Burgos Circle

Burgos Circle
Padre Burgos Circle
Location
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines
Coordinates14°33′9.8″N 121°2′39.7″E / 14.552722°N 121.044361°E / 14.552722; 121.044361
Roads at
junction		Forbestown Road
1st Avenue
2nd Avenue
29th Street
Construction
TypeTraffic circle
Maintained byFort Bonifacio Development Corporation

Burgos Circle, also known as Padre Burgos Circle, is a traffic circle within the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Metro Manila in the Philippines. Developed as part of the Forbes Town Center mixed-use development developed by the Megaworld Corporation and named after martyred priest José Burgos of Gomburza, it serves as the intersection between Forbestown Road, 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue, and 29th Street.

History

Burgos Circle was planned as part of the Forbes Town Center, a mixed-use development by the Megaworld Corporation inspired by Bugis Village in Singapore.[1]

The circle first came to prominence in 2009, when it was identified as a new dining hotspot.[2] With a number of new restaurants opening in the area at the time, Burgos Circle was likened to Remedios Circle, Greenbelt 2, and Serendra as a new, up-and-coming hangout area,[3] mostly catering to young professionals.[4]

In 2013, columnist Stephanie Zubiri wrote in The Philippine Star that Burgos Circle was "a window to the Parisian lifestyle in the heart of Manila", owing to the area's walkability, its wide selection of restaurants, cafes and bars, and the availability of alfresco dining which reminded her of her time in Paris.[5]

Structure

The center island of Burgos Circle forms a small park, Burgos Park. At the center of the park is a sculpture by Reynato Paz Contreras called The Trees, the first piece of public art to be installed in the Bonifacio Global City.[6] The bronze-and-brass piece was commissioned by the Bonifacio Art Foundation, which is responsible for maintaining the district's public art installations.[7]

Measuring 6.5 meters (21 ft) tall and surrounded by a grove,[8] The Trees consists of three interlocking trees which form a dome.[9] Representing the circle of life, the trees are a reminder of the progressive development and the preservation of Mother Earth, while the branches represent stability.[7] More recently, the sculpture became a romantic place for couples to meet,[9][10] and in 2016 it became a major landmark for those playing Pokémon Go in the area,[11] with the game helping to boost foot traffic in the form of increased dining receipts days after it was first released in the Philippines.[12]

Underneath Burgos Park and the circle at large is a 72-meter (236 ft) wide, six-storey deep retarding basin for retaining flood water.[13] During heavy rain, the basin retains water until it is emptied when the weather clears into creeks that flow to Manila Bay.[14] Built during the initial development of the Bonifacio Global City at a cost of ₱60 million,[15] and only one of two existing retarding basins in Metro Manila (the other located beneath the Magallanes Interchange),[16] the basin has been credited for preventing flooding on both Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and Kalayaan Avenue.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Forbes Town Center". Megaworld at The Fort. Megaworld Corporation. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  2. ^ "Burgos Circle at the Fort: Manila's newest dining hotspot". SPOT.ph. Summit Media. November 18, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  3. ^ Salcedo, Margaux (November 21, 2009). "Coming Full Circle". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Archived from the original on November 25, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Good Life: Annual Report 2010" (PDF). Megaworld Corporation. Retrieved June 19, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Zubiri, Stephanie (December 1, 2013). "Burgos Circle: The Parisian lifestyle in the heart of the Metro". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  6. ^ "Bonifacio Global City: Your guide to work-life balance". Flyspaces. August 3, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Alano, Ching M. (January 27, 2007). "Deep in the art of Bonifacio Global City". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  8. ^ Lago, Amanda (September 6, 2012). "In Taguig, open spaces artists, performers can call their own". GMA News and Public Affairs. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Lara, Tanya T. (April 18, 2010). "My walk, everybody's art". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  10. ^ "Make Her Say 'Yes' In BGC's Most Romantic Spots". Bonifacio Global City. Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation. Retrieved June 19, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ Lozada, Bong (August 19, 2016). "Happy Pokémon hunting grounds". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  12. ^ Dumlao-Abadilla, Doris (August 14, 2016). "Pokemon Go boosts foot traffic in malls". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  13. ^ Howard, Caroline (October 12, 2011). "Singson: Integrated approach vs flood problems needed". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  14. ^ Burgonio, TJ (August 12, 2012). "5-story deep cistern in 'The Fort' water-impounding model". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  15. ^ a b "DPWH eyes fix for España flooding". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. October 14, 2011. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  16. ^ Cabacungan, Gil C. (October 12, 2011). "Dam eyed as flood solution for Metro Manila". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2017.

External links