Robinsons Commercial REIT (RCR), the real estate investment trust of the Gokongwei family, remains bullish on the growth of its malls following a strong 2025 performance, while also declaring a higher dividend for shareholders after joining the flagship local bourse index.

Speaking at a 13 May press conference at Crowne Plaza Galleria in Quezon City, RCR President and CEO Jericho P. Go said the company remains optimistic about its mall business because malls continue to play an integral role in contemporary Filipino culture.

“For many Filipinos, the closest and most accessible form of leisure is going to the mall, celebrating birthdays, and marking milestones such as anniversaries and graduations,” he said.

“Before the pandemic, food and beverage accounted for less than 10 percent of our tenant mix. At present, that has already risen to around 25 percent,” he added.

RCR’s portfolio now consists of 21 mall assets, including the infusion of nine mall assets from sponsor and parent Robinsons Land Corp. through a tax-free property-for-share swap, as well as 17 office assets across 25 locations nationwide as of end-2025. Malls account for 53 percent of total gross leasable area, while office assets represent 47 percent. The company maintained a 96-percent blended occupancy rate and a weighted average lease expiry of 4.02 years.

Go said that despite the rise of online commerce, Filipinos still prefer the certainty and instant gratification offered by brick-and-mortar stores, with product quality control and Gen Z consumers driving this preference.

“For people who have already ordered online, there are times when the clothes do not fit properly. The materials are not what we expected. When we try to run using a new pair of shoes bought online, sometimes they hurt or do not fit quite well. That is the value of having brick-and-mortar stores,” he said.

“Gen Z, which is now entering the workforce in large numbers, is the ‘now’ generation. Why wait one or two days for an order to arrive when you can already get it immediately by going to the mall?” he added.

For 2025, RCR posted revenues of P11.08 billion, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of P8.03 billion, and net income of P8.04 billion, excluding changes in the fair market value of investment properties. The company posted a 73-percent EBIT and net income margin.

RCR ended 2025 with total assets of P167.76 billion, shareholders’ equity of P162.19 billion, and zero debt.

Earlier this year, the REIT became the newest member of the Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi), which is composed of 30 of the country’s most liquid and well-capitalized listed companies, including Aboitiz Equity Ventures, BDO Unibank, and International Container Terminal Services Inc.

With its inclusion, RCR became only the second REIT to join the PSEi, following Ayala Land’s AREIT, which entered the index in February last year.

During its annual stockholders’ meeting, the company said it distributed dividends of P0.4268 per share for full-year 2025, equivalent to 94 percent of distributable income and above the minimum 90-percent requirement under the REIT Law.