SM’s San Pedro mall spurs local economy

MANILA, Philippines — SM Prime Holdings Inc., the property arm of the SM Group, is giving the local economy of Laguna a boost with its recent expansion in the province.

SM Prime recently opened SM Center San Pedro, a 23,000-square meter shopping mall, which is the fourth SM mall in the province following SM City Santa Rosa, SM City Calamba and SM City San Pablo.

“The mall opening was well received by San Pedrenses” said Jhe-Rico Sam Colina, the chief information officer of the City Government of San Pedro as the new mall is seen to spur more local activities.

“The people got excited when the news of SM opening in the area. To buy what they need, they usually go to the bayan, which is quite far away. For leisure, grocery, etc. Sometimes they even need to go to Biñan or as far as Muntinlupa,” Colina said.

About 86 percent of SM’s retail affiliates’ employees in SM Center San Pedro, including SM Appliance Center, are San Pedro residents. Similarly, Watsons Philippines has 60 percent of its team members coming from the city. In the mall’s administration office, 52 percent of the workforce are all locally hired from San Pedro.

The new mall is also a partner for sustainable initiatives as it utilizes low-emissivity glass for windows and skylights most evident in SM Center San Pedro’s Event Center. For a more responsible management of natural resources, the mall’s water treatment plant and LED light fixtures complement one another to ensure efficiency in energy consumption.

A forward-looking feature such as the designated electric vehicle (EV) charging station is also open to all mall-goers located in the basement parking.

SM Center San Pedro assistant mall manager Christian Liston said the new mall vows to empower homegrown community brands.

“With the opening of SM’s 84th mall, we further strengthen our support to communities in the south by bringing convenience and our distinct brand of service to San Pedro. We believe in the potential of the community and are eager to help bring opportunities to the city,” Liston said.

SM Prime said it remains committed to helping spur economic growth in cities.

It now has 84 malls in the Philippines.

In China, SM Prime has seven malls, located in the cities of Xiamen, Jinjiang, Chengdu, Zibo, Chongqing, Tianjin and Suzhou.