Ortigas station

{{short description|Train station in Mandaluyong, Philippines}}

{{use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox station

| name = Ortigas

| type =

| symbol = 3

| symbol_location = manila

| map_type = Metro Manila#Luzon mainland#Philippines

| map_caption = Location in Metro Manila##Location in Luzon##Location in the Philippines

| coordinates = {{coord|14.5876|N|121.0566|E|dim:30_region:PH_type:railwaystation_source:Googlemaps|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| image = MRT-3 Ortigas Station Platform 2.jpg

| image_caption =

| address = EDSA, Wack-Wack Greenhills
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila

| country = Philippines

| line = {{rail color box|system=Manila MRT|line=3|inline=yes}}

| other = {{rint|bus|rapid}} {{RouteBox|1|List of bus routes in Metro Manila|#ed2225|white}} Ortigas
Future:
{{rint|bus|1}} {{rint|manila|4}} EDSA

| structure = Elevated

| platform = 2 (2 side)

| tracks = 2

| parking = Yes (ADB, SM Megamall)

| bicycle = Bicycle racks (southbound side only)

| passengers =

| pass_year =

| pass_percent =

| opened = {{start date and age|1999|12|15}}

| rebuilt =

| services = {{Adjacent stations|system=Manila MRT|line1=3|left1=Santolan–Annapolis|right1=Shaw Boulevard}}

| accessible =Concourse: Southbound entrance only
Platforms: All platforms

| code = OR

| owned = Metro Rail Transit Corporation

| operator = Department of Transportation

| zone =

| map =

}}

Ortigas station is an elevated Metro Rail Transit (MRT) station located on the MRT Line 3 (MRT-3) system in the Mandaluyong portion of Ortigas Center (under barangay Wack-Wack Greenhills).{{Cite web|title=MRT: Manila metro map, Philippines|url=https://mapa-metro.com/en/Philippines/Manila/Manila-MRT-map.htm|access-date=2020-07-25|website=mapa-metro.com}} The station is named after the center, as well as the nearby Ortigas Avenue.{{Cite web|title=IDP Manila office address {{!}} IDP Philippines|url=https://www.idp.com/philippines/how-to-find-us/|access-date=2020-07-25|website=www.idp.com}}

Ortigas station is the sixth station for trains headed to Taft Avenue and the eighth station for trains headed to North Avenue. It is one of three stations to be situated in Mandaluyong and the northernmost one, near the boundary with Quezon City.{{Cite web|title=MRT3 Fare Guide|url=https://mrt3.com/index.php/menu-fare-tickets.html|access-date=2020-07-25|website=mrt3.com|language=en}} The station is notorious for having a narrow sidewalk on its east exit, which forces commuters to squeeze through the sidewalk and its fencing along EDSA due to legal right-of-way issues with the Asian Development Bank and its headquarters next to the station itself.

History

Ortigas station was opened on December 15, 1999, as part of MRT's initial section from {{stn|North Avenue|3=MRT}} to {{stn|Buendia}}.{{cite news |title=Miracle rail project to rid Edsa of jams |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19991215&id=801OAAAAIBAJ&pg=2667,3110141 |work=New Straits Times |publisher=The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd. |date=December 15, 1999 |access-date=January 21, 2014 |via=Google News Archive}}

Nearby landmarks

The station serves the Ortigas business district and is interconnected with the Asian Development Bank headquarters. It is near major shopping malls, such as Robinsons Galleria, SM Megamall, The Podium and St. Francis Square Mall; as well as the headquarters of the Meralco, UnionBank, Robinsons Bank and JG Summit Holdings. A few government buildings are also located in the station's vicinity including the central offices of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Migrant Workers, the Ortigas office of the Department of Transportation, and the Philippine Railways Institute, as well as educational institutions like Saint Pedro Poveda College and La Salle Green Hills. The EDSA Shrine, Meralco Theater, Lopez Museum, The Medical City, Eton Cyberpod, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Oakwood Premier hotels are also nearby.{{Cite web|last=Board|first=Hoppler Editorial|date=2019-07-22|title=Quezon City Landmarks and Historical Sites|url=https://www.hoppler.com.ph/_blog/featured-articles/quezon-city-landmarks-and-historical-sites|access-date=2020-07-25|website=Real Estate Blog - Trending News, Guides, Tips and Articles {{!}} Hoppler|language=en}}

West of the station is the Gate 4 of Wack Wack Village on Berkeley Street, providing access to the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.

Sidewalk issues

File:EDSA-Ortigas Station walkway southbound.jpg

Ortigas station is notorious among commuters for having a very narrow sidewalk along EDSA at its east entrance and exit along the northbound direction of EDSA. This is caused by the already-narrow sidewalk along the ADB property which was then occupied by the columns of the station and the escalator to the MRT station. As such, pedestrians and commuters are left no choice but to squeeze through the narrow remainder of the sidewalk in between the escalator, columns, and sidewalk fencing.{{Cite web|last=De La Cruz|first=Christa I.|title=10 Places on EDSA That Need "Build, Build, Build" for Pedestrians|url=https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/86257/metro-manila-spots-that-show-poor-urban-planning-a833-20210523|date=2021-05-23|access-date=2021-09-01|website=SPOT.PH|language=en}}

During the opening of the line in 1999, the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC) stated that the reason behind this was because the Asian Development Bank, whose headquarters is located next to the station, "refuses to give MRTC the right-of-way" due to the ADB property being "quasi-sovereign" land under their agreement with the Philippine government.{{Cite news |last=Basilio, Jr. |first=Robert |date=December 13, 1999 |title=EDSA MRT: 'The other miracle at EDSA' |work=BusinessWorld |url=https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3Y3G-BK50-00JS-94S9-00000-00&context=1516831 |access-date=December 4, 2022 |quote=Not all stations, however, have elevators because of engineering and legal right of way problems. In the northbound side of the Ortigas station, for instance, the Asian Development Bank refuses to give MRTC the right of way because, it claims that their property has a quasi-sovereign component under their agreement with the country. }}

On January 19, 2024, the escalator was shut down for maintenance until January 22, causing a swelling of pedestrians and commuters on the narrow sidewalk. Due to this, the sidewalk fencing around the escalator was temporarily moved to partially occupy the EDSA northbound bicycle lane.{{Cite news |last=Malasig |first=Jeline |date=January 19, 2024 |title=‘We deserve better’: MRT Ortigas crowding underscores need for improved commuter mobility |url=https://interaksyon.philstar.com/politics-issues/2024/01/19/268871/mrt-ortigas-crowding-need-improved-commuter-mobility/ |access-date=January 19, 2024 |work=Interakyson}}

See also

{{Commons category|Ortigas station (Line 3)|Ortigas station}}

References