Davao City’s skyline is set for a major shake-up as Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC), the property arm of the Gokongwei Group, takes over the historic 9.6-hectare Victoria Plaza complex. The acquisition signals RLC’s push to transform one of the city’s most nostalgic landmarks into a modern business hub, starting with a world-class office tower.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, RLC stated that its subsidiary, Robinsons Offices, will lead the redevelopment. The first phase: a nine-story premium office building along J.P. Laurel Avenue, scheduled for completion by the first half of 2027. With a sleek façade, upscale lobby, and sustainable features designed to meet green certification, the building is being positioned as a future landmark in Davao’s fast-growing office market.
The deal strengthens RLC’s Mindanao footprint, where it already operates eight Robinsons Malls, three GoHotels, the Grand Summit Hotel, and two office developments. By securing Victoria Plaza, RLC is doubling down on Davao’s appeal to local and global investors while staking its claim in the region’s urban transformation.
Victoria Plaza opened in 1993 as the city’s first full-scale shopping mall, built by businessman Robert Alan Limso through Davao Sunrise Investment & Development Corp. For years, it was a symbol of Davao’s emerging consumer culture, home to department stores, restaurants, and holiday traditions that became part of the city’s memory.
But financial troubles eventually forced the property into receivership. The Philippine National Bank sold it in 2019 to Great Earth Marketing & Development Corp., majority-owned by the NCCC Group of Companies. NCCC rebranded it as NCCC Mall VP and unveiled plans for eight 20-story towers, but the vision stalled, and the site remained underutilized despite its prime location.
With RLC now at the helm, industry watchers say Victoria Plaza’s revival could be a turning point for Davao’s real estate market. Its location on J.P. Laurel Avenue, one of the city’s busiest commercial corridors, makes it ripe for redevelopment into a mixed-use hub that can meet the city’s rising demand for office and business spaces.
As RLC moves forward, Victoria Plaza is poised to evolve from Davao’s pioneering mall into a next-generation business district, mirroring the city’s own economic rise in Southern Mindanao.
As RLC moves forward, Victoria Plaza is poised to evolve from Davao’s pioneering mall into a next-generation business district, mirroring the city’s own economic rise in Southern Mindanao. DEF