THE RATIONALE OF FORT BONIFACIO DEVELOPMENT

THE GLOBAL CITY

By Nestor S. Mangio, FUAP

The emerging growth of the Asia Pacific RIM has brought the Philippines to the forefront
of global development. Opportunities for investment have spurred an increase in economic
activity and boosted the construction industry in the country. In the country where the literacy
rate is almost 100% but the poverty incidence is variously estimated up to 83% the question of
the productivity is the key to understanding the dichotomy of the Philippine situation.
The Philippines largest export commodity and the one of the highest dollar earners are its
labor. For almost 20 years, the country has exported his skill workers and laborers to other
countries in the Middle East, Europe, America and South East Asia.
When the invitation for bidders was announced for the development and conversion of
the military base lands, the Fort Bonifacio development was a virtual call foe national resiliency
in the face of a series of socio-economic upheavals. The country had just experienced one of the
worst natural disasters in this century with the eruption of mount Pinatubo in Central Luzon and
the perennial labor flows that followed amounted to a daunting test of national will.
In defining the role and function of this new urban community which will rise adjacent to
the country’s premier financial district, Makati City, a review of history of the person in whose
honor the military base was named after in order. Fort Bonifacio was named after Andres
Bonifacio, the Father of the Philippine Revolution. He did not live to see the end of the
revolution he started for he was shot on May 10,1897, the Americans later considered him too
defiant to be regarded as the country’s national hero.
About a century after his death, the name of Andres Bonifacio lived on meagerly in
literature, monuments and in the largest military fort within Metropolitan Manila. And just like
its namesake, Fort Bonifacio was overlooked and ignored as towns and cities grew around-it
Makati, Ortigas, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Paranaque, Quezon City Pasig and Manila.
The basic design concept of the Fort Bonifacio City is hinged on five key development
thrusts, namely:
 A regional shopping mall or center which can trigger or predicate commercial activity,
enhance land values and marketability.
 High-rise residential towers to create and establish a 24-hour community complete with
all the conveniences of modern living.
 High-rise office buildings to enhance land values and take advantage of Makati’s
inability to provide new areas for development.
 A hotel/convection complex fir the Asia-Pacific Region, the Philippines being at its
strategic center and
 A world class golf course and recreational facility which will provide the desired
amenities for investigators and businessman traveling in the region.
The long term outlook in the development planning is called foe considering that the market
for the full absorption of such project is still evolving. Further, values of the real estate property
can be optimized by adopting a proactive and forward looking approach and view rather that
simply reacting to market trends and changes.
This proactive view is an attitude and a new culture which is architecturally expressed in the
physical and spatial development patterns of Fort Bonifacio as the new city. Further, this implies
that it must be able to take advantage of its capacity to affect the real estate market at the macro
economic and geo-political level.
Paradigms
1.General
The fundamental premise of the physical or spatial development ana land use plan is
based on the appropriate ecological balance whish is a combination of people, the natural
environment and artificial or man-made elements. Sustainable development is defined as the
function of people and artificial elements to what the natural environment can support in the
medium and long term. It means that sustainability allows a tolerable degree of pollution and
environmental decay for as long as nature and contemporary technological or engineering
interventions are able to cope resulting to no pemanent damage or depletion to the natural
environment.
2.Policies
The expansion and/or creation of new population centers and activity zones will be
limited and shall satisfy the following imperatives:
2.1 Sustainable Development of forest resources and limiting land conversions deviating
from the master plan to non-commercial uses to a maximum of 15% of the total area
designated.
2.2Optimal utilization of land with the end view of increasing revenues from real
property taxes and reducing extreme differentials of land valuation by providing a more
dispersed and equitable distribution of basic infrastructure.
2.3 The effective containment of environmental critical activities of industries from major
population centers and introducing buffer strings and transition zones as separators.
These include the easements of creeks, streams, and bodies of water.
2.4 Environmental rehabilitation and redevelopment of forest lands adhering to the land
reform program thrusts through reforestation, conservation, and preservation of natural
wildlife and vegetation cover. The creation of small central parks with mini forests shall
be undertaken in the various activity hubs.
2.5 Optimization of the urban land uses in relation to the land capability and sustainable
utilization of space for primarily residential and commercial applications.
2.6 Development and Restoration of Tourist Spots re-establishing the historical and
cultural importance of the city’s namesake as a contemporary and proactive response to
the challenges of globalization.
2.7 Mandatory provision of the buffer zones for the subdivisions, waterways, highways,
barangay boundaries and interzonal boundaries.
2.8 Control and regulation of pollutive industries through the requirement of
environmental impact assessment studies as prerequisite to the issuance of zoning
compliance certificate and locational clearances.
2.9 Strict conservation of critical natural resources especially reforested lands, landscaped
areas, water bodies and ground/ surface water sources.
2.10 Balanced economic growth and environmental enhancements by requiring buildings
to either put up their own waste treatment facility to connect to the waste facility of the
estate or city.
2.11 Enhanced accessibility of urban and suburban areas with the improved traffic
circulation flow systems with the combination of gridiron, concentric and radial road
networks system with rail transport systems as infrastructure support to land use and
development.
3.Strategies
Towards a sustainable development of forest resources, a grassroot level involvement in
its development and administration will be adopted. Stringent laws and strict enforcement of
these laws shall be implemented. Linkages and networking with other government organizations
in planning and monitoring will be undertaken by this new city’s government.

Fort Bonifacio City shall strive to develop its resources and mobilize its migrant and
transient population towards becoming the trade and financial center not only of the country but
the Asia Pacific Region. The new city shall provide areas for institutions, hospitals, art center,
museums, cultural centers and place of worship.
The Fort Bonifacio shall undertake a commercial and residential development towards
becoming not only the regional hub for finance, trade commerce and business activities for the
country but also for the Asia Pacific Region as well.
4. Alternative Strategies and Development Biases
Fort Bonifacio shall develop itself towards an agro-industries zone of the National
Capital Region hosting the major trading centers and support industries for all agro-industries.
The city shall establish educational, research and development institutes on agriculture and
agribusiness technologies including engineering and technical courses needed by the agro-
industries. It shall promote domestic and foreign tourist arrivals by developing its main tourist
attractions, namely: Its ecotourism resources, its cultural museums and other development.