TOURIST STOPOVER Aldevinco, located at the heart of Davao City, is a tourist’s go-to place for souvenirs and pieces of Mindanao arts and crafts, like “tubaw,” “malong” and other indigenous fabrics and trinkets. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines — The management of Aldevinco Shopping Center, one of the iconic establishments in the city, has shut down its operations after 56 years.
Located at the corners of CM Recto Street and Roxas Avenue, the center, considered the go-to place for tourists and locals looking for souvenir items and other similar goods, closed down at the end of 2021 to pave the way for a new and upgraded shopping center that is located about 300 meters away.
Aldevinco is among the recognizable establishments in Davao as it is directly in front of two landmarks — the main school of the Ateneo de Davao University and the now-closed Marco Polo Hotel.
Its locators have started moving to Poblacion Market Central, located at where Madrazo Fruit Stand used to lure buyers of pomelo and other fruits grown in Mindanao.
Poblacion held a soft launch in October last year when it hosted the Mindanao Art 2021, featuring about 300 artists from the region. Last month, it also held a Christmas event that showcased the city’s best art pieces, food brands and other items from local artists and entrepreneurs.
Both establishments are managed by the prominent Alcantara family through its Alsons Development and Investment Corp. (Alsons Dev).
Weathering changes
Rosvida Dominguez, Alsons Dev executive vice president, said the old shopping center “has weathered many changes—from being Davao’s very first shopping complex to a local landmark beloved by tourists and Dabawenyos alike.”
“We take pride in Aldevinco, especially the third generation of shop owners who continue to promote Mindanao art and culture through their wares,” Dominguez said.
On the transfer of its tenants to Poblacion, Dominguez said the new establishment “is just another chapter in Aldevinco’s history, which to me is an inspiring story of resilience and adaptation.”
Alsons Dev has signed a 40-year lease with the Madrazo family for the site of Poblacion, which has a leasable area of 3,672 square meters. Aldevinco is smaller as it had a leasable area of only 2,990 sq m.
Alsons Dev, about five years ago, confirmed that Aldevinco would be closed down to pave the way for a mixed-use development that would include a condominium and a similar structure for retail space.
Like Aldevinco, Poblacion is also “a celebration of the city’s promising art, retail and food scene,” the company said in a statement.
“Aside from your favorite Aldevinco shops, the new commercial development will also feature more retail brands, a food hall and establishments for essential services,” it added.
Poblacion, which will open in time for the celebration of the founding anniversary of Davao City on March 1, is expected to become a new destination for locals and visitors, just like Aldevinco.
The company has partnered with a digital company, Ideahub IT Solutions Inc., to develop a virtual mall for people to shop online.