Manila, Philippines – Dominant carrier PLDT has tied up with shopping mall and property giant SM Prime Holdings for a three-year branding partnership wherein the P3.6 billion newly built events venue would be called “Mall of Asia Arena Powered by PLDT.”

PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan and SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy signed yesterday the partnership agreement between PLDT and SM at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

This is the second major events venue wherein PLDT entered into a branding partnership after the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Under the agreement, the Mall of Asia Arena would allocate branding opportunities aside from extending various services like telephone lines and CCTV’s to PLDT.

Mall of Asia Arena Powered by PLDT would be seen in various state-of-the-art digital platforms available at Mall of Asia Arena for the next three years.

The partnership also includes PLDT murals, three PLDT corporate suites, and two showrooms featuring PLDT’s various businesses such as SME Nation and HOME at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Pangilinan said the partnership with SM opens opportunities for the company to pursue the advocacies close to our heart: Our love for sports, our strong support for Philippine tourism, and entertainment.”

“This is certainly another milestone for the PLDT Group and we are truly proud to be associated with this state-of-the-art venue,” Pangilinan stressed.

For his part, Sy welcomed the partnership with the country’s dominant carrier.

 “For all its rewarding years of solid commitment to product-building and good service, both PLDT and the SM Group of Companies have one motive force-the Filipino. For over 80 years, PLDT-leading telecommunications provider in the country-has bridged lives, fostered communities and, in the process, cultivated an interconnected nation geared towards abiding economic evolution,” Sy said.

He pointed out that the three-year synergy of the two corporate giants would further uplift the talent and skill of our homegrown artists and athletes and, while at it, establish the Philippines as a destination for world-class entertainment and sporting events.

 “On the other hand, the Mall of Asia Arena-a world-class facility under the SM Group of Companies, an enterprise committed to unrivaled excellence-believes and upholds the peerless artistry and competence of the Filipino.

The 16,000-seater complex at the prime Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City is a six-level, world-class event venue with a gross floor area of 64,085 square meters.

It is touted the most sought after venue for entertainment, sports and institutional events, among its other capabilities.

It sits on a 1.6-hectare property owned by SM Land Inc. Mall of Asia Arena is operated by SM Arena Complex Corp. and managed by the West Avenue Theaters Corp.