The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Imagine waking up to a beautiful, sunny day. It’s perfect for a run. You take a quick shower, put on your running clothes and shoes, tie your shoelaces, and leave home.
You make your way to the BGC (Bonifacio Global City) Greenway Park. It’s still early. It’s peaceful; no distractions whatsover. You breathe in the fresh air and gaze at the lush greenery lining the length of the park, with the lovely BGC cityscape as a backdrop. You look over to the other side and see a group of people laughing at the Manila Golf Club.
So you begin stretching, and slowly work up your pace. One step, then another, until you lose yourself in the moment. Then you slow down, take a deep breath, and stop. That’s a good run. You haven’t had anything like it in a while.
This is the BGC Greenway experience.
Metro Manila has become too much of an urban jungle. The once-green and healthy city is now too crowded and chaotic, as open spaces have given way to skyscrapers and condominiums.
Urbanites are finding it difficult to lead sound and healthy lives when the air they breathe in is a mixture of hazardous exhaust gas from different kinds of transportation. Then there’s always the danger of encountering road accidents because of oncoming vehicles.
This is one of the scenarios that BGC wants to address. Its master planner and developer, Fort Bonifacio Development Corp. (FBDC), collaborated with its very own community to bring us BGC Greenway Park, a 1.6-kilometer strip of land scaped property—it is similar to New York City’s The High Line—that is touted as the longest urban park in the National Capital Region.
The BGC Greenway Park lies in the western part of the city. From one end, it connects the McKinley Parkway to different offices and residential buildings, such as the Bellagio and Bonifacio Ridge, and all the way to the Net Plaza.
the BGC Greenway Park during its unveiling at the Kalikasan Garden on October 27. In photo are (from left) Lourdes Reyes, chief finance officer of FBDC; Meean Dy, group head, strategic landbank management at Ayala Land Inc.; Manny Blas, head of commercial operations at FBDC; Taguig City Councilor Edwin Eron; Rodney Medrano, general manager of the BESC; BGCitzens Karla Kangleon and Jan Llamado; and Benedict Camara, director and founder of the National Bicycle Organization.
Stroll, lounge, work out
The BGC Greenway Park offers BGCitizens a haven from the pressures of daily living. Here, one can enjoy a midday stroll to drown out the noise, either at home or work.
Also, the patches of green spaces dotting the urban park serve as perfect lounging areas for families and friends to spend time with one another and enjoy whatever fun and wholesome activity they have in mind.
BGCitizens leading an active life will find the BGC Greenway Park a safe place to run or jog, bike, or walk the dog. It’s also an ideal place to hold outdoor events, including Sunday markets and film screenings.
The FBDC has transferred the management and maintenance duties of the park to the Bonifacio Global City Estate Association (BGCEA) as part of the latter’s mandate to keep the BGC community a safe and suitable place for residents, workers, and visitors alike.
Aware of the challenges facing urban city dwellers, the FBDC hopes that the BGC Greenway Park can serve as a place where BGCitizens can stop, relax and free themselves from the worries of city living.
The BGC Greenway Park is open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call Bonifacio Global City Community Manager Armie Candado at 0917- 5591749, or send an e-mail to info@bgc.com.ph.