Estate developer to build shopping mall in Ilocos

MANILA, Philippines - Robinsons Land Corp. will build its first shopping mall in Ilocos Norte, one of the 15 such establishments it seeks to set up in the next five years. The listed firm said it had signed a joint venture deal with Venvi Development Corp., a property developer in the northern province. Under the agreement, Robinsons Land will develop a two-level shopping mall along the National Highway, in the village of San Francisco in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. The shopping mall will be part of a 20-hectare mixed-use development that will include residential and office buildings, hotels and call centers that will rise adjacent to the mall. Robinsons Ilocos Norte is expected to be completed by 2009. It will be its fourth mall in Northern Luzon aside from Robinsons Starmills and Robinsons Place Angeles in Pampanga, and Luisita Mall in Tarlac. The mall developer is expected to complete Robinsons Tacloban, Cybergate Davao and Robinsons Dumaguete soon. Robinsons Land is a major real estate player with a growing portfolio of shopping centers, high-rise residential condominiums and town houses, mid- and low-cost subdivisions, office buildings and hotels. It has 23 shopping malls, 26 residential condominiums, six office buildings, 31 residential subdivisions and four hotels. - BusinessWorld