If you haven’t gone home to the Philippines in 20 years, seeing BGC in Taguig may come as a shock.
After all, the area was a military base in the 1900s—it was called Fort McKinley in 1902 during the American occupation, and was turned over to the Philippine government in 1949. It was renamed Fort Bonifacio in 1957, which is where BGC or Bonifacio Global City gets its name.
In 2003, Ayala Land and Evergreen Holdings partnered with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to develop the 240-hectare property that has since become “a city with a soul,” as its website aptly says.
And what a vibrant soul that is! BGC is a vast property, so it’s not surprising that certain areas come with its own vibe and flavor. We’ve likened it to the boroughs of New York in the past, and this time, we’re giving you a deep-dive of everything you need to know about exploring—and maybe even living in—BGC.
Where To Stay
Less than an hour away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and just 10.5 kilometers away via EDSA, BGC is easily accessible to balikbayans. While Makati CBD (central business district) and its slew of business hotels are just a stone’s throw away, BGC itself is home to luxury hotels that are each conveniently located in a specific “BGC ‘hood.”
Stay at the Shangri-La at the Fort if you wish to explore the area of Bonifacio High Street. Mall lovers may want to stay in Seda BGC, which is close to Market! Market! and SM Aura. Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila has both Bonifacio High Street and Burgos Circle and their many establishments nearby, while luxurious Grand Hyatt Manila is conveniently located in the area of Uptown Bonifacio and Mitsukoshi.
Other options in the area include Red Planet, F1 Hotel Manila, and Brittany Hotel. If you’re looking to stay longer, consider staying at The CityFlats BGC, a co-living residential development that offers fully-furnished units for lease. A regular lease lasts for up to 12 months, while a short-term lease of at least one month is also available. You’ll also find many Airbnb options, as BGC is filled with residential high-rise properties—which make for great investment or future homes to retire in, too.
Where To Eat
BGC is foodie heaven! If you’ve missed authentic Filipino food, BGC has several options, such as Romulo Cafe, Abe, Manam, and Friends and Family, among many others. Certain restaurants also put a unique twist on homegrown favorites: Auro Chocolate Cafe has Philippine-sourced cacao and chocolate in every dish, while Locavore reimagines classics with dishes like Sizzling Sinigang, Kare-Kare Wings, and Ginataang Kaldereta.
But beyond Filipino food, BGC is just bursting with flavor. Some standouts include Uma Nota (Brazilian-Japanese), Burnt Bean (a mix of Western and some Southeast Asian cuisines), Tomatito (Spanish), and Izakaya Geronimo (modern Japanese). For more, check out our lists of new restaurants and trendy places to try in BGC.
You can also spend time catching up with your friends and family in the tita-approved Cafe Mary Grace (which has several branches throughout BGC) and enjoying comfort food at Nono’s. Also check out our list of cafes in BGC that offer more than just coffee for more options.
Cap off your night by grabbing a beer at Draft Restaurant and Brewery. If you want to explore more of BGC’s bustling nightlife, you can drink and dance in places like Clubhouse, Yes Please, and Revel at the Palace. Also check out our list of the hippest BGC bars here.
Where To Shop
Filipinos love going to the mall, and BGC is home to five: Market! Market! and SM Aura are a stone’s throw away from each other, while One Bonifacio High Street is on the opposite end. Uptown Mall (not to be confused with UP Town Center in Quezon City) and the Japanese-inspired Mitsukoshi are also a few blocks apart.
This is aside from the many retail stores that line the entire length of Bonifacio High Street, making it easy for you to window shop as you take a leisurely stroll. Many like to use the flagship stores of bookstore Fully Booked (along 11th Avenue) and local apparel brand Bench (along 9th Avenue), and the three-storey building of Japanese brand Uniqlo (along 7th Avenue) as landmarks when exploring the area.
As for groceries, expect each mall to have its own supermarket. BGC is also home to Costco-like warehouse stores S&R (along 32nd Street) and Landers (in the Uptown area), both of which require a membership to shop. Landmark near 5th Avenue also has a department store aside from the supermarket.
What To Do
Besides being a city with a soul, BGC’s website also describes the development as “an urban art form.” You can see this in the 47 murals and 25 installations throughout BGC, which all prove that you don’t need to go to a museum to appreciate art and beauty. All you need to do is take a stroll around BGC!
The urban art is just one aspect of the arts scene that BGC Arts Center handles. It also offers programs like musical theater workshops and dance classes, gives local artists a platform through the BGC Art Mart, and facilitates the staging of live performances in the many indoor and open-air venues in BGC.
Art and science come hand in hand at BGC, and kids and adults alike can enjoy seeing science come alive at the Mind Museum. You can check out over 250 interactive exhibits, see theater and planetarium shows, learn new things with experiment demonstrations, and more. Just note that the museum is closed on Mondays. Other kid-friendly places include Active Fun, an indoor play and party center located along 9th Avenue; Adventure Zone at the 6th level of Shangri-La at the Fort; and Kidzooona at Uptown Mall.
BGC also has many parks where you can stay fit. Running enthusiasts can check out Greenway Park, the longest urban park in Metro Manila at 1.6 kilometers, and Track 30th, which has an illuminated running track as well as a yoga and exercise lawn and a meditation garden. Football enthusiasts can also play at Turf BGC, the country’s first-ever artificial football turf.
The parks are also great spaces to just relax and enjoy nature. Kids can run around and play safely at Terra 28th, with its urban playground and wide open spaces; and are likely to see furry friends at the Burgos Circle Park, which has become a dog park for residents around the area. Since BGC is one of the most pet-friendly neighborhoods in the metro, you can expect to see a lot of people playing with their fur babies at the parks. If you just want some peace and quiet amid the urban jungle, Kasalikasan Garden and J. Y. Campos Park are great options.
On weekends, you can also check out My Street High Street, a car-free fair that happens along 5th Avenue from 11AM to 9PM on Saturdays and Sundays. The street is closed off so you can check out bazaar stalls, eat, and just hang out.
Getting Around On The BGC Bus
One thing you’ll notice about BGC is you won’t find any jeepneys or tricycles anywhere. That’s because only the BGC Bus is allowed to ply the streets of BGC for a flat rate of PHP15. It takes electronic payments via Beep card, which is the same card you can use to ride the MRT and LRT trains.
The East Express Route takes you to and from the two main terminals: EDSA Ayala at the intersection of EDSA and McKinley Road, and at the back of Market! Market! facing C5 road. This is your way to get in and out of BGC, so expect to encounter office workers heading to work and going home during the rush hours.
The North Route has many stops within BGC, starting from the EDSA Ayala Terminal. From there, it stops at HSBC, BGC Turf, Avida 34th, Uptown Mall, the Globe Tower, and BGC Arts Center before heading back to the terminal. You can take this route if you plan to move from Bonifacio High Street to Uptown, and if you’re visiting the BGC Arts Center, as this is the only route that stops there.
The West Route is best for exploring the areas surrounding Rizal Drive and Burgos Circle. From the EDSA Ayala Terminal, it stops at McKinley Parkway, The Fort Station, Net One, Bonifacio Stopover, Crescent Park West, and Fort Victoria, then goes back to the terminal.
The Central Route is the only one that starts and ends at the Market! Market! terminal, and it has eight stopovers: Nutriasia, The Fort Station, Net One, Bonifacio Stopover, Crescent Park West, Globe Tower, One Parkade, and University Parkway. Take this route if you plan to go from the area of Market! Market! all the way to the area of Burgos Circle on the opposite end.
BGC has also recently launched a new route for people who take the LRT: The BGC bus picks up passengers at the LRT Gil Puyat Station in Makati and drops them off at the One Ayala Terminal and the McKinley Exchange Corporate Center. Get off at the latter to transfer to your selected bus route that takes you to other parts of BGC.
The routes are different on evenings and weekends, and these are indicated in the bus terminals. But if learning the bus routes proves too challenging, you can always walk or book a ride via Grab (just one of the mobile apps you need to download when you visit PH).
Final Notes
A place for Catholic worship. Since the Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country, it’s expected that BGC also has a Catholic Church. St. Michael the Archangel Parish is located in the Uptown area on the corner of 39th Street and 10th Avenue. It holds masses daily at 6:30AM and six masses on Sundays. It also facilitates Sunday Mass at the Saint Gabriel the Archangel Chapel in Uptown Mall and at Market! Market!
In sickness and in health. While no one wants to think of a worst-case scenario during a vacation or if you do decide to live here, you can have some peace of mind knowing that St. Luke’s Medical Center, one of the metro’s major hospitals, is right in BGC.
New bridge for new adventures. While BGC is easily accessible via C5 and EDSA, there is a new bridge that makes it easier to get from BGC to Mandaluyong and Pasig. Head to the Uptown area to get on the Santa Monica-Lawton Bridge. It is popularly known as the Kalayaan Bridge, but shouldn’t be confused with the Kalayaan Flyover that connects BGC to Makati.
Getting on the Kalayaan Bridge from BGC gives you easy access to Kapitolyo in Pasig—which is home to many food spots around the neighborhood—as well as Shaw Boulevard and the many establishments in the area, including Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Greenfield District, and SM Megamall. If you do decide to live in these areas one day, you know you can easily get to BGC through this bridge.
That said, with all the things to see and do in BGC, you may not ever want to leave! Investing and eventually retiring back here is always a great option.
