The 2006 World Bank study of the proposed

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Thus, with the start of the Trinoma’s operation in the year 2007, the adjoining 29.1829-hectare North Triangle property became ripe for commercial development.

Sensitive to the plans of the government, the people’s organizations strengthened their alliance to demand from the government an in situ medium-rise resettlement where they can permanently reside.

The NSJB had therefore agreed to relinquish the Contract of Lease it had entered into with the NHA, subject to the condition that it be compensated for its leasehold rights by the new developer, which the latter shall identify based on a selection process that will pass through public bidding as required by existing laws.

In March 2006, the NHA Board of Directors approved the development and sale of the North Triangle property, then with an estimated area of 30 hectares based on a schematic plan, through a Joint Venture (JV) arrangement. Thereafter, the NHA advertised the solicitation of proposals from prospective JV partners through the NHA Bids and Awards Committee, consistent with existing laws and regulations.

Following the mandates in the selection process and the implementation of the 2008 Joint Venture Guidelines of the National Economic Development Authority, the NHA Board of Directors had approved on July 2009 the development of the 29.1829-hectare North Triangle property, which area was determined through a relocation survey, under a Joint Venture arrangement with ALI,

a premier property developer of Central Business Districts in the Philippines.

The NHA, however, was ordered by the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 2006 to respect the usufructuary right of Manila Seedling Bank Foundation, Inc. over the 7-hectare area it occupied, which formed part of the 37-hectares that was leased to the NSJB.

3. The 2006 World Bank

123 Medical Center site, to comprise the

proposed Quezon City Central Business District (QC-CBD). When developed, the QC-CBD shall be the largest Central Business District in Metro Manila, given the following comparisons:

The success of the existing Central Business Districts mentioned in Table 1 and the concentration thereof from the center to the southern portion of Metro Manila were considered as driving forces to open a Central Business District North of Quezon City, which will become a new gateway of opportunities in the northern portion of Metro Manila. The 2006 World Bank study had affirmed that there is a concentration of population somewhere in the middle portion of Metro Manila because of the presence of most of the CBDs in this area. There is a high degree of significance that this will make the proposed Quezon City Central Business

District viable, as the agglomeration of economic activities is foreseen to intensify with urban growth and economic dispersal.

Cubao Araneta Center (CAC), which is located somewhere in the mid-section of Quezon City, is an old, commercial district that existed for around five decades, but was not considered in the 2006 World Bank study as one of the CBDs in Metro Manila.

Figure 13_ Land use distribution of the emerging Quezon City Central Business District and its size compared to the other Central Business Districts in Metro Manila (World Bank, 2006).

Figure 14_ Map of Metro Manila and the center of population per 2006 World Bank study.

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Some old buildings thereat are being replaced with new high-rise residential-commercial type of buildings which signal that CAC is embarking on urban regeneration.

When fully developed, it will help enhance Quezon City’s potential for urban and economic growth.

Quezon City offers a vast, underutilized land space with park reservations where ecology, national heritage, culture, institutions and information technology converge to transform it into a model of urban renewal or redevelopment. Major facilities and amenities for decent human settlement are available thereat such as premier universities for higher learning, well- equipped hospitals, Metro Rail and Light Railway Transport Systems, leading TV stations, government institutions, and the existence of two of the largest malls in the country. Land suitability thereat for high rise buildings is assessed to be very feasible, as the City rests on a solid foundation. The Conceptual Masterplan prepared by the World Bank Team was

directed to link jobs closer to the people.

Factors such as regional accessibility, availability of the mass transit system, infrastructure efficiency, urban growth, ecological sustainability, health, education, information technology, and presence of government institutions were observed as among the major considerations (World Bank, 2006). With these, it is envisioned that Quezon City will transform into an active metropolitan economy that will bring about high value assets to generate more resources for the City Government, that will, in effect, improve its capacity to deliver social services to its constituents.

The proposed mixed land use plan of the QC-CBD was prepared with the idea that business, residence, existing parks and institutions, which are mostly run by the government, shall converge when full development shall be achieved. There are five districts to be developed within the Framework Plan prepared by the World Bank Team, which shall comprise residences,

Figure 15_ Vicinity and location of Cubao Araneta Center

Figure 16_ The five districts of the proposed Quezon City Central Business District (World Bank, 2006)

125 Triangle Exchange, commons, downtown

hub and emporiums (World Bank, 2006).

Development of more road circulations, which will be an ecologically friendly internal transit system, will be provided inside the QC-CBD. With the Metro Rail Transit Depot within North Triangle, the plan proposes to take advantage of transit promotions, which are expansions of the existing Metro Rail System as programmed by the Department of Transportation and Communications.

More integration of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) station to the proposed internal transit stations will also be expected. The internal circulation shall include 4 to 6 lane roads. A green and pedestrian environment shall also be promoted. Management of the Central Business District (CBD) shall include an efficient Waste Management Program as well as conservation of the natural environment (World Bank, 2006).