METRO MANILA | What To See & Do In BGC
Monday, March 06, 2023
BGC stands for Bonifacio Global City. Located in Taguig City, it’s not really a proper city but rather a small part of Taguig under Barangay Fort Bonifacio. 240 hectares, to be exact, it’s a mixed-use area developed in part by the Ayalas.
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| THE BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY SKYLINE |
BGC used to be a military base, literally an empty grassland. Now, it’s one of the Philippines’ top financial districts, an upscale place to live in with several posh condos, and a trendy place to hang out in with its numerous parks, restaurants, bars, and malls.
The BGC High Street, a busy open-aired arcade comprised of shops, restaurants, open spaces, and parks form its heart—the central hub of BGC.
| WHAT TO SEE & DO IN BGC | TOP ATTRACTIONS TO EXPLORE TABLE OF CONTENTS ~ WHAT’S INSIDE? |
HOW TO GET TO BGC
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| EMPTY WEEKEND ROADS AT BGC |
There are seven access points to BGC by car—from EDSA, via Kalayaan Avenue and McKinley Road; from C-5, via the Upper East Gate, Sampaguita Gate, and Lower East Gate; from the airport via Villamor Airbase; and from Ortigas via the Bonifacio Global City–Ortigas Link Bridge.
BGC can also be accessed by public transport—from EDSA Ayala, via the BGC bus terminal near the MRT Ayala Station; and from EDSA Guadalupe, via jeeps and UV Express vans that pass by Market! Market!
BEST TIME TO VISIT BGC
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| SUNRISE AT THE BALINGHAI SCULPTURE IN BGC |
Weekends are the best time to visit BGC, since they close off parts of the roads near Bonifacio High Street for pedestrians to enjoy. Special programs and events are also usually held during these days. The downside to this is the crowd—it does get pretty thick during weekends.
Needless to say, if you want a more relaxed BGC experience, your best bet is to visit on a weekday.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN BGC
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| SEDA BGC LOBBY |
The most convenient location to stay in BGC, if you plan to stay overnight or even a few days, is within the vicinity of BGC High Street. Here are some of the hotels located within walking distance:
• Ascott BGC CHECK RATES
• F1 Hotel Manila CHECK RATES
• Seda BGC CHECK RATES ►SEDA BGC REVIEW
• Shangri-La The Fort CHECK RATES
WHAT TO SEE & DO IN BGC
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| MORNINGS AT BGC |
During my last visits to BGC, I have come to the conclusion that BGC is the new Luneta. And that’s not a bad thing. It has now become the go-to place for people wanting to spend their weekends on.
BGC has taken the Filipino mall culture of comfort and convenience, and combined it with traditional open-aired parks where people can hang out, mingle, and attend events. This place has everything—shops, restaurants, green spaces and plazas (that people actually go to), museums, contemporary street art, and—modern as it is—even history.
Despite what detractors say about BGC being soulless and bland, this mini-city not only works—but it works quite well.
Here are some of the interesting places you can visit and activities you can do in BGC.
VISIT THE MIND MUSEUM
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM TO 6:00PM, CLOSED MON & TUE | ENTRANCE FEE: FROM ₱190.00 | GPS COORDINATES MAP: 14.552256, 121.045642
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| THE MIND MUSEUM’S ULTRA MODERN FACADE |
The premier science museum in the country, The Mind Museum is one of the most popular destinations in BGC. It has five themed galleries—atom, life, earth, universe, and technology. A life-sized fossil replica of a T-Rex is a favorite among visitors. Most of the installations in the museum are interactive, a perfect way to introduce kids to the wonders of science. They also feature a rotating gallery, which has been host to world-class installations like Da Vinci The Genius and Van Gogh Alive.
STROLL ALONG THE BONIFACIO HIGH STREET
OPENING HOURS: 24 HOURS, DAILY | ENTRANCE FEE: FREE | GPS COORDINATES MAP: 14.550791, 121.050378
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| NAKED EYE 3D BILLBOARD AT THE BONIFACIO HIGH STREET |
The heart of BGC, the Bonifacio High Street is a kilometer-long open arcade filled with shops, restaurants, open areas, and green spaces. It is divided into four sections—starting from The Mind Museum and terminating at Serendra. It has fountains, picnic areas, playgrounds, an amphitheater, art installations, and just recently, a “naked-eye” 3D-LED digital billboard—ala Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing and New York’s Times Square.
EAT OUT, LITERALLY
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| OPEN PICNIC BENCHES AT HIGH STREET |
BGC has everything your tummy craves for—name it, they probably have a restaurant that serves it. Most of these are located within the Bonifacio High Street. The nice thing about eating here are the outdoor tables and benches that are open for anyone to dine on, picnic-style, be it from expensive restaurants or affordable fast-food joints.
There are also a lot of food places inside malls and along the outer streets of BGC. Clusters of restaurants can be found along Burgos Circle and Forbes Town Center. A few of the more popular restaurants to check out are Wolfgang Steakhouse, Shake Shack, Hello Kitty Café, Randy’s Donuts, and Din Tai Fung.
DRINK WITH FRIENDS
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| BAMBOO PERFORMING AT REVEL |
Watering holes abound in BGC, from regular pubs and restobars, to rooftop bars and hidden speakeasies. For pubs and restobars, there’s Tap Station, Tipsy Pig, and Tomatito Sexy Tapas Bar. For an elevated experience, try the rooftops of Seda’s Straight Up Bar, Grand Hyatt’s The Peak, F1’s BORA Bar, and O2 Rooftop Bar. For a more private session, look for The Back Room, The Hotel Bar at Pink’s, Bank Bar, LIT Manila, and Yes Please.
GO CLUBBING
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| XYLO AT THE PALACE ~ PHOTO FROM THEIR FB PAGE |
With the pandemic almost a memory, the club scene at BGC is very much alive. The happening area is at The Palace, a nightlife entertainment complex where XYLO, Revel, Yes Please, Clubhouse, and The Island are located.
WALK AND JOG AROUND PARKS
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| MORNING JOGGERS AT THE BONIFACIO HIGH STREET |
After a night of food and drinks, burn those calories off along BGC’s numerous parks and jogging tracks. Besides Bonifacio High Street, there are Track 30th and Terra 28th—pocket parks popular with morning walkers and joggers.
If you want a longer run with minimal loops, there’s the linear BGC Greenway Park. At 1.6-kilometer long, it is said to be the longest urban park in Metro Manila. Tracing the eastern border of the Manila Golf & Country Club, it traverses from McKinley Parkway all the way to the BGC Bus Depot at the north end of BGC.
SPOT COOL STREET ART AND WALL MURALS
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| ONE OF THE NUMEROUS URBAN ART MURALS AROUND BGC |
In 2015, the Bonifacio Art Foundation started the ArtBGC Festival, commissioning local and international artists to paint the walls of the city similar to those at Georgetown in Penang. These range from life-sized street art to larger-than-life murals splashed across building firewalls all over BGC. There used to be an actual guided tour for this, unfortunately, it has since been discontinued. You can still do it DIY though by downloading the ArtBGC DIY tour maps on Google Maps: ArtBGC Route 1 / ArtBGC Route 2
GO CAT-SPOTTING
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| THE CATS OF BGC |
BGC is home to innumerable stray cats. You’ve probably heard how cat-lovers went up in arms when a group of cats went a-missing near a posh hotel some years back. These strays, a few of them with breeds, are well-loved and fed regularly by their by BGC hoomans (visitors are discouraged from feeding them). If you’re a cat-lover, you’d feel right at home in BGC.
MALL HOP
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| SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP IN BGC |
BGC has a total of five indoor shopping malls to splurge your money on. From the mass market Market! Market! and SM Aura Premier, the Japanese Mitsukoshi BGC, to the high-end Uptown Mall and One Bonifacio High Street. There’s also the tourist-popular Venice Grand Canal Mall, which is actually not part of BGC but is within vicinity.
RIDE A GONDOLA AT MCKINLEY’S VENICE GRAND CANAL
OPENING HOURS: 11:00AM TO 9:00PM - 11:00PM ON WEEKENDS | ENTRANCE FEE: FREE | GPS COORDINATES MAP: 14.534157, 121.051748
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| THE VENETIAN CANAL REPLICA IN MCKINLEY |
Again, the Venice Grand Canal Mall, isn’t really within BGC, but since it’s so near, you might as well include it with your BGC itinerary. Its main attraction is its faux Venetian Canal reminiscent of The Venetian Macao in China. And like its true counterpart in Italy, you can actually ride a gondola complete with a gondolier steering your boat, for a fee—accordion players and singer, not included though.
MY STREET HIGHT STREET: WEEKEND OPEN STREETS
OPENING HOURS: ALL DAY DURING WEEKENDS | ENTRANCE FEE: FREE
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| PEDESTRIANS ENJOYING THE WEEKEND OPEN STREETS IN BGC |
During weekends, BGC closes off parts of the roads connecting the sections of Bonifacio High Street and nearby parks, filling it with curious kiosks and pedestrian activities. 32nd Street in particular is a good place for those with kids as McDonald’s sets up PlayStreet; a play area with mini bowling alley, a giant tic-tac-toe, hoola-hoops and rope station, a building block area, and rentable go-karts.
UNLEASH YOUR INNER PLANTITA AT THE BGC COMMUNITY FARM
OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM TO 8:00PM, DAILY | ENTRANCE FEE: FREE | GPS COORDINATES MAP: 14.556020, 121.049533
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| FRESH PRODUCE AT THE BGC COMMUNITY FARM BY URBAN FARMERS |
Visit the BGC Community Farm, an empty-lot-turned-farmland right inside BGC. They have rows upon rows of fresh veggies, grown right on the lot, and you can buy them too. They have a greenhouse which can be turned into an events place, a shop where you can purchase pots, seedlings, and other plantita stuff, and on weekends, they hold Farming 101 workshops.
EXPLORE THE FORT BONIFACIO WAR TUNNEL ~ SOON
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| THE FORT BONIFACIO WAR TUNNEL ~ PHOTO FROM MEGAWORLD |
Used as a war material and supply passage during World War II, the 1910 Fort Bonifacio War Tunnel spans 2.24 kilometers with an average depth of 21 meters. Part of it sits below C5 road near Market! Market! but unfortunately, it’s still closed off to the public. Plans have been made to rehabilitate the tunnel and open it to the public as a historical tourist spot in the future.
PAY RESPECT AT THE MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY & MEMORIAL
OPENING HOURS: 9:00AM TO 5:00PM, DAILY | ENTRANCE FEE: FREE | GPS COORDINATES MAP: 14.540922, 121.050322
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| UNENDING WHITE CROSSES AT THE MANILA AMERICAN WAR MEMORIAL |
17,206 graves marked with stark white crosses on a green carpet of grass, the Manila American Cemetery & Memorial is one of the largest burial places for soldiers who died during the Second World War. The seeming endless rows of crosses make it solemnly beautiful. It is open to the public, but be respectful when visiting.
RENT A BIKE OR SCOOTER TO SEE THESE SIGHTS
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| BIKES AND SCOOTERS FOR RENT IN BGC |
And the best way to see all the interesting places in BGC is by renting an e-scooter or a bike. These are readily available via Moovr PH. Download the app, register, find the nearest Moovr Hub, select your ride, and scan the QR code to unlock it. Rates start are at ₱1.00 per minute.
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