Interesting Facts About BGC

Eve Soto

May 11, 2018

No other development in the Philippines has generated as much excitement and enthusiasm as Bonifacio Global City. Better known as BGC or The Fort, this dynamic community has risen to become one of the top central business districts in the country in just a span of 16 years, rivalling the long-established CBDs of Makati and Ortigas.

Located in the city of Taguig, along the borders of Makati and Paranaque, BGC encompasses a total area of 400 hectares. As of 2016, only about half of this size has been fully developed, leaving much more room for growth and expansion.

BGC is one of the new townships that have been rising around Metro Manila. These developments feature a master-planned mix of commercial and residential areas, along with features and amenities that make for a high quality of life.

It is this emphasis on quality of life that has made BGC a standout community. Living up to its tagline as the “home of passionate minds,” BGC puts forward a bright new face in the metro, incorporating urban amenities that include state-of-the-art technology, modern high-rises, luxury residences, and upscale shopping and dining, alongside wide open spaces, spacious roads, and venues for arts and culture.

History

BGC’s nickname, The Fort, comes from the district’s origins as part of Fort Bonifacio, a military installation and permanent headquarters of the Philippine Army. In the early 1900s, the area served as an American military base known as Fort McKinley. It was turned over to the Philippine government in 1949, and was renamed Fort Bonifacio in 1957. In the 1990s, around 240 hectares of Fort Bonifacio were turned over to the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) for development into civilian use. In 2003, the BCDA went into partnership with Ayala Land, Inc. and Evergreen Holdings, Inc., who transformed the area into the booming CBD that it is today.

The Grid

BGC has a grid lay-out, making navigation easy. At the heart of this grid is Bonifacio High Street, the country’s first-ever open air shopping mall. High Street, as it is commonly known, features upscale shops and restaurants, services like banks, spas, fitness centers and salons, parks and open spaces, and business offices. To the east of High Street is Serendra, a mixed-use complex with two medium-rise condominium properties – the Serendra 1 and Serendra 2, and a small selection of high-end restaurants and boutiques.

Across Serendra to the east is Market! Market!, a sprawling 5-story shopping mall that houses popular local and international brands, quick serve restaurants, kiosks, bazaars, and various services. It is also home to a permanent farmer’s market that features products from all over the country. Opened in the early 2000s, these three complexes – High Street, Serendra and Market! Market! – were among the very first developments in the community. They helped define what the BGC community is all about – trendy, stylish, and cutting-edge, while offering something for everyone.

The Business District

All around High Street and Serendra are Grade-A high-rises that serve as offices and headquarters to some of the biggest national and multinational companies, like Thomson Reuters, Proctor & Gamble, Globe Telecom, Del Monte Philippines and Hewlett-Packard, just to name a few. The district is also home to a number of law offices, including some of the leading firms in the country. BGC offers cutting-edge design and technology. It boasts eco-friendly and sustainable features, like underground cables and an underwater collection system to prevent flooding. Buildings are mostly fibre-optic ready, and enjoy strong fibre-optic internet services from PLDT and Globe. BGC is also the site of several PEZA ecozones. Along with advanced telecommunication structures, this makes the area a prime hub for BPO and KPO operations.

Education and Healthcare

BGC will soon be the site of two prestigious campuses – the University of the Philippines’ Professional Schools and the De La Salle University’s College of Law.
At the moment, BGC is home to several international schools, including:

British School Manila
International School Manila
Korean International School Philippines
Manila Japanese School

Local schools and colleges include:

Enderun Colleges
Global City Innovative College
MGC-New Life Academy
STI College

BGC also boasts excellent healthcare facilities, led by St. Luke’s Medical Center (Global City). The 600-bed, 16-story hospital opened in 2009, along with an 11-story medical arts facility housing doctor’s offices and diagnostic and treatment centers. St. Luke’s is a member of the prestigious Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Other hospitals and healthcare facilities in and around BGC include:

Fort Bonifacio General Hospital Philippine Army
TCM Health Care Center
Ospital ng Makati

New Townships

The phenomenal success of BGC has made the area a natural site for additional urban townships. In the Philippines, urban townships are defined as self-contained developments built from the ground up, featuring residences, commercial and business spaces, and entertainment and leisure options.
Spearheaded by the country’s most trusted developers, the new townships that have mushroomed in the BGC area include the following:

McKinley Hill

Encompassing 50 hectares of land, McKinley Hill features a 10-hectare residential village composed of high-rise condominiums and apartments, as well as around 450 residential lots. It is also the site of several office buildings, numerous restaurants and shops, local and international schools, and a few embassies. The recently opened Emperador Stadium – the country’s first world-class football stadium – is also found here.

Forbes Town Center

Located centrally in the BGC area, Forbes Town Center is a 5-hectare township that includes 12 residential towers, and a retail strip known as Forbes Town Road. It is adjacent to Burgos Circle, another mixed-use complex featuring residential and commercial spaces and a small park. The condos offer stunning views of nearby Manila Golf and Country Club and Manila Polo Club.

Uptown Bonifacio

Megaworld’s latest township development, Uptown Bonifacio is sprawled on 15 hectares of land and is set to be completed in the next 10 to 20 years. It will feature luxury condominiums, business offices, an upscale commercial center, and the largest superclub in the country.

Veritown Fort

A master-planned development by Federal Land, Veritown Fort features four luxury residential towers, a Grand Hyatt Hotel (slated to open in 2017) and a Grand Hyatt Residences. It will also include the Big Apple Mall, a sprawling retail, dining and entertainment complex, as well as commercial buildings and offices.

Meantime, BGC’s main developer, Ayala Land, has also been building residential complexes within the CBD, including: