FIRST SHOPPING MALL IN MINDORO ISLAND OPENED TO THE PUBLIC
CALAPAN CITY – Residents in this city and in the whole island province of Oriental Mindoro, who have yet to experience the style of shopping mall just like in Metro Manila, are now fully upbeat here following the opening to the public Friday (October 7) of Neo-Calapan Mall, now considered as the first, largest and only first-class shopping mall or establishment in the whole Mindoro Island.
No less than Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay led some national and local government officials in cutting the ceremonial ribbon signaling the grand opening of the said shopping mall, which housed a first-class Robinsons Supermarket and different retail stores.
The event also coincided with the two-day Pabahay Caravan in Oriental Mindoro, which was hosted by housing agencies composed of Home Development Mutual Fund or the Pag-IBIG Fund, National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), Socialized Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC), Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), and national Housing Authority (NHA).
Binay, who is also chairman of Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), was assisted by local officials led by Oriental Mindoro Congressmen Rodolfo G. Valencia and Reynaldo V. Umali, and Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso V. Umali, Jr.; and businesswoman Robina Gokongwei-Pe, senior vice-president and general manager of Robinsons Retail Group.
According to Congressman Valencia, the Neo-Calapan Mall is a full service mall which is expected to offer quality consumer products and services to Mindoreños, especially the tenants of Neo-Calapan subdivision, the first modern-class urban settlement in this city, as it fulfills its objective of providing livelihood to thousands of local labor force and continuing employment opportunities.
The said shopping mall, which was established here primarily through the initiative of the congressman’s son and Oriental Mindoro Investment (Orminvest) group secretary-genaral Nico P. Valencia, brings to Oriental Mindoro for the first time the style or brand of shopping and recreation Metro Manila residents already have. (By JUANCHO R. MAHUSAY)