End of an Era: Metrowalk Demolition Begins to Make Way for Metro Manila Subway

(SPOT.ph) The Metrowalk Commercial Center is being demolished to make way for the Ortigas Station of the Metro Manila Subway, ending a two-decade run for one of the most recognizable landmarks in Pasig City.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) confirmed that demolition and fencing works have started, following nearly three years of delay. The eight-hectare property will partly be used for the subway's underground station, with about 12,700 square meters allocated for construction.

The Ortigas Station is one of 17 stops along the 33-kilometer underground line that will stretch from Valenzuela City to Parañaque City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. Once operational, it’s expected to cut travel time from Valenzuela to Pasay from 98 minutes to 45 minutes.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said 82% of the right-of-way for the Metro Manila Subway has been secured so far, with the DOTr targeting 95% by December.

Also read: Metro Manila Subway to be Partially Operational by 2028

Opened in the early 2000s, Metrowalk quickly became a staple of Ortigas nightlife. It's actually owned by the former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson's family through Blemp Commercial of the Philippines Inc.

The complex had a good mix of bars, restaurants, and small shops—an easy meeting spot in the eastern part of Metro Manila before the rise of Poblacion and Bonifacio Global City. Over the years, it drew regulars to places like Decades, Aruba, Elbow Room, Mugen Bar, The Music Hall, Behrouz, and Atoy’s Bar. Oh, and who could forget the pirated DVDs and car accessory shops?

Foot traffic had been slowly fading in recent years, with many tenants closing as business slowed. Photos circulating on social media show the area mostly fenced off, with a few establishments still open amid the quiet before the DOTr officially took over.

The site’s redevelopment has been in motion for years. In 2022, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. led the groundbreaking of the Ortigas Avenue and Shaw Boulevard stations of the Metro Manila Subway, with the Ortigas stop set inside the Metrowalk property. By 2024, Singson said he was in talks with Korean investors for a full redevelopment plan to create a “new city within a city” once the subway station is completed.

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