- CHERYL G. CRUZ
A modern take on Negrense heritage comes to life as the three-storey The Upper East House was unveiled Thursday night, June 22, at the 34-hectare Megaworld township in Bacolod City.
Harold Brian Geronimo, Megaworld vice president and head for Public Relations and Media Affairs, said “this is another milestone for The Upper East since this is the very first time that we have a township information center.”
“We hope that we can make it a benchmark” for other townships, Geronimo said, adding “The Upper East House is a celebration of Negrense heritage…something that we can be proud of”.
The architectural masterpiece is designed to pay homage to the township’s historic past as the location of the former Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company (BMMC), and particularly the “elegance and sophisticated ambiance of the ‘White Mansion’ that once stood inside the sprawling development,” the company said in a press release.
It is located within the curated park beside McDonald’s Upper East along the eight-lane Upper East Avenue, right across the four-story No. 1 Upper East Avenue BPO tower, and just a short walk from One Regis, the township’s first residential condominium development.
A spacious veranda and outdoor lounge with a water cascade welcome visitors to The Upper East House, whose exteriors are painted predominantly in white. The staircase outside leads guests to the upper ground floor, where a reception area, lounge, a negotiation area, and a gallery that will feature BMMC photos and other memorabilia, could be found.
There is also a lift for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
The lower ground floor, meanwhile, features negotiation rooms, lounge, meeting rooms, a bar adapted from heritage houses infused with modern touches, toilets, security room, and broker’s office, while on the second floor are the marketing offices, pantry, and training rooms.
Furniture pieces inside The Upper East House are patterned after those in the old house but using solihiya or woven rattan strands to facilitate proper airflow, and jars representing the banga or topayan used in old times for water and food storage are displayed on top of wooden pedestals.
Geronimo said The Upper East House is open to the public but will be regulated to prevent overcrowding and loafers.
He also announced that the refurbished, decades-old BMMC train, which now forms part of the “World’s First-Ever McDonald’s Dessert Station on a Train” won a Silver Award under the Specialized Project or Purpose-Built Category at the 2022 Property and Real Estate Excellence Awards by FIABCI Philippines.
The Upper East was also recently hailed the “Real Estate Project of the Year in the Philippines” at the World Business Outlook Awards 2023, and a Gold awardee under the Master Plan Category, also from the 2022 Property and Real Estate Excellence Awards by FIABCI Philippines, Geronimo added./CGC
