Had the chance to sit down with the people behind “The Currency," the next 'big thing' soon to rise at the Ortigas Central Business District. It was developed by the world-class & Filipino- pioneered company Vista Residences, and it features a 36-floor architectural breath-taker seeks to redefine the dynamics of work-live-play and offer the chance for homeowners to contain most of their activities in one unique and prestigious environment.

Present during that day are Beth Kalaw, (Division Head of VRI HRB), Emma Amores (VRI Corp Comm Head), Michelle Barrientos (Incoming VRI HRD Corp Comm Head), Wendy Waterhouse (The Currency Project Head) and Patty Delupio (The Currency Project Head Trainee.

The Currency is destined to become a landmark with its glass-clad tower that expresses itself into two wings (one for the residences, the other for the offices), This project which won BCI Asia’s Top 12 Buildings in 2011, is poised to soar high among the existing buildings in the Ortigas CBD.

“The Currency, which is being constructed in full swing, is an ideal choice for those whose time is precious and who need to instantly attend to their work or their family,” begins Beth Kalaw, Vista Residences HRB Division Head. “When other condominiums offer proximity, we offer immediate access and true convenience. There will be no more travel time to speak of as your home, or your business, is just literally a doorstep away.”


When asked why they called it as “The Currency”, they answered that they want a name with a great recall and will describe the area where it was located. It’s located at the Ortigas Central Business District, so they think it was apt to call it as such.


Sitting on 2,015 square meters of precious real estate, The Currency boasts of a location to-die-for: right in the corners of Ortigas’ most famous streets, namely Dona Julia Vargas Avenue, F. Ortigas Jr. Avenue (formerly Emerald Ave) and Garnet Road. Its prime location makes it not only an ideal place to work in and live in but to invest in.


“No doubt, the Currency will be the most desirable address in Ortigas, which is holding its own as a financial district together with Makati City and Bonifacio Global City,” says Kalaw. “The Ortigas CBD has seen exponential growth with the rise of BPO centers, residential towers, and the redevelopment of leisure and commercial centers, such as Shangri-La Mall and SM Megamall. This translates to a sustained rise of value among the properties in Ortigas.”


Embracing the corporate and residential spaces in the same tower, The Currency, however, locates them in separate wings to protect privacy and address the distinct needs of the users. Each wing has a separate grand lobby evoking the feeling of contemporary luxury and is serviced by three high-speed elevators to ascertain the comfort of both the residents and corporate tenants. Each wing also has its own set of amenities.


While corporate tenants can enjoy fine-dining experience in their own restaurant, residents can luxuriate in a swimming pool and keep fit in a gym.

As for the space cuts, The Currency has laid out the prime office spaces to be flexibly designed and configured based on the needs of the employees and the ease of transport for materials and supplies. These units are the best for young entrepreneurs who want to inflect their company with the prestige of a financial district address as well as established businessmen who see locating their operations in Ortigas as a viable, worthwhile investment.


The residential units, on the other hand, are configured as studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units that can accommodate the fast-paced lifestyle of their owners. These are usually young executives who want to dispense of travel time and allocate the precious hours to more important details, foreign expats who want to enjoy the conveniences of a highly-urban community and even Filipino professionals working abroad who invest in The Currency for rental or future sales prospects.

What the corporate and residential wings shares is a list of vital amenities that include podium and basement parking, round-the- clock security, CCTV system and powerful standby generators. As soon as the units are turned over to the unit owners, full-time building administrators will assume the management and operation of the building to maintain its luxurious and exclusive identity.


The Currency’s premier location injects the play in the work-live balance with its accessibility to a wide array of dining, shopping and leisure opportunities afforded by commercial complexes such as Megamall, Robinson’s Galleria and The Podium Shangri-La Plaza; and leisure centers such as El Pueblo, The Strip and Metrowalk. Unit owners who are also parents can provide their kids top-notch education through nearby La Salle Greenhills, O.B. Montessori, Xavier School, St. Pedro Poveda College of Pasig, and Lourdes School of Mandaluyong.


“Well-travelled, exposed to international standards and attuned to the good life, our unit owners have high expectations when it comes to their working environment, their residence and their community,” says Kalaw. “The Currency is for people who definitely know their worth.”