The SM Group through property arm SM Prime Holdings Inc. is spurring local economic growth with the opening of a 23,000-square-meter shopping mall, SM Center San Pedro, in Laguna province.
Rested atop a hill-like spot in the city’s Upper Village, SM Center San Pedro is the fourth SM mall in the province, after SM City Santa Rosa, SM City Calamba and SM City San Pablo.
News of the mall opening was well received by San Pedrenses, said Jhe-Rico Sam Colina, chief information officer of the San Pedro City government as it is seen to spur more local activity.
“The people got excited when the news of SM opening in the area. To buy what they need, they usually go to the bayan, which is quite far away. For leisure, grocery, and whatnot, sometimes they even need to go to Biñan or as far as Muntinlup,” he said.
Access to goods can be quite challenging to navigate around the hilly areas in the city.
“We have a lower or the town proper and then the Upper Villages here in San Pedro. If you travel from here [where SM Center San Pedro is located] to the public market, it would take 30 to 40 minutes, by jeepney,” said Colina.
About 86 percent of some of the group’s retail affiliates in SM Center San Pedro, including SM Appliance Center, are San Pedro residents. Watsons Philippines has 60 percent of its team members coming from the city. In the mall’s administration office, 52 percent of the workforce are all locally hired from San Pedro.
Beyond the staple offerings of SM from its anchor tenants like SM Hypermarket, and SM Appliance Center, among others it is also a partner for sustainable initiatives.
The mall utilizes low-emissivity (low e) glass for windows and skylights most evident in SM Center San Pedro’s Event Center. The mall’s water treatment plant and LED light fixtures complement one another to ensure efficiency in energy consumption.
A forward-looking feature such as the designated electric vehicle (EV) charging station is also open to all mall-goers located in the basement parking.
Vina Dauz has been serving cooked food party trays, desserts and other delectable Filipino treats to the neighboring communities of San Pedro, Laguna for over five years. Although she has a thriving online presence, her dream has always been to run her very own café.
When the leasing officer from then soon-to-open SM Center San Pedro called her about bringing a café concept to her community, it was a yes right away.
SM Center San Pedro assistant mall manager Christian Liston shared how they strive to empower homegrown community brands like Dauz and provide a space that will create opportunities for San Pedrenses.
“With the opening of SM’s 84th mall, we further strengthen our support to communities in the south by bringing convenience and our distinct brand of service to San Pedro. We believe in the potential of the community and are eager to help bring opportunities to the city,” Liston said.
The potential rings true for a budding entrepreneur like Dauz and her passion serving the community with her favorite food through her first café, Malia’s.