OLONGAPO CITY — Filipino retail giant SM will open today (September 13) its second mall in this city, promising to provide innovative and stylish shopping experience to residents of Olongapo, the nearby provinces of Zambales and Bataan, and other areas in Central Luzon.

The four-level SM City Olongapo Central, which is located at the heart of the city’s central business district, combines innovative retail, integrated architecture, and green spaces within its 71,943-square meter space.

Its design is highlighted by soaring walls of glass, shaded arcades, terraced planters, extended green walls, and mosaic pavement tiles that bring texture, scale, unity, and life to the area.

The first SM mall in Olongapo, a smaller facility which is located near the main gate of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, is now known as SM City Olongapo Downtown.

SM Investments Corp. Assistant Vice President for Corporate Affairs Victor Persius Chan said the entire mall is organized along a gently curving hallway with several atrium views toward different levels in distinct accent colors.

The top level is illuminated with sufficient daylight with an expansive skylight, so that it could accommodate various events including fashion shows, concerts, and exhibits.

“This will definitely be a feast for the senses,” Chan said. “Most of all, it will provide for both the shopping and entertainment needs of customers.”

Chan said that as in all of SM’s 73 malls, SM City Olongapo Central will offer major anchors like the SM Store and SM Supermarket, as well as SM mainstays like the SM Appliance Center, ACE Hardware, Our Home, Watsons, Surplus, Sports Central, as well as global brands Uniqlo and Miniso.

It will also incorporate fashion boutiques like H&M, Mango, and Guess; shoe, sports, jewelry and book stores, as well as shops for the latest IT and electronic goods; banks, wellness areas, and amusement centers for kids.

Meanwhile, eating out options include a food court, popular local and international fast-food chains like Starbucks, and specialty restaurants like Cabalen, Ramen Nagi, and Mesa. Of particular interest is a double level restaurant row overlooking the Olongapo boulevard, tree parks, and a nearby river.

The facility will also feature a 4,357square meter convention center, which provides luxurious function space for balls, meetings, concerts, and other major business, social, cultural, and educational events; a 759-slot covered parking; as well as planned tennis courts in the rooftop.

A day before the mall opening, SM also turned on the charms for local residents with the formal turnover of a newly-built two-story, four-classroom school building to the Kalalake Elementary School in this city.

The new school house was donated by SM Prime, through SM Foundation, which is the social development arm of the SM Group of Companies, and handles SM’s social programs on education, healthcare, food security through farmers’ training, shelter, and social inclusion.

The new schoolhouse comes complete with armchairs, some of which are for left-handed learners; wall fans, blackboards, teacher’s desk sets, wall clocks, toilets, and a reading corner with books donated by SM Retail.

The turnover was witnessed by Olongapo City mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. and senior school officials, who lauded SM’s “Pillars of Change” school building program.

Chan said the SM program has built 92 fully-furnished school buildings to date, serving close to 15,000 students in public schools.  — Henry Empeño

TOP PHOTO:  An artist’s perspective of the new SM City Olongapo Central