Bonifacio Global City (also known as BGC, Global City, or The Fort) is a financial and lifestyle district in Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located 11 km (6.8 mi) southeast of the city of Manila. The district experienced commercial growth following the sale of a 440-hectare military base at Fort Bonifacio by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). The entire district used to be the part of the main Philippine Army camp.[3]

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Bonifacio Global City
Central Business District
From left to right: General skyline, Burgos Circle at the Forbes Town Center, St. Luke's Medical Center, Philippine Stock Exchange, Bonifacio High Street, Market! Market!, SM Aura Premier
Nicknames:  BGC Global City Fort Bonifacio Global City The Fort
Bonifacio Global City and surrounding localities
Bonifacio Global City Location of Bonifacio Global City within Metro Manila
Coordinates: 14°33′02.9″N 121°3′3.5″E
Country	Philippines
Region	National Capital Region
City	Disputed: Makati Pateros Taguig (de facto control)
Barangay	Fort Bonifacio (Taguig) Post Proper Northside (Makati)
Elevation	16.0 m (52.5 ft)
Highest elevation [1]	40 m (130 ft)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
Zip code	1635[2]
Area code	2
Website	www.bgc.com.ph

It is under the administration of the city government of Taguig although the local governments of Makati and Pateros also claim jurisdiction.

On February 7, 1995, Bonifacio Land Development Corporation (BLDC) started planning a major urban development—Bonifacio Global City. BLDC made a successful bid to become BCDA's partner in the development of the district. The Ayala Corporation through Ayala Land, Inc., and Evergreen Holdings, Inc. of the Campos Group purchased a controlling stake in BLDC from Metro Pacific in 2003. BCDA and the two companies now control Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation, which oversees the master planning of Bonifacio Global City.

History

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During the American colonial period, the US government acquired a 25.78-square-kilometer (9.95 sq mi) property within what was then disputed area between Makati, Taguig and Pateros for military purposes. This area (TCT dated 1902) was turned into a camp then known as Fort William McKinley after the 25th US president, William McKinley. After the Philippines gained its political independence from the United States on July 4, 1946, the US bestowed to the Republic of the Philippines all rights of possession, jurisdiction, supervision, and control over the Philippine territory except the use of their military bases. On May 14, 1949, Fort McKinley was turned over to the Philippine government by virtue of US Embassy Note No. 0570.[4]

Under the AFP leadership of Gen. Alfonso Arellano, Fort McKinley was made the permanent headquarters of the Philippine Army in 1957 and was subsequently renamed Fort Bonifacio,[5] after the Father of the Philippine Revolution against Spain, Andres Bonifacio, whose father, Santiago Bonifacio, was a native of Taguig (then part of the Province of Manila / Tondo).

On December 9, 1937, the Deed of Absolute Sale executed by the owner, Don Anacleto Madrigal Acopiado in favor of the American Government covering the area of 100 hectares, portion of Bicutan, Taguig, annotated at the back of TCT No. 408. During the American Commonwealth, it was converted to a Military base, named Fort McKinley. It was during the presidency of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos' administration when Fort McKinley was renamed Fort Bonifacio and transferred to Makati. Taguig got the jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio after winning the case against Makati in filed in the Pasig Regional Trial Court in 1993. Makati appealed the ruling, but the Pasig RTC in 2011 still sided with Taguig, saying that Fort Bonifacio including the -EMBO Baranggays are all part of Taguig. Makati then asked the Court of Appeals to review the case. The Court of Appeals overturned the Pasig Regional Trial Court's decision and reverted jurisdiction of the BGC in favor of Makati. Taguig has filed a Motion of Reconsideration at the Court of Appeals seeking to revert the decision.

The newest Court of Appeals Resolution was promulgated on October 3, 2017. In an 18-page resolution promulgated on March 8 penned by Associate Justice Edwin Sorongon and was concurred by Justices Ramon Cruz and Renato Franciso, the CA's Special Former Sixth Division granted Taguig's motion to dismiss citing Makati's violation of the forum shopping rule (or pursuing simultaneous remedies in two different courts) and accordingly dismissed the latter's appeal of the earlier decision of the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) which originally ruled in favor of Taguig.[6]

The CA took notice of the Supreme Court's decision on June 15, 2016, which found Makati guilty of “willful and deliberate forum shopping.” [7]

“However, the Supreme Court has not spoken. Ineluctably, we must adhere. The issue of whether Makati committed willful and deliberate forum shopping in these cases has been finally laid to rest no less than by the Supreme Court,” the CA said in a ruling.[8] With this development, the rightful owner of the former military reservation is Taguig.

On February 7, 1995, Bonifacio Land Development Corporation, a consortium led by Metro Pacific, made a successful bid to become BCDA's partner in the development of Bonifacio Global City. Ayala Land, Inc. and Evergreen Holdings, Inc. of the Campos Group purchased a controlling stake in BLDC from Metro Pacific in 2003. BCDA and the two companies control Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation, which oversees the master planning of Bonifacio Global City. The Bonifacio Global City is a rich district with a high number of skyscrapers, even as the city is still rising. Many skyscrapers are under construction and will be built in future.^{[citation needed]}

Description

Bonifacio Global City is between EDSA and the C-5 Road. There are seven major access points: access from the north and west through Kalayaan Avenue which connects it to the north gate and the Kalayaan Flyover, access from Taguig in the west via EDSA through McKinley Road and to the McKinley Gate; the three main entrances (Upper East Gate, Sampaguita Gate, and Lower East Gate) from C-5 in the east; and from the airport through the Villamor Airbase to the south Gate by Fifth Avenue and Lawton Avenue.^{[citation needed]} BGC and Ortigas Center has been connected by the Bonifacio Global City–Ortigas Link Bridge, with the southern end of the bridge at Lawton Avenue near Kalayaan Avenue.

BGC is home to residential condominiums such as 8 Forbes Town Road, Bellagio, Essensa, Serendra, Pacific Plaza Towers, One McKinley Place, The Luxe Residences, Bonifacio Ridge Twin Towers, and Regent Parkway and corporate office buildings such as Net One and Bonifacio Technology Center. Many Filipino and multinational corporations have acquired properties and have committed to relocate their global, regional or national headquarters in the business district.^{[citation needed]}

Developments

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Bonifacio High Street

Bonifacio High Street forms the physical core of Bonifacio Global City and is designed as a three-by-three matrix of high-tech offices and residential buildings, retail outlets and pedestrian-friendly roads and walkways. The grid design ensures a city center that is easy to navigate. 5th and 11th Avenues and 32nd and 26th Streets serve as the boundaries of the city center.^{[citation needed]}

At One Bonifacio High Street, the PSE Tower, which houses the unified trading floor of the Philippine Stock Exchange, the Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila and Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila are also located here.

The Retail Promenade which encompasses 29th Street is characterized by landscaped areas. Its design concept is centered on an east–west central access with business establishments and activity pods. It offers retail at the ground level and offices at the second floor. The City Square Blocks feature landscaped areas and parks.^{[citation needed]}

Track 30th, a urban park, is located on one side of the High Street. Its amenities include a jogging path and several fitness oriented installations[9] that can be used for exercises such as pull ups.[10] The park can be accessed through a nearby bus stop.[11]

North Bonifacio

The ₱20-billion tower was estimated to start construction by late 2008, by Federal Land, Inc. (led by its president Alfred Ty), on a 27-hectare (67-acre) North Bonifacio district lot (jointly owned by the Metrobank Group of Companies and the Bases Conversion Development Authority). The tower is the 65-storey Metrobank Center which houses the Grand Hyatt Manila hotel and is currently one of the tallest skyscrapers in Metro Manila.[12][13]

Forbes Town Center

The Forbes Town Center[14] is Megaworld's 5-hectare township community, where 8 Forbestown Road,[15] Forbeswood Heights, Forbeswood Parklane,[16] and Bellagio[17] condominiums are located. It has a combination of low-density residential development, shopping strip, dining outlets, and other service facilities.

Uptown Bonifacio

Uptown Bonifacio[18] is a new 15-hectare property located in the northern district of Fort Bonifacio. The Megaworld Corporation[19] plans to build new residential condominiums (Uptown Parksuites,[20] Uptown Ritz[21] and One Uptown Residence)[22] and mixed-use business and commercial developments in the area that cater to upper to middle class markets. The area is near the zone where the British, Japanese, and American international schools, and other local schools are located. Moreover, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls also built Uptown Mall in the area.

Health and education

St. Luke's Medical Center, Inc. operates a hospital at the Bonifacio Global City.

BGC has several major educational institutions, mostly located at the University Parkway district. The University of the Philippines System (through the constituent units of UP Diliman and UP Open University) and De La Salle University are two most prominent universities which offer graduate programs for professionals working in the district.[23][24] Other educational institutions in the area include the Leaders International Christian School of Manila, British School Manila, International School Manila, Manila Japanese School, Korean International School Philippines, Everest Academy Manila, STI College, MGC-New Life Christian Academy - Global City, Treston International College, and Enderun Colleges.

Transport

Bonifacio Transport Corporation maintains bus routes (BGC Bus) serving the business district, as well as Jeepneys and UV Express, with a terminal located at the Market! Market! shopping mall.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has launched new rationalized bus routes to the business district, from Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, SM North EDSA, and Alabang. All buses, including those to and from out of the metropolis, are stationed at the Market! Market! terminal.

The Bonifacio Global City is also located near the Buendia MRT station, and will be served by the future Line 9 (Metro Manila Subway).

Fort Bonifacio dispute

Bonifacio Global City is part of the larger Fort Bonifacio area which had been a subject of a dispute between the cities of Makati and Taguig. Pateros also claimed control over the area. In a decision dated 1 December 2021, and handed down on the 27th of April 2022, Associate Justice Ricardo R. Rosario, the Supreme Court of the Philippines declared permanent the 1994 injunction issued by the Pasig City RTC which disallowed the Makati City government “from exercising jurisdiction over, making improvements on, or otherwise treating as part of its territory Parcels 3 and 4, Psu 2031, comprising Fort Bonifacio, including the so-called Inner Fort comprising of Barangays Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo and Pitogo.”[25]

Gallery

See also

• Camp Aguinaldo
• Clark Global City
• Color Manila Run
• New York City
• Las Vegas Strip
• Downtown Los Angeles
• Sudirman Central Business District
• Kuala Lumpur City Centre
• Central Area, Singapore

References

• mb.com.ph^{[permanent dead link]}
• mb.com.ph^{[permanent dead link]}
• "G.R. No. 157714". sc.judiciary.gov.ph. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bonifacio Global City.

• Official Website of Taguig
• Bonifacio Global City
• BGC Taguig