Mayor Abby Binay has told the Makati Business Development Council (MBDC) that she intends to transform the country’s premier commercial and business district into the next “Silicon Valley” by providing technology firms tax breaks, and business registration aid to startups, among other benefits and assistance.
“Considering our investment in infrastructure, I hope e-commerce and software development companies would consider setting up, expanding, or relocating their businesses to Makati since we provide a lot of benefits to companies and startups,” she said during a recent meeting of the MBDC.
She said the city’s investments in infrastructure, particularly the Makati Subway, will bring more investors to the city since efficient mass transit is critical to the productivity of workers, and the profitability of companies.
“Makati is at the early stage of becoming a smart city, and we need the help of IT (information tech) companies in creating a resource pool so that we can create a smarter workforce, which is necessary to keep a city ‘smart,’” she said.
Binay said she envisions Makati to become the country’s homegrown Silicon Valley, a global hub for technological innovation.