1988 Post-Martial Law and Peoples Power Revolution, the Philippine Economy was decimated. The growth of Makati Central Business District was choked by ancient landowner height restriction of only 7 floors. Said Financial Center was bereft of phone lines, besieged by coup d’états, multi-day brown-outs and deeply prohibitive international dialing costs. Painfully, the Philippines suffered series of natural disasters: structures-toppling earthquake, Mount Pinatubo eruption and 200 kph typhoons, characterizing the volatility of the nation.

It was a heartbreaking sight to young economist, Judith Duavit Vazquez, who pulled a star from her pocket and hurled it into black sky, breaking convention and heights. “If I can. The Filipino can. Nothing is impossible if you believe.”

1990 Quietly guided by industry giants and public servants, Judith conceived and ground broke the first 24×7 ICT-ready skyscraper breaking the 7 floors height restriction at a whopping 40 stories capped by a 15 story steel communication tower. Fierce legal battle rose to the Supreme Court pitting a fledging entrepreneur and the nation’s oldest business house as the Business Community watched in awe. “Not a commercial, but a nation-building effort, Your Honor.”

1995 When Nations led by the United States passed their coordinated Congressional ‘Telecommunications Act’ from 1995-1996 breaking national monopolies, creating new companies, fostering competition, forcing national interconnections and international submarine landing cable stations, The Peak Tower was ready for occupancy. As the only neutral site permitting neutral access to monopoly PLDT, natural first locators were nascent Telecommunication companies and Carriers, Internet visionaries, Mozcom, first ISP, and Unionbank, first national Internet Bank. The first Call Center among many other FIRSTs.

Much more than that, the development and example of The Peak Tower heralded change fueling economic multiplier effect, creating plethora of communication-rich skyscraper edifices across burgeoning business districts, propelling the Philippines globally as the leading Call Center and Business Processing Outsource Center.

A vision impossible was a mission accomplished.

“The Sun never sets at The Peak.”

THE PEAK TOWER.
First Skyscraper.

Designed and built to last forever, The Peak Tower civil works engineering and construction is an over reaction to equatorial natural disasters.

It is a foundational overbuilt infrastructure monster:

Steel and 8,000psi poured concrete on an earthquake resistant floating foundation.

An oversupply of electricity at 3-layers of availability. During the historic once-in-a-millennium hurricane, Typhoon Milenio, that blacked-out Metro Manila for 7 days, only The Peak Tower was electrified 100% by its Diesel Generator System backed by 20,000 liters tank.

All Philippine Carriers colocators are multi-core armored fiber-spliced to their individual Headquarter Core Networks, creating a Financial District redundant fiber ring.

Topped by largest typhoon-resistant commercial load-bearing Tower in a Financial District. During Typhoon Millenio, its Carrier Customers wireless hauling systems functioned as the Communication Tower held all antennas and dishes anchored.

PHCOLO.
First Premier Neutral Carrier Hotel.

In 2000, Judith founded a corporate vehicle, PHCOLO Inc.

PHCOLO is the brand and debt-free owner-manager of The Peak Tower real estate, communication backbone, and Carriers colocation facilities. Its primary purpose was to serve the Carrier Community at a 99.9999% uptime.

– Meralco Sub-Station 1,875 KVA transformer system with expandable features
– 3-bank load-balanced 1,875 KVA generator system
– 20,000 liters generator diesel fuel holding tank with 7 days run-time
– Multiple Uninterrupted Power Systems (UPS)
– A Zero-Probability System Overload Environment
– Earthquake Security and Detection System
– High-loading capacity of 1,800 pounds per 41 RU equipment rack
– N+1 air-cooling systems. Policy: 1 Ton/ 15 cubic meters delivering an average temperature of 18-22 Celsius
– Relative humidity: 20 to 80% per ASHRAE standards
– Digital thermometers and Relative Humidity Meters monitored by Facility Engineers
– Fire Suppression Systems • Panel with Annunciators
– Vesda smoke and heat detection systems
– Automated FM-200 Clean Agent Fire Suppression Systems
– Digitally Metered Electricity
– Dual Electricity Feeds per Rack (upon request)
– Among other benefits.

Fast forward 2023, PHCOLO has never been down. Its 99.9999% uptime overachieved.