Authors: Ben Ruhe
Date Submitted: August 31, 2003
Article Type: Journal

A vast former military camp named Fort Bonifacio east of Manila was sold some years ago by the Philippine government to a private real estate conglomerate.

The Hong Kong-based corporation soon developed a portion of the land nearest the capital into the largest and most expensive real property holding in the whole country. A series of 50-story buildings were put up.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the huge holding continued as unoccupied, flat grassland, intersected by a network of concrete roads.

Led by its president, Orlando Ongkingco, the Kite Association of the Philippines saw the obvious kiteflying potential of the unused fields and noted enticing northeast monsoon winds blowing. After obtaining permission from the Philippine civil aeronautics board because an international airport is located five kilometers away and from the security-conscious corporation owning the land, the KAP obtained an okay to fly on weekends at the far reaches of the site.