LRT 2 expansion To boosT pRopeRTy deveLopmenT in easTeRn paRT of nCR

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

As far as Santa Lucia Land Inc. (SLI) is concerned, the recent opening and blessing of the Sta. Lucia Link to the LRT-2 Marikina-Pasig Station, which provides the commuting public direct access to its office spaces and the Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall, will boost human traffic and convenience to the commuting public living in the eastern part of the National Capital Region.

“It is my honor and privilege to welcome all of you at the blessing of the Sta. Lucia Mall Link. This is a showcase of how the good working relationship between the government and private sectors can really benefit the commuting public better,” said Rose Santos, Sta. Lucia Land VP for commercial business

By Roderick L. Abad

AS the Covid-19 situation here and abroad continuously improves towards post-pandemic, Airbnb reported that travel industry in Southeast Asia is now back on track again, a welcome development for the entire regional market, especially among Filipinos who stayed at any hotels or accommodations listed in its platform.

Based on latest internal data released by the global hospitality platform, nights booked across the region on its portal doubled in 2022, up from 2020—a clear indication of the current travel rebound happening in the region, as travel keeps on bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

A mong the 10 member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Thailand was the most visited on Airbnb last year, with four of its cities—Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket—completing the top five spots, together with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Visitors from the United States led the foreign guests coming in to Asean through the app, followed by Australians, British, Germans and South Koreans.

Travelers from neighboring countries, likewise, tapped this channel to see what their Asean peers could offer. In fact, Singapore-Malaysia was the top intra-Southeast Asia travel route on Airbnb. Singaporeans, being the leading visitors from the neighborhood, also had Thailand and Indonesia as their destinations of choice.

“We’re incredibly excited about the travel resurgence currently taking place across Southeast Asia—a region that has always been a popular for travelers the world over, with its tropical climate, delicious local cuisines, spectacular scenery and rich cultural heritage,” Airbnb Cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer Nathan Blecharczyk told reporters across Asean during their virtual in her welcome remarks.

Santos said SLI has been consistently developing masterplanned livable communities for decades now. Moreover, SLI has always been active in providing a modern, convenient lifestyle not only to its residents, but also to the valued customers of its mall and office, as well as the public.

Other guests in blessing and opening of the Sta. Lucia Mall Link and the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Light Rail Transit Authority Administrator Atty. Hernando T. Cabrera, Transportation Assistant

Secretary Jorgette Aquino, and top officials of Sta. Lucia Land.

According to Cabrera, this event was quite special and personal to him as reminisced his student days living near the area of the Santa Lucia East Grand Mall.

“I lived in the Ligaya area when I was in college and the concept of computers was very new to me. But I first learned to use it at one of the computer shops here at the Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall. Thus, this is a truly memorable event for me,” he said.

The LRT-2 covers 13 stations, spanning 17 kilometers from Rizal to Manila, and has two sub connection stations in Cubao for the MRT, and in Recto for LRT 1. It currently serves some 30,000 commuters daily.

To boost the connectivity and mobility of the people coming from the eastern part of the metropolis, Cabrera said LRT 2 will expand the western section by adding three stations (Divisoria, Tutuban and Port Area).

“The expansion of the LRT 2 will definitely boost the growth of businesses and property developments in this area,” Cabrera said.

“We will be adding three more stations in the LRT eastern part by putting three more stations from Masinag Station up to the Confederation of Government Employees Organizations [COGEO] area. Right now, the western section expansion is undergoing a prefeasibility study,” Cabrera told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of the event.

He said there are also plans that are currently underway to build more LRT-1 stations in Paranaque and Manila.

The LRT-2 line currently serves 13 stations along its 17.6-kilometer (10.9 mi) route.The Recto station is the last station of the western section located at Claro M. Recto Avenue, while the last station of the western section is located at the Antipolo station along Marcos Highway.

Publicly listed Sta. Lucia Land Inc. is part of the Sta. Lucia Group with over 50 years track record of real-estate development. The company has finished over 220 projects and developed over 10,000 hectares of land across 70 cities and municipalities in 10 regions and 15 provinces across the Philippines.