MANILA, Philippines — SM City Sorsogon, the Bicol region’s newest destination mall, opened yesterday, becoming SM Prime’s 81st supermall and the fourth in Bicolandia after SM City Naga in Camarines Sur, SM City Legazpi in Albay and SM City Daet in Camarines Norte.
Sorsogon City is the capital of the province of Sorsogon that lies in the Bicol peninsula. It serves as Luzon’s gateway to the Visayas and Mindanao through its roll-on/roll-off ferry terminal facilities located in the municipalities of Matnog, Pilar and Bulan.
The city has an abundant supply of gifts from farm lands planted with rice, coconut, vegetables and root crops. Sorsogon is best known for its pili nuts as well as abaca or hemp.
The province of Sorsogon is also home to many well-known tourist destinations, including Mt. Bulusan, exceptionally well-preserved Spanish bahay na bato homes in Juban and the 1875 Baroque-period dome-like St. Joseph Church in Barcelona. It is best known for the town of Donsol, a well-known whale shark sighting destination named as the “Best Place for Animal Encounters” by Time Magazine.
Strategically located in a 132,003 square-meter site along Barangay Balogo, Sorsogon City, SM City Sorsogon will serve shoppers in the flourishing province of Sorsogon. More than that, it will be a catalyst for employment and business opportunities in the area.
The 40,000-square meter mall comes with a new and innovative building design. It has a sophisticated facade, a vibrant blue pattern inside the mall, large storefronts that are open and welcoming, glass entrances, covered walkways and a bridgelink that connects to Sorsogon Integrated Terminal Exchange, which overlooks the coastal road and offers breathtaking views of the sunrise and sunset over Bulusan and the mountain ranges of Juban and Magallanes towns in the background.
The SM Store and SM Supermarket are SM City Sorsogon’s anchor stores, with SM mainstays like BDO, SM Appliance Center, ACE Hardware, Watsons, Surplus, Sports Central and Miniso leading the way. It also has a Cyberzone for techie shoppers, as well as fashion boutiques, shoe stores, jewelry stores, eyewear stores and sports stores.
Homegrown businesses have also found their way to SM City Sorsogon. These include Bigg’s Diner, Graceland, Ice Blinker, Green Plaza Restaurant, 528 Ilawod, Legazpi Four Seasons, Legazpi Haircutters, Happy Feet travel agency and Flowers Con Dahon.