House of Investments, Inc. and Japan-based Sojitz Corp. are betting on smart building technology to attract office tenants after The Yuchengco Centre became the first Philippine property to receive a SmartScore certification.

The Makati City office tower earned a SmartScore Gold certification and a WiredScore Platinum rating from WiredScore, a company that assesses building technology, connectivity and digital infrastructure for offices in markets around the world. The certifications were granted following third-party technical evaluations of the property's digital systems, connectivity and operational features. SmartScore certifications focus on a building's smart technology features, while WiredScore ratings assess connectivity.

“Being the first building in the Philippines to earn both WiredScore Platinum and SmartScore Gold sets a new benchmark for what businesses should expect from an office in the Makati central business district,” Phillip Añonuevo, co-founder and executive director at Leechiu Property Consultants, Inc., said in a statement on Oct. 23.

Mr. Añonuevo said companies increasingly look for reliable connectivity and technology systems alongside office location. For tenants weighing towers in the district, third-party ratings of this kind serve as an independent benchmark on technology and connectivity.

The WiredScore Platinum rating is the highest connectivity certification under the company's assessment framework. The Yuchengco Centre is one of five office buildings in Metro Manila to receive the certification, a pool that for now remains limited to a handful of towers across the metro. How quickly that pool expands may signal how broadly smart building features take hold in Metro Manila's office stock.

The tower, which began operations in November 2024, features mobile building access, smart elevators, indoor air quality monitoring, and energy and water sub-metering systems. It is equipped with fiber infrastructure from four telecommunication providers, mobile coverage from Globe Telecom, Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc., backup power systems and dedicated rooftop wireless infrastructure.

“From its digital infrastructure to the technology that shapes the occupier experience day to day, this is a building designed with the next 20 years in mind,” Queenie Tang, head of Southeast Asia at WiredScore, said. Ms. Tang said the certifications reflect the building's digital infrastructure and long-term operational capabilities.

The Yuchengco Centre is located along Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City, near Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, placing it in the corridor that anchors the Makati central business district, the country's main financial hub.

— Juliana Chloe A. Gonzales