A homecoming for taipan John Gokongwei Robinsons Galleria opens in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines - Most Filipinos may have heard the inspiring tale of how one young man, in the 1940s, built a multi-billion dollar empire by diligently trading basic goods on a bicycle and on board a small boat off the pier of Cebu. That man supported his widowed family with sheer hard work while growing to become one of the country’s captains of commerce. Now, John Gokongwei, a living legend in the country’s food, real estate, aviation and telecommunications industries, returns to the Queen City with a retail landmark dedicated to the Filipino family’s tireless pursuits of a better life.

Located at the thriving growth area of Gen. Maxilom Ave. in Cebu City, the 4.7-hectare Robinsons Galleria Cebu rises as a testament to the endless opportunities for success and fulfillment found at the heart of the country’s foremost city. With over 35 years of real estate and retail excellence, Robinsons Land Corp. brings together the finest formulas found in the world’s most celebrated malls while introducing newer experiences and considerate features that ultimately answer to every Filipino’s growing preference for convenient, comprehensive, conscious, and confident urban commercial centers.

Empowering accessibility

Cementing its claim as Cebu’s ultimate lifestyle and leisure gateway, the new Robinsons Galleria Cebu sets itself apart with a well-planned Traveller’s Lounge, which provides efficient and convenient shuttle service to and from the Port of Cebu every half hour, giving the mall unmatched access to the rest of the Visayan region. And as though this stroke of expediency isn’t enough, the Robinsons Galleria Cebu Traveller’s Lounge also provides travel ticketing, baggage depository, and concierge services that promise to offer traveling visitors with the utmost care and comfort, akin to the warm and welcoming Cebuano hospitality.

Dynamic perspective  

With a monumental yet mindful blueprint for modern lifestyle pleasures, Robinsons Galleria Cebu’s innovative glass and steel structure is built with the affectionate Filipino relations at its heart, where families can enjoy state-of-the-art entertainment options, friends can shop with ease among its wide and well-lit retail walkways, or fellowships can be fostered while dining among its invigorating al fresco cafes and restaurants.

Its contemporary vernacular architecture features three sweeping nodes, each featuring a glass façade that maximizes the wonders of natural light at strategic times of the day and welcomes the breathtaking view of Cebu’s environs of land and sea.

Rewarding merchant mix

Robinsons Galleria Cebu is built on the foundations of bringing the best of the world and the finest of the islands under one roof, and this commitment is seen through the mall’s rich assortment of merchants that each has crafted a name for retail excellence. What certainly sets the forward-thinking mall apart from other commercial centers in the area is its proclivity for supporting the local businesses, by featuring the best homegrown brands of the region. Exciting dining destinations across the Visayas will now be housed under the Robinsons Galleria Cebu banner, providing a one-stop gastronomic paradise of the islands’ finest flavors. From Cebu’s Abaca Baking Co., Phat Pho, Luncheonette, The Chocolate Chamber, Kan-Anan Filipino Restaurant, Chikaan, Choobi-Choobi, Fat Cow, Totopos by Pueblo, Azabu, Ramen Sora, and Yakitori Binchotan, to Bohol’s The Buzz Café by Boho Bee Farm, and Dumaguete’s finest Sansrival, Robinsons Galleria Cebu imagines a lifestyle haven where indigenous identity and inclusive commercial growth rewardingly meet.

Elevated excitement and entertainment

The new Robinsons Galleria Cebu also has its vast main atrium right at its soul, where the Cebuano’s passion for musicality is symbolically captured through a grand foliage sculpture of its world-famous icon: the guitar.

With the same vibrant energy and enthusiasm, Robinsons Galleria Cebu also opens Cebu City’s most state-of-the-art cinema complex in the region, Robinsons Movieworld, with six cutting-edge cinemas, employing only the most advanced screen projectors and surround sound technology.

Sustainable design

In best highlighting its chosen environs, the new Robinsons Galleria Cebu is designed with the main goal of sustainability in mind, setting a new green-print for responsible commercial structures to come. Heeding the concerns of climate change and environmental sustainability, the mall only utilizes energy-efficient lighting and air-conditioning system throughout the mall, as well as water-conserving plumbing fixtures among its restrooms, and extends this thoughtful approach to its architecture.

Community development

As its retail anchor, the new Robinsons mall will encourage the rise of the Galleria Residences, a taste of expansive high-rise living right at the heart of Cebu’s most progressive front. With over 6,600 square meters, the Galleria Residences will feature three ultra-modern residential towers that will offer spacious living areas, world-class leisure amenities, and contemporary conveniences that could only come from a master-planned community.

To strengthen its claim as leading lifestyle gateway in the Visayas, Robinsons Galleria Cebu shall be complemented by the Summit Hotel Galleria Cebu, a hospitality landmark with 220 well-appointed guest rooms. To spur economic advancement in the area even more robustly, RLC’s business process outsourcing (BPO) offices will also break ground within the development. The building will offer an approximate gross leasable area of 8,800 sqm, thereby encouraging the influx of international business and progressive employment opportunities in this thriving corner of the region.