Robinsons Pagadian: Gokongweis’ RLC opens 56th mall in Philippines

9 hours ago 2

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

MANILA, Philippines – The Gokongweis’ Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) opened its 56th mall in the Philippines on Thursday, April 3, in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, in the country’s southern island of Mindanao.

It’s another sign of RLC’s focus on regions outside of Metro Manila where most of its malls are located, and an indicator of how property and retail giants are setting their sights on emerging local markets. RLC now has nine malls in Metro Manila and 47 outside the capital region.

“Asa naman ning niingon og walay kwarta ang mga taga Pagadian beh? Nga maypadaw manamom og kamoteng kahoy,” quipped netizen Obeca Nur Taurus on Robinsons Pagadian’s Facebook (FB) account.

(Whoever said people in Pagadian have no money? That it would better to just plant sweet potatoes.)

Pagadian City is a 2nd-class component city and is the provincial capital of Zamboanga del Sur. The coastal city is the regional center of Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao.

With over 2010,000 people, Pagadian City is the second most populous area in Zamboanga Peninsula next to Zamboanga City, which had a population of over 977,000 in the last census in 2020.

RLC’s main competitor in the malls business, the Sy family’s SM Prime, will be opening a new mall in Zamboanga City, its second in the city, this year. The Sy family had 87 malls in the Philippines as of end of 2024 and is set to open at three malls this year, all outside the capital region.

GDP growth of Mindanao in 2023 was 5.2%, faster than Metro Manila’s GDP of 4.8%. Visayas led the country’s regional growth that year at 7.1%.

Many locals were happy to have a new modern mall in the city, which brings many well-known brands — especially foreign ones — closer to them.

For instance, the KFC outlet in Robinsons Pagadian is the American fast-food chain’s first in the city; most are in Zamboanga City.

“For the first time in Pagadian!” said netizen Precioso Yunting Pioquinto Jr. on the mall’s Facebook page.

Many locals were also glad with the opening of Robinsons Movieworld in the new mall, based on reactions to the Facebook posts on what stores are in Robinsons Pagadian. Prior to the opening, those who live in Pagadian City had to travel two to three hours by car to Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental to watch a movie in a modern cinema.

Robinsons Pagadian, a four-story mall, has two “world-class cinemas (with Laser project system and Dolby Digital 7.1 Surround System)” that are the first in the city, RLC said. It also has a supermarket, department store, amusement and entertainment centers, and an Eat Street Food Hall.

“The mall’s design is a thoughtful homage to the region’s rich cultural heritage, with colorful hues inspired by the iconic vinta and brightly lit interiors and accents that evoke the shimmering sea,” RLC said in a press release.

‘Asenso Pagadian’

Pagadian City has improved its competitiveness and was ranked 58th in 2023 (out of 108 component cities), an improvement of 20 places from its 78th place in 2022. It was tied for 9th place with two other cities on the Most Improved Rankings of Component Cities in 2023, which is based on economic dynamism and other indicators.

“Asenso Pagadian,” said netizen Cesaree Fontanilla.

“Hoping for a bright future for Robinsons Pagadian! This opening marks the beginning of a new chapter for the community,” said netizen Dranreb Zeimar.

“The city of Pagadian is radiant with joy as Robinsons Malls brings a fresh wave of excitement and entertainment to families in the area,” RLC said.

Pagadian City Mayor Sammy Co said the new mall is a “milestone” and a “game-changer” for the local economy as it means “hundreds of new job opportunities and a stronger local economy.”

In a sign of the importance of the new mall to the Gokongwei Group, no less than Robina Gokongwei-Pe, chairman of Robinsons Retail Holdings Incorporated, and her younger brother, Lance Gokongwei, president of RLC parent, JG Summit Holdings, graced the opening of the mall on Thursday.

Gokongwei-Pe retired as head of Robinsons Retail effective January 1, after nearly 30 years in the retail business founded by her late father, John Gokongwei.

Among the brands in the new mall are:

Food: Shakey’s, Samgupsaab Korean BBQ, Jollibee, Greenwich, Chow King, Red Ribbon, KFC, Goldilocks, Miguelitos Ice Cream, The Cake Co., Harbour City, Sikwate House, Kai Coffee, Rivian’s Ice Cream, Steamworks, Turks, Gerry’s, Mister Donut, LA Halo-Halo, Kettle Korn

Entertainment: Tom’s World, World of Fun, Kidzoona

Clothing and footwear: Plains and Prints, Bench, Mossimo, Spruce, Penshoppe, Denim Hub, Levi’s, World Balance, Regatta, Denim Hub, Alberto

Others: National Book Store, Tobys Sports, Moto, Sophia Jewellery, Oro Italia, Executive Optical, Ideal Vision Center, The Face Shop, Watsons, Aquaflask, Photoline, Power Mac Center, Silcon Valley, Infinix

RLC group: Daiso Japan, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Appliances, Robinsons Movieworld, Robinsons Handyman, Robinsons Business Center

The mall is located in F.S. Pajares Avenue corner P.L. Urro Street, cor Vicencio Sagun Street, San Francisco District, Pagadian City.

It also has an atrium, around 300 parking lots, customer lounges, and a prayer room. It will also soon have a trade hall.

The mall is open from 9 am to 9 pm.

RLC opened its 55th mall — Opus in Bridgetowne Destination Estate in Pasig/Quezon City — in July 2024. It is the flagship upscale shopping center of RLC.

In 2023, it launched The Mall, part of its NUSTAR entertainment complex in Cebu City, Cebu province.

The Gokongweis opened their first mall — Robinsons Galleria — in 1990 in Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City.

In 2024, Robinsons malls accounted for P17.9 billion or 41% of RLC’s revenues. Robinsons Retail’s core net income increased by 12.8% to P6.4 billion in 2024.

As a company, Robinsons Retail started its operations in 1980, with the opening of the first Robinsons Department Store in Metro Manila. It now operates supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores, including Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace, Shopwise, Robinsons Easymart, Uncle John’s, Southstar Drug, Rose Pharmacy, and TGP. Its international brands include Handyman Do it Best, True Value, Toys “R” Us, Daiso Japan, Pet Lovers Centre, and No Brand.– Rappler.com