Robinsons Place Naga showcases Bicol’s pride

(Updated 10:06 a.m.) When Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) opens a new mall in the province, it tries to incorporate local elements of the region in its design to make sure the culture and heritage of the city are fully embedded in the establishment.

At Robinsons Place Tagum in Davao City, shoppers are greeted by a wire statue of a Manobo man holding/offering durian, which is abundant in Davao City, while Robinsons Place General Trias is all about bamboos and birds, which depict its host town’s history. The town was formerly named San Francisco de Malabon after its patron St. Francis of Assisi — patron saint of animals — while Malabon comes from the word labong (bamboo shoots), which are abundant in the municipality.

For its 46th mall, RLC puts the spotlight on two crops which the region is best known for — gabi and pili — as evidenced by the ceiling’s large leaf-shaped lighting fixture that illuminates the atrium and the 15-meter fiberglass sculpture, the “Tree of Life,” by the mall’s entrance, which pays homage to gabi, the root crop that catapulted Bicol onto the country’s culinary map.

The “Tree of Life” is designed by Fil-Am artist Jefre Manuel, known for his larger-than-life installations such as “Code Wall,” a 264-foot-long installation filled with messages in binary code, currently showcased in Florida.

Designed by architect Dennis Villanueva of LG+V Architects, Robinsons Place Naga also pays homage to the city’s patron saint, Our Lady of Peñafrancia. Locals point out that the aerial view of the mall closely resembles the figure of the wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin.

“Robinsons Place Naga is our first mall in the Bicol region,” said Arlene Magtibay, SVP and general manager, RLC-Commercial Centers Division. “And we can’t wait to welcome locals and tourists alike for the Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.”

Eats all here!

A big part of the mall, with a gross floor area of 56,000 sqm, is relegated to dining establishments that features some of Bicol’s popular dishes such as Bicol Express, pinangat, and laing.

“We wanted to cater more to F&B and a little to amusement. Retail has been there but people — especially millennials — crave new places to dine and be seen in,” said Myron Lawrence Yao, regional operations manager, Robinsons Place Naga and Robinsons Metro East.

He noted that the proportion given to dining establishments for the Naga property — 15 percent — is considerably higher than their other malls, which have 10 percent of their space dedicated to dining.

Contrary to popular belief, Bicol Express didn’t originate in Bicol. It was a labor of love of two siblings — Cely and her brother Etring Kalaw — who shared a passion for all things spicy and delicious.

The name of the dish is actually attributed to Tita Cely, who was born in Los Baños, Laguna but spent her childhood days in Bicol particularly in Naga City.

I had the chance to interview Tita Cely when she opened Tita Cely’s Sinigang Bar, Atbp. at the food court of Market! Market! in mid-2000.

She shared that the fiery dish is similar to Bicol’s “gulay na lada,” which she would mix with the less spicy laing at their hole-in-the-wall eatery, The Grove Luto ni Inay, in Ermita, Manila.

“We didn’t have a name for the dish yet. So I invited Doreen Fernandez and other friends for an intimate lunch to try our ‘new’ laing,” she recalled.

Their house was located at the back of the restaurant along M.H. del Pilar, where the PNR train passes.

“My brother Etring was taking a shower when we heard the sound of the train so I shouted: ‘Kuya Etring, biyaheng Bicol!’” Cely narrated.

Etring fired back: “Cely, let’s call the dish Bicol Express!”

And the rest, as they say, is history.

At Robinsons Place Naga, you can have your fill of Bicol Express, pinangat (bagoong alamang wrapped in gabi leaves and gata) and laing (shredded gabi leaves with coconut milk) at Triboo Grill and Crown Park, a local popular Chinese restaurant, that serves Bicolano dishes on the side.

Also check out other homegrown restaurants like Biggs Diner, which serves American and Pinoy fare; and Naga Garden, which specializes in kinunot, flaked fish cooked in malunggay leaves and coconut milk. Also, don’t miss 1st Colonial’s sili ice cream!

A one-stop destination

Located within the city’s first mixed-used development, the three-level, full-service mall will anchor a multi-use development project that will include, when fully completed, office buildings and two hotels.

“Naga is the perfect location for our mall because its economy is booming and the city is known for having a very good governance,” enthused Magtibay. “And we’re also happy that our retail affiliates — Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman and Southstar Drug, which started in Naga — have joined us here. Robinsons Place Naga’s Movie World boasts six cinemas and one 3D cinema.”

Magtibay also shared that they’ve brought in merchants and retailers that the locals have craved for years such as Kenny Rogers, BonChon, Hap Chan, Cabalen, Choobi Choobi and Kuya J’s, among others.

“We are very proud of this mall not only because it’s well designed but also because we were able to curate the tenants — from fashion, homeware, appliances, services to restaurants. Uniqlo is opening soon!” added Magtibay.

Robinsons Place Naga also boasts the Lingkod Pinoy Center where satellite government offices are located such as the Social Security System, PhilHealth, PhilPost, TESDA, Pag-Ibig, and the Professional Regulation Commission.

“Professionals need not go to Manila to renew their licenses. We also have BPO offices and pretty soon, we will be signing up with a big BPO that will be relocating here in Naga,” Magtibay disclosed. “There will also be two hotels — Summit Hotel and Go Hotels — now under construction, which will be connected to the mall.”

Yao added, “We’re also helping small micro retailers to join the mall, and act as consultants to improve their brands. We try to keep things local.”

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Robinsons Place Naga is on Roxas Ave. corner Almeda Highway, close to the Pan-Philippine Highway that brings those who travel by road to points in the Visayas and Mindanao.