By Gigi Muñoz David

Two cities of the metropolis have a common neighbor that means business.

Cainta is bounded by Marikina in the north and Pasig in the west, heating up the investment climate.

Municipal Mayor Ramon Ilagan reckons about 8,000 registered business firms that include large-scale enterprises.

“The town’s income increased from P450 million in 2007 to P480 million in 2008,” he said, noting a “fast pace of commerce and trade.”

Prime locators are companies across a wide range of industries covering food, automotive, information technology communication, shopping and retail, pharmaceuticals alongside real estate to account for 90 percent of the locality’s zoning requirement.

The rest of the town retains its rustic character with rolling hills and open space.

Cainta hosts Robinson’s Place, Puregold alongside Sta. Lucia Mall and Makro, which are in a boundary dispute.

“Pasig is very aggressive as far as real and business taxes are concerned,” Ilagan said, adding that the territorial controversy was up to the court to decide.

Topping the list of industries are Monde and MYSan, Bir R, Mitsubishi Corp., Glaxo-Smithkline, Cathay Pacific Steel Co. and Alaska Milk’s depot.

As a job generator, Canadian-based Teletech is the country’s biggest call center employing about 2,000 people.

The 100-unit Cambridge condominium offers prime residential location connecting to major roads in the National Capital Region.

“The 200 radius from Junction is declared as a discipline zone. Pedestrian crossings, loading and unloading bays were reduced which led to the broadening of the road going toward Metro Manila and other towns of Rizal,” noted Ilagan, a former television broadcast journalist before shifting to politics.

In 2004, he became mayor, breaking the 58-year hold of the ruling of the Felix clan.

A communication arts graduate of the University of Sto. Tomas, Ilagan took a masters degree in advertising in 1988.

He is married to Veron Sauro Ilagan by whom he has four daughters—Bernice, 23; Kay, 20; Jona Paula, 13; and Nikki, 8.

Good fences make good neighbors and Ilagan is pushing for cityhood to attract more investments.