MANILA, Philippines — Sorsogon City is the capital of the province of Sorsogon that lies in the Bicol peninsula. It faces the island of Samar to the southeast across the San Bernardino Strait and Ticao Island to the southwest.
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 province of Sorsogon is home to many tourist destinations, such as the active stratovolcano Mt. Bulusan, exceptionally well-preserved Spanish-era heritage houses in Juban and, of course, the whale sharks in Donsol.
Sorsogon City itself is home to a variety of natural attractions including beautiful beaches, limestone caverns and a marine reserve that are among the highlights found in the city’s Bacon District. Last October 28, it welcomed a new lifestyle destination with the opening of SM City Sorsogon.
Strategically located in a 132,003 square-meter site along Brgy. Balogo, Sorsogon City, the 40,000 square meter mall comes with a new and innovative building design. The exterior is designed as four bold blue angled volumes of varying patterns, punctuated by ground floor entrances.
The interior design re-emphasizes the bold exterior geometry with light fixtures mounted at matching angles, while each wing is designed with vibrant color, orienting visitors while balancing with contemporary finishes.
Clear sight lines and ample daylight inspire curiosity and discovery throughout the space, creating a unique and enjoyable shopping experience.
For customer convenience, it has an open parking area that can accommodate 705 vehicles. The mall is also adjacent to PUV and E-Jeep terminals with local trips to towns nearby.
SM City Sorsogon’s project team includes DSGN Associates Inc., HBO + EMTB Associates; BCL Asia Landscape Architects, AOR; ABCEDE and KHMAYA, General Contractor.
Here are eight reasons why it would be great to see you in Sorsogon:
1. It’s a gateway to great shopping, fun and opportunities!
SM City Sorsogon is SM Prime’s 81st supermall and the 4th in Bicolandia after SM City Naga in Camarines Sur, SM City Legazpi in Albay and SM City Daet in Camarines Norte.
Just as Sorsogon City is known as the Gateway to Southern Philippines as the trans-shipment point from the Visayas and Mindanao provinces, the new mall is envisioned to be a gateway for great shopping, leisure and fun, as well as for employment and business opportunities in the area.
2. It serves new communities
The 40,000 square meter mall will serve shoppers in the flourishing province of Sorsogon, including Sorsogon City where it is located, and nearby municipalities of Castilla, Manito, Prieto Diaz, Gubat and Casiguran
3. It celebrates nature + art (photos of paintings)
The province of Sorsogon is home to many well-known tourist destinations, including the town of Donsol, a well-known whale shark sighting destination, named the “Best Place for Animal Encounter” by Time Magazine.
SM City Sorsogon’s bridge link that connects to the Sorsogon International Terminal Exchange (SITEX) similarly draws tourists because of the beautiful paintings of whale sharks on its ceiling as well as the seascapes around the link.
4. There’s so much shopping fun!
The SM Store and SM Supermarket are SM City Sorsogon’s major anchors along with SM mainstays like 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, bookstores, eyewear stores and sports stores.
5. Fresh catch at SM Supermarket
Sorsogon City has an abundant supply of gifts from the sea, like lapu-lapu, malasugi, pompano, labahita, samara, matambaka and squid from the town of Prieto Diaz—all available at SM Supermarket.
6. It’s a place for pili and Bicolano specialties
The pili nut is found primarily in the rainforests surrounding Mount Bulusan, in the province of Sorsogon in the Bicol Region.
Soft yet crisp with an easy crunch that surprisingly melts in your mouth, these also have numerous health benefits, including promoting heart health and balancing cholesterol.
Pili nut desserts, along with other Bicolano specialties like Bicol Express, made of pork slices, coconut milk and lots of chili peppers; Pinangat or Tinuktok, shrimp wrapped in gabi or yam leaves and cooked in coconut milk; and Laing or Natong, a spicy coconut milk based dish with dried taro leaves can be found at the mall’s supermarket.
7. It brings back the magic of the movies (cinema photos)
SM City Sorsogon has three state-of-the-art digital cinemas showcasing Hollywood blockbusters and local hits.
8. It’s a haven for homegrown businesses (chosen photos)
Homegrown businesses have found their home at SM City Sorsogon. These include Bigg’s Diner, Graceland, Ice Blinker, Green Plaza Restaurant, 528 Ilawod Cafe, Legazpi Four Seasons, Haircutters de Legazpi, Happy Feet Travel Agency and Flowers Con Dahon.
Fun Facts About SM’s Malls in the Bicol Region (chosen pics of the malls)
With the opening of SM City Sorsogon, SM now has four malls in the Bicol Region, serving customers in the provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and of course Sorsogon.
In fact, visiting these four malls is like traveling on the legendary Bicol Express, the train service of the Philippine National Railways, which started operations in the 1930s until it shut down in 2006 because of the damage of Typhoons Reming and Milenyo.
While the construction of the PNR Bicol Package 1 is seen to be completed by 2024 and the start of operations by the third quarter of 2025, let’s take a road trip with fun facts about these malls.
SM City Naga
SM City Naga in Camarines Sur, which opened on May 1, 2009, is SM’s first supermall in the Bicol region.
It has tower-like bricks on the façade that holds the SM logo on both sides and a circular atrium that extends outside the building with a high curtain glass wall.
While it is currently the smallest of SM’s Bicol malls, it has the biggest event center and multi-level carpark that can accommodate as many as 2,000 cars.
SM City Naga has received many awards, including the Philippine Retailers Association Shopping Center of the Year in the Medium Category in 2017.
SM City Legazpi
SM City Legazpi in Albay was the second SM Supermall to open in the Bicol region on September 14, 2018.
It is the largest mall in Bicol with a gross floor area of 87,706 square meters and is adjacent to the city’s grand terminal.
SM City Legazpi’s Food Hall balcony and SM Store Prestige Lounge both offer a panoramic view of the majestic Mayon Volcano.
SM City Daet
SM City Daet in Camarines Norte opened on October 15, 2021, the second year of the pandemic. The two-story mall has a sophisticated façade with bold blue entrances and canopies and is adjacent to the PUV and bus terminal with local trips to towns nearby.