The Adventure Tower.
PHOTO BY BONG LACSON
PORAC, Pampanga – Inspired by the fun of childhood, SandBox, albeit unintentionally, took to the very character of its location – the sand quarries of this town now dubbed as “Makati of the North.”
The latter appellation, again spun off the town’s biggest investment to date, Alviera of Ayala Land Inc. Makati of course finding its synonym in Ayala. Alviera is a 1,125 hectare property, a sprint away from the Porac Exit of the Subic- Clark-Tarlac Expressway, being developed into a township comprising of commercial, residential, educational, industrial and recreational districts.
And its very first attraction is SandBox, a two-hectare sprawl redefining and raising the level of outdoor fun in these parts. The adrenaline rush too. There is for instance the Adventure Tower, a tree-in-one deal with one side for wall climbing, another for rappelling and still another for free-fall.
At 15 meters high, the tower provides the best view of the full expanse of the place, the Porac and Zambales mountains and SCTEx to the northwest, Mount Arayat and the lahar-deposited Pasig-Potrero River to the southeast.
The country’s tallest swing, at 10-meters high, is at SandBox too. Generically called Giant Swing, it takes up to two adult riders high into the air. High-rope adventure with a higher difficulty provided by an obstacle course is the Aerial Walk where one sways, hangs and zips on ropes and nets.
Avatar One – nearing completion at the time of the press preview last Saturday – is reputed to be the Philippine’s first roller coaster zipline – where one does not simply zip down but zigzags through the 180-meter long course starting from 12 meters high. ATV and mini-ATV rides – to the far reaches of the Alviera property at the slopes of the Porac mountains – are also offered at SandBox. Biking and hiking trails are in the works.
Cyclists – BMXers, mountain bikers and other pedal-pushers – will have a treat in the 5,000-square meter “pump track,” so called for the “pumping motion used by the rider’s body as they create momentum around the track.”
There is too a themed kiddie playground with picnic areas, mini-golf, camping sites, a courtyard and an open field
for fi eld sports and other outdoor activities. This summer, the open field will feature kite-flying and kite-making workshops. SandBox is slated to offi cially open on April 12 with a concert featuring Bamboo Manalac, a Kapampangan too. Fun days at SandBox are from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The experience at SandBox gives one a taste of what’s to come upon the full development of Alviera. We envision Alviera to be the regional growth center of Central Luzon complete with a commercial district, business and industrial
park, university zones, retail centers, a country club, recreational areas and residential neighborhoods,” said John Estacio, Alviera general manager
