To open new hotel and another shopping mall in 2017
TACLOBAN CITY- Additional 800 people will gain employment as the Robinsons Place-Tacloban opens its additional wing on Thursday (December 8).
The opening of its new wing, connected with its main shopping mall was described by officials of the Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), operator of the Robinsons shopping malls, as a testament that Tacloban has now recovered after it was devastated by supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
The opening of the three-level “expanded Robinsons Place- Tacloban,” has now brought its gross floor area to 77,000 square meters.
The expanded area of the shopping mall sits on 15,000 square meters of which 85 percent of its 80 spaces are already occupied.
The opening of the additional section of the Robinsons Place- Tacloban has now brought to 230 outlets operating at the said shopping mall.
Known brands, food chains and restaurants, to include local-based, have opened their outlets at the expanded area of the Robinsons Place-Tacloban.
Among them are apparel brands like Giordano, Bayo and Vise Versa; food chains like Bonchon, Yellow Cab, Iceberg, Pancake House, Hap Chan, Bagnet & Beyond; and furniture store La Sedia.
Local establishments like Cosina Don Vicente, Shylear Sizzling Steak, Canto Fresco; Elke’s Breadhouse, and Miga Natives have put their outlets at the new wing of the shopping mall.
It has also two cinemas, an amusement area and a “Lingkod Pinoy Center” where the public could transact their businesses with the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth), Philippine Postal Corp. (Phil post) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The opening of the new wing of the Robinsons Place Tacloban has resulted for an additional 800 employment on top of over 2,000 people currently employed.
Arlene Magtibay, Robinsons mall general manager, said the expansion of the shopping mall is an indication that the economy of Tacloban City and the rest of Leyte province has recovered after Yolanda’s devastation.
“The economy of Tacloban and other parts of Leyte has been growing very, very well that’s the reason why our sales is also doing well and improving,” Magtibay, who led the opening, said.
“We are really amazed of the resiliency of Tacloban and Leyte. This is a very auspicious occasion because it’s only been two and a half years and yet here we are opening the latest addition to the mall – the expansion wing of Robinsons Place Tacloban,” she added.
Magtibay also revealed that the new structure also features solar panels that could generate power equivalent to 1.44 million kilowatts.
City Mayor Cristina Romualdez said that she is happy that the RLC continues to expand its investment in Tacloban, three years after Yolanda.
“This will embolden us to invite more investors to the city,” she said.
Also present during the opening were Leyte Rep. Yedda Romualdez and Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and City Councilor Aimee Grafil, among others.
Magtibay also announced that its 380 room Summit Hotel, located adjacent to the shopping mall, will open on the first quarter of 2017 together with its another shopping mall located at the Tacloban New Bus Terminal in Abucay district to be known as Robinsons North Tacloban.
The current Robinsons Place-Tacloban is located along Marasbaras district.
Robinsons shopping mall first opened its branch in Tacloban City in 2009 and later added an annex section in 2012 coupled with its budget hotel, Go Hotel.
However, when Yolanda hit Tacloban, the shopping mall did not only sustain damages but was heavily looted.
It reopened on June, 2014.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO, VICKY C. ARNAIZ, LIZBETH ANN ABELLA and JOEY A. GABIETA)
