Tacloban soon to have own mall

TACLOBAN CITY – This region will finally have its own shopping mall complex as top officials of the Robin­son’s Mall formally bared its construction plans yesterday for its branch located at the sprawling Marasbaras district, this city.

The launching of the mall plan by the officials of the Robinson’s was witnessed by city officials led by Mayor Alfred Romualdez who said that the coming of the giant shopping mall to the city will help boost its drive for “more progress.”

“As a chief executive of this city, our role is to create a business-friendly atmosphere. And I am happy that the Robinson’s has decided to come to the city which could help our city to become more progressive,” Romualdez said during the unveiling program held at the Kanhuraw Convention Center.

Romualdez also gave credit to his father, former mayor Alfredo Romualdez, under whose administration initial negotiations took place. The proposed Robinson’s Mall-Tacloban is at the four-hectare lot in Maras­baras.

Cornelio Mapa, business unit general manager of the Robinson’s Mall, said that while it took them quite a while to put up its branch in Eastern Visayas, “Tacloban City has always been in our radar.”

“There is a big potential for us here in the city. It has a big market,” he told The Star during an interview.

According to him, its Tacloban branch would occupy 30,000 square meters lot and is a two-story building with three cinemas, a recreational center, a department store, appliance center and other spaces up for lease carrying various goods, including some of the country’s biggest food chains.

He added that a call center complex and a hotel is also part of the design of the entire complex, the construction of which is to start on January.

Mapa said that they have set December 2008 as their opening for business.

Asked how much is the investment of the company for its Tacloban branch, Mapa declined to give any figures. He, however, said that with a mall in the city, problems on employment could somehow be addressed.

A shopping mall with the size of the Robinson’s is expected to generate around 3,000 employments, a source said. “And its investment could easily run into billions of pesos,” the same source said.

Mapa said that they were convinced after 18 months of study to expand their business in this city because of the market potential and the support of local government units.

It was learned from Rose­ann Villegas, Robinson’s corporate manager, that its Taclo­ban branch will be fourth in the Visayas and 21st in the entire country. – Miriam Garcia Desacada