SM opens 33rd mall in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - SM Prime Holdings Inc., the Philippines’ largest mall operator, opened its 33rd mall in the country. Located in Baliuag, Bulacan, the mall—the last to be opened this year—will provide jobs to approximately 1,500 people, the company said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). SM City Baliuag has a food court, four cinemas with a combined seating capacity of 1,241, and parking for 500 vehicles, the company said. Approximately 40 kilometers away from the Balintawak interchange of the North Luzon Expressway, the mall occupies 93,000 square meters of land and has a gross floor area of 61,554 square meters. Its two anchor tenants—SM Department Store and SM Hypermarket—will occupy 18,985 and 9,507 square meters of floor space, respectively. Other tenants include Jollibee, KFC, Gerry’s Grill, SM Appliance, Watsons, National Bookstore, Ace Hardware, and Worlds of Fun, among others, the company said. “We welcome SM City Baliwag as the 33rd member of our family of SM Supermalls," SM Prime President Mr. Hans Sy said. “Baliwag is one of the major transport hubs in the province of Bulacan, a take off point to and from Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, and Metro Manila. It has a festive and traditional setting, which include Holy Week processions that attract huge crowds. These attributes make Baliwag an ideal location for an SM mall." Baliwag is a first class, urban municipality in the province of Bulacan. It is also known for its native delicacies, furniture, garments, embroidery, and a thriving pyrotechnics industry. - GMANews.TV