PROPERTY giant Megaworld Corp. has marked a milestone for its 34-hectare township in Bacolod City, The Upper East, by welcoming First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos and dedicating a Bitaog tree in her honor inside the development over the weekend coinciding with the highlights of this year’s MassKara Festival celebration.

Endemic to the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia, the Bitaog tree with a scientific name Calophyllum Inophyllum is revered for its strength, beauty, and fragrant flowers. It usually acts as a natural barrier along coastal areas because of its ability to withstand typhoons and other calamities.

“We are privileged to dedicate this Bitaog tree in honor of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. We are delighted to have this tree become a part of our developmental efforts here in The Upper East. As we have shared in the past, the location of this township is the former site of the Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company (BMMC), a historic institution where the First Lady’s father used to manage as head of operations,” Kevin Tan, chief strategy officer of Megaworld Corp., said.

Tan added that “Dedicating this tree to the First Lady is very symbolic for us as it will soon witness the rise of Bacolod’s modern central business district, just like how the century-old trees currently inside the township witnessed the history of BMMC together with Mr. Araneta himself.”

Inside The Upper East, Megaworld is preserving about 100 native trees as part of its thrust to highlight sustainability and care for the environment in its township developments across the Philippines.

Plans are also in place to make The Upper East into a “smart development,” where residents and guests of the township can enjoy free WiFi in select locations or explore the entire development either by riding e-vehicles or traveling from one point to another on foot with smart crosswalks. (With PR)