It is said that the once rolling hills of this place was frequently battered by the big waves from the sea—the daluyong elders call it. People started calling the place madaluyong or frequently lashed at. After sometime, the place was known as Mandaluyong.
Other sources say that the city got its name from the tagalog words “mga” which means many, and “daluy” which translates to flowing in reference to the grasses that grow abundantly in the land many years ago.
Some lore were more romantic, including one where two lovers “Manda” and “Luyong” settled in the place after they were married.
Prior to the Spanish conquest, Mandaluyong was already an organized place with its own set of government and flourishing trade. It was a bustling empire ruled by a Lakan who grew his clout to include neighboring barangays. It was granted cityhood in 1994.
‘Heart of Metro Manila’
Today, Mandaluyong is the 18th largest metropolitan city in the world, a hub of commerce and industry and prized as the “Heart of Metro Manila.”
Greenfield Development Corp. (GDC)—the prime real estate developer whose projects include the first smart and connected district in the country, the Greenfield District and the first smart and connected home, Twin Oaks Place; the first city within a park, Greenfield City, and the first residential park, Pramana—owes its beginnings to Mandaluyong City where it built its first project, the Edsa Central.
“Our history traces its roots in Mandaluyong,” shares lawyer Duane AX Santos, executive vice president and general manager of GDC. Edsa Central was a mixed-use property development that soon became a landmark on the main thoroughfare and a hub for transportation and commerce.
It was in the 1970s, when Mandaluyong was still a municipality, that Greenfield began its work in helping shape the urban landscape. Edsa Central was their pioneering project and while the company soon ventured south to develop other parcels of land, the property in Mandaluyong remained a priority. Work started in 2009 to remake the once congested complex in the city as a master-planned community—“smart and connected” and destined to stand the test of time.
“We have seen the growth of this city throughout the years, and we remain committed to continuously improve its cityscape,” shares Santos. Mandaluyong is home to Greenfield District, a 12.8-hectare expanse set to be home to a network of mixed-use commercial and retail buildings, open spaces and residential communities.
‘Homes of the future’
Greenfield District is designed to grow with the city, providing a masterfully designed development. Santos expounds, “It is designed to address the demands of the future through innovation, state-of-the-art craftsmanship and sustainable infrastructure.” The complex now houses various restaurants and specialty stores providing a chic, urban vibe. Residential megastructures dubbed as the ‘homes of the future’ are already in place while some will be ready very soon.
What might be its best addition to the city are the district’s pockets of green, providing an oasis within the congested metropolis that is used as “breathing spaces,’ creating an atmosphere where city dwellers can take a much-deserved break.
“Greenfield Development Corp. is proud of its work in the city and the continuous development highlights our shared history and vision for the future,” Santos said.