Pasig City: Reclaiming its Glory from Makati City
For many years, Makati City has been the undisputed financial, commercial and business center of Metro Manila. The City of Pasig, however, is giving the City of Makati a run for its money.
The City of Pasig is one of the fast-rising commercial and industrial cities of the metropolis. The city is host to major corporations, housed in the skyscrapers sprouting all over Ortigas.
This is no wonder as the City of Pasig has always been considered the country’s cradle of civilization. Even before Spain’s conquest of Manila, trading ships have been docking in the mouth of the Pasig River, spurring the settlement of merchants and ship owners even before the construction of the present-day Port of Manila.
Pasig City’s renaissance was boosted by the construction of the Asian Development Bank 10 years ago. The city has since boomed, with multinational corporations and major lending and financial institutions establishing their headquarters here. Some of these businesses include the RFM Corporation, Honda Cars Incorporated, LG Collins, Nestlé Philippines, San Miguel Corporation, MERALCO, Pure Foods Corporation and Jollibee Foods Corporation.
Today, the City of Pasig is rightly reclaiming its former status as the center of trade and commerce of Metro Manila, offering a balanced mix of shopping, business and recreational experiences to its visitors.
A Ferry through the Pasig River: An Alternative Way to Travel. If you want to be spared the daily congestion of vehicles that ply the major routes in the metropolis, a ferry through Pasig River may be the more pleasurable and comfortable alternative.
The scenic ferry ride along the historic Pasig River, the Philippines’ first nautical highway, takes an enjoyable 50 minutes from the Escolta station to the Guadalupe terminal. The ride costs only 25 pesos, with discounts given to senior citizens. The ferry transports its passengers through to six stations: Guadalupe, Hulo, Lambingan, Santa Ana, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and Escolta.
There are four air-conditioned ferries plying the River, with a seating capacity of 150 persons. The vessels load and unload passengers every thirty minutes, giving the more adventurous city dweller/visitor a front-view, center-seat chance to witness the on-going rehabilitation of the Pasig River. For the safety, comfort and security of its passengers, the Pasig River Ferry has other modern amenities like waiting areas, a ticketing system, scanners and metal detectors, comfort rooms, vending machines and elevators for persons with disabilities.
The City of Pasig: Home to the Philippine Stock Exchange. Now one of the more prestigious and significant landmarks in Ortigas, the Tektite Towers are sleek twin towers with 33 levels to their name. Rivaling Ayala’s Triangle, considered to be the centerpiece of Makati’s Central Business District [CBD], the Tektite Towers are the largest of all Philippine office complexes. Developed by Philrealty, the Tektite Towers have been home to the Philippine Stock Exchange since 1993. To date, 310 companies are listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange with a blue-chip sector, including giants such as San Miguel Corporation, FG Financial Co. Inc., and SkyCable to name a few. The Phisix Index is Manila’s counterpart to the Dow Jones Index of New York; both stock exchanges allow visitors to watch the proceedings on the trading floor from a public gallery. The Philippine Stock Exchange is located along Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. For more information on the Philippine Stock Exchange, please visit its web site at www.pse.com.ph.
A Quiet and Engaging Moment at Ortigas Park, Pasig City. The City of Pasig has become a haven for coffee lovers, with popular cafes and coffee shops in Ortigas including Starbucks and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. The latter has one of its 14th Philippine outlets located in the heart of the Ortigas Park in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
Envisioned as an oasis in the midst of the urban jungle that is Pasig City, the Ortigas Park affords its visitors a quiet and engaging moment of tranquility. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, nestled in its midst, reinforces this restive atmosphere by serving fresh coffee, cold drinks and food.
Ortigas Park, in its former incarnation, was an empty lot of gravel and grass, used as a passageway from Emerald Avenue to EDSA. Now, it is a landscaped park that provides solitude and rest to the denizens of Ortigas Center.
Medical City: the Philippines’ Premier Medical Tourism Destination. The Philippines is home to some of the best hospitals and stand-alone specialty clinics in the world, offering world-class expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and the distinct warmth of Filipino hospitality. One of these modern medical centers is The Medical City, located on Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City.
Sitting on a 1.5-hectare property along Ortigas Avenue, the Medical City is a self-contained healthcare complex. It has facilities for common procedures such as cosmetic and plastic surgery, dermatology, weight loss surgery, ophthalmology and dentistry as well as regular medical care. The complex has some 100,000 square meters of floor space and is composed of two towers joined by a podium and bridge ways.
Another unique feature is its advanced Building Management System (BMS) which serves as the brain of the complex. The BMS orchestrates Medical City’s many systems, including its centerpiece life safety features activated in emergencies such as fire or earthquake.
Tiendesitas: Pasig City’s novelty shopping village. Unique in its architectural design, Tiendesitas, a Maranaw-inspired shopping complex is a must-go place for Filipiniana lovers. Sitting on a total land area of 30,000-square-meter, this Pasig City specialty and novelty shopping hub hosts 450 shops rendering Filipino trademarks such as nipa huts and native products like rice cakes and vintage comics.
A visit to Tiendesitas is like touring the Philippines back in the day - it would not be complete without a ride on horse carriages. The shopping village is strategically located on Ortigas Avenue corner E. Rodriguez Avenue (C5), Pasig City. For further details, visit its website, www.tiendesitas.com.ph.
A Pampering Stay at Richmonde Hotel, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. The Richmonde Hotel along San Miguel Avenue in Pasig City is committed to redefining Filipino hospitality by providing its foreign and local guests with distinctive, home-away-from-home service. It stands apart from other hotels with its friendly concierge, professional housekeeping services and special courtesies.
The Hotel boasts of its Executive and Richmonde Suites, which come across as chic yet retain a classic ambience with the generous use of fine furnishings. The wooden finish of its furniture, the timeless motifs in its fixtures, the soothing hues of its rooms and the mellow lighting systems seek to recreate the cozy and comfortable atmosphere of home, hoping to invite guests to relax and be soothed by the tranquility of the place.
This soothing Pasig City hotel sits smack in the center of the pulsating business and financial district that is the Ortigas Center (21 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City).
1 Comments