Gil Puyat Avenue

Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, also known simply as Gil Puyat Avenue and by its former official name Buendia Avenue, is a major arterial thoroughfare which travels east–west through the cities of Makati and Pasay in western Metro Manila, Philippines. It is one of the busiest avenues in Metro Manila linking the Makati Central Business District with the rest of the metropolis.

The entire route currently forms part of National Route 190 (N190) of the Philippine highway network. Part of the avenue from Roxas Boulevard to EDSA was previously designated as a component of Circumferential Road 3 of the Metro Manila Arterial Road System.

Etymology
Since 1982, this 4- to 12-lane divided avenue takes its name from Gil J. Puyat, a Filipino senator who served from 1951 to 1972. It was originally named Buendia Avenue after Nicolas Buendia, a Katipunero, another Filipino senator, and governor of Bulacan.

Alternate names
According to the Department of Public Works and Highways, the avenue's extension from Roxas Boulevard to Jose W. Diokno Boulevard in Pasay also has alternative names that vary per segment. Its segment from Roxas Boulevard to the zipper lane of Magdalena Jalandoni Street is alternatively known as Spine Road, while its segment from thereon to Atang Dela Rama Street is alternatively known as Manila Film Center Main Road, after the Manila Film Center. Both are designated as national tertiary roads.

Route description
The avenue begins at an unsignaled intersection with Jose W. Diokno Boulevard and Atang Dela Rama Street as the continuation of Zoilo Hilario Street in Bay City, Pasay. It then intersects Macapagal Boulevard, Magdalena Jalandoni Street, Roxas Boulevard, Harrison Avenue, Leveriza, Donada, and A. Luna Streets. West of its intersection with Taft Avenue, several bus terminals are located along the avenue, including JAC Liner and DLTB Co.

It enters the city of Makati as it crosses the Estero de Tripa de Gallina. It narrows as a four-lane road from Edison Street to Osmeña Highway. After its intersection with Osmeña Highway, it becomes divided by a center island once again for the rest of its route as it traverses the Makati Central Business District. Past Ayala Avenue, it enters barangay Bel-Air and several office buildings were located along the avenue including Petron Megaplaza and Pacific Star Building, both were used to the tallest buildings from 1989 to 1992 and 1998 to 2000, respectively. It then intersects some of the CBD's streets, Nicanor Garcia Street, Makati Avenue, Paseo de Roxas, and the Urdaneta Avenue, which provides access into the gated Urdaneta Village, before meeting Kalayaan Flyover and its eastern terminus at Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA). The avenue also has an extension into the gated Forbes Park in Makati as Buendia Avenue Extension.

It is also part of clearway scheme from Roxas Boulevard in Pasay to Edison Avenue in Makati. The Pasay streets of Leveriza, Harrison Avenue, Donada/A. Luna, Taft Avenue, Sandejas, Dominga/P. Burgos, Tramo Street, and Emilia Street are not allowed to cross the avenue, instead the motorists can use the U-turn slots 100 m away to reach their destinations. The section between Edison and Ayala Avenue are not allowed to left turn. Instead, motorists use other streets as the section does not have any u-turn slots especially at the Palanan area with four lanes each.

History
Based on a 1946 map of Pasay, the avenue traces its origin as a short street named Calle Buendia, stretching between Calle P. Burgos (its portion north of the avenue is now Dominga Street) and Calle Luna (now Donada Street) in Pasay. It was later extended westward to the Manila Bay shoreline, occupying the former Calle Ochoa in Pasay, and eastward to the former Nielson Field in Makati. Subsequently, it was extended to the present-day Bay City reclamation to the west and to EDSA to the east, following the development of the Makati Central Business District. On November 14, 1982, Buendia Avenue was officially renamed to Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue by virtue of Batas Pambansa Bilang 312.

Landmarks


Gil Puyat Avenue travels between the neighborhoods of Leveriza, San Jose, San Isidro, and Santa Clara in Pasay and barangays Palanan, San Isidro, San Antonio, Pio del Pilar, San Lorenzo, Bel-Air, and Urdaneta in Makati. It is the site of some of the tallest buildings in Metro Manila, such as RCBC Plaza on the junction with Ayala Avenue and Petron Megaplaza, the country's tallest building from 1998 to 2000. It also hosts the Pacific Star Building, Grand Soho Makati, The World Centre, One Central Makati, Exportbank Plaza, as well as the New Makati Central Fire Station and headquarters of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Tourism, which recently moved from its previous location in Rizal Park after it was converted into the National Museum of Natural History.

The stretch of Gil Puyat between Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas hosts the headquarters of the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (under demolition) and Development Bank of the Philippines on Roxas Triangle. Several educational institutions are also located on the avenue such as Pasay City Academy, Andres Bonifacio Elementary School, and the Makati campuses of Far Eastern University, Centro Escolar University, De La Salle University, and iAcademy; Mapúa University used to have its Makati campus along the avenue. The avenue's other notable landmarks in Makati are the Makati Central Post Office, One Pacific Place, Burgundy Tower, West of Ayala Tower, Teleperformance Center, and SM Cyber Makati. The avenue is also the location of Bureau of Internal Revenue's district offices serving Pasay, Makati, and south National Capital Region, respectively.

Gil Puyat Avenue in Pasay is the site of Networld Hotel Spa and Casino. The intersection with Taft Avenue is the location of several provincial bus terminals, including DLTBCo, JAM Liner, JAC Liner, and Green Star Express.

Transportation
Gil Puyat Avenue is a major stop on three lines of the Metro Manila Transit System.
 * Gil Puyat Station at Taft Avenue served by LRT-1;
 * Buendia Station at EDSA served by MRT-3; and
 * Buendia railway station along Osmeña Highway served by PNR.
 * This station is now closed; the area is now served by the Dela Rosa railway station, one block southwards.

Green Frog Transport Corp. operate hybrid buses serving the route between Gil Puyat and Kalayaan Avenue, as well as the bus transit between Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange and Bonifacio Global City. It is also served by provincial buses with terminals along the avenue's section in Pasay, as well as regular and air-conditioned jeepneys.