The Bacolod City Government and Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) signed a memorandum of agreement on Oct. 8 to support Creative Bacolod, the city government’s tourism and cultural platform. Mayor Greg Gasataya and RLC President and CEO Mybelle V. Aragon-GoBio led the ceremony at the Bacolod City Government Center.
The agreement makes Bacolod the first city where RLC will put “Hand in Hand for Progress,” its community development platform fueled by the Bayanihan spirit, into practice, with Robinsons Land Foundation (RLove) coordinating the company’s social responsibility work.
Through the initiative, Robinsons Land hopes to work hand in hand with the Bacolod City Government, private-sector partners, institutions, and local communities in support of shared development priorities. Inspired by the Filipino spirit of bayanihan, the program seeks to bring together different strengths and capabilities to contribute to the city’s progress. Bayanihan in Bacolod draws on the Filipino tradition of working toward a shared goal. Rather than approaching community development through isolated projects, the initiative brings together the Bacolod City Government, Robinsons Land, private-sector partners, institutions, and local communities around a common vision for the city’s future.
Among the first private-sector partners supporting the initiative are several long-standing Robinsons Land collaborators: W.V. Coscolluela & Associates, a respected architectural and planning firm; SPES Construction, one of the company’s trusted construction partners; Boysen and Asian Coatings, recognized leaders in protective and decorative coating solutions; Promain-Property Maintenance and Gardens, which specializes in property upkeep and landscape management; and Davies, known for providing products and solutions used across built environments. Having worked with Robinsons Land across various developments through the years, these partners are now bringing their expertise, services, and resources beyond project sites and into the community through Bayanihan in Bacolod.
One important component of RLC’s bayanihan initiative is tourism.
“Tourism doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Businesses do not exist apart from their neighborhoods. Everything is connected,” Aragon-GoBio said during the signing.
RLC’s relationship with Bacolod dates to 1997, when it opened Robinsons Bacolod, the city’s first modern shopping mall and the company’s first provincial mall. Since then, its presence has expanded to include Go Hotels Plus Bacolod, Cybergate Bacolod, and Brighton Bacolod, reflecting nearly three decades of growing alongside the city and its communities.
As it marks 46 years of shaping communities across the Philippines, RLC is looking at how it can bring the capabilities it has developed through decades of building malls, offices, hotels, residences, and destination estates beyond its property lines. “Robinsons Land sees an opportunity to contribute its expertise in planning, placemaking, construction, property management, tourism, hospitality, sustainability, and community building to initiatives that support the broader development of Bacolod,” shared Ms. Aragon-GoBio.
Equally important are the relationships RLC has built over the years with local governments, contractors, suppliers, institutions, community organizations, and private-sector partners. Through Bayanihan in Bacolod, the company hopes to leverage these networks to bring together different stakeholders and capabilities in support of shared community priorities.
That long-term view is evident in RLC’s pledge to help maintain the historic Bacolod Public Plaza after its planned revitalization. The company also plans a tourism lounge at its Bacolod mall, where visitors can find information on local destinations, culture and events. Training for transport providers and other tourism frontliners is intended to help travelers navigate the city and discover more of what it offers.
“Tourism is one of the most powerful ways to put money directly into the hands of the local people,” Aragon-GoBio said. Small eateries, transport providers, street vendors and local artisans are among those who stand to benefit when visitors venture beyond the places they already know.
RLC’s malls and hotels can direct guests toward local businesses and attractions, while offices can offer space for exhibits, product fairs and city promotions to boost Bacolod’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism. Residents of its communities can also take part in environmental and civic activities. These are ways the company can use its presence in Bacolod to support the city’s priorities beyond its own developments.
Through its One RLC approach, the company can also draw on the strengths of its different businesses. Its malls can help promote local enterprises and tourism destinations, its hotels can encourage visitors to explore more of Bacolod, its offices can provide venues for exhibitions and city promotions, and its communities can support environmental and socio-civic initiatives. Together, these capabilities allow RLC to contribute in ways that build on what it already does best.
The city’s role is to help identify priorities and opportunities that support Bacolod’s long-term development, while Robinsons Land contributes its expertise, resources, relationships, and platforms. Several industry partners have likewise stepped forward to offer pro bono services, demonstrating how different organizations can contribute their respective strengths toward a shared objective.
Several industry partners have already offered pro bono services, and Yvonne Garcia-Flores, RLC’s head of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, invited other organizations to take part in ways suited to their strengths. “Meaningful change does not require waiting for perfect conditions. It starts when organizations decide to contribute what they can, where they can,” she said.
“Tourism is not simply about bringing more people into a city. It is about creating a city that people want to visit, invest in, experience and call home,” Aragon-GoBio said.
Learn more about Hand in Hand for Progress and Robinsons Land’s efforts to help build stronger communities at https://bit.ly/Building-Bacolod.
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