Gallery pays homage to glory days of the old ‘White Mansion’ inside the Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company complex, a location where the city’s modern CBD takes shape today.
BACOLOD City – Property giant Megaworld continues to celebrate one of the most distinguished icons of the former Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company (BMMC) complex with the unveiling of The Upper East House Historic Gallery inside its 34-hectare The Upper East township.
The gallery showcases a variety of photos and memorabilia that pay tribute to the Executive Guesthouse that once stood inside the sprawling former BMMC complex, where The Upper East continues its rise today. The story of this iconic structure was eventually brought back to life through Megaworld’s The Upper East House, the company’s three-story Township and Information Center in Bacolod.
No less than the First Lady of the Philippines, Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, led the unveiling of the gallery, where she was joined by Kevin L. Tan, chief executive officer, Alliance Global Group, Inc. (AGI); Megaworld chief operating officer Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso; and Bacolod City’s Mayor Albee Benitez.
Among the historic items that form part of the gallery include photos of some of the hacienderos of Negros, who are acknowledged as founders of the BMMC. Also in the gallery are old photos of the sugar central from the early 1900s, as well as the original BMMC Executive Guesthouse, which hosted some elegant gatherings participated by people who figured prominently in the rise of the sugar industry in Bacolod. There’s also a photo of the century-old Murcia train, which was used to transport sugar canes from the plantations all the way to the sugar central back in the day.
Occupying a prominent space in the gallery is a preserved portion of one of the windows of the original guesthouse.
The historic gallery is the latest addition to Megaworld’s The Upper East, a sprawling township development that continues to take shape as Bacolod’s modern and iconic central business district (CBD). Continuing to take shape as the modern central business district of Bacolod, The Upper East concluded the month of October with yet another successful hosting of this year’s MassKara Festival that drew thousands of people from various parts of Negros, the country, and even overseas.
Just before the colorful festival unfolded, excitement and anticipation among Bacoleños peaked once again following Megaworld’s announcement of its fifth residential condominium development inside The Upper East, the 26-storey, two-tower Kensington Sky Garden. This new development is envisioned to be another iconic landmark that will redefine Bacolod’s growing skyline as both towers will be highlighted by illuminated crowns that dazzle at night. Kensington Sky Garden will offer 643 ‘smart home’ units and will rise at the corner of Upper East Avenue and Bentley Street, just across the newly-opened Landers Bacolod, the biggest Landers Superstore in the Philippines.
In addition, Megaworld will soon begin constructing the 12-story Kingsford Hotel Bacolod under Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, the country’s largest owner and operator of 100% Filipino homegrown hotel brands. Offering almost 300 room keys, it is poised to become Bacolod’s biggest and most iconic hotel to date that boasts the most number of spacious suites in the city, including a Presidential Suite. It will also feature a huge ballroom that can accommodate up to 700 people, as well as Bacolod’s first-ever Executive Lounge facility for VIP guests.
Next year, meanwhile, Megaworld will also begin construction for the Upper East Mall to be operated by Megaworld Lifestyle Malls. Featuring a gross floor area of 24,200 square meters, the mall will feature state-of-the-art cinemas, topnotch retail outlets, and restaurants, and will be directly connected to Landers Bacolod via a walkalator.
Over at Northill Gateway along the Bacolod-Silay Access Road, Megaworld recently unveiled the redesigned master plan for its 2.4-hectare retail and commercial development, Northill Parade. Inspired by the free-standing retail development concept in the United States, Northill Parade will be home to standout international shopping and dining brands. Among these are five first-in-Bacolod casual dining brands from The Bistro Group: Denny’s, TGI Friday’s Randy’s Donuts, Texas Roadhouse, and Olive Garden./PN
