Now, there’s no need to step out of the country to tour a “city with soul.” All one has to do is to “hop on, hop off” a bus right within the busy metropolis.
The Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig has launched its “Hop On, Hop Off” bus tour on weekends. For only P25 a day from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., tourists can conveniently explore the best attractions the 240-hectare district has to offer.
There are five stops on the tour route to allow tourists to get off the bus and explore nearby sites on foot. For as long as they have their ticket, they can get back on the bus anytime within the day to explore the rest of the district. A bus makes the round of the stops every 30 minutes.
In a recent media launch, popular tourist guide and heritage advocate Carlos Celdran described BGC as “a city with soul,” with the bus tour meant to emphasize its four passions: “Nature, science, arts and sports.”
“It has interesting architecture, public art, proper and thought-out planning. It’s a total work of art,” Celdran noted of BGC.
The approximately one-kilometer route starts at the “open-air mall” Bonifacio High Street where tour tickets, along with a map-brochure, are sold at the concierge at B-7. Next stop is the world-class science center The Mind Museum with over 250 hands-on exhibits in five theme galleries.
The bus, playing a pre-recorded introduction by Celdran, would then move along to the BGC Offsite Gallery, an open-air interactive art gallery which features the works of local artists. There is a new exhibit every six months.
Currently on display is Plet Bolipata’s “imagiNation,” the artist’s interpretation of Noah’s Ark using animal-shaped sculptures and mosaic benches.
Shoppers are in for a treat at the next stop, Serendra, while the last stop will appeal to sports fans as it will bring them to the football field Turf BGC.
Near these stops, which tourists can choose to explore on foot, are other attractions. Shopaholics and foodies can head for the BHS Central, The Fort Entertainment Center or Market! Market!
There are also breezy, green parks such as Kasalikasan, Terra 28th and Track 30th. Terra 28th features the Larong Pinoy playground which revives traditional children’s games such as “holen” (marbles), “luksong-baka” (leapfrog) and “habulan-taya” (tag). It even has a built-in “piko” (hopscotch) diagram. Track 30th, on the other hand, encourages wellness and fitness. It has a jogging track, a yoga lawn and a meditation garden.
The route also highlights interactive installations and sculptures permanently scattered across the district such as Ferdie Cacnio’s “Pasasalamat,” Ben-Hur Villanueva’s “Ang Supremo,” Leo Gerardo Leonardo’s “Balanghai,” Lor Calma’s “Transformation,” Juan Sajid de Leon Imao’s “Kasaysayan Bawat Oras” and Reynato Paz Contreras’ “The Trees.”
BGC commercial operations head Manny Blas said that a unique feature in BGC are the refreshing open spaces. “We have here five times more than the open space required by law. We chose not to build on them,” he said. All the cables, the water detention tank, and even the liquefied petroleum gas system, are all hidden underground.
Celdran, meanwhile, revealed that it costs P100,000 to cut a tree in BGC while a portion of investments from developers are coursed to the BGC public art program.
“They are the only guys who are trying to do things right,” he said.
“There’s more to BGC than making money. Making money is an easy thing to do. Why not make money and contribute something to humanity? Why arts? Why science? They show you the greatest achievements of humanity,” Blas said.