IT was an early Christmas for Cavitenos, when SM Prime Holdings recently opened its 36th supermall, SM City Rosario, also its fourth mall in this bustling province. The holiday spirit was evident as thousands of shoppers packed the mall when, in the SM tradition, SM Prime Holdings president Hans T. Sy and SM Supermarket president Herbert Sy opened the d~or to the first wave of customers.

A simple blessing was held the day before, with Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle leading the concelebrated Mass. This was followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, led by Cavite Gov. Ayong Maliksi, Rosario Mayor (Jose ‘Nonong’ Riqafrente, Vice Mayor Jose Rozal ‘ling-]ing’ Hernandez, Bishop Tagle, Felicidad Sy, SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy, SM Supermarket vice president Herbert Sy and SM Investments vice chairman Tessie Sy-Coson. SM founder and chairman Henry Sy Sr. also graced the event, and welcomed the guests.

Located on a 5.5-hectare property in barangay Tejero in Rosario, SM City Rosario now serves customers in the north and northwestern parts of Cavite and neighboring provinces as well. With its modern design, play of graphics and colors, and breathtaking circular atrium, the mall is envisioned to be a popular landmark in this rapidly developing area.

The 58,000-square-meter mall has the SM Department Store and SM Supermarket as its major anchors. It also has SM mainstays like the SM Appliance Center, ACE Hardware and Watsons; as well as fashion boutiques like Bench, Folded and Hung, Human, Penshoppe, Aksesoriz, Pink Box and Pink and Blue Soda. It, likewise, has a National Book Store branch; sports stores like Toby’s; jewelry stores like Unisilver and Gems and Jewels; and optical shops like Ideal Vision and Executive Optical.

Techie customers will have cyber cool in its Internet cafes, computer stores and telco shops; while kids can have fun in arcades like Quantum and Tom’s World. Movie lovers can enjoy Hollywood blockbusters and homegrown hits in its state-of-the-art cinemas.

There will be a lot of eating-out fun for families and friends at SM City Rosario. There is a Foodcourt where one can enjoy good food…fast; as well as international food chains like KFC, PizzaHut and Dunkin! Donuts; and well-loved Filipino food outlets like Jollibee, Max’s, Savory, Chowking, Greenwich, Mang Inasal, Reyes Barbecue and Red Ribbon.

SM City Rosario has banks and service stores that will truly make it a one-stop destination. Among the latter are beauty shops, wellness outlets, dental and medical clinics, and service shops. For customer convenience it will have an SM Business Center and an OFW Lounge, as well as 466 parking slot with an additional 56 for motorcycles.

Apart from SM City Rosario, three other malls-SM City Bacoor, SM City Dasmarinas and SM Supercenter Molino-are located in key areas in the province. SM’s presence in four strategically located areas in the province reinforces Cavite’s growth and market potentials. This rapidly developing province has become a favored location of many industrial and commercial businesses, as well residential subdivisions.

Its 41 industrial zones strategically located along Cavite’s major thorough fares serve as home to about 800 industrial establishments, where about a million workers are productively employed. The province is regarded globally competitive. It is recognized worldwide through its tourism focal points, especially among golf enthusiasts who fly to the country to enjoy their club swings and match plays, and explore awesome tourist attractions

Rosario, the site of the Cavite Economic Zone (CEZ), is30 kilometers away from Manila, and occupies part of the northwestern section of the province along the western coast of Luzon. It is surrounded by Noveleta on the east, Manila Bay on the north, General Trias on the southeast and Tanza on the southwest.

Business opportunities are booming in Rosario. The CEZ is one of the country’s oldest and biggest industrial zones, with about 300 locators employing some 60,000 workers. The Rosario Fish Port in barangay Sapa is the major fishing port in the province.

SM City Rosario’s design team includes DSGN Associates Inc. and EDGE Interior Design, design architects for the mall’s exterior and interior, respectively; Jose Siao Ling and Associates, architect of the record; DA Abcede and Associates, project manager; and Monolith, general contractor.