It's been a year and a half since I last wrote about McKinley Hill. If you don't really have enough time to read back or even read this column, the bottomline is still it still sucks wide-open, gaping ass. Here are some of the new updates:
1. There are traffic lights now at the Lawton Entrance. The traffic lights, however serve little than to ensure that there is a traffic jam in the place 24/7. You could exit from McKinley Hill at 3pm or 12am and you'd still encounter the same level of traffic as you would at 7pm in the evening on a particularly crowded payday. The lights do have a countdown mechanism but the countdown clock is covered by trees when approaching from BGC.
2. Pay parking has increased from 50 pesos per 12 hours as of writing to 60 last year, and finally, to 10 pesos PER HOUR starting November 17. That's a hundred and forty percent increase in rates in the span of two years. In another two years, you will be required to surrender your kidney just to pay for the ridiculous parking rates (where are we, Makati CBD?!).
3. Speaking of parking, it is well worth noting as well that two more outdoor parking lots have been demolished, ensuring that everybody crams into the increasingly crowded sole parking lot building in the entire province . The place fills up to the sixth floor as early as 10:30am. Most of the lower levels are still reserved for the elite few (who, for some reason, never really use the slots)
4. The aforementioned demolished parking lots are now immense cavities in the ground that fill up with rainwater during storms, and turn into putrid cauldrons of untreated swamp water in the following weeks, ensuring a uniform smell of depressing decay from Enderun to One World Square.
5. In lighter news, there's now cheaper food alternatives squeezed in between Two and Three World Square. The squeezing part is quite literal, with the place congested and unventilated, as though the inclusion of a slipshod food court there was more of an afterthought than a real consideration of officeworker needs. As proof, just visit the place when it rains. The place is not even 5 months old and it's already leaking harder than Joey Marquez after a drinking bout in AirForceOne. Even by Megaworld standards, that very shitty work right there.
6. For the commuters, the ticketing system issued by the sole operating bus company was at one point extended to illegal uninsured colorum vans and FXs. It's actually an interesting development because reality is, there's just not enough buses to cover the influx and outflux of people during peak hours. Sure, it's illegal and sure, the conditions inside the vans is below par but at least its faster. But if there's anything you can count on McKinley Hill, it's to bust anything good for the commuter. Starting this month, the ticketing system is now exclusively for the elusive buses. If you're using the colorum transports, you're paying 25 pesos, which is 5 pesos more expensive than the buses. So if you hoarded up on the tickets, tough luck.
7. Still no church, drugstore, clinic, or grocery. But that's already a given at this point. Who needs those anyway?
8. The building are starting to show signs of wear and tear and terrible maintenance work. Our office building is no more than 5 years old, yet the pantry walls are practically crumbling from the leaks that are seeping into it from a combined effort from rainwater and drain water of the upper floors.
9. And the worst part of it all is that because companies are continually pouring into our little slice of paradise, the resources, be it food, transpo or pretty much anything else, are starting to get strained and there's very little effort (or even apparent effort) from the administration to address it. With the place looking like it's far from fully occupied, given the current trend, things can only get worse.
10. Speaking of worse, starting this year, the construction of McKinley Hill West has started, across Lawton Ave. Whatever congestion we're complaining about is set to double after another two years. If you're looking into staying here for a long time, you best watch out.
My point in preparing this list is that there are a lot of better places to work in, places where the workers aren't thought of as a problem to be solved or milked for chump change. McKinley Hill could've been so much more awesome than any of those places. But it's not. And the longer that it seems, the more apparent it is that there's no real effort for McKinley Hill to improve for workers and residents alike.
For shame, Megaworld.
When a developer refuses to acknowledge that things have to have development, that's just sad.
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8 comments:
I worked in McKinley from 2010 to July this year. When the year 2012 started, I never wanted to get up early anymore just to go to work. I'd always reach the office at 10 or 11am, get home at 6pm then continue working at home.
I noticed that going to and from McKinley became more of a struggle this year than it was last year or in 2010. Most of the time I'd wait in line for 30 minutes or so, either drenched in sweat or covered by dust during sunny days, or drenched by the rain and shoes already covered with mud.
Even my cousin gave up the idea of riding a car (and allowing me to pay for some gas) because it was no better than riding a cab due to the parking space and the hell of a traffic jam.
Sometimes I'd even ditch going to work and just bring the work at home. Then time came that I only work in McKinley for 3 days a week, because I realized that I would always have to ride a taxi just to ditch the terminal in Piazza or SLP!
Note that it became my habit before I started looking for another job; biggest reason was that I got infuriated when I realized that they can assign me anytime in their office in Eastwood. I finally decided to resign when August started.
And yes, biggest problem are the meds. I needed a med that wasn't in the clinic so I had to ride a cab just to get to Market! Market! as soon as possible. Sigh.
By the way, I would even prefer standing in the bus than riding an FX/Van.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights about mckinley hill. i'm planning to buy a condominium unit and has been considering this location as an option. sure to have these in the cons portion of my research. thanks!
McKinley Hill working and living conditions are really below the standards set by Bonifacio Global City.
It's hard to publicly commute going to and exiting from McKinley Hill.
The place looks and feels congested... Not enough parking space for cars so that you see cars parked along the side streets. The buildings are tall and space between them so small compared to BGC, you'd feel slightly claustrophobic if you compare the atmosphere with BGC. And some of the buildings aren't done yet, so in the future, long term living at McKinley Hill would not be a viable option. Hello, smog and claustrophobia.
The main street's gate leading to Lawton Ave in McKinley Hill is so congested almost all day long. One time, my shift ended at 1 a.m. the road going out was still full of cars! Maybe the December shopping fever may have something to do with it?
I started working in McKinley Hill in DEcember 2013 and I use the public commute to get there.
The bus fare and FX/UV Express vans are the same now: P25.
Even if the fares for both modes of transport are the same now, I would rather use the bus rather than the FX/UV Express. Riding an FX/ UV Express means cramped legs and cramped shoulders. Those FX/UV Express fit 4 healthy or hefty people into seats meant for 3 regular sized or 3 malnourished passengers!
One time, I got leg cramps from sitting for 45 minutes at the back of a UV Express van :-( . The leg cramp lasted for 2 days so that was the first and last time riding at the back of a UV Express van.
Nope, I wouldn't buy a condo in McKinley for my retirement. I'd rather buy one in BGC. I wish I wasn't laid off from my company in BGC as I'd also prefer working in BGC rather an McKinley Hill.
http://redkinoko.blogspot.com/2012/11/working-and-commuting-in-mckinley-hill.html
Bask in an elegant and classic Mediterranean environment in Megaworld's McKinley Hill at The Fort. A unique township development with the country's first ever man-made Grand Canal, it also offers complete modern amenities for growing families
Thanks for sharing your experience. Maybe it's one of the cons of working and living in Mckinley Hill. But, you can also see the pros of it.
Thanks for sharing your experience. We can't stop these kind of circumstances and what we can do is to adjust, then welcome the new things that may come. :D
McKinley Hill is evolving and experience now is much different 4 years ago. Stores are everywhere, Piazza Mall is expanding. Let's wait until the entire reach its full development before we unleash our bashes. :-) Just saying.
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