“We need stable supply of power because this will be a whole community, a city within a city,” Sian said.

Sian added that BPO investors and companies also require steady and uninterrupted supply of electricity because of its round-the-clock operations.  

“We know that there are some problems as regards the power supply of Iloilo City but we are also confident that our local officials and the business leaders here will do something to solve this concern,” Sian said. 

Megaworld, one of the largest property developers in the country, has hired the topnotch services of architectural firm Palafox Associates in drafting a development masterplan for the old airport lot.

Iloilo City mayor Jerry Treñas said Megaworld initially required 20MW of power in the initial stages of its investments.

“The city will find ways to address their requirement because of the investment that they are going to pour in here,” Treñas said.

Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, who graced the ceremonial turnover of the airport property at Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center, said the issue of power supply is one concern that must be resolved to attract more investors in Iloilo.

“BPO investors really focus on the power supply because of their 24/7 operations. We can realize the investment and employment potentials of Iloilo in the BPO sector if we have stable and cheap supply of electricity,” Teves said.

Oscar Sañez, chief executive officer of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), said telecommunications and electricity are their top concerns when investing in a city or province.

Sañez said their group is very interested in Iloilo because of its manpower resources and modern telecom infrastructure.

“The price of power does not really concern us. As long we have stable supply—which means no sudden brownouts—the BPO sector will be willing to invest in Iloilo City,” Sañez said.