sector. The Sta. Rosa-Binan area has been a favored area for migration because of the availability of 250,000 jobs.

A transport study comments: "A good resident, employment and education base are the necessary ingredients for urbanization. Sta. Rosa has all these and is likely to develop into a dynamic city perhaps rivaling Sta. Cruz and Calamba as an economic center."

The study further notes the unique attribute of manufacturing sites like Laguna Technopark in Sta. Rosa is that it is roughly midway between the market of Manila and the employment base of Laguna and Batangas. It thus takes advantage of reasonable land prices and the ready availability of a skilled and educated labor force, which will be fully appreciated by the manufacturers who will locate to LTI’s new phase.

Among LTI’s locators are: Toshiba, Panasonic, Golay Buchel, TDK, Trilux, Matsu-shita, Integrated Micro-electronics, Inc., International Distillers, Furukawa Electronic Auto Parts, Ichinomiya Electronics Philippines.

LTI is a joint undertaking of Ayala Land, Inc., Mitsubishi Corp. and JFE Steel Corp., formerly Kawasaki Steel Corp. Ayala Land is the largest property developer in the Philippines while Mitsubishi is a global trading firm.