Great shopping, leisure, and entertainment went to Zambales when SM City Olongapo, SM Prime Holdings’ 42nd supermall, formally opened its doors to the public on Feb. 10.

Strategically located at Magsaysay Drive comer Gordon Avenue in the city’s central business district, the seven-story 40,863 square meter mall will serve customers from Zambales, Bataan, and other nearby provinces.

The opening of SM City Olongapo will be a catalyst for employment and business opportunities as well as lifestyle trends for residents of this bustling city. With SM Department Store and SM Supermarket as its major anchors, the mall also features SM City Olongapo, the 42nd supermall. mainstays like the SM Appliance Center, ACE Express, and Watsons.

Dining options include popular international and local food chains like Pizza Hut, KFC, Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Greenwich, Chowking, Savory Classic, and Hainanese Delights. Banking services and three state of the art digital cinemas, the first such theaters in the city, complete the shopping experience.

For customers’ convenience, SM City Olongapo has allotted three levels of parking with more than 300 slots, as well as a color-coded jeepney terminal just across the mall.

Situated at the southern part of Zambales and the northwestern interior of the Subic Bay area, Olongapo was once the site of a US Naval Base. After it was turned over to the Philippine government, Mayor Richard Gordon worked for its conversion into a free port, launching an aggressive international investment promotion program that has made it into a prime industrial and tourism zone.

Today, Olongapo city is known for innovative methods of urban management, pioneering an integrated solid waste management system, volunteerism, organized vendors, and a color-coded transport system among other things. The city also brought much honor to the country with international awards such as the UNESCO Cities for Peace representing Asia and the Pacific in 1997 and the Konrad Adenauer Local Medal of Excellence in 1999.