Moving to Makati? Why and Why Not, As Told by City Residents

Have you ever wondered how different your daily grind would look like based on the area you chose to live in or move into? It may be a thought worth reflecting on. Perhaps each of us, at one point or another, has been in this situation before: You can be a valued contributor in your company but your travel time to and from work may be the equivalent of watching a Mission Impossible film. By the time you get to work, it takes time to get back lost energy – and lost time. The quality of the community you live in may be as important a matter to contemplate on as the home you’ll live in.

Can you get whatever it is you need, whenever you want it? What are its features and amenities? Will it be a conducive place for you to rest, recuperate, and, if you choose to, do additional office work? We all have images of that dream place waiting to be. For some they have found that destination by setting up shop in Makati, known as one the Philippines’ main business district. Here’s the city, as seen through the experiences of working professionals who have called Makati their home.

Ren Madrid, a 33 year-old Strategy and Sales Support Manager for one of the country’s top BPO companies, is a Makati transplant himself. For more than half of his life, Ren lived in Quezon City along with his parents and two siblings. A couple of years after getting married in 2010, he and his wife moved to Makati. Ren shares the reasons that enticed him to move to Makati. “I think there is a lot of prestige about living in the country’s central business district. But at least for us, we put a premium on living with ease. Living in Makati, it’s like what we need can be accessed just a stone’s throw away. There are a lot of commercial establishments that I’ve come to be familiar with.” There are said to be more than 60,000 commercial and retail establishments within and near Makati. Staying in Makati afforded Ren and his family to enjoy the glut of fine restaurants and coffee shops the city has to offer. Supermarkets and convenience stores are within range as well. And of course, there’s the companies that define it as a business district.

“Being in Makati makes us near our respective places of work as well. While I work in the Paranaque area, my wife works in Makati,” adds Ren. Statistics show that 40% of the country’s top multinational and local companies are located in Makati. Michael Diamante, 34, who works as a Senior Product and Systems Trainer for a BPO company as well, moved to Makati last 2011 and says it’s made a difference in his work life. “The traffic to work is more manageable because I walk to work. Long walks are also a way for me to unwind.” Michael, who resides in a high-rise residential condominium unit, shares that living in Makati brings great value. He explains, “When I got my place in Makati, I also saw it as a possible investment. Having a place to call my own is great.” Makati condominiums are said to have the highest property value and never depreciate. On the flipside, Makati also has the highest rental and occupancy rates in the country. Ren shares that living in Makati is inconvenient due to a higher cost of living, which includes food, laundry, association dues, and real estate taxes. “Everything seems more expensive, particularly the rent and tax,” echoes Michael.

According to the Numbeo.com, the world’s largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide, rental fees in the central business district area can range from ₱32,555.56 (a one bedroom apartment) to a high of ₱114,000 (a three bedroom apartment within the city’s center). Residing outside of the city’s center offers lower rental fees, ranging from ₱10,333.33 (one bedroom apartment) to ₱26,666.67 (three bedroom apartment). But for Ren and Michael, the positives outweigh the financial negatives. In Makati, they’ve found a home to enjoy and thrive in. Would you move to the city if you had the opportunity to do so? What would be the convenient and inconvenient facets of living in the area? Or are you already thinking of moving to Makati? Sound off in the comments section below. *Photo by photobong from Pinoy Photography