Tacloban’s Mall Aspiration: Update 4.15.08
A giant billboard has been put up at the Robinsons Place Tacloban site in Marasbaras, Tacloban City.
Here’s what it shows:
Photos taken today, April 15, 2008.
The following is quoted from the official disclosure filed by Robinsons Land Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission:
RLC TO BUILD FIRST MIXED-USE PROJECT IN EASTERN VISAYAS. PROJECT TO INCLUDE SHOPPING MALL & CALL CENTER IN A 4-HECTARE PROPERTY
Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) recently unveiled its latest provincial mall
project in Tacloban City, Robinsons Tacloban, which is expected to break ground
by the 1st quarter of 2008 and with a scheduled opening by end of 2008.
The 2-level shopping mall will rise in a 4 hectare property along the National
Highway, Taboan, Marsabaras, Tacloban City, Leyte, the largest province in
Eastern Visayas. “We will be building a full service shopping mall with a gross
floor area of 30,000 square meters. Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons
Supermarket, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman Do It Best plus 3 cinemas will
be opening side by side with other establishments like food, fashion, & service
outlets to mention a few. Aside from these outlets, we are also welcoming both
national and local retailers to join us in our commercial centers undertaking,”
says Cornelio S. Mapa, Jr, general manager, Robinsons Malls.
Future developments are also expected to rise within the complex grounds which
include a site for a 3 storey call center building, with a 700 seat capacity. For
further information, please contact 6836100, locals 791, 6875681, local 357,
3952177.
source: http://www.pse.org.ph/html/disclosure/pdf/2007/pdf/dc2007-7405_RLC.pdf
View previous posts on Tacloban’s Mall Aspiration:
https://gerryruiz.wordpress.com/2008/02/16/taclobans-mall-aspiration/
https://gerryruiz.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/taclobans-mall-aspiration-update/
https://gerryruiz.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/taclobans-mall-aspiration-update-40908/
Latest update: https://gerryruiz.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/taclobans-mall-aspiration-update-40309/
gerryruiz photoblog 
Wow!!! Thanks Gerry!
Makarit ngan maupay gud it iyo governador ngan mayor! Salamat nga imo ini igin pahibaro ha amon nga mga Taclobanon didi ha USA. Maduro na gud it amon kahidlaw hit Tacloban, nga makabakasyon o mauli kami dida hin diri uras pa (para magretire). Thanks again Mr. Ruiz.
Wow, that has to be the most least-inspired design for a mall, and it’s robinsons, no less; looks like something SM’s think tank would do. Just hope the interior is great.
That’s what I thought too. I was hoping they’d go for inexpensive-but-inspired. From the ground, this could look like just a concrete box. Heck, the Leyte Home Depot’s facade seems more interesting.
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Nevertheless, 3 cinemas!! Crap my pants! I don’t even care if they’re huge cinemas as long as they have good sound. 3 cinemas! Thank God!
I agree, it’s plain but I like it! I want this mall to do very well to encourage more investments of this nature
The most important thing is that this project would spearhead future investments in the city, as well as provide job opportunities, and revatilize small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Who knows? SM and Ayala might be next in line.
Mall designs tend to be “box” type and symmetrical, especially for this type of lot. I guess the play of massing at the front creates excitement. But I think this could have been designed much better. However, it looks like the interior wil be nice with the high ceiling at the entrance which will make it grandeur in appearance. I wonder who is the design architect of this one, Gerry? It should be posted on their billboard.
as the usual cliche, progress means more traffic in that area. hope they have plans for this eventuality. sigurado gud iton kay maguiguin congestion iton considering it junction ha coca-cola. before mag-open ini nga mall himo-an nira hin alternative roads para maibanan it volume of traffic.
abi nakog humana… hehehe very nice destination for Tacloban. My last visit to Tacloban was way back 1998. Now Robinsons has found its landmark in this city and part of Visayas.
Way back then the biggest department store was in downtown near the city<<>>. Go go Tacloban Gear Forward to Progress.
been away for almost 13 years now and oh… how i’ve missed my homeland. looks like there’s been a lot of changes there now.
finally tacloban city will have a mall. this time there’s something that i can show off to my friends. i can hardly wait. Gerry, thanks for posting or featuring robinsons mall. i’ll visit your calle z cafe this coming june and hope to meet you personally.
Tokyo, Japan
Hi Virginia, will look forward to your visit come June. Please don’t hesitate to ask waiters around to call my attention when you come to calle Z. As you very well know, fiesta time in Tacloban usually packs the city to the brim with thousands of guests, balikbayans and reunion attendees coming home. 🙂
GO Tacloban! GO!GO!GO!
we hope the city’s favorite restobar of all restobars, calle Z – of course, who else? – will be at Robinsons as well…
may we look forward to this, Mr. Gerry? 😀
hehe that remains to be seen as calle Z caters more to the night owl people 😉
ano na it update hit construction? siguro human na it hira hit foundation kay waray man ada hiton basement. bangin iton first floor columns naka-tindug na. so excited to see the latest pics!
Foundation/first floor columns not done yet. All you’ll see are protruding steel bars for the columns. 🙂
Mr. Gerry, paki-update naman it pictures hit Robinsons pati it bag-o nga Gaisano; nangangaruyag kami hit imo mga photo sharing. Damo nga salamat ha imo…
Any news about SM, kun mag-ti-tindug liwat hira hin mall dida ha Tacloban? Kalo-oy han Gaisano… hehehe… Am looking forward to coming home this Dec… Usa it akon patod na hi Arch. Marteja it mag-de-design hit Cinemas… product of LIT, Tacloban… siring niya, a great contribution to our homeplace. Based hiya ha Robinson’s Movieworld, Galleria, Ortigas, Pasig.
Guin reject ada adto nga SM Mall Project han City Government han Mayor pa hi Mayor Bejo!
Ambot ngani kun ig papa-dayon adto nga SM Mall.
Nakadto pa ako ha Tacloban, dako na nga tsismis nga magkakamay-ada mall ha aton some few years back… and now… finally, seems like the long wait will be over…
Since my family’s return to Leyte last year, the kids missed the malls in Metro Manila so much. And so my wife has to bring the kids to Cebu during vacation time. Now, it seems she doesn’t have to do this more often once Robinson’s will start its operation late this year or early next year!
This is great! hehehe!
weh.. na asemso na gud it tacloban.. hihi.. 🙂
mupai e2 para mgkmyda n ghp mall nga pormal it leyte…dre ky gaisano nla nga dugyot man eton ngada nah! hehe isasara n eton kun magbukas it rob ky d na ton dadayuhon hit mamaralit! …aw magsumo n pagod it mga sales, puros la chika, d k man la i-entertain if mapalit ka!
DAW INDI KO KA HANDUM NA MAG KA MAY ARA DAKO MALL SA TACLOBAN,. KAY DAW N BAYAAN N A GID KITA DRA. WERE DRI SA ILOILO CITY MASUMO NA 8 MGA TAWO NGA,. MAULI AKO PARA MKITA MAN 8 TACLOBAN MA MAUPAY NA NGAN PROGRESIBO NA HOPE DRI MA HALOAN HIN POLITIKA, GOD BLESS TACLOBAN…
maybe ur city mayor will concentrate first until the opening of Robinsons. he will give protection to the owner since their investment is much bigger than SM. maybe someday if Robinson’s as well as their hotel and call center will become stable, that’s the time the city will invite SM and other mall operators. we just hope that the city mayor would be open-minded for other investors to come in, and have no political hindrance specially the entry of SM. here in iligan city, a new Gaisano City Super Mall was opened last July 29. most of our Muslim brothers from the Lanao areas have shifted their preference and now come to iligan instead of going to cagayan de oro to minimize gas expenses.
cool..it’s an opportunity also for business especially hit mga magkarit na waraynon. mr. ruiz, i wonder kun paano kami makaka-contact to put up a business hito na ma-abre na mall..damo na salamat.
Hi Diane, I’m sorry but I have no personal knowledge on that. You just have to find other sources. Try to google it.
Mr. Gerry, hi. Just wanna know kun what call center it ma-open ha Robinson’s Tacloban. I’m a call center agent and want to go home to Tacloban na but with a job of course.. try me pag apply.. thanks and gud day..
Hi Honey. Sorry I can’t help you about the Robinson’s planned call center. However, I came across the following item today: APAC Customer Services Inc. at Leyte Academic Center in Palo, Leyte – Leyte’s first call center.
APAC JOB FAIRS:
October 24-26, 2008 for Senior Staff
Luxury Suites
3rd floor, Burgos St.
Tacloban City
November 21-23, 2008 for Customer Service Representatives
SMED Center, Capitol Grounds
Tacloban City
email: recruitment@apacmail.com
Hope this helps.
Hello Gerry Ruiz,
Saan po lugar magtatayo ang SM Mall dito sa Tacloban??? Saan?
Ang mas-magandang tanong, siguro, ay totoo bang magtatayo ang SM sa Tacloban anytime soon? I can understand the eagerness and anticipation of a lot of Taclobanons and I do not mean to dampen this but the bottom line is, all these talks of SM building a “mall” in Tacloban is pure hype. This has been going on for years, even before SM built a branch in Baguio! Until such time as an official announcement coming from SM Prime Holdings is made, it’s all “chuva,” as they say. Pure speculation. 😉
Feb. 19th 2009 and Robinson’s mall is starting to take shape! Hard to say how much work is left, but we’re probably still talking about months… But at least the windows are installed and the outer shell is mostly in place. Looking good, although delayed.
Hello,
The Robinson’s mall grand opening is on June 11, 2009.
i’m so happy to know that the mall will be open na when i go back home for vacation in June, i don’t have to bring my family to cebu anymore for shopping!!! God Bless Tacloban and the Taclobanons! looking forward for the fiesta too, miss it a lot!
SM does not purchase property of less than 10 hectares. That’s a fact. It is part of the strategy for future expansion. Financial consideration is not a problem but the lot area. As we very well know, real property appreciates in time. While it may be true that it would boost the economic side of Tacloban City, financial and business wise, it would be a downside if SM will indeed be located at the property of Pajara. Firstly, the area is not acceptable because it does not have a good shape. A Petron station is already erected. Secondly, Chinese businessmen do not accept the fact that their business, SM at that, will be bordering the Chinese cemetery. Third, water supply is unstable and scarce in Tacloban City. Fourth, the traffic situation is already worse in that area. Fifth, taxes in Tacloban is very high. Sixth, electricity, while secondary is unstable. Seventh, real property prices are unconscionably high. When SM opens, even if you locate in a farther location, people will still go there. One good example is SM Cebu. It is far from the downtown area and yet people prefer to go there. It caters to all classes of people. People of Tacloban are fond of over-pricing. Things are usually sold 3 times higher than their actual price. Good that Robinson’s and SM will have their presence felt by local clients, because this will lower the prices of goods and remove us from the the reputation of being one of the most expensive cities to live in the Philippines.
The practical location for SM Mall would be Palo, Leyte. This will also decongest traffic in Tacloban. I am not from Palo, Leyte. We are just talking strategy-wise for a business here. Further, if SM mall is erected in Palo, Leyte, this will decongest the traffic and livable area. This will also truly make Tacloban City a Highly Urbanized City by making like Mandaue City or Pasay City. Preference of establishing residence would be directed to neighboring municipalities of Palo, Tanauan, Sta. Fe, Alangalang, Dulag, San Miguel and Babatngon. See the effect if SM Mall will be erected in Palo.
hi gerry i live in virginia usa i would like to know and how i can see the pictures of my nephew’s show band here in your website i want to see it please… thank you. you have a good and descent website i like that
ashton