Whenever nightlife and recreation in the eastern part of Metro Manila gets discussed, the foremost place that comes to mind is the Metrowalk Commercial Center, or Metrowalk for short.
Located along Meralco Avenue just across the Ortigas Center business district, Metrowalk has given life to the soulless urban landscape of Ortigas Center even though it is not technically part of the district, a favorite hangout for those looking to unwind after work or just a place to chill and have a quick meal before going to their graveyard shift work at one of Ortigas Center’s BPO offices.
A messy history
But behind the bright lights and the bustling nightlife, Metrowalk has had quite a messy history. Or to be more specific, the lot where it stands. You see, Metrowalk is part of a larger property at 18.5 hectares bounded (East). That property itself was part of the vast landholdings of the Ortigas estate and by the 1960s, the Ortigases were beginning to develop significant parts of their estate, which gave rise to the Ortigas Center CBD and the Valle Verde villages that we know today. But in 1968, the Ortigases sold the 18.5 hectare property between Ortigas Center and Valle Verde to a company controlled by Jose Campos,.the man behind Unilab and owner of the property we now as Greenfield District. The Ortigases would claim they sold that property due to pressure by then Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who also happens to have a “close relationship” with Campos.
The next development that happened with the property came about after Marcos’ downfall in 1986. Not actual land development but with ownership as the government, through the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), the government agency created to go after the ill-gotten wealth amassed by Marcos and his cronies, took over the property. How it came to be remains a matter of dispute. The government has claimed that Campos surrendered the property to the government after his benefactor’s (Marcos) ouster. But in another version of the story, one group claims that Campos sold the property to them and the government took over the property illegally. That group is a company called BLEMP Commercial Philippines Inc. Not a well=known company but its controlling stakeholder is, Ilocos Sur governor and businessman Luis “Chavit” Singson.
From carnival to commercial
Meanwhile, the property remained idle with no large-scale development for another 15 years or so. If any, these were just temporary or seasonal developments. Notable of these was the carnival and fair grounds being put up there during the Christmas season, the “Payanig sa Pasig.” Long before Meralco began its “Liwanag Park” during Christmases, the “Payanig sa Pasig” was the go-to place in the eastern Metro area during the Yuletide season throughout the 1990s.
The carnival would cease operations by the 2000s as the government finally began moves to develop the property. Parcels would be carved out and leased to different entities. At the northern portion of the property, home improvement megastore MC Home Depot opened in 2000, which marked the beginning of the new chapter in the property’s history. Used car dealership and automotive complex AutoHub beside MC Home Depot would open in 2003. Meanwhile, in the southern portion, City Golf, a golf driving range, would open in early 2004, followed later that year with the opening of another home improvement megastore CW Home Depot. CW Home Depot’s lease of the property was huge enough that it developed and subleased other portions of its share to restaurants and businesses such as BPO company Foundever (formerly Sitel). On the western side, Goldpark would open as a complex where various establishments operated such as a used car dealership, some restaurants, and even a pet clinic.
Enter Metrowalk
But the most notable of these establishments that would rise out of this controversial property is the Metrowalk Commercial Center which opened in around 2004-2005. What makes Metrowalk notable among the other lessees of the property is that this is the portion developed by the Singson affiliated BLEMP Commercial Philippines, the disputed owner of the property.* As such, it is reasonable to say that Metrowalk is the crown jewel of the controversial Pasig property.
As a commercial complex, Metrowalk aimed to be everything but also a bit different from the neighboring developments in the Pasig property. For one, it not only offered a range of bar and restaurant choices. There was also a salon, a gym/fitness club, even an adult shop and a co-working space. And like its neighboring establishments within the Pasig Property, there is also a used car dealership located in the complex.
And going back to the bar and restaurant scene, the choice that can be found within Metrowalk are not only diverse but also quite known names. From the bar and restaurant venture of former basketball player Atoy Co to well known names such as Starbucks, Pancake House, and Dencio’s.
The addition of an events venue that is Metrowalk Convention Center further bolstered Metrowalk’s place in the metropolis, complementing Ortigas Center by providing choices and needs that the main CBD could not afford. It also helps that it is very accessible to public transportation compared to say Makati’s Poblacion District or the Timog-Tomas Morato area in Quezon City. And that is something that would come to play later on this story.
Struggles and opportunities
Despite Metrowalk being quite popular entertainment venue, it has long been struggling in terms of foot traffic. Sure it is ironic given its accessibility as mentioned earlier, but while it is close to Ortigas Center and complements it, the presence of a major thoroughfare between them (Meralco Avenue) served to divide them. It also does not help that the traffic along Meralco Avenue itself has dissuaded people to go out of their way to Metrowalk, even for those coming from Ortigas Center.
Thus over the years, Metrowalk has seen numerous establishments come and go. To give some examples, the gym/fitness club was shut down and to be replaced with a poker hall, and the current co-working space (WeRemote) used to be a bazaar. In some cases, some establishments shut down with no locator coming in to fill the spot they left behind and has remained empty ever since. Maintenance also suffered as a result as its old escalators broke down eventually and management decided not to fix them since there seems to be no incentive to.
But hope is not lost as the area is set to be given a boost with the ongoing Metro Manila Subway Project and the construction of a station (Ortigas) around the Metrowalk area. Already, most of the establishments in the Goldpark side of the Pasig property have been closed down to give way to the project, as well as some parts of Metrowalk itself have been fenced off to give way to the construction works.
Uncertain future
But despite these developments and the promise of a boost for the complex, Metrowalk’s future is more uncertain. For one, Singson has mentioned as of late his plans to redevelop Metrowalk. That would entail the construction of high-rise buildings for office spaces and the construction of an actual commercial center, or in other words a mall. In fact, Singson has partnered with Korean investors to draw up plans for this project. Interestingly, the government is also a partner in this project despite the longstanding ownership issues as Singson reportedly offered one of the floors of one of the buildings to be built there to be the new home of the PCGG.
Apparently, this uncertainty not only looms for Metrowalk but for the other establishments within the Pasig property. It remains uncertain how this redevelopment will proceed but be that as it may, there is the possibility that the likes of MC Home Depot and CW Ortigas might close shop.
For now, Metrowalk is still around though still struggling as more establishments shut down in the midst of the ongoing subway project and is still providing new and unique flavors to the urban landscape. In fact, Metrowalk is set to hold the first ever Waterbomb Manila in February next year, the Philippine edition of the popular South Korean music festival that involves a lot of getting wet, kinda like the Wattah Wattah of San Juan but for music and fewer a-holes indiscriminately throwing water, hopefully.
Whatever the future holds for Metrowalk and the storied Pasig property, we can only hope it will bring meaningful and sustainable development for the metropolis.
Random thoughts: If BLEMP claims to be the owner of the entire Pasig property, one has if the other tenants such as MC Home Depot and CW Ortigas Home Depot, among others are paying lease to BLEMP aside from PCGG? The Inquirer report linked below says BLEMP is claiming such. Come to think of it, if PCGG claims ownership of the Pasig property, is it pursuing claims for BLEMP to pay their lease for Metrowalk? Some things to think about.
Acknowledgements as well to Skyscrapercity Forums, Esquire, and Inquirer
