Metrowalk

Metrowalk is a small but major commercial hub in Pasig in the Philippines. It is located on a 5,000 square meters (54,000 sq ft) parcel of land at the junction of Ortigas and Meralco Avenues in the Ortigas Center central business district of the metro.^[1]

It occupies a large part of the 18-hectare (180,000 m²) Payanig sa Pasig property that is claimed by numerous parties as a result of its 1986 sequestration by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) as part of the Ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family.^[2]

Payanig sa Pasig land dispute

Metrowalk occupies a large part of the 18-hectare (180,000 m²) Payanig sa Pasig property that is claimed by numerous parties as a result of its 1986 sequestration by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) as part of the Ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family.^[2] Ortigas & Company, Ltd. Partnership (OCLP) has disputed the PCGG's sequestration, claiming that then-president Ferdinand Marcos had forced them to sell the property against their will in 1968.^[2] On June 19, 2007,^[3] then-Governor of Ilocos Norte now a President Bongbong Marcos filed a motion to intervene in the OCLP v. PCGG case (Civil Case Number 0093) at the Sandinganbayan, the Philippines’ anti-graft court,^[2] and human rights victims from the period of Martial Law under Ferdinand Marcos have filed a suit noting that properties of the Marcoses should be made part of court-ordered reparations for the Marcos dictatorship's human rights victims.^[2] The PCGG considers the Payanig sa Pasig property the "crown jewel" among the properties sequestered from the Marcoses' ill-gotten wealth, estimating its minimum value to be about PHP16.5 billion in March 2015.^[4]

Other notable news coverage

2006 Leonardo Umale murder

The area made national news when its ownership was noted as a possible motive for the murder of a businessman, Leonardo Umale in 2006.^[5]^[6]

2007 illegal casino allegations

In January 2007, the leisure hub was subject to media scrutiny when an alleged illegal casino was said to be operating within the area limits. This was then denied by former Pasig mayor Vicente Eusebio. However, The Manila Times noted that the mayor's comment was an official statement.^[7]

Redevelopment

In 2022, President Bongbong Marcos led the groundbreaking of two Metro Manila Subway stations in the property.^[8]

By 2024, Chavit Singson, the owner of the company that owns Metrowalk, is eyeing a total redevelopment of the area with the help of Korean investors.^[9] The property will reportedly be demolished to give way to the creation of the Ortigas subway station.^[10]

References

^ Vasquez, Dinna Chan (April 21, 2006). "Strolling along Metrowalk". Life & Entertainment. Manila Standard Today. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Araneta, Sandy. "HR victims file claim for Payanig property". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
^ "Gov't blocks Marcos appeal in Payanig property dispute". ABS CBN News and Public Affairs. January 13, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
^ Yee, Jovic (March 26, 2015). "PCGG to sell P16.5B 'Payanig sa Pasig' land soon". The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
^ Solmerin, Florante S. (April 21, 2006). "Metrowalk now open to bidding". Life & Entertainment. Manila Standard Today. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
^ Andrade, Jeannette I. (May 9, 2006). "Metrowalk, other motives stump police". Top Stories: Unsolved Crimes. The Manila Times. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
^ Cueto, Francis Earl A. (January 8, 2007). "No casino in Metrowalk, says Pasig City mayor". Metro. The Manila Times. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
^ Montemayor, Jocelyn (October 3, 2022). "First 2 subway stations break ground". malaya.com.ph. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
^ Cruz, Roderick T. dela (July 25, 2024). "Singson plans to develop 'new city' at Pasig's Metrowalk lot". Manila Standard. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
^ Peñalosa, Gelene (August 8, 2024). "Social media users bid farewell to Metrowalk Ortigas by sharing their core memories of it". POP!. Retrieved September 13, 2024.