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TAGAYTAY
has changed so much since I was a kid. When I would go
on trips with my family or friends back in my youth,
there were only a handful of things to look forward
to—the cold weather, the horse-back trail in Picnic
Grove, and a few specialty restaurants that served their
famous bulalo. It was one of the few places close to
Manila where people could go to relax.
I went
on a road trip this weekend with my girlfriend to do
just that, but then I realized that Tagaytay is starting
to become too commercialized to be relaxing. A drive
along the main highway used to be so pleasing,
especially because of the view and scent of the trees
that flank the road. Now, the trees have been replaced
by commercial establishments that line the whole length
of the highway. It is starting to look like Edsa, where
all you see are signages and billboards that make the
place look so cluttered and awful. While I have nothing
against commercialism as it drives the economy,
something could have been done to preserve the pristine
nature of Tagaytay. They made a good move by prescribing
a wide setback that places the structures far from the
road; still, the space in between should be landscaped
properly. Right now, these spaces serve as parking lots
with loose rubble as the main pavement—not exactly a
design that will make people want to come into the area.
Of course, there are commercial establishments that have
made the effort to blend in with the natural landscape
of Tagaytay, providing a totally pleasant experience,
such as culinary hubs Sonya’s Garden, Antonio’s and
Josephine’s.
I was
feeling nostalgic during the trip, so we opted to take a
quick bite in a nonformal place, Mushroom Burger. I
wanted to relive the time when my friends and I would go
all the way to Tagaytay to eat there because of its
unique and very affordable menu. It was packed when we
got there, and we ordered its famous Mushroom Burger
Royale, Spaghetti with Mushroom Sauce and the Beef
Mushroom Rice Toppings. It was good to know that even
with all the new establishments in Tagaytay, Mushroom
Burger is still a destination.
Though
Tagaytay is starting to feel much too urban because of
the cluttered commercialism along the highway, I felt
relieved when we got to Tagaytay Highlands. It is a
development that respected the preexisting conditions of
the site, making the design effort to blend in with
nature. The roads wind with the natural topography of
the mountains and are beautifully landscaped with
thousands of pine trees to enhance the mountaintop
ambiance.
Tagaytay
Highlands has different types of developments within the
site, such as single-detached dwellings, condominiums
and even hotel accommodations, catering to the varied
preferences of the market. We got to visit Woodlands Log
Homes, the design of which is based on a traditional
lodge. The cabins are made of authentic red cedar
imported from the US and Canada, giving them a
delightful scent. The cabins come in different
configurations—single-family units, and two- and
three-story multifamily units, all constructed by
leading log cabin suppliers.
We also
saw Pinecrest Village, Highlands’ first residential
project. It was designed by renowned architects Pablo
Antonio and Nonoy Hubilla. The development is composed
of 167 condominium units with spectacular views of Taal
Lake, Mount Makiling, Batangas and Laguna de Bay. The
design of the structures is taken from a typical
Swiss-Alpine village by the use of a careful mixture of
wood and stone.
Then we
went to the Villas, a high-end enclave of 48
single-detached, three-bedroom homes, grouped in six
clusters of eight houses. Each cluster is unique because
six different architectural firms were asked to design
each of them. What brings them together is the Southern
Californian architectural theme which is typically
finished with rustic materials such as clay roofing,
stucco or stone walls, and wood accents. You can easily
mistake it for a typical development in the
US
because of its world-class design and finishes.
We
capped the day with a sumptuous meal. Since steak is my
favorite food, we decided to eat a hearty meal at the
Highlands Steakhouse. We ordered its prime ribs, which
is a piece of heaven in my opinion. What made our meal
more pleasurable was the background music from the live
performer (who sounded exactly like James Taylor) and
the cozy interiors of the restaurant. All the surfaces
were covered with the same red cedar that is seen in the
other structures of Highlands. We were in a
double-height space, ambiently lit with chandeliers that
were made from the antlers of a moose. At the far end of
the room was a homey fireplace, clad with natural stone
all the way to the ceiling.
So even
though Tagaytay is starting to have the urban symptoms
of Manila, there are still some developments in the city
that try to maintain the charm and character of the
Tagaytay of the past. Through nature-sensitive design,
careful selection of natural materials, and the
integration of landscaping, I believe Tagaytay still has
a chance to recover from this recent spate of unsightly
commercialism. |
