Bonifacio Global City: Home is where the passion is

Indeed, it’s good to be home! And it’s even better that it takes you no more than 15 minutes to get home because traffic is a thing of the past. Truth to tell, you simply have to walk home from work or wherever because everything – your office, your kids’ school, the bank, the mall, the church, the cinema, the spa, the beauty salon, and other amenities – is within strolling distance from where you live. With plenty of time to spare, you can even cook dinner and spend quality time with your family over good food or a good movie on the DVD or curl up with a good book before calling it a day.

Yes, welcome home to Bonifacio Global City (BGC) – home of passionate minds. Where you can indulge in life’s passions, whether big or small.

A lot of passion – and vision – went into creating Bonifacio Global City, inarguably the city of the future. And making that happen is mega visionary Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation (FBDC) banking on the expertise and track record of two of the country’s most reputable names in real estate development: Ayala Land, Inc. and Evergreen Holdings, Inc. of the Campos Group.

Since it’s all about location, it can’t come better than this. All of 240 hectares, Bonifacio Global City in the fast-rising city of Taguig is strategically located between the business hubs of Makati and Ortigas, and only minutes away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The future is here and now. Here, the latest technology and modern city planning bring five-star comforts and conveniences to your doorstep. But then again, amid that new sprawling business district, there breathes a city with a soul.

"We don’t want to create the typical concrete and steel real estate development project," asserts Jun Bisnar, head of commercial operations, Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation. "We envision an environment which is full of greens with lots of trees and parks, where the air is clean and there’s no need to worry about pollution. A high-quality environment that is conducive to living, working, creating, recreating, and bringing up a family. What we want to create is a premier business district that celebrates creativity and the successes of both work and play."

A vibrant city – one where you can live, love, laugh, work, and play – has come to life. Every lot is a prime lot. Coming together is a cosmopolis of offices, residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects – yes, in one large prime property. And every piece of property at the City Center is right across a main thoroughfare or open greenery – picture a network of retail promenades, paseos, and plazas. Every piece of property is designed to enhance the quality of life of its residents, to be appreciated and enjoyed for many years to come.

But more than just an exclusive home address on the city map, it’s everything you need to map out your future. With the City Center defined by its high-tech offices, residential buildings, bustling retail outlets, pedestrian-friendly roads and walkways, you know just where your future is headed.

"We want to attract the leaders and captains of business and industry, the scientists and the artists, the best and brightest minds to relocate their headquarters and homes to Bonifacio Global City," says Jun Bisnar. "We have E-Square, an IT park, which is the preferred location of IT-related offices in Metro Manila."

Undoubtedly, it’s today’s happening place in Metro Manila. Jun Bisnar gives us an update on completed projects: "The Serendra, a 12-hectare residential condominium project, is now in its second phase of development. Market! Market!, an Ayala Mall, is now fully operational. Our latest project, the HSBC office building along Fifth Avenue, is almost complete and was turned over to HSBC. It will be fully occupied and operational in the first quarter of this year. FBDC has also completed the development of the Bonifacio High Street, a 40-meter-wide and almost a kilometer-long retail development project extending from the retail area of Serendra all the way to Fifth Avenue and featuring winner brands set in a vibrant activity park. It’s basically a pedestrian highway where you will find retail shops and office establishments on either side of the park. Name the best stores in town and you’ll probably find them at Bonifacio High Street."

Jun adds, "Over 100 shops will open within the first quarter of this year. These stores are set along a unique park that encourages activities (like sports, painting, or even just a walk in the park), that can be enjoyed by families, office workers, and visitors."

More than 80 projects have been completed, are ongoing, and are being planned. "St. Luke’s Hospital, a five-star hospital with 600 beds, is expected to start construction in the first quarter of this year. In the next three to five years, there’ll be more than 100 buildings belonging to various projects in Bonifacio Global City," Jun keeps count. "Almost everything is in place – office/retail, residential development projects, hospital, our own fire truck, ambulance, police detachment, several schools (like the Japanese School, British School, and International School), and even a church (St. Michael’s in the northern part of the BGC business district). It’s really a self-contained city."

At BGC, no stone was left unturned to create the city of tomorrow today.

Transportation is no problem. The Bonifacio Transport Corporation has a shuttle service that links the City Center of BGC and Metro Manila’s Light Rail Transit system. It has increased its bus fleet to accommodate the number of office buildings coming in, particularly the BPO (business process outsourcing) and corporate offices. Simply look for the 32- to 56-seater, air-conditioned The Fort buses that go around the BGC business district.

"We have a well-managed transportation system, unlike in other business districts where there’s a prevalence of colorum or unregistered buses that emit lots of pollution," Jun stresses. "Our traffic and urban planners looked at the traffic conditions and studied the volume of vehicles coming in and out. Through these experts and also through the Bonifacio Estate Services Corporation, we manage our transport system. We have our own estate management company that looks over the daily operations of a business district as big as BGC."

It’s certainly a big task running a mammoth city such as BGC, but FBDC is ready to face the challenge. Jun gives us a rundown: "We provide all our utilities through underground infrastructure so you won’t see overhead lines destroying the view or horizon. We have underground drainage facilities which can accommodate 22 million liters of water so there’s no danger of flooding. We have fiber optic cable network that supports a wide range of telephone, video, and data applications. We have continuous electric supply via underground lines provided by the Manila Electric Company. We’re the only one with an underground LPG distribution network, for cooking and air-conditioning that’s distributed through an underground piping system by Bonifacio Gas Corporation, managed by Pilipinas Shell. We have our own water and sewage system managed by Bonifacio Water Corporation and operating 24/7."

And most definitely, the Bonifacio Estate Services Corp., under the supervision of the Ayala Property Management Corp., is most stringent about security. "We have roving guards that go around the city 24 hours a day. Security is a serious business for us at our business district. People will feel safe and secure here. We have security posts scattered all over Bonifacio Global City. A short call and there’s immediate reaction from our security and the police."

Looking far into the future, Jun declares, "In 15 to 20 years, we’ll see a business district that’s unique with iconic and landmark buildings, modern architecture and infrastructure. It will be a showcase of the country and will play an important role in attracting foreign investments that will generate jobs and business opportunities for Filipinos. It will be a model of the future business district not only in the Philippines but probably in Asia as well."

Yes, an intelligent city that works and inspires creativity!