MANILA, Philippines – If only Metro Manila had more of these, commuting around the metropolis would be much easier and traffic would not be so bad. 

The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) signed last March 11 a memorandum aimed at “improving transportation connectivity” in the eastern portion of Metro Manila. 

Those who live in Marikina proper and areas in Rizal province (such as in Cainta, Taytay, Antipolo City, San Mateo, Rodriguez) who regularly take the train to work can now park their cars or motorcycles in Robinsons Metro East.

Parking at Robinsons Metro East in Pasig City officially opens at 6 am so that train commuters can take the early morning trains. A security guard, however, told Rappler on March 16, Saturday that the facility is already open at 5 am since the first LRT-2 trains from both ends start at 5 am.

The parking fee is also only P30 a day, unlike many malls near train stations in Mandaluyong City, Pasig City, Makati City where the minimum is P50 daily or parking is metered. In Quezon City, Ayala’s Trinoma Mall, however, commuters can park and ride the MRT-3 for P50 on weekdays.

To make it easier for those who park and take the train, RLC has built The Link, a 4,000-square-meter enclosed passageway that lets people who park their cars or motorcycles in Robinsons Metro East and walk comfortably for around 200 meters to the LRT-2 Marikina-Pasig Station. 

“The Link takes inspiration from Hong Kong and its malls that are connected directly to the MTR in most districts, as well as London’s Hop-on Hop-off experience by bus,” RLC said. 

Robinsons Metro East has over 1,500 parking spaces for cars and motorcycles. 

“The Link eliminates the need for train riders to leave the train station by going down to the street and then walking long distances to be able to do their shopping.  For those with cars, they could just park their vehicles at the mall and take advantage of the rail services to not only save time, energy, and resources but also contribute to reducing road congestion and carbon emissions,” RLC said.

Hernando Cabrera, LRTA administrator, said their collaboration with RLC “sets a positive precedent for future partnerships” on the projects that “prioritize the comfort and accessibility of Filipino commuters.” 

“The project aligns with Robinsons Land’s commitment to facilitating efficient transportation,” said Joel Lumanlan, RLC vice president for operations and marketing during the signing.

RLC told Rappler in an email that The Link has perked up business in its five-level Robinsons Metro East. 

“The Link generated an uptake in foot traffic for the mall, with notable increases among students and families,” RLC said. 

Since the mall is already 23 years old, mall activity had not grown and foot traffic may have plateaued or even fallen, especially with the rise of new malls in the area such as Ayala Feliz just half-a-kilometer away. 

When Rappler visited Robinsons Metro East on March 16, there were significantly more mallgoers due to the improved LRT-2 access, plus the opening of new stores such as Taiwanese restaurant Ersao and a mini-indoor park in the entrance to Robinsons Metro East. 

The Pasig City Hall Annex 2, a business one-stop shop, also opened in Robinsons Metro East on July 7, 2023. It serves Pasig residents who live in barangays like Dela Paz in Antipolo City, and in Santolan and Manggahan in Pasig that are far from the city’s main offices. 

Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto had said during the opening in July that the new annex seeks to improve customer satisfaction of the city’s taxpayers, noting that business taxes make up half of the city’s revenues. People can go there for business registration, tax assessment and payment, and regulatory permit applications.

Kid’s entertainment establishment Jolly Land opened its largest indoor playground in east of Metro Manila last year in time for the Christmas season. 

There’s also a new Robinson’s Easymart grocery near The Link for commuters who need to buy basic items quickly.

Among the other relatively new food stores in Robinsons Metro East are: Chimmy Yoghurt, Birria, and Tang Fruits.

There’s also a Metro East Studio, a large space for dance classes or practices, fan meet-ups, workshops, yoga, ballet, band practices, and musical performances.

LRT-2 is a 13.8-kilometer transit line that links the city of Manila from Recto all the way to Marikina City. In 2021, two new stations – Marikina-Pasig Station and Antipolo City Station – were opened with the addition of four more kilometers of railway lines that extended LRT-2 to Masinag, Antipolo City.

Sta. Lucia link

RLC’s The Link adds to the earlier passageway that makes it easier for commuters to go to Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall. Although Sta. Lucia East Mall is just beside Robinsons Metro East in Pasig City, it is officially part of Cainta, Rizal. 

The LRTA signed this similar agreement last October 2023 with Sta. Lucia Land Incorporated (SLLI) on the new interconnection access facility between the LRT-2 Marikina-Pasig Station to the Sta. Lucia East Mall. 

Sta. Lucia Land had granted a portion of its property to LRTA that was needed to construct the link to the LRT-2 Marikina-Pasig station. The LRTA then built the passageway that links the train station to Sta. Lucia East Mall.

Transportation Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette Aquino, LRTA administrator Cabrera, and SLLI President Exequiel Robles signed the memorandum of agreement to formalize the collaboration for the facility. 

Aquino said “the concept of the interconnection access is actually more than just infrastructure. It’s about promoting connectivity, collaboration and accessibility for the LRT line.” 

She said the collaboration showcases the “partnership between the government and private sector in providing better services for the commuting public.” 

Sta. Lucia East Mall has 1,400 parking lots for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. 

The new passenger link has also improved commercial activity in Sta. Lucia East Mall, especially with new stores in the entrance area to the mall such as the Taytay Mega Tiangge shown in the photo above. 

In more developed countries and territories with good train systems, moving from one station to another in major points is made easier with clean, well-lit passageways. 

Property owners can also recoup their investments in these access points by leasing parts of the spaces to commercial establishments. – Rappler.com