Robinsons Galleria Cebu set to break ground on July 25

CEBU, Philippines - Gokongwei-led Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) is going to start the construction of its second shopping mall project in Cebu called the “Robinsons Galleria-Cebu,” located at the General Maxilom Street at the North Reclamation Area (NRA).The ground breaking ceremony, which will formally start the project, will be on July 25, 2012.

Recognizing Cebu’s fast growing economy and booming retail industry, the company is pouring in a significant investment to the province aside from its aggressive movement in the real estate industry through Robinsons Land Inc. (RLI).

In an earlier interview, RLI president and chief executive officer (CEO) Frederick D. Go said that aside from the establishment of the “Robinsons Galleria-Cebu,” the company plans to develop a mixed-used development at the five-hectare property at the NRA, that will include building of a hotel, commercial complex and high-rise condominiums.

Go said the company will first build the shopping mall component, after which will be introducing the Go Hotel brand to Cebu through the construction of a 150-200 room hotel.

The Go Hotel brand is deemed as an essential service hotel of the Gokongwei Group.

In the next couple of years, RLI will have three hotels in Cebu, including the one it will build at its AmiSa development on Mactan Island.

Go said the hotel component at AmiSa will carry the brand Summit Shores Resort, an upscale resort component of the residential beachfront project Amisa.

The construction of the Summit Shores Resort on Mactan will also start this year, Go said.

The company recently renamed its first hotel facility in Cebu, the Cebu Midtown Hotel, into Summit Circle Hotel.

This move, he said is in line with the company’s thrust to boost its tourism-related projects in the country.          

Already, RLI has maintained three hotel brands in the country, including Summit Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay, Go Hotel, and its existing partnership with international chain such as Crown Plaza, among others.

RLC is one of the few well-known developers which have invested multi-million pesos or billion pesos to further develop some idle areas in Mactan Island.

Today, RLC is among the most profitable business of JG Summit Holdings Inc., with its 18 malls, 23 residential subdivisions, 22 residential condominiums, six office buildings and three hotels.

In Cebu, the Gokongwei Group operates the Robinsons shopping mall in Fuente Osmeña, Summit Circle Hotel, and the Blue Coast subdivision in Mactan, and its newest sea-side residential project in Mactan Island called AmiSa. (FREEMAN)