Planning to set up a business in the Philippines? Most conventional wisdom would point you towards building your headquarters in Makati City, arguably the country’s key financial center. Once untamed swampland controlled by Spanish friars some 330-plus years ago, Makati is adjacent to the cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Manila, Pasay, Taguig and Pateros. It is no wonder, then, that so many businesses choose the city as their base of operations.
When familiarizing yourself with the lay of the land, it is inevitable that you’ll need to learn some of Makati’s most vital roads too. Here are a handful to get you started:
Ayala Avenue
The prestigious Wall Street analogue of Metro Manila, Ayala Avenue spans the 1.9-kilometer (approx. 1.2 miles) length of the Makati Central Business District from EDSA to Gil Puyat Avenue. Ayala Avenue is named after the country’s famed Zobel de Ayala clan, who helped build the business district from the ground up in the mid-20th century. Along this road are a number of prominent office buildings and skyscrapers, including the Enterprise Center, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Tower One and PBCom Tower.
PEZA-accredited office space for lease along Ayala Avenue
Fun trivia: Ever wonder who holds the auspicious street address of No. 1 Ayala Avenue? None other than the historic Hotel InterContinental Manila, in operation since 1969 with its main edifice designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin.
Paseo de Roxas
Presumably named after former President Manuel Roxas, Paseo de Roxas meanders from Kalayaan to Arnaiz Avenue while also cutting through Legaspi Village and the Ayala Center. Along with Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue, Paseo de Roxas is one of three roads that make up the sides of the so-called Ayala Triangle, the airfield-turned-park that also houses the Philippine Stock Exchange complex. Located along this street are the Philamlife Tower, Lepanto Building, Citibank Center, Zuellig Building and Peninsula Court.
Finished office space for sale along Paseo de Roxas
Senator Gil Puyat (Buendia) Avenue
This is a common source of confusion for those new to the Makati area. To clear things up: Buendia and Gil Puyat are the same street. The avenue stretches from EDSA to Roxas Boulevard, spanning two cities and intersecting with Paseo de Roxas, Ayala Avenue, Osmeña Highway (the Makati portion of the South Luzon Expressway) and Taft Avenue along the way. Located at the corner of Gil Puyat and Makati Avenue is the stately Pacific Star Building, once the tallest office tower in the financial district decades ago.
Ground-floor commercial space for lease along Gil Puyat Avenue
Fun trivia: Originally named after Malolos native Nicolas Buendia, Buendia Avenue was renamed after former Philippine Senate President Gil J. Puyat as per the now-obscure Batas Pambansa Blg. 312 during the early 1980s. Funny how a number of Makati natives (and public transport operators) still haven’t gotten the memo.
Rockwell Drive
Rockwell Drive is actually quite a long way off from the financial district, instead skimming one edge of Bel-Air Village and running roughly parallel to the Pasig River. Rockwell Drive is one of four roads that box in the highly-exclusive Rockwell Center, the other three being Estrella Street, J.P. Rizal Avenue and Residential Drive. Located along this road are the distinctive high-rise towers of the One Rockwell residential complex, Lopez Tower, 38 Rockwell Drive and Ateneo Graduate School.
Fully-furnished office space for sale at Rockwell Center
Don Chino Roces Avenue (Pasong Tamo)
Another Makati street still more popularly known by its former name, Don Chino Roces Avenue runs along the gated communities of Dasmariñas, San Lorenzo and Legaspi Village. The street’s southernmost point ends at Lawton Avenue, which flows eastward into Taguig City and the Fort Bonifacio proper. Its northernmost point, meanwhile, starts at J.P. Rizal Avenue – not far from the former Santa Ana race track. Office buildings located along Don Chino Roces include the Exportbank Plaza, Cityland Pasong Tamo Tower and King’s Court Building.
Partitioned office space for lease along Don Chino Roces Avenue
Fun trivia: As is the case with Gil Puyat, Don Chino Roces Avenue takes its name from a prominent Filipino personality – this time an entrepreneur rather than a politician. The street’s original moniker, though, refers to an area of the same name some twenty kilometers (12.4 miles) away in Quezon City. Once the site of a seminal battle during the Philippine Revolution, QC’s Pasong Tamo was named after a type of wild plant that used to grow there.
Author Bio:
Dominique Cordero lives in the Philippines and writes for HousingInteractive Inc. You can contact her at dominique@housinginteractive.com or add her to your Google+ circles:+Dominique Cordero.