NAIA Terminal 1 will finally get a Facelift! Cobonpue's design will push through!

Secretary Jun Abaya of the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications) announced that it is moving forward with the P2.8 billion rehabilitation of NAIA terminal 1 with plans to bid out by next month contracts to address structural and architectural components. In a meeting held in the DOTC office on May 10, 2013, five cabinet secretaries chose to adapt the original design of Kenneth Cobonpue, Budji Layug and Arch. Royal Pineda for the long-awaited rehabilitation of NAIA-1. Present during the meeting were DOTC Sec Emilio Abaya, DOF Sec Cesar Purisima, DPWH Sec Rogelio Singson, DOT Sec Ramon Jimenez Jr., Cabinet Sec Rene Almendras, MIAA Gen Manager Jose Angel Honrado and National Competitiveness Council Co-chairman Guillermo Luz.

Shelved in 2011, the original plan revolves around a green oasis in the heart of the city surrounded by several road rings flanked by a multi-level parking building and a greeters terminal. Sec. Abaya said that the trio would put a “Filipino taste and modern feel” to the planned rehabilitation, with Sec. Jimenez saying that the “aha feel” in the proposed design was what they were looking for. Targeted for completion in time for the hosting of the APEC Summit in 2015, the design complements the original exterior which, due to national patrimony laws, cannot be altered. The trio will work with the architectural firm of Leandro V Locsin who designed the present NAIA terminal.

The "dream" NAIA as envisioned by the team of Kenneth Cobonpue, Royal Pineda and Budji Layug with the NAIA PMO:

Videos from 2011 Special on ANC: Redesigning NAIA Terminal 1

Another "Green" development comes to Metro Manila.... watch out Mandaluyong City

Another "Green" development comes to Metro Manila... 

We have Greenmeadows, Greenhills,  Green Residences, Greenbelt, Circulo Verde (Green Circle)...did we miss anything? Oh and now...GREENFIELD DISTRICT!


I guess it is Metro Manila's way of making up for the lack of green space. Don't be fooled by all the "Green developments" in the city. But sad as it may be, it is true that these places have some of the few places where people can relax and enjoy green spaces. Of course the first three are residential "villages"...and a tower while the rest are mixed-use developments.

"Greenfield Aims to Recreate Mandaluyong City"

In the early 1970s, a budding developer and landholding company by the name of Greenfield Development Corporation established its modest beginnings with the construction of EDSA Central.
Located at the heart of the metropolis, the mixed-use development rapidly grew into a bustling hub for commerce and transportation.

 

Forty years later, the former congested complex is now being transformed by the same company into a master planned community with a “smart and connected” promise, dubbed as the Greenfield District.

“Greenfield is setting its sights towards revolutionizing living in Mandaluyong.
“Through the smart and connected blueprint of the Greenfield District, we aim to help recreate the city into a state-of-the-art urban center that measures up to the highest urban planning standards in the world,” said Jeffrey D.Y. Campos, Greenfield Development Corporation’s president and chairman of the board.

Greenfield District will be the first of its kind in the Philippines, offering a balance between modern comfort and green living with state-of-the-art buildings and natural wonders.
Infrastructure components are designed to let the environment work for its end users. Intelligent building, property, energy, waste and water management practices are strictly observed and implemented and connected via integrated network operation centers.

At least forty percent of the planned hub will feature pocket parks, tree-lined roads and verdant open spaces. In addition, the proposed district’s central location in Mandaluyong and its direct access to EDSA makes it conveniently located near  other l business districts, schools, hospitals, malls and lifestyle centers.

Greenfield District will also feature BPO offices, shopping buildings and a wide range of bars and restaurants, all of which will be connected through pedestrian-friendly walkways. Interconnected underground parking spaces and roads will also be built for easier vehicular navigation.
Its first vertical residential development, Twin Oaks Place, is a showcase of Greenfield’s plans and standards for future buildings in the Greenfield District. Outfitted with Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology, Twin Oaks Place will enable residents to enjoy the convenience of a smart and automated home, as well as connection speeds of up to 1GBps.

The first tower is set to be completed in early 2014. This state-of-the-art structure, Campos says, is a promise of bigger and brighter things to come.

With its focus on future-ready structures, Greenfield is hoping to pave the way for the next generation.

Campos concludes, “Through innovation and quality, we aim to bequeath a legacy of fully connected, balanced and sustainable communities”.

Quiet Moving Force in the Industry
“Modesty aside, since our incorporation in 1961, we have remained a quiet moving force in the real estate industry,” Campos said.
Campos said that In its 50-year history, Greenfield has played an instrumental role in the development of Sta. Rosa by laying the groundwork for projects like Greenfield City, the first city within a park; Paseo, the outlet hub of the South; Pramana, the country’s first residential park, and several interchanges on the South Luzon Expressway.
The company has provided the foundation for joint venture projects including Ayala Greenfield Estates in Laguna, and Hillsborough Estates in Muntinlupa.
Today, armed with our vast pool of significant landholdings and resources, Greenfield is embarking on a new corporate direction. “We are setting our sights beyond the next fifteen years and building for the next generations through innovative and future-ready developments,” said Campos.

Source: Manila Standard Today

Cities Alliance in Action - New Urban Planning Strategies for the Philippines

CITIES ALLIANCE IN ACTION

New Urban Planning Strategies for the Philippines

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The Philippines ranks among the most rapidly urbanising countries in the world. Currently, more than 60 per cent of its population lives in cities and this figure is expected to rise to 70 per cent by 2020. While such rapid urbanisation creates new economic opportunities for cities and their residents, it is also characterised by rising poverty, housing constraints, environmental degradation and unemployment. There is immense pressure on Local Government Units (LGUs), who often lack the institutional and technical capacity to adopt a sustainable and strategic urban planning approach. For more than a decade, the Cities Alliance has supported the Philippines’ City Development Strategy programme in three phases, in partnership with the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP). Helping Cities Help Themselves City of San Fernando, La Union: Botanical Garden City, a Healthy City, and a Springboard for Regional Progress Iliolo City: The Growth Centre for Sustainable Business, Industry, Tourism, Social and Human Development... These are just two of 63 vision statements formulated and implemented by as many cities across the Philippines as part of a strategic approach to urban planning and management, the City Development Strategy (CDS). In 1998, CDS 1: Preparatory Activities for the Expansion of CDS Programme in the Philippines was piloted in seven cities across the Philippines. Three years later, 31 new cities joined phase 2 of the programme, the CDS 2: Upscaling Poverty-Focused CDS in the Philippines. By 2006, another 15 cities took part in phase 3, CDS 3: An Enabling Platform for Good Governance and Improving Service Delivery. Today, the CDS is widely recognised as one of the most effective tools for strategic urban planning in the Philippines. Its flexible nature allows each city to identify unique challenges and development opportunities. Every city has its own long-term vision statement and a concrete plan of action against which progress is closely monitored. At every stage, stakeholders (including civil society, businesses, academia, local government officials and city residents) interact and exchange information and knowledge, making the CDS a truly participatory process. Beyond the Halfway Mark – and Counting Across the Philippines, response to the CDS has been extraordinary. To date, more than half of its cities have voluntarily participated in the programme , and the demand continues. Few countries in the world have seen such a high rate of participation in the CDS as the Philippines. This enthusiasm arises from the potential benefits associated with the programme. For instance, participating cities are seen as attractive financial destinations by international donor agencies and private investors. Also, CDS cities are encouraged to be efficient and resourceful in fundraising and allocation. This is critical since funding for the CDS in the Philippines is thinly distributed among a large number of cities.(1) The fiscal prudence of CDS cities has other advantages as well. Congressman Mel Sarmiento, a former Mayor of Calbayog City, explains: “CDS cities stand out in terms of their design and programmes. The transformation, but more importantly the institutionalisation of this transformation, is evidenced by the fact that CDS cities are those who are often recognised by award-giving bodies like the Galing Pook Award and National Competitiveness Council.” The CDS programme has also led to knowledge sharing through online platforms, workshops, city-to-city tours and other activities for city mayors and staff. For instance, based on information gathered from other CDS cities, Iliolo City implemented a house-numbering system which was not initially part of its CDS. Mary Jane Ortega, former Mayor of City of San Fernando, La Union says, “While CDS taught cities to compete it also taught us to share. This sharing tightened the bond between cities.” Ortega also highlights that this knowledge sharing has led to a replication of the CDS programme beyond the city level. She says, “Our city shared the CDS process at the barangay (village) and municipality level in our province.” This replication has occurred in other provinces as well. Lessons Learned from the CDS Success Story The scale at which the CDS programme operates in the Philippines is a testimony to its success. From the outset, the active participation and commitment of mayors and city officials have proved critical. Constant efforts are required to ensure their continued support. In particular, new mayors must be engaged and oriented with the CDS so that political support for it continues despite regime change. Led by mayors who serve as ‘champions’, many cities in the Philippines have locally institutionalised the programme to an extent that it works harmoniously with existing planning frameworks such as the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). However, the CDS has not yet been incorporated in national policy-making. This must be addressed in order for the CDS projects to be aligned with the development priorities of both, city and country. Finally, CDS cities in the Philippines can benefit from robust mechanisms to monitor socio-economic progress as a result of the programme. This has implications for project monitoring and evaluation and contributes to the ability of the Cities Alliance and LCP’ to identify and support CDS cities which need further attention. (1) With so many cities participating in the Philippines CDS programme, there is a resource dilution. For instance, under CDS 2 and 3, each CDS city received approximately USD 24,000 from the Cities Alliance. This is in stark comparison to the Vietnam CDS programme, in which each of the two participating cities received USD 125,000. © 2013 The Cities Alliance, All Rights Reserved.

Project: City Development Strategies for the Philippines Partners: Cities Alliance, League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), the World Bank, UN-Habitat, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Asian Development Bank (ADB) Duration: 1999 – 2008 Financing: USD 1,171,000 Key Aspects: Enabling cities to design and implement their own strategic development plans Encouraging all city stakeholders to participate in project planning, implementation and monitoring Promoting knowledge sharing among cities at the national and international level The City of Puerto Princesa received several awards for environmental management and protection following its participation in the CDS. “While CDS taught us to compete, we also learned to share.” Mary Jane Ortega, Former Mayor - City of San Fernando, La Union, The Philippines

68th Anniversary of the Battle of Manila

Urbanismo Filipno remembers the Battle of Manila on its 68th Anniversary February 3-March 3

Check out special content shared by the Philippine Government with pictures and videos of horrific scenes that devastated our city and our heritage. The glorious city of Manila, dubbed the "Pearl of the Orient" had been reduced to ash and dust from World War II. 

Check out:
http://malacanang.gov.ph/battle-of-manila/

  

Through an exclusive partnership with Tiger Films, we [Malacañang Palace] are making available a rare, colored film featuring the devastation of Manila in the aftermath of the Battle of Manila. The footage, shot on Kodak colour film, showcases the extent of the destruction on the city of Manila, which was the second most devastated Allied capital of World War II.

Ortigas unveils Industria mall

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City mall-goers will soon have a new place to dine and shop in as premiere property developer Ortigas & Co. unveils Industria.

Industria is the latest retail development venture of Ortigas & Company. Photo courtesy of Ortigas & Company

In a statement on Tuesday, February 19, Ortigas said the P400 million-worth mall with a total leasable area of 14,000 square meters will feature an indoor-outdoor retail concept.
The new complex is expected to become the neighborhood commerical center for Circulo Verde, a P25-billion flagship residential development of Ortigas & Co., composed of 15 towers, located along Calle Industria in Quezon City.

"The name Industria alludes to the roots and legacy of the site. It has reference to the adjacent street ‘Calle Industria.’ The architecture of the proposed development also relates to industrial design elements," said Ortigas & Co. Shopping Center Division General Manager Cathy Casares-Ko.
It is designed to be a hang-out place for Circulo Verde’s residents as well as a young, edgy, and artsy crowd. It will be accessible to the public via two main entrances.

One access point is located along Calle Industria, and an alternative access bridge linking Circulo Verde to Amang Rodriguez is being developed.

It aims to have mix of tenants composed of a neighborhood grocery, unique gastronomic concepts, a fitness center, weekend markets featuring organic choices, as well as craft fairs.
It is also envisioned to be a venue for street art shows and music festivals. A special section of Industria, called the Lab, will house novel concepts in arts, culture, and design.
The new mall is expected to be fully completed in the first quarter of 2014, while the anchor supermarket should be ready by December 2013.

Industria will be the newest addition to the company's other retail developments, like Tiendesitas, Greenhills Shopping Center, and Estancia at Capitol Commons.
"Ortigas’ retail developments each have very distinct characteristics. While people flock to Greenhills Shopping Center for bargain finds, Tiendesitas for all-Filipino goods, and soon Estancia for high end destination retailers, the young and artistic personality of Industria would make it a haven for individuals who are looking for alternatives in food, fashion, and entertainment," Ko said.
The launch of Industria is the new addition to these ongoing projects of the Ortigas group:

• Greenhills Shopping Center which is undergoing a P25-billion redevelopment project, which is now on its 2nd phase;
• Tiendesitas which is going through a redevelopment process that will make it bigger by 20,000 sqm and cooler; and
• The construction of Estancia at Capitol Commons is well underway, with the mall set to open by 2014. 

- Rappler.com

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It would be great to see more development projects pay homage to the local surroundings and heritage of the community they are building in. As a developer, you must understand the context of where you are building these urban spaces, keeping in mind the urban design and its connection to the greater fabric. This projects seems very promising...although...another retail mall? The Philippine economy is based on local consumption and it seems as though there will always be demand for these spaces as the population continues to grow, especially if this development is trying to attract the yuppie and artsy segment of the population. 

'Paradores' en Filipinas

At least five major private-public partnership projects have been offered to Spanish firms to enhance the tourism and cultural agenda in Intramuros.

Intramuros Administration chief Jose Capistrano Jr. announced during the 6th Tribuna España-Filipinas at the Asian Institute of Management today that a master plan for the walled city has been finished, but “we (now) need to work on Phase 2 of the Master Plan which is a more detailed planning. After that, we can come up with a [terms of reference] for this package.”

Among the projects that are being developed are the establishment of a boutique hotel, fine dining restaurant, a theme park replicating the Old Intramuros, integrated parking and the Maestranza Park, which will be open to the public on February 11.

He said the long-term plan, which should be implemented by 2016, is the establishment of a row of cafes, shops and restaurants similar to Clark Quay in Singapore.

‘Paradores’
He also noted that the Department of Tourism is implementing programs for the restoration and conversion of 27 lighthouses in different parts of the country for “bed and breakfast” inns, similar to the Paradores chain of hotels in Spain.

Spain Tourism Attache Angela Castaño said Paradores are old structures like historical buildings, castles and chateaus developed and refurbished as hotels with modern services, the first of which was established in 1928. There are currently 98 Paradores operating in Spain.

“The bidding will be open to all (interested developers and investors). What is important is that we finish the terms of reference under our private-public partnership plan and then we bid it out to developers but that would mean a further study,” Capistrano said.

Visiting Permanent Secretary Luis Ramon Enseñat said the two countries should now work together because of their shared history. Enseñat is with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Spain. For his part, Instituto Cervantes Sec. Gen. Rafael Rodriguez-Ponga pressed for education in bridging the gap between the two countries.

“With 500 million Spanish-speaking people in the world, and 50 million in the US and 40 million who speak Spanish everyday, learning the language helps the young professionals improve their job opportunities. This goes beyond historical relations, it is not just about bridging the gap to the past but also charting the pathway to the future,” he said.

“We should recognize that relationships between the Philippines and Spain, whether it be in stone or paper, is working for the future of both countries,” he added. (ABS CBN)

Town of Vigan - UNESCO World Heritage Site - Best Preserved Hispanic Colonial Towns

The Plan to have 'Paradores' around the Philippines is a wonderful idea. I hope the government can formalize legislation and policies such as tax incentives and preservation standards to attract private investors who interested in rehabilitating, and creating value out of these under-utilized structures. Historic preservation-wise, it will save a lot of these structures from demolition and will contribute to the patrimony of the Filipino.

These Paradores will help stimulate local economies, create jobs and supply the demand of the burgeoning hospitality industry in the Philippines. Philippine policy-makers should really take this seriously and make it a priority for the preservation of Philippine heritage and also would enhance ties between Spain and the Philippines. I support the creation of PARADORES in the Philippines.
-- J.G. Apelar

Journal Article: Colonial Urban Planning and Land Structures in the Philippines 1521-1898

Pilar Chias y Tomas Abad, 2012
Escuela de Arquitectura, Universidad de Alcalá
Madrid, España

Abstract: The Spanish Colonial period in the Indies extends from 1492 to 1898, when last colonies - Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines - attained their independence. The Philippines depended on the Spanish Crown from 1521, the date of the first settlement on the island of Cebu.  More than 200 new cities were founded along the archipelago with the traditional grid structure, but some with other urban typologies have not been studied before. At the beginning they were mostly located on the coast and later became port cities, but the ensuing exploration of inland territories led to the construction of new settlements, later linked through a network of roads, railroads, and navigational routes. Based upon the ancient cartography of the Philippines that the authors recently discovered in the principal Spanish repositories, the present article studies the unexplored and unpublished fields of research, analyzing the different urban patters, as well as the territorial structures that were consolidated during the Spanish Colonial period in the Archipelago.

Journal Article: Click Here

Keywords: spanish colonies, urban typology, land planning, Philippine Islands, Islas Filipinas, ancient cartography