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MANILA, Philippines - Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. of the Gaisano family is further cementing its foothold in the Visayas with a planned expansion in Negros Oriental.

Metro Retail said it has entered into a 25-year lease agreement with the local government of Bais in Negros Oriental to set up its first store in the province.

The publicly listed retailer will be leasing a building owned by the city government of Bais which will be turned over to the company in March next year.

Metro Retail said it intends to put up a hypermarket that will offer food and general merchandise retail.

“We are very much excited to serve the growing city of Bais, and we see a lot of opportunities for mutual growth,” said Metro Retail chairman and chief executive officer Frank Gaisano, adding the expansion is part of the company’s goal of doubling its footprint within five years.

Bais is one of Negros Oriental’s largest producers of raw sugar and is located 45 kilometers away from Dumaguete City.

According to Gaisano, the Bais store would also serve the neighboring municipalities of Manjuyod, Mabinay, Ayungon, Bindoy and Tayasan.

Metro Retail currently operates 49 stores across the supermarket, department store, and hypermarket formats.

The firm has recently inked an agreement with Ayala Land for the establishment of its stores in four new Ayala commercial developments in Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Cebu City and Pasig City.

With presence in key cities in Central, Western and Eastern Visayas, the company was hailed as Visayas’ largest department store and hypermarket operator, and second-largest supermarket operator in 2014 in terms of retail sales value.

Metro Retail was also Cebu’s largest retailer across all three store formats in terms of retail value in the same year.