6,000 assured of jobs at SM Mall of Asia

An official of the Pasay City government yesterday disclosed that at least 6,000 people are now assured of work at the soon-to-open SM Mall of Asia located at the Bay City area in Roxas Boulevard.

Greg Alcera, head of Pasay City’s Public Employment and Services Office (PESO), said positions that were filled up include managers and personnel at the administration department and the different establishments and stalls inside the mall.

"There will be restaurants, salons, clothes and shoe shops, specialty stores, recreational area, among others," he added.

Alcera noted that 4,500 out of these 6,000 workers, are Pasay City residents. Earlier, the official explained that residents will be given priority in the job hiring at new new SM mall.

He pointed out that an ordinance passed by the City Council mandates that at least 60 percent of the workers to be hired in the newly-constructed mall, should come from Pasay City.

"We want to help first and foremost the unemployed residents in the city. In fact, we will develop a networking system where the names of our jobless residents and their specific skills or expertise will recorded in our office and we would be the one to get in touch with them regarding job openings," Alcera explained.

He added that 70 percent of job vacancies in construction should be allotted to Pasay City residents. These include work for masons, plumbers, welders, steelmen, technicians, carpenters, among others.

Alcera said they are expecting that a total of 9,000 jobs will be generated before the mall’s formal opening on May 21.

Sitting on a three-hectare lot, the SM Mall of Asia is now considered as the biggest mall not only in the country but in Asia and reputed to be the third biggest in the world.