Ortigas Center

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Ortigas Center, also known as the Ortigas Central Business District, is a major business area in Metro Manila. It straddles the cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, and Quezon City and covers about 1 square kilometer (over 100 hectares). It is the second-largest CBD in Metro Manila after Makati and is run by the Ortigas Center Association, Inc. (OCAI), a non-profit group established in 1982.

The district blends offices, malls, condominiums, hotels, and entertainment. It hosts many company headquarters, including San Miguel Corporation, Jollibee Foods, Viva Communications, Century Pacific Food, and Rebisco. It also features the main offices of Banco de Oro and the SM Megamall along EDSA, as well as the Oakwood Premier serviced apartments and a Shangri-La hotel. Other major names and facilities include the Asian Development Bank complex, The Medical City nearby, and engineering firms such as Parsons Brinckerhoff, Sinclair Knight Merz, and WSP Group.

Ortigas Center is bordered by Ortigas Avenue to the north, EDSA to the west, Meralco Avenue to the east, and Shaw Boulevard to the south.

History and development: The area began as the Hacienda de Mandaloyon estate owned by the Augustinian Order. It was sold in 1920 to Sir Frank W. Dudley and Don Francisco Ortigas, later forming the partnership Ortigas & Co. After years of growth, the district was transformed into a modern urban center, with significant development beginning in the 1960s.

The northern part of Ortigas lies in Quezon City, the western part in Mandaluyong, and the eastern part in Pasig. The Pasig side is the financial heart, with many skyscrapers such as Meralco Theater, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, UnionBank Plaza, One Corporate Centre, One San Miguel Avenue, and government offices including the DepEd Central Office. The area also features Tektite Towers and Ayala Malls The 30th. The land where Robinsons Galleria sits was once owned by the Social Security System and became a landmark during the People Power Revolution in 1986; it opened as a Robinsons Mall in 1990.

Education and institutions: Ortigas hosts several schools and universities, including the University of Asia and the Pacific, St. Paul College Pasig, Saint Pedro Poveda College, the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, MFI Polytechnic Institute, and Lourdes School of Mandaluyong.

Transportation: The district is served by Ortigas Station on the MRT Line 3 and the EDSA Carousel. It is also planned to be served by the EDSA Station on MRT Line 4 and the Ortigas Station on the Metro Manila Subway.