Talking about a playground in the middle of the concrete jungle which happens to be a major metropolitan commercial-business district is a sight as rare as a blue moon. But in the bustling Bonifacio Global City, (BGC) one can actually find such a sight within the green, open space called Terra 28th.
Its name may remind one of another park in BGC that we have talked about here before, Track 30th. In a way, these 2 parks can be considered as siblings, so to speak, divided by parking spaces and the busy Bonifacio High Street shopping complex. Both parks have greens, some shade, and a jogging path that runs throughout each park.
But while Track 30th is geared more for the active lifestyle with its facilities, Terra 28th has a more playful, laid-back atmosphere which is accentuated by the presence of a playground which curiously bear science-inspired designs. I wonder if they came from or were originally intended to be at the Mind Museum that is also located at BGC.
But what makes this playground even more unique is that it has paved courts that one at first may think these are basketball, volleyball, or tennis courts. But no, these courts were made specially for children to play timeless games Filipino kids play like piko, patintero, and luksong baka.
I joked once that Terra 28th is the place where affluent kids play games like piko. Then again, it’s better I suppose than seeing lines of chalk drawn on the BGC streets made into piko or patintero courts.
Seriously though, the developers of BGC, particularly the ones behind Terra 28th, should be given much admiration and praise for giving such recognition to these Filipino children’s games that are either taken for granted or given less importance due to modern technology in children’s entertainment. I’m not sure but only a few playgrounds have such facilities dedicated to games like piko and patintero. What’s even more amazing when you think about it is that Terra 28th has managed to keep a Filipino tradition alive and well in a place as unlikely as a commercial business district that is heavily a Western-influenced environment.
Terra 28th may not stand out as much as an open space in the middle of towering skyscrapers and stylish buildings, but it is place worth checking out for being an urban playground that is just much more than what it is.
