Robinsons Metro East

Robinsons Metro East is a shopping mall in Barangay Dela Paz, Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines. The property stands along the Marikina–Infanta Highway, close to the tripoint formed by Pasig, Marikina, and Cainta in Rizal Province. It was formerly known as Robinsons Place Metro East and is operated under the Robinsons Malls portfolio of Robinsons Land Corporation. The site was previously occupied by a Uniwide Warehouse operated by Uniwide Sales, Inc., associated with businessman Jimmy Gow. The property was later sold to the Gokongwei group, after which the warehouse was demolished and mall construction began in the middle of 1998. Robinsons Metro East opened to the public on August 31, 2001. Its name reflects its location in the eastern part of the Greater Manila Area rather than a separate city or municipality called Metro East. The mall was developed as a broad-based regional shopping and services destination. Its five-level main building includes four upper floors and a basement. The complex has included a two-level department store, a supermarket, an appliance center, Toys R Us, and cinema facilities, together with a range of food, retail, entertainment, and personal-service tenants. A five-level elevated indoor parking structure provides additional vehicle access and storage capacity. Robinsons Metro East was significantly affected by Typhoon Ketsana, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Ondoy, on September 26, 2009. Flooding reached the basement and resulted in the closure of the entire mall. Renovation work began in August 2011 and was completed in 2012. The rehabilitation formed an important turning point in the property’s post-flood operation. The mall also benefits from rail connectivity. It is linked to the Marikina–Pasig station of Manila’s LRT Line 2, giving the complex a direct relationship with public transportation and the surrounding residential and commercial districts. An extension connecting the mall to the station concourse opened in 2022. This connection strengthened the mall’s role as an accessible destination for commuters as well as shoppers arriving by private vehicle. Within Robinsons Malls’ Philippine portfolio, Robinsons Metro East is described as one of the group’s largest properties and, according to the referenced Wikipedia article, the third-largest mall owned by Robinsons Malls in the Philippines. Its positioning is that of a full-service regional shopping center combining department-store and supermarket anchors, specialty retail, dining, entertainment, services, parking, and transit access for communities in eastern Metro Manila and nearby Rizal.

The site now occupied by Robinsons Metro East was initially home to a Uniwide Warehouse operated by Uniwide Sales, Inc., a company associated with Jimmy Gow. The property was subsequently sold to the Gokongwei group. The warehouse was demolished to make way for a new shopping-center development, and construction began in the middle of 1998. Robinsons Metro East opened on August 31, 2001, under the name Robinsons Place Metro East. The designation “Metro East” referred to the mall’s position in the eastern part of the Greater Manila Area, near the boundary area shared by Pasig, Marikina, and Cainta in Rizal Province. Its location along the Marikina–Infanta Highway placed it on a major eastward route and allowed it to serve multiple local government areas rather than only the district immediately surrounding the site. The completed property became one of Robinsons Malls’ substantial Philippine shopping centers. Its principal building has five levels, consisting of four upper floors and a basement. The mall’s facilities have included a two-level department store, a supermarket, an appliance center, Toys R Us, and movie theaters. A separate five-level elevated indoor parking facility on the left side of the mall provides capacity for customers arriving by car. A major interruption occurred on September 26, 2009, when Typhoon Ketsana caused flooding in the basement. The flooding led to the closure of the entire mall. Renovation began in August 2011, and the work was completed in 2012, allowing the property to resume its role as a retail and entertainment destination. Transport connectivity became another important part of the mall’s development. Robinsons Metro East is connected to the Marikina–Pasig station of Manila’s LRT Line 2. In 2022, an extension linking the mall to the station concourse opened. The connection improved pedestrian access between the shopping complex and the rail system and reinforced the mall’s function as a transit-oriented commercial destination. The property remains part of Robinsons Malls, the mall business of Robinsons Land Corporation. It is described in the referenced article as the third-largest mall in the Philippines owned by Robinsons Malls. Its historical development illustrates the conversion of a former warehouse site into a large multi-purpose shopping center, followed by post-disaster rehabilitation and a later improvement in public-transport integration.

• 2022

  LRT station extension opens

  [1]Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org

  A mall extension connecting Robinsons Metro East to the Marikina–Pasig LRT Line 2 station concourse opened.

• 2012

  Renovation completed

  [1]Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org

  The post-flood renovation program was completed in 2012.

• 2011

  Renovation begins

  [1]Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org

  Renovation of the mall began in August 2011 following the 2009 flood-related closure.

• 2009

  Typhoon Ketsana flooding

  [1]Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org

  Flooding affected the basement on September 26, 2009, resulting in the closure of the entire mall.

• 2001

  Robinsons Place Metro East opens

  [1]Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org

  The shopping mall opened to the public on August 31, 2001.

• 1998

  Mall construction begins

  [1]Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org

  Construction began in the middle of 1998 after the former Uniwide Warehouse site was acquired and cleared for redevelopment.

A large regional shopping center serving eastern Metro Manila and nearby Rizal communities, with a broad tenant mix, entertainment facilities, parking, and direct LRT Line 2 connectivity.

• Department store

  Department store

  A two-level department-store component provides general merchandise and household-oriented retail within the mall. The available reference identifies the facility as one of the complex's principal anchors, but does not specify its current operator, brand format, or detailed merchandise departments.

• Grocery retail

  Supermarket

  The mall includes a supermarket serving routine grocery and household-shopping needs. It functions as an everyday-use anchor alongside the department store and other retail facilities; the available reference does not identify the supermarket's operator or current trading name.

• Consumer electronics and appliances

  Appliance center

  An appliance center forms part of the mall's major retail offer, giving customers access to household appliances and related durable goods. Specific brands, tenant identity, and product ranges are not provided in the reference material.

• Toys and children's retail

  Toys R Us

  Toys R Us is identified as one of the mall's facilities, adding a dedicated children's merchandise and toy-retail component to the tenant mix. The reference does not provide its opening date or current operating status.

• Cinema and entertainment

  Movie theaters

  Movie theaters provide the mall with an entertainment anchor in addition to shopping and dining. The reference confirms the presence of cinema facilities but does not state the number of screens, operator, or current programming details.

• Transit-integrated mall access · 2022

  LRT Line 2 mall connection

  The mall is connected to the Marikina–Pasig station of Manila's LRT Line 2. An extension to the station concourse opened in 2022, improving sheltered pedestrian movement between the rail station and the shopping complex.

• 2022

  Transit-access extensionStrategy

  Background

  The mall already had a connection to the Marikina–Pasig station of Manila's LRT Line 2.

  Action taken

  An extension linking the mall to the station concourse opened in 2022.

  Aftermath

  The project strengthened the mall's direct access to rail passengers and improved its integration with public transportation.

  Source

• 2011

  Post-flood renovation programOther

  Background

  The entire mall closed after basement flooding caused by Typhoon Ketsana in September 2009.

  Action taken

  Renovation work began in August 2011 to rehabilitate the property.

  Aftermath

  The renovation was completed in 2012, after which the mall continued operating as a Robinsons Malls destination.

  Source

• 1998

  Redevelopment of the former Uniwide Warehouse siteStrategy

  Background

  The property previously housed a Uniwide Warehouse before being sold to the Gokongwei group.

  Action taken

  The former warehouse was demolished and construction of a Robinsons shopping mall began in the middle of 1998.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment produced Robinsons Place Metro East, which opened in 2001 as a large multi-purpose shopping center.

  Source

• 2022

  Mall extension linking Robinsons Metro East with LRT Line 2 opens[1]Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  An extension connecting the mall to the concourse of the Marikina–Pasig station of Manila's LRT Line 2 opened, improving the property's transit integration.

• 2012

  Robinsons Metro East completes post-flood renovation[1]Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Renovation work that began in August 2011 was completed in 2012 following the mall's closure after the 2009 flooding.

• 2009

  Typhoon Ketsana flooding closes Robinsons Metro East[1]Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Flooding caused by Typhoon Ketsana affected the mall's basement on September 26, 2009, leading to the closure of the entire property.

1. 1Robinsons Metro Easten.wikipedia.org